Starting exercise
You want to start doing exercise? Congratulations! You have just taken your first step towards a new and improved you!
Most people assume that regular exercise does wonders for the body and mind—but what exactly are its health benefits? To start with, physical activity increases the efficiency of your heart and lungs. During exercise, your heart and lungs must work harder. This extra effort makes them grow stronger over the long term. Moreover, exercise is good for your mental health. Working out can help you reduce stress and get over negative feelings.
Exercise is any activity that gets your body moving. Exercise doesn’t have to mean breaking a sweat at the gym or running a marathon. Any physical activity counts towards improving your health — something is always better than nothing. If you are just starting exercise for the first time, remember to start at a level that is comfortable for you.
Scientists have long known that what you eat can make or break a workout and possibly affect your fitness results. Like cars that run on petrol, your body burns carbohydrates (碳水化合物) for energy. Foods like noodles, rice, fruit and vegetables give your body plenty of carbohydrates to keep up your energy during a long workout. To help your muscles recover and repair themselves after exercise, you need to eat foods rich in protein, such as fish, eggs and milk products.
Choose the right clothing and shoes for the exercise and physical activity you plan to do is also important. To prevent injury, make sure your clothes and footwear are both comfortable and safe. What’s more, remember to warm up before exercising and stretch at the end of your workout.
So, now you know the benefits of exercise and how to do it safely and effectively. What are you waiting for?
| Starting exercise | Physical benefits | |
| Mental benefits | ||
| Starting at a comfortable level | ||
| Warm up before and stretch after exercising | ||
8 . For many years, ships that wanted to travel from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific or from the Pacific to the Atlantic had to sail around South America. The trip took weeks and was very dangerous.
To make the route shorter and safter, it was decided to build a canal (运河). Panama was chosen because it is the narrowest country in the Americas. The French started building the canal as early as 1880, but their attempt failed after 21,900 people died of diseases and accidents. The Americans finally completed the project, and the Panama Canal opened in 1914. When the Panama Canal opened in 1914, ships were able to make the trip between oceans in approximately 10 hours. The locks in the canal have been called one of the seven wonders of the modern world.
The 48-mile-long Panama Canal was dug through the country of Panama. To pass between oceans, ships must actually go up. In fact, to travel through the canal, ships are raised 85 feet above sea level and then lowered again.
A ship enters the canal and sails to the first series of locks. Each lock is a huge compartment(分隔的空间) made of concrete walls and metal doors at each end. When one set of doors opens, the ship enters the lock. The doors close, and water flows into the lock, raising the ship until the water level equals the level in the next lock. At that time, the doors open to allow the ship to move into the next lock. When the doors close, the same process continues to raise the ship again. On either end of the canal, three sets of locks raise and lower ships. After the third lock, the ship enters Gatun Lake, sails about 23 miles, and begins its descent through the series of locks. To lower the ship, the locks work in reverse, allowing water to flow out of the lock until the water level is the same as the next lock. In this way, the ship reaches sea level and moves out into the ocean.
Over one million ships have passed through the Panama Canal since it opened. It has proven to be very important to world trade. In 2016, the canal was expanded to allow wider ships to pass through it, proving it will be a vital part of the world for many years to come.
1. Which of the following is the correct order of the events?① The ship enters a lock.
② Water flows into the lock to raise the water level.
③ The doors close.
④ The doors open and the ship move out.
| A．④③②① | B．③①②④ | C．①③②④ | D．③②④① |
| A．is the narrowest canal in the world | B．was easy to construct |
| C．is an important link in global shipping | D．will be closed in the near future |
| A．reverse | B．series | C．process | D．descent |
| A．to shorten the trip between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans |
| B．to raise and lower the water level in the locks |
| C．so that ships could travel to Panama from other countries |
| D．so that people could enjoy the beautiful view of Gatun Lake |
9 . You may have seen white-faced capuchin monkeys (卷尾猴) before, whether at a zoo or in a popular movie. These medium-sized monkeys are found in Central America and northern South America. They have a mostly black-haired body and white hair on their face and shoulders. The cap of black fur on their head resembles the hoods(兜帽) that Capuchin monks in Italy wore, and that’s where the name came from.
Another fascinating feature of these monkeys is their long tail, which acts like a third hand. Capuchin monkeys use their tail to hang on to tree branches to support their body weight while looking for food. While they eat fruit and nuts, they also enjoy insects, frogs, and lizards. Since they spread various fruit seeds through their feces(粪便) and eat insects that are harmful to trees, they contribute a lot to the preservations of forests.
Capuchin monkeys are very social and live in groups of 20 members or so. A group of capuchins is known as a troop or a barrel. Troops are mainly made up of females, who remain in the same troop their whole lives, while males change troops about every four years. Communication and social activities play a significant role among monkeys in a troop because they help form social bonds. A curious example is “hand sniffing,” where the monkeys stick their fingers in front of each other’s nose.
Outside the forests, capuchin monkeys are not only used by humans for their acting abilities. These intelligent animals have small fingers and are gifted with fine motor skills. They can be trained to do many tasks that humans with disabilities cannot do, like turning the pages of a book or picking up dropped objects. Therefore, the white-faced capuchin can be important assistants and companions for some disabled people.
1. How did white-faced capuchin monkeys get their name?| A．They appeared in popular films with Capuchin monks. |
| B．Their fur crowns look like the hoods of Capuchin monks. |
| C．They are found in regions where Capuchin monks live. |
| D．They used to be kept by Capuchin monks as pets. |
| A．They help keep the trees healthy. | B．They make forest soil more fertile. |
| C．They reduce the risk of forest fires. | D．They eat plants that damage forests. |
| A．Diet. | B．Behavior. | C．Threats. | D．Appearance. |
| A．They are very friendly and loyal to humans. | B．They are strong enough to carry heavy things. |
| C．They are smart and can perform different tasks. | D．They are good at making faces and acting. |
10 . Flexible thinking for your career
Does work ever leave you feeling stuck in a rut with limited opportunities to be creative? To thrive, you might want to
Most jobs require the ability to solve problems and deal with
So, how can you become a more flexible thinker? According to Dr Lisa Feldman Barrett, it’s all about
So, if you want to make a change, you can become a flexible thinker too, with a little practice.
1.| A．exhibit | B．remove | C．release | D．increase |
| A．challenges | B．sections | C．attempts | D．factors |
| A．reveal | B．adapt | C．observe | D．support |
| A．represent | B．preserve | C．experiment | D．recognize |
| A．breaking | B．creating | C．updating | D．following |
| A．value | B．procedure | C．question | D．concept |
| A．exercising | B．understanding | C．transforming | D．replacing |
| A．especially | B．definitely | C．obviously | D．additionally |
| A．check out | B．lie down | C．show up | D．break up |
| A．training limit | B．cultural shock | C．current relationship | D．comfort zone |
