2 . An open-air swimming pool in Bedfordshire, England, proved very popular this winter. The Woburn Lido is usually open from May to September, but this year it stayed open to swimmers throughout the autumn and winter months too.

Until the lockdown(封锁) for England was announced on 4 January, outdoor pools were allowed to remain open. “Demand has taken us by surprise.” said Murray Heining, a volunteer at the Woburn Lido. Over Christmas and New Year, in order to keep up with the demand from swimmers, the lido(露天游泳) had to offer extra slots for people to dive in.

Cold-water swimming has grown in popularity in the UK over the past few years. A survey found that 7.5 million people in England had swum in outdoor pools, as well as lakes, rivers and the sea, in 2018. In some areas, such as the river Wharfe in Yorkshire, this new trend has prompted environmental groups to ensure that the water is cleared of pollution and clean enough for bathers.

Some people make it a regular practice; others just enjoy a thrilling dip on Christmas Day, Boxing Day or New Year’s Day. Every year around the UK, people are photographed jumping into icy water, often in fancy dress, and the recent festive period was no exception, despite freezing temperatures.

The Outdoor Swimming Society classifies temperatures below 6℃ as “Baltic” and from 6-11℃ as “freezing”. They advise people to get in the water gradually, so as not to shock the body. Likewise, they recommend warming up gradually, and not rushing the process by leaping into a hot bath when you get out. Instead, they suggest layering up and drinking something warm.

It wasn’t just the water that was cold—many people experienced a white Christmas; snow fell in several counties including Yorkshire and Suffolk. Paul Davies, the UK Met Office’s chief meteorologist (a scientist who studies the weather), said the forecast indicates “the likelihood of the cold conditions experienced recently continuing through January”.

1. Which of the following can replace the word “slots” in Paragraph 2?

A．Volunteers.

B．Solutions.

C．Opportunities.

D．Positions.

2. What can we learn about cold-water swimming in the UK?

A．It is beneficial to environmental protection.

B．It has won people’s affections in recent years.

C．People only go cold-water swimming in festive period.

D．People go cold-water swimming to show off their fancy dresses.

3. What does the Outdoor Swimming Society advise people to do?

A．Shock the body gradually.	B．Have some warm drinks when they get out.
C．Take a hot bath immediately.	D．Avoid swimming in freezing temperatures.

4. What is the best title of this passage?

A．Swimmers Enjoy Chilly Dips	B．Freezing Weather Hits Britain
C．The Woburn Lido Wins Popularity	D．The UK Recovers from the Lockdown

3 . How much physical activity do you do in a week? Are you getting enough exercise? Adults who do exercise for just 150 minutes a week can reduce their risk of serious illness by 50%. Regular exercise reduces the risk of early death by 30%.     1     Today, we are much less active than in the past. In fact many adults spend seven hours or more on a chair each day.   

    2     It means that we need to do something extra to burn more calories and use up all our energy. Adults need to do two and a half hours of moderate exercise per week. In addition, you should do exercise to strengthen muscles twice a week.

    3     Team sports such as football, rugby or cricket can be cheap because all the players share the cost of the pitch. Joining a sports club is usually a cheap way of getting exercise and can be very sociable, too.   

Alternatively, if you don't want to spend any money at all, go for a run. The only equipment needed for this is a pair of trainers     4     Go to the park. Try getting a group of friends or family together and have a game of football there.

Although adults should do two and a half hours of exercise a week, you don't have to do it all at one time.     5     If you do ten minutes before work ten minutes during your lunch break and ten minutes after work, five days a week, you've achieved the target! There are many ways of getting fit and we should all recognize the value of doing this, because we will live longer and be more healthy.

A．Divide the time into ten-minute periods!

B．You can do a range of activities to keep fit.

C．Exercise can be expensive, but it doesn't have to be.

D．This lack of regular physical activity is a big concern.

E．It also improves your mood, self-esteem and sleep quality.

F．Besides, booking a court at off- peak times saves money too

G．Similarly, getting off the bus one stop early and walking the extra distance helps.

5 . Perhaps your doctor has recommended you exercise more, or you’ve been out of shape recently.     1    . But how do you find the motivation, time and resources to get fit, particularly if you haven’t exercised for a while?

For some people, hearing bad news from the doctor is often enough motivation to get started.     2    .

However, finding the time and effort to fit exercise into your daily routine is challenging.     3    . And many people such as office workers, vehicle or machine operators have low activity levels at work and don’t feel like exercising after a long day.

One way to overcome these barriers (障碍) might be to attend a group exercise session or join a sports club.     4    , you can encourage a friend to join you or join an exercise group to make it enjoyable. Having a friend to exercise with or teammates to support you gives a sense of commitment so that you have to be there and will be challenged if you fail to show up.

You don’t need to go to a gym with a lot of fancy equipment.     5    . And rather than improving muscle strength with weights at the gym, you can fill milk bottles with water instead.

A．If you find exercise boring

B．When you perform aerobic exercise

C．Maybe you’ve decided that it’s time to lose some weight

D．That’s why it’s important to continue and repeat exercise sessions

E．We know being “time poof” is a common reason for not exercising

F．Many exercises, including push-ups and sit-ups, don’t need special equipment

G．So it’s a good idea to get a health check before starting if you haven’t exercised for years

6 . Tai chi is a gentle Kongfu art that started in China. It uses slow and safe movements to create and balance inner energy (called Chi).     1    . It’s believed to have received more and more attention since the 19^th century.

Tai chi is suitable for all ages and levels of fitness. It puts very little harmful stress on muscles(肌肉) and joints(关节), making it generally safe. It’s an exercise that can be easily done for less able people.     2    .

A 2019 review of studies suggested that tai chi might reduce the risk of falls in older people.     3    . Sideways and backwards movements can help to strengthen muscles required for good stability(稳定). It also improves people’s sense of space.

Tai chi is good for people’s body. Research shows that practising tai chi is usually good for knee health.     4    . So people will sit or stand a little comfortably. What’s more, although Tai chi is so slow and smooth, it can improve both upper body strength and lower-body strength when practised day by day.

    5    . Research has shown that the brain has the ability to change through your life, growing new cells(细胞), making new connections, and even increasing in size. Tai chi does good things in these changes. Besides, Tai chi reduces people’s stress and worry, and increases confidence.

A．It can also reduce back pain.

B．It requires focus of mind and body.

C．Even those in wheelchairs can try it.

D．Certainly, the main point is on balance.

E．There are many reasons for you to practice tai chi.

F．Tai chi can improve people’s mind in older people.

G．You will find a tai chi class that matches your fitness level.

7 . What to look for when finding the perfect workout partner

There are a ton of benefits to having a great workout partner that pushes you to reach your goals. But it can initially be a little difficult to find the right person to work out with.     1    

● Your best friend might not be your best partner. While you and your friend may get on well outside the gym, that doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll make great workout partners. One of the best reasons is that there can be a level of competition, which pushes both of you to work harder.     2     It could push your friendship into some awkward places that end up hurting your relationship.

●     3     Common sense tells us that we should work out with someone who’s at a similar place in hitting the same goals! But that isn’t guaranteed to be the best matchup. In fact, you might do better partnering up with someone who’s better than you.     4     For you, working out with someone who’ s faster or stronger could add a level of competition that causes you to push your limits. For your partner, they’ll have someone who’s motivated to keep up, which is great for them, too.

● Get on the same schedule.     5     You could be perfectly in step with someone, but if you’re never able to work out together, there’s no point. That’s why it’s important to take scheduling into account right from the start.

A．Pick a partner who is fitter than you.

B．It’s actually a win-win for both of you.

C．Choose your workout partner in your gym.

D．Here are some tips for finding the perfect workout partner.

E．You wouldn’t be comfortable adding this element to your friendship.

F．You’ll more likely show up for your exercise when working out with a friend.

G．All of this is meaningless if you can’t even find the time to meet up for each other.

10 . About one-third of adults globally have high blood pressure, which increases the risk of having a heart attack or stroke (中风). Physical activity is known to lower blood pressure. However, many people have trouble keeping to exercise plans.

Yoga tends to be more sustainable (可持续的) than other forms of exercise because it is gentle, can be done with others and helps to relax the mind. Several experiments have found that yoga lowers blood pressure. However, these experiments have typically involved several sessions a week, which may not be achievable for many people.

To find out if yoga helps to reduce blood pressure in the real world, some researchers conducted a new study and analysed the electronic health records of 1,355 people aged 18 to 79 who practised yoga at least once a week. They compared each of these people with at least three other individuals. They had similar characteristics in terms of things like age, gender, and body mass index (BMI), but had no mention of practising yoga in their records. On average, the people who practised yoga had systolic blood pressure (收缩压) that was 2.8 mmHg lower and diastolic blood pressure (舒张压) that was 1.5 mmHg lower than those who didn’t.

This blood pressure reduction probably wouldn’t make a huge difference to most people in the study, since they tended to be young and healthy. They already had normal blood pressure. But at a population level, if average blood pressure declined by this much, it would prevent a significant number of heart attacks and strokes. For example, a 2018 study found that a population-wide average systolic blood pressure reduction of 2 mmHg among middle-aged adults in the US would prevent more than 12,000 heart attacks and 7,000 strokes each year.

Based on the new study, we can’t say for sure that yoga lowers blood pressure, because there may be other explanations for the findings. People who do yoga may have lower blood pressure because they tend to have better diets, not because of the yoga itself. And yoga shouldn’t be seen as the replacement for blood pressure lowering medicines. Nevertheless, yoga is likely to assist in lowering blood pressure if it encourages sedentary (久坐的) people to exercise. “The greatest benefit is getting the exercise-shy to do something rather than increasing exercise in someone who does it regularly,” an expert says.

1. Which advantage does yoga have over other kinds of exercise?

A．It is easier for beginners to learn.	B．It is more effective in keeping fit.
C．People are more likely to stick to it.	D．People can find partners more easily.

2. Which of the following can be inferred from the new study?

A．The study took the relevant factors in reality into consideration.

B．All these participants were of the same age and gender.

C．The study analysed different kinds of exercise.

D．The researchers studied the participants’ daily routine.

3. What does the author want to show by the example in paragraph 4?

A．The results are far from satisfactory.

B．Lowering blood pressure is quite easy.

C．Blood pressure reduction is beneficial.

D．Doing yoga once a week is meaningful.

4. What can we learn from the last paragraph?

A．Other reasons have been found to explain the blood pressure reduction for certain.

B．Encouraging inactive people to do yoga possibly contributes to lowering blood pressure.

C．Having better diets is more important than practising yoga regularly for sedentary people.

D．The benefits of practising yoga are equal to taking blood pressure lowering medicines.