1 . 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.
Worried about heart diseases? Expecting to prevent high blood pressure?
Needing an emotional lift?
Struggling to fall into sleep? Regular physical activity can help you fall asleep faster, get better sleep and deepen your sleep.
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? |
2 . 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.”
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.
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.
Give your brain a boost (激励)
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 |
3 . Even though one out of three American children live within a mile of their schools, almost not half of those students often bike or walk to class, scientists report. Children who live in the South, in country areas, or who have college-educated parents, are among those least likely to bike or walk to school, which is reported in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
Sarah Martin and her workmates at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) studied materials from more than 7,000 children between 9 and 15 years of age. They found that almost 35 percent of the children lived within one mile of their schools. Children between 11 and 13 years old were more likely to walk or bike than 9-year-olds. Children whose parents had a high school education were more likely to ride a bike or walk than children with college-educated parents.
“The majority of children are missing an opportunity to increase daily physical activity,” Martin said in a prepared statement. According to the CDC, nearly one in five (18.8 percent) children between 6 and 11 years old are overweight. Increased daily physical activity is one of the methods the CDC gives to help deal with the problem among children.
According to Martin, there are all kinds of reasons why children in city areas might be more likely to bike or walk to school. They pointed out the fact that if schools are in places where there are fewer safe sidewalks, the students will be less likely to ride or walk to school. The students should try to ride or walk to school as much as possible and parents are advised to pay great attention to their children’s health.
1. Sarah Martin and her workmates found that ________.A.younger children would like to bike or walk to school |
B.kids whose parents received less education walk more |
C.older children are stronger than the younger ones |
D.parents are worried about their children’s health |
A.eating less every day |
B.having healthy diets |
C.living in the countryside |
D.having enough physical activities |
① Children’s age. ② Children’s health. ③ Parents’ education.
④ The family income. ⑤ The number of safe sidewalks.
A.①②③ | B.①③⑤ | C.②③⑤ | D.②④⑤ |
A.Education. | B.Culture. | C.Sports. | D.Health. |
4 . Spending time outdoors has long been linked (联系) to better health. Gardening goes beyond just beautifying outdoor spaces—it can have a deep effect on our physical and mental (身心上的) health.
Gardening involves physical activity that works all the main muscle (肌肉) groups, which is helpful for overall health. “Activities such as digging, planting, weeding and harvesting require movement and can help to improve strength,” said Clayton, CEO of an online lawn care company. “Performing these activities regularly can help burn calories, and keep a healthy weight.”
Beyond burning calories and building muscle, lots of studies have shown that gardening can improve the immune system (免疫系统). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that people get at least 150 minutes of exercise each week, and gardening is listed as a suitable activity. Doing garden work for that time each week can reduce the risk of obesity, high blood pressure and heart disease. Additionally, spending time outdoors makes us get close to natural sunlight, which is important for vitamin D synth.
Gardening provides a chance for social connection, too. It can be a shared activity among family members, friends or neighbors, building relationships and a sense of belonging.
Gardening also offers cognitive (认知的) benefits. It excites the senses, improves focus and encourages problem-solving and creativity. It provides a chance to learn about plants, ecosystems and the environment, developing a deeper understanding and appreciation for nature.
1. What is Clayton’s attitude towards gardening?A.Supportive. | B.Doubtful. | C.Unclear | D.Uncaring. |
A.It improves focus. | B.It is a waste of time. |
C.It can keep a body in shape. | D.It helps to reduce the risk of diseases. |
A.It contributes to creativity. | B.It encourages problem-solving. |
C.It builds relationships between people. | D.It improves people’s awareness of safety. |
A.How to Start a Garden | B.Choose a Garden or Not |
C.What Plants Grow Best in a Garden | D.Start Gardening and Get the Health Benefits |
5 . If you hope to improve your health, exercise is obviously a good way. But do you know that it has great effects on the mind too? We often pay little attention to the great mental benefits that exercising regularly can have. It will allow you to stay active and healthy for a long time, allowing you to have both the physical and mental (身心的) benefits.
Improve your mood (心情) . Exercise is just what you need if you’re looking for some positive feelings. It is possible that you have experienced a happy time after exercise. While you are exercising, “happiness hormones (荷尔蒙)” are released.
Reduce stress. If you’re feeling stressed, this feeling will disappear after exercise.
Improve your memory. According to a study by the University of British Columbia, regular exercise increases the size of the hippocampus (a part of the brain).
So, it is clear to see that there are many different benefits regular exercise can have. With these benefits for the mind, there now shouldn’t be any excuse not to start and lead an active, balanced life.
A.Increase your focus. |
B.Increase your sense of self-worth. |
C.Regular exercise keeps your mind calm. |
D.They fill you with positive and happy feelings. |
E.Exercise is a quite wonderful way to reduce stress. |
F.Here’re several important mental benefits of exercise. |
G.This is especially important for learning and memory. |
6 . Teenagers’ fitness is now a major concern, to which physical exercise is very important. It reduces stress and improves fitness. Exercise makes your body strong, and helps you to keep the right body weight. Sports scientist Dr. Helen Lopez offers the following advice to teenagers: “First, you need to find out your present level of fitness. Then you can design a programme that will help you become healthier. ”
Dr. Lopez points out that there are three levels of fitness that need a change of lifestyle. “Overweight” means that the person gets very little exercise and often has a serious weight problem. “Inactive” means that the person does not join in many physical activities, but is not seriously overweight. “Active” refers to people who take part in sports and other physical activities, but do not have a high fitness level.
According to Dr. Lopez, overweight teenagers should keep active to keep healthy. “Ride a bike, play volleyball or basketball for a while, and go for a twenty-minute walk each day. All these will help to burn calories.” Inactive teenagers should do similar activities, but add some bending and stretching exercises, such as push-ups and sit-ups, starting with twenty of each a day. “Inactive people can take a little more exercise than overweight people because their bodies are stronger,” said Dr. Lopez. The same principle applies to active teenagers.
Dr. Lopez suggests one hour a week or more on running and other forms of intensive exercise, together with fifteen minutes a day spent on stretching and bending activities. “These are really important in order to prevent injuries,” Dr. Lopez said. Some weight-training and other body-strengthening exercises could also be planned in the programme in order to increase the person’s strength.
1. Which of the following statements is NOT the reason why physical exercise is important?A.It can make the teenagers grow taller. | B.It can help teenagers become healthier. |
C.It can help to burn up calories. | D.It can increase teenagers’ strength. |
A.Active people always have a high fitness level. |
B.Overweight people always take more exercise. |
C.Inactive teenagers are not seriously overweight. |
D.Keeping fit means changing teenagers’ lifestyle. |
A.walking | B.stretching and bending | C.riding | D.weight-training |
A.Doing exercises | B.Teenagers’ Fitness | C.Different Lifestyles | D.Overweight Teenagers |
7 . Running is the best way to keep our body fit and healthy. Those who want to burn fat and lose weight can run regularly in the morning.
Another benefit of running is the stress relief. Every day running in the morning will help you to keep your mind fresh to start your daily work.
Running is the best way to lose weight. But you should add some other training to build your muscle and burn fat. Some elite athletes (优秀运动员) say that when you wake up in the morning, you should first run for a while.
Most of the busy people do not have enough time to communicate properly with the family and social people.
A.Then start other physical exercise. |
B.Morning exercise lowers blood pressure. |
C.So, you can start your day with a cheerful mind. |
D.So, try for a few weeks, and you will see your progress. |
E.Morning run forces you to wake up early in the morning. |
F.We miss many social events for our work or other purposes. |
G.We cannot describe the benefits of running in the morning in words. |
8 . Race walking (竞走) shares many fitness benefits with running, research shows, while most likely contributing to fewer injuries. It does, however, have its own problem.
Race walkers are conditioned athletes. The longest track and field event at the Summer Olympics is the 50-kilometer race walk, which is about five miles longer than the marathon. But the sport’s rules require that a race walker’s knees stay straight through most of the leg swing(摆动) and one foot remain in contact with the ground at all times. It’s this strange form that makes race walking such an attractive activity, however, says Jaclyn Norberg, an assistant professor of exercise science at Salem State University in Salem, Mass.
Like running, race walking is physically demanding, she says, According to most calculations, race walkers moving at a pace of six miles per hour would burn about 800 calories per hour, which is approximately twice as many as they would burn walking, although fewer than running, which would probably burn about 1,000 or more calories per hour.
However, race walking does not pound the body as much as running does, Dr. Norberg says. According to her research, runners hit the ground with as much as four times their body weight per step, while race walkers, who do not leave the ground, create only about 1.4 times their body weight with each step.
As a result, she says, some of the injuries associated with running, such as runner’s knee, are uncommon among race walkers. But the sport’s strange form does place considerable stress on the ankles and hips, so people with a history of such injuries might need to be cautious in adopting the sport. In fact, anyone wishing to try race walking should probably first consult a coach or experienced racer to learn proper techniques, she says. It takes some practice.
1. Why are race walkers conditioned athletes?A.They must run long distances. | B.They have to follow special rules. |
C.They are qualified for the marathon. | D.They are good at swinging their legs. |
A.It’s less likely to cause knee injuries. | B.It’s less challenging physically. |
C.It’s more effective in body building. | D.It’s more popular at the Olympics. |
A.Hiring an experienced coach. | B.Having a medical checkup. |
C.Getting experts’ opinions. | D.Doing regular exercises. |
A.Skeptical. | B.Supportive. |
C.Objective. | D.Disapproval. |
9 . Pilates (普拉提), yoga and the running machine get all the attention when it comes to popular ways to keep fit. There is, however, a more humble exercise that might not be so attractive, but has all the benefits—walking.
Certified fitness professional Jolynn Jaekel explains, "What I love about walking is that anyone can do it at any age and any fitness level. Plus it is good for your heart, your head and your wallet.”
A recent report detailed the health benefits of walking. The report found that walking regularly to fulfill (执行,履行) the 150 minutes of moderate (适度的) physical exercise every week, recommended by the UK's chief medical officer, could save 37, 000 lives each year.
Scientists at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California found that quick walking reduced the risk of heart disease more effectively than running. They observed participants aged between 18 and 80 over a six-year period and found that walking reduced the risk of heart disease by 9.3%, while running reduced it by 4. 5%. And there is even more good news: 30 minutes of quick walking over five days could help you sleep easily, according to research by Oregon State University. The study by the university showed that walking helped participants sleep better and feel more alert during the day.
The sooner you get started, the sooner you'll notice the differences in your mind and body. So, go out for your 30-minute walk in a nearby park or green space.
1. What does the underlined word "humble" probably mean in the first paragraph?A.relaxing | B.plain |
C.popular | D.active |
A.It's loved by people of all ages. |
B.It's much healthier than running. |
C.It's becoming more and more popular. |
D.It's a money-saving physical exercise. |
A.Walking helps people with sleep problems. |
B.Walking contributes to curing heart disease. |
C.Walking is better than running in some cases. |
D.Walking 150 minutes per week can save lives. |
A.Lifestyle | B.Comment |
C.Education | D.Science |
10 . Long after the coronavirus pandemic is declared over, another health plight(困境) could take its place: a mental health crisis, experts have warned. But according to a new study, practicing yoga may help to reduce the blues, at least somewhat.
Researchers with the University of South Australia, in a partnership with the Federal University of Santa Maria, UNSW Sydney, Kings College London, and Western Sydney University, conducted what is said to be the first “world study” on the mental health benefits of practicing yoga.
In a meta-analysis of 180 studies across six countries that involved some 1,080 participants-all of whom had a “formal diagnosis of a mental disorder, including depression and anxiety,” according to news release on the findings-researchers found that the participants’ mental health improved with “movement-based yoga,” with the benefits “being incremental(递增的) with the amount of yoga they practiced,” they said.
Movement-based yoga was defined by the researchers as “any form of yoga where participants are physically active at least 50 percent of the time, that is, forms of yoga that emphasize holding poses and flowing through series of poses,” according to the news release.
“As self-isolation continues and people find themselves working from home and unable to physically catch up with their friends and family, we’re likely to see more people feel lonely and disconnected,” said lead researcher and University of South Australia Ph.D. candidate Jacinta Brinsley, in a statement. “Exercise has always been a great strategy for people struggling with these feelings as it boosts both mood and health. But as gyms and exercise classes of all kinds are now closed — even jogging with a friend is strongly discouraged — people are looking for options, and this is where yoga can help.”
Our research shows that movement-based yoga improved symptoms of depression(or improved mental health) for people living with a range of mental health conditions, including anxiety, post-traumatic(创伤后) stress and major depression. “So, it’s very good news for people struggling in times of uncertainty,” Brinsley added.
1. Why did the scientists conduct the research?A.To call on more people to practice yoga. |
B.To test the seriousness of the mental health crisis. |
C.To find out the effects of practicing yoga on mental health. |
D.To warn people of the potential risk caused by the pandemic. |
A.It demands high accuracy of poses. |
B.It requires participants to move constantly. |
C.It stresses the flow through poses after poses. |
D.It makes up 50 percent of the time people spend on exercising. |
A.They struggle with the strategy to exercise. |
B.They grow tired of jogging with their friends. |
C.They are too depressed to make other choices. |
D.Routine exercise is not accessible for the moment. |
A.Breakthrough in Times of Uncertainty |
B.Yoga Helps Coronavirus-related Depression |
C.How to Defeat Depression During the Pandemic |
D.Benefits of Practicing Yoga on a Regular Basis |