1 . Jumping rope is popular but we tend to ignore (忽视) its benefits.     1     A study found that college men who spent 10 minutes jumping rope daily for six weeks improved their cardiovascular (心血管的) fitness just as much as college men who spent thirty minutes jogging for the same time. Here are some benefits of jumping rope.

    2    

Since most of your major muscles are working when you jump rope, the exercise creates a lot of heat in the body. Your body needs to burn more fuel to produce this energy, so it burns lots of calories. It burns more calories than any other exercises, such as jogging, cycling and swimming.

Improves coordination (协调)

Jumping rope requires good coordination, especially as you advance to more skilled moves.     3     It improves coordination by requiring several body parts to communicate in order to complete one movement. The feet must jump in time with the wrists turning in order to create a continuous jumping motion.

Reduces injury risk

With your improved coordination from jumping rope, you’ll be less likely to get hurt either during exercise or in daily activities.     4     As a result, you are more agile (灵活的) and your body awareness is improved greatly. This guarantees fewer injuries.

Improves heart health

Since jumping rope gets your heart pumping, it’s great for your cardiovascular system and heart health. Jumping rope can increase your VO₂ Max (最大摄氧量), the measure of the maximum amount of oxygen a person can breathe during exercise. The higher someone’s VO₂ max, the more cardiovascular endurance (耐受力) they have.

Jumping rope gives us a full-body workout with just one piece of equipment and one move.     5     Jump to some music, or take your rope to a nearby park to enjoy the fun.

A．Burns calories

B．Improves muscles

C．It benefits us not only physically but also mentally.

D．You can quickly swing the rope twice within each jump.

E．It may even be more effective than other forms of exercise.

F．Jumping rope forces you to move your upper and lower body together.

G．So jumping rope helps you stay calm, clear and focused in everything you do.

2 . Maybe you plan to ring in 2023 with a new resolve to lose weight, exercise more, not sweat the small stuff. And maybe these resolutions sound familiar — maybe just like the ones you made a year ago! So how can you ensure that your determination to get healthier in 2023 sticks?    1    

Dream big. Want to compete in a marathon or triathlon? Lose 50 pounds or just enough to fit into clothes you once loved? With perseverance (毅力), encouragement, and support, you can do it.     2    Many will cheer you on. Some will be happy to help in practical ways, such as by training with you or taking on tasks you normally handle in order to free up your time.

    3    Any time you fail to make a change, consider it a step toward your goal. Why? Because each sincere attempt represents a lesson learned. When you hit a snag (碰钉子), take a moment to think about what did and didn’t work. Maybe you took on too big a challenge?     4    

Give thanks for what you do. Set your sights on finishing that marathon,not on running it. If you compete to complete, you’ll be a winner even if you wind up walking as much as you run. With exercise — and so many other goals we set — you’ll benefit even when doing less than you’d like to do.     5    If your goal for Tuesday is a 30-minute workout at the gym, but you only squeeze (挤出) in 10 minutes, feel grateful for that. It’s enough. Maybe tomorrow will be better.

A．Learn from the failures.

B．Avoid repeating past failures.

C．Any activity is always better than none.

D．An ambitious aim often inspires others to help you.

E．Try the following tips to help you create long-lasting change.

F．Having a solid system can help you stay motivated and accountable.

G．If so, change into a less ambitious challenge, or break the big one into tinier steps.

3 . One of the presents in my house this Christmas was a late 18th-century volume of the Encyclopaedia Britannica (大英百科全书). It is a window into the discoveries and thinking of the time. The encyclopaedia is an entertaining reminder of how _______ some of our current truths are bound to be. Certainties in areas we haven’t yet understood will look just as ridiculous as some of these in centuries to come. And one of those we are still remarkably _______ is the effect of food and exercise on our bodies. We’re surrounded by confident _______ on how to eat, how to avoid or reverse obesity (肥胖), and yet the advice seems pointless while the world gets fatter. Much of what we think we know is a pile of assumptions rather than _______ .

Our confusion is the theme of Spoon-Fed, a book by one of Britain’s leading nutrition researchers, Tim Spector of King’s College London. Its subtitle is: “Why almost everything we’ve been told about food is wrong.” It is a call for us to _______ more.

One by one Spector offers answers to recent food _______. Coffee can save our lives, he says. Three to four cups a day reduces the risk of heart disease and may cut the risk of death by 8 per cent. Butter does not damage our hearts, Spector argues, and salt is vital. Eggs have gone “from heroes to villains and back again”. Don’t say no to all red meat on _______ grounds; occasional small quantities of high-quality unprocessed meat provide important vitamins and iron and are “probably good for you“. Exercise is so good for longevity and happiness that it should be considered our No 1 drug, but the one thing for which it’s _______ useless is losing weight. Vitamin pills are a multibillion-pound industry with almost no proven _______ but which can cause real harm. Even vitamin D, which Spector used to study and believe in, he now _______.

Spector also offers more than a set of currently _______ tips. The science of nutrition has not been solved by him, as he would be the first to admit. His most _______ point is that there is no one size that fits all. Our bodies are complex, and our reactions are _______: yet nobody wants to pay for the research that might explain why.

Some combination of food choices, genes, environment and the chemical reactions generated by our microbiome — the unique microbe (微生物的) combinations in our body ― yes different _______ for each of us, leaving some lean and two thirds of us too fat. This is the territory Spector wants to explore further and which might just allow us to _______ the global trend to obesity, with all the risks we’ve witnessed this year.

1.

A．well-known

B．aim-oriented

C．ill-founded

D．long-lived

2.

A．certain about

B．ignorant of

C．capable of

D．worried about

3.

A．decisions

B．courses

C．focuses

D．suggestions

4.

A．facts

B．chances

C．reasons

D．features

5.

A．investigate

B．demand

C．concentrate

D．spend

6.

A．supplies

B．shortages

C．standards

D．myths

7.

A．culture

B．history

C．economy

D．health

8.

A．equally

B．practically

C．socially

D．impossibly

9.

A．effectiveness

B．consciousness

C．competitiveness

D．emptiness

10.

A．serves

B．shares

C．recognizes

D．dismisses

11.

A．pointless

B．topical

C．defensible

D．additional

12.

A．emotional

B．significant

C．questionable

D．forgivable

13.

A．individual

B．unpredictable

C．important

D．available

14.

A．changes

B．outcomes

C．profits

D．addicts

15.

A．start

B．analyze

C．stop

D．reflect

5 . Much of our thinking about health is based on wishful thinking. But science provides clear and simple advice for a healthy life. Graham Lawton explores the evidence. Graham proves that you don’t have to be a health and fitness extremist to be reasonably healthy. He has rounded up the latest and strictest health research and changed it into useful advice on all the big health questions: diet, weight loss, exercise, sleep, ageing and so on.

Graham, New Scientist feature writer, is not the common health expert. He sometimes eats fast food. He has a gym membership but rarely uses it. And he takes medicine to keep his blood pressure under control. He neither has a diet plan nor a 6-week program to keep fit and thin.

But he does have a much better weapon: science. In a talk, Graham explains the basic science, tells people some of the secrets of science, teaches people to use the ability of judgement to tell the good from the bad, and helps them to see beyond the headlines. The talk allows people to eat healthily, lose weight, and sort the truth out from science facts.

But he loves outdoor sports. Last year Graham cycled over 1,200 miles and ran the same distance of 15marathons. He often goes swimming outdoors and walks up eight flights of stairs to his desk instead of taking the lift. He eats his five copies of fruit and vegetables a day, keeps enough water in his body, and doesn’t eat much meat. Despite all the bad habits, his good ones seem to be winning. Graham is 50, but his “biological age” was recently measured as 45.

1. What can we learn about Graham?

A．He has some bad habits.

B．He has an extremely strict diet.

C．He looks down on common health experts.

D．He always bases health on wishful thinking.

2. What does Graham’s talk in paragraph 3 cover?

A．Words as weapons.

B．Health and science.

C．Functions of medicine.

D．Ability and confidence.

3. What does the last paragraph mainly tell us concerning Graham?

A．His indoor sports of his life.

B．His copies of health books.

C．His healthy lifestyle.

D．His way of thinking.

4. Which is the most suitable title for the text?

A．The Professional Ways to Do Sports

B．The Importance of Exercise for Health

C．The Unique Path to Scientific Success

D．The Secrets of Living a Healthy Life

6 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. Where does the conversation take place?

A．In a hospital.

B．In a gym.

C．In a park.

2. What happened to Molly yesterday?

A．She fell off the bed.

B．She had trouble breathing.

C．She almost died of heart disease.

3. What annoys Molly most?

A．Stopping drinking Coke.

B．Giving up fried chips.

C．Getting up early.

7 . Everyone benefits from exercise, no matter their age, sex or physical ability. Here are a few ways that exercise can lead to a happier, healthier you.

Exercise controls weight. When you take part in physical activity, you burn calories. Regular trips to the gym are great, but don’t worry if you can’t find lots of time to exercise every day.     1     Just get more active throughout your day. For example, take the stairs instead of the elevator.

Worried about heart diseases? Expecting to prevent high blood pressure?     2     Being active increases the “good” cholesterol (胆固醇) and decreases unhealthy triglycerides (甘油三酯). This keeps your blood flowing smoothly, reducing your risk of suffering from heart and blood diseases.

Needing an emotional lift?     3     A visit to the gym or a brief walk can help. Physical activity stimulates (刺激) many brain chemicals that may leave you feeling happier, more relaxed and less anxious.

Struggling to fall into sleep? Regular physical activity can help you fall asleep faster, get better sleep and deepen your sleep.     4     Or you may be too energized to go to sleep.

    5     They give you a chance to enjoy the outdoors or simply do activities that make you happy. Physical activity can also help you connect with family or friends in a fun social setting. Find a physical activity you enjoy, and just do it. Bored? Try something new, or do something with friends or family.

A．Just exercise.

B．Just don’t exercise too close to bedtime.

C．Any amount of activity is better than none.

D．Hoping to lower stress after a stressful day?

E．Benefits of regular exercise are hard to forget.

F．Exercise and physical activity can be fun and social!

G．Feeling tired after grocery shopping or doing housework?

8 . Walking might seem simple. “But it’s not,” explains Peggy Cawthon, a professor at Harvard Medical School. “It’s an amazingly complex behavior when we try to understand how to improve our lives as we age.”     1    ? Here are a few ideas.

Don’t stop exercising

Cawthon agrees that the worst thing a person can do is to stop exercising. “You’ll feel the effects almost immediately,” says Cawthon. Sitting for hours leaves her uncomfortable, and it’s the days when she types that her arthritis (关节炎) doesn’t cause much pain.     2    .

Train yourself to walk with skill

To truly improve your walking, you need to think like an athlete. Imagine you want to play tennis, but you have a bad backhand. Playing lots of tennis won’t fix the problem, Cawthon says.     3    . It’s the same thing with walking.

Give your brain a boost (激励)

    4    . So don’t forget that when working out your fitness plan. Cawthon has been studying an area of the brain related to motivation (动机) and executive function. Subjects with a boost walk more steps on average than the control group, and they have been maintaining that even several months later.

    5    

So when should we face the music about our mobility? There is no final answer for when walking problems begin to come up. “You should be as active as you can at any age,” Cawthon says, noting that people who are healthy in their 20s and 30s are best equipped to deal with future age-related challenges. “The best time to start is now. Next best is tomorrow,” she says.

A．Start planning now

B．Be in pretty good shape

C．You need to improve your skill

D．So what steps should we take to do it right

E．How can you sweat your way to good health

F．It is a helpful reminder that our bodies need action

G．Basically, the body part controlling everything is your brain

9 . When you walk in a Chinese city early in the morning, you’re likely to see groups of people exercising in the park. You’ll see them moving through a series of slow graceful movements. As their bodies flow from one exercise to the next, their minds are focused only on their deep, relaxed breathing.

Tai chi is part of national cultural heritage (遗产) which Chinese people take pride in. This ancient mind-body exercise is known as tai chi, and you don’t have to live in China to benefit from it. According to a survey in 2007, more than 2 million Americans are currently practicing tai chi.

Tai chi is called a mind-body type of exercise because it combines meditation, focused breathing, and physical movement. Because it’s also a low-impact (低强度的) exercise, it may be particularly suitable for older adults, but it’s a beneficial exercise for people of all ages.

Tai chi developed in China as a type of martial art. Today tai chi is used to develop fitness, meditation, balance, breathing, and well-being.

If tai chi is something you might like to try, look for a tai chi class near you. Keep in mind that training programs are different in many ways. You might want to ask around for a recommendation or try a class before you sign up. Ask potential tai chi instructors about their training and experience.

Tai chi is generally considered a low-risk exercise that is both safe and enjoyable. If you have any physical or medical problems, talk with your health care provider before starting any exercise program. And remember, although tai chi has many benefits, it can’t take the place of regular medical care.

1. Why does the author give the example in paragraph 1?

A．To describe a scene.

B．To introduce the topic.

C．To summarize the text.

D．To guide the readers around the city.

2. What can we know from paragraph 2?

A．Some foreigners are interested in tai chi.

B．Tai chi makes people happy, wise and energetic.

C．Chinese people don’t take tai chi seriously now.

D．Tai chi was considered a way to lengthen one’s life.

3. What does the underlined word “meditation” mean?

A．Hard training.	B．Deep thinking.
C．Body stretching.	D．Violent exercising.

4. Who may benefit from practicing tai chi?

A．Old people.	B．The patients.
C．Young people.	D．People of all ages.

5. What is the best title of this passage?

A．Different Schools of Tai Chi around the World.

B．Tai Chi—a National Heritage and Wonderful Exercise.

C．Chinese Martial Arts—the Origin and Forms of Tai Chi.

D．The Advantages and Disadvantages of Practicing Tai Chi.

10 . Rene Campbell has devoted most of her life to shaping her figure into one completely against what society thinks a woman should look like.

“I was always very insecure about my body image, as everyone seemed to know for sure that women needed to look a certain way,” she says when reflecting on her motivation to transform herself.     1     For quite some time, she struggled with eating disorders because she was trying to keep her weight really low and appear skinny, like the women on magazine covers.     2     It was then that she became attracted by the way these seemingly confident women held themselves.

However, building her dream body—gaining over 85 pounds, going from a size 8 to 14—has had its challenges, too. “    3     When I tell them that I am a female bodybuilder, the first reaction is, ‘Muscles for women are just not attractive,’” Campbell says. Though she loves the way she now looks, she is sometimes treated with cruelty.

    4    Even though there is a huge market encouraging women to build muscles and tighten their figures, the ideal still stands for smaller waists, and thin legs, the so-called perfect figure. For women to build up strong muscles, it takes a strong heart.

“I gradually learn to ignore others’ voices and become committed to the training. It is a very big shift for me, and it has won me plenty of awards.     5     My bodybuilding journey makes me realize that I need to do things for myself.” Campbell says.

A．She was constantly feeling under pressure.

B．Women have to pay a huge price to build a slim figure.

C．It does bring a sense of confidence and mental strength.

D．The body of super-muscular women is considered unwelcome.

E．Luckily, Campbell was chosen to shoot for one of the magazines.

F．People don’t understand why women would want to be muscular.

G．Purely by chance, Campbell attended a women’s bodybuilding show.