1 . Anyone who’s lived through middle school knows those years can be particularly challenging. Some researches show youths across the U.S. are struggling with mental health. The physical health benefits of bike riding have been well-documented. Wilson, a researcher at Loma Linda University School of Medicine, and his co-authors carried out a new study to see if taking part in a cycling program could result in measurable changes in mind for teenagers.
The study involved more than 1,200 students, ages 11 to 14. Students participated in a cycling class for at least three days a week, for a period of 6 weeks. They learned cycling safety and practicing skills outdoors while raising their heart rate and just having fun. The students completed standardized questionnaires before and after the program designed to measure their health.
“We know cycling can benefit the body. Our research shows how it benefits the mind and social relationships as well. Bike riding can be an ideal activity for adolescents because of the benefits it offers,” said Wilson.
“Cycling engages several parts of brain function. You are looking at your hearing, you’re balancing, you’re navigating and turning. Oftentimes, you’re doing it with someone else, so there’s the positive effect of company or group activity,” said Allan Reiss, a professor at Stanford University School of Medicine.
While exercise has powerful mental health benefits, it’s not universal. For example, previous research has shown that teenage girls are at higher risk of mental health problems like depression and anxiety than boys. The current study found that, while middle school girls reported increased well-being after participating in the cycling program, that increase “may just reach the kind of baseline level for male students,” Wilson said. And other aspects of healthy living are also important, noted Wilson. The study found that teenagers who didn’t limit screen time to a maximum of two hours a day, or who got less than the recommended 8.5 hours of sleep, saw less improvement in their well-being, he said.
1. What does the new study mainly focus on?| A．Challenges in middle school. | B．Youths in America. |
| C．Physical benefits of cycling. | D．Mental effects of bike riding. |
| A．Attend the cycling class for a week. |
| B．Learn how to keep safe while cycling. |
| C．Raise their heart rate by cycling indoors. |
| D．Design questions to measure their health. |
| A．Supportive. | B．Doubtful. | C．Unclear. | D．Negative. |
| A．Application of the research results. |
| B．Doubts about the research methods. |
| C．Further explanation of the research findings. |
| D．Supporting evidence from previous research. |
2 . Many hear endlessly how good exercise is for our health,but you might be surprised to know just how good.
It helps you breathe better.
Frequent exercise improves the volume of oxygen you can use in your body.This is what makes you fit and the benefits aren’t limited to sport.
Physical activity enhances your mental health.
Doing something active releases “happy” brain chemicals that make you more positive.The more you do it,the better you’ll feel.But you do need to work up a sweat.If you’ve had a bad day,treat yourself to a little bit of exercise.
The way your guts (内脏) feel often impacts on your mental and physical health.Walking,running and yoga strengthen abdominal (腹部的)muscles,increase the heart rate and encourage your muscles to move digestive waste through your body more efficiently and digest food more quickly.
Keeping active keeps you young.
There may not be an elixir (灵丹妙药) of youth just yet,but keeping fit comes close.Just 15 minutes of exercise a day for eight years can increase your lifespan by three years.The more you do,the longer you could live.
| A．It aids your digestion. |
| B．It gives you a better appetite. |
| C．Increased muscle strength helps too. |
| D．Here are the benefits you can get from exercise. |
| E．This is because physical activity delays cell ageing. |
| F．People think this will catch our attention and inspire our action. |
| G．Power walking or rope skipping is a brilliant stress reliever. |
3 . Sports can help contribute to a healthy body and get you close to nature. However, whether you are on the mountains, in the waves, or on the grassland, you should be aware that your sport of choice might have great impact on the environment.
There are many environment-friendly sports.
Whatever sport you take up, you can make it greener by using environment-friendly equipment and buying products made from recycled materials. But the final goal should be “green gyms”. They are better replacements for traditional health clubs and modern sports centers. Members of green gyms play sports outdoors, in the countryside or other open spaces.
| A．It will cost you a lot. |
| B．Some sports are resource-hungry. |
| C．This causes major environmental effects. |
| D．Power walking is one of them that you could take up today. |
| E．There is no special requirement for you to start your membership. |
| F．If you walk on a regular basis, it will benefit your heart and bones. |
| G．More and more people are concerned about environmental protection |
4 . The beach may seem like an inviting place to run on a cool summer morning, but is running on the sand good for your body? It can be, but it’s important to be aware of the challenges that some beach runners experience before you get ready.
Running on the beach can be a good thing. It’s certainly different from running on a track or a pavement. For starters, sand can be a challenge because it has an uneven(不平坦的) surface. As you push off, you’re going to lose some of your push as the sand moves. So, you’re not going to be able to push yourself forward as you would on a track or a pavement. But this unevenness has an upside: It gives your body an extra workout, forcing you to exercise muscles that don’t get as much use during runs on firm surfaces. For example, your feet, ankles and lower back might feel sorer and more tired than usual after a beach run just because the surface is constantly moving and changing step to step.
You also might feel sore afterward because beaches tend to slope (倾斜) down to the water. If you’re going for a long run on the beach, you might notice that one side of your body might feel sorer because you’re putting more pressure on it due to the slope.
Some beach runners prefer to run barefoot-- not wearing anything on feet. However, if you’re not used to barefoot running, start slowly and don’t run long distances at first. That’s because running barefoot uses more different muscles than running with shoes does, and it’s important to strengthen these muscles and adapt your feet. If you want to run barefoot and as long as you run carefully enough into it, go for it!
Running on the sand can be a smart choice for you, because running on softer ground surfaces can reduce muscle damage.
1. Why is it difficult to run on the beach for starters? ________| A．The soft surface makes people fall over easily. |
| B．It’s hard to keep one’s balance on its hard surface. |
| C．People need to run carefully on its smooth surface. |
| D．Running on its uneven surface takes much effort. |
| A．Challenge. | B．Advantage. | C．Reason. | D．Character. |
| A．Positive. | B．Critical. | C．Doubtful. | D．Uncaring. |
| A．a primary school textbook | B．a tourist guide |
| C．a sports magazine | D．a scientific report |
Nowadays, football is one of the most popular sports in
Football is simple and very cheap
Another factor behind
What’s more, it has become one of the
6 . Why play sports? You might say “to get exercise” and you would be right. To have fun? That's true, too. But there's more.
Girls who play sports do better in school. You might think that athletics will take up all your study time.
Girls who play sports learn teamwork and goal-setting skills.
Sports are good for a girl's health. In addition to being fit and keeping a healthy weight, girls who play sports are also less likely to smoke. And later in life, girls who exercise are less likely to get breast cancer or osteoporosis(骨质疏松症).
Playing sports improves self-confidence.
| A．Exercise cuts the pressure. |
| B．Sports teach valuable life skills. |
| C．Regular exercise increases quality of life. |
| D．In fact, there are at least five more reasons. |
| E．Girls who play sports feel better about themselves. |
| F．Playing sports offers children more than just physical benefits. |
| G．But research shows that girls who play sports do better in school than those who don't. |
Tai Chi Chuan,
Tai Chi is a term in the Chinese
Tai Chi is an unusual form of martial arts where we believe
Today, Tai Chi is so popular in the west. Some health professionals have regarded Tai Chi as one of the
8 . Staying fit while indoors
During this special time, it’s a good idea to do some indoor exercises. Exercising has many benefits.
Run in place
Start by kicking your feet behind you as you run. Then, bring your knees up as high as possible when you feel like you’ve warmed up. Start by running in place for five minutes.
Work on mountain climbers.
Start by getting into a standard push-up (俯卧撑) position.
Begin by getting into a plank (平板支撑) position. Then, bend your elbows and lower yourself toward the floor but do not touch the floor. If this is too difficult, bend your knees as you do the push-ups. Start by doing a set of 10, and work your way up to three or four sets.
Tone your legs with squats (深蹲)
To do a squat, stand with your feet hip-width (与臀部同宽) apart. Then bend your legs. Bring your bottom as low as you can. Stand back up and repeat the motion. Work your way up to doing three sets of 20.
| A．Try planks (平板支撑) for full body toning (身体紧实) |
| B．If you want an added challenge, hold weights while you squat. |
| C．Do push-ups to tone your upper body |
| D．Then bring your left knee to your chest |
| E．If that is too difficult, lower yourself onto your elbows |
| F．The hard work will pay off big time |
| G．Then, try to run in place for ten minutes |
9 . Sports can help you keep fit and get in touch with nature. However, whether you are on the mountains, in the waves, or on the grassland, you should be aware that your sport of choice might have great influence on the environment.
Some sports are resource-hungry. Golf, as you may know, eats up not only large areas of countryside, but also tons of water. Besides, all sorts of chemicals and huge amounts of energy are used to keep its courses （球场） in good condition. This causes major environmental effects. For example, in the dry regions of Portugal and Spain, golf is often held responsible for serious water shortage in some local areas.
There are many environment-friendly sports. Power walking is one of them that you could take up today. You don’t need any special equipment except a good pair of shoes; and you don’t have to worry about resources and your purse. Simple and free, power walking can also keep you fit. If you walk regularly, it will be good for your heart and bones. Experts say that 20 minutes of power walking daily can make you feel less anxious, sleep well and have better weight control.
Whatever sport you take up, you can make it greener by using environment-friendly equipment and buying products made from recycled materials. But the final goal should be “green gyms”. They are better replacements for traditional health clubs and modern sports centers. Members of green gyms play sports outdoors, in the countryside or other open spaces. There is no special requirement for you to start your membership. And best of all, it’s free.
1. Which of the following is the author most probably in favor of?| A．Cycling around a lake. |
| B．Motor racing in the desert. |
| C．Playing basketball in a gym. |
| D．Swimming in a sports center. |
| A．It is popular in Portugal and Spain. |
| B．It causes water shortages around the world. |
| C．It pollutes the earth with chemicals and wastes. |
| D．It needs water and electricity to keep its courses green. |
| A．it is an outdoor sport |
| B．it improves our health |
| C．it uses fewer resources |
| D．it is recommended by experts |
| A．show us the function of major sports |
| B．encourage us to go in for green sports |
| C．discuss the major influence of popular sports |
| D．introduce different types of environment-friendly sports |
10 . If you want to keep fit, please refer to the following.
Move More
Make it a daily thing to find ways to move your body.
Quit Smoking
Ever since 1960 when it was announced that smoking was harmful to health, Americans have been reducing their use of tobacco products. Just recently, we’ve seen more and more teens smoking. Could it be the Hollywood influence?
While recent studies show a glass of wine or one drink a day can help protect against heart disease, more than that can cause other health problems such as liver and kidney(肝肾)disease and cancer.
Reduce Stress
Easier said than done, stress comes in many ways.
Protect Yourself from Pollution
If you can’t live in a smog-free environment, at least avoid smoke-filled rooms.
| A．Avoid Excessive（过度的） Drinking |
| B．Keep a Positive Mental Outlook |
| C．Think carefully about what you will do. |
| D．Exercise outside when the smog rating is low. |
| E．It seems that the stars in every movie smoke cigarettes. |
| F．There are many things you can do to move your arms and legs. |
| G．Some techniques given by experts are to think positive thoughts. |
