1 . In a recent game of pickleball, my teammate and I were falling far behind other teams. It was her turn to serve. We were both standing behind the baseline, paddles(球拍) up in ready position, when she nodded at me and said, “In it to win it.”
“Really?” I looked at her, surprised by her use of a catchy expression that was new to me. My inner self was never ready to accept even the tiniest suggestion that we should be trying to win the game.
In my life off the pickleball court, I enjoy yoga, folk dancing—anything but games with winners and losers, and I always prefer to be a observer rather than a participant in the world of sports.
Then pickleball came along. Suddenly, I didn’t want to be an observer any longer. I wanted to be a player myself. Like many people, I was first drawn to the game simply as a safe COVID-19 activity. Playing outdoors with people in my neighborhood allowed me to break out of social isolation(隔离).
But my addiction to the game comes from the sport’s low barrier of entry. The equipment isn’t particularly expensive. It’s a relatively easy game to learn, and a participant doesn’t need to be especially strong, tall or fast. Little wonder that everyone can now be seen throwing a green, orange or yellow plastic ball with holes in it across a net.
Pickleball is the first game I’ve ever wanted to win. I think it’s because of the excitement I feel when I hit an unreturnable ball down the middle of the court and score a point. Participating in a sport myself rather than cheering for others provides real proof that I can still work hard to achieve goals.
So, I’ve made a long-term commitment to it. I am embracing the game as my pickleball buddies embrace me. I’d forgotten how much fun it is to socialize while, doing something active. In that playful space of the court, I am facing directly my fears of winning and losing. In the meantime, doing something outside of my comfort zone feels magical. Now I wonder what contests I might be brave enough to enter next.
1. Why was the author surprised by what her teammate said in the recent game?| A．She thought her teammate was too weak. | B．She hadn’t considered winning or losing. |
| C．She didn’t know what her teammate meant. | D．She misunderstood the rules of the game. |
| A．It is what she is good at. | B．It allows her to make new friends. |
| C．It is affordable and accessible. | D．It has many health benefits. |
| A．She has overcome her fears of competitive sports. | B．She has realized her own limitations. |
| C．She has become a more energetic person. | D．She has recognized her talents for sports. |
| A．Become a professional athlete. | B．Recommend pickleball to more friends. |
| C．Explore some extreme sports. | D．Continue playing pickleball. |
2 . Many of us start exercising in the hope of losing unwanted pounds. Unquestionably, aiming to be more active is a good thing. But if the main reason is to lose weight, your resolution could very well come to nothing.
For starters, exercise is typically futile for weight loss. Take walking for example. A 150-pound person who walks for 30 minutes will burn, on average, around 140 calories. That’s equal to one can of soda — not exactly a great return on your investment of time and effort. It’s much easier just to skip the soda.
When exercise is added to a diet, the results are equally unimpressive. Researchers found that a combination of dieting and exercising brought no greater weight loss than dieting alone after six months. At 12 months, the diet-and-exercise combination showed an advantage, but it was slight — about 4 pounds.
In studies where exercise has produced meaningful weight loss, participants burned at least 400 to 500 calories per session on five or more days a week. To achieve that, a 150-pound person would need to walk a minimum of 90 minutes or run 30 minutes per day. In short, sessions need to go well beyond what most of us are willing or able to do. And even if we manage to make that much effort, our bodies often compensate (抵消) by eagerness for more food and slowing down metabolism (新陈代谢), effects that over time limit how many pounds we lose.
When exercise fails to meet our weight-loss expectations, we often stop working out. Perhaps the biggest problem with exercising to drop pounds is that it turns physical activity into punishment — a price we have to pay for a slimmer body. How many times have you heard someone say “I’ll need to do extra exercise” after eating too much? We treat exercise as a form of self-punishment for being “bad.” In this case, we’re unlikely to keep doing it for very long.
The conclusion is that we’re more likely to treat exercise positively and actually do it when we focus on our well-being rather than our weight.
1. What does the underlined word “futile” in paragraph 2 mean?| A．Necessary. | B．Popular. | C．Dangerous. | D．Useless. |
| A．You will burn 140 calories every day. |
| B．You will lose 4 pounds in a month. |
| C．You might have a higher metabolic rate. |
| D．You might eat more than usual. |
| A．They are unlikely to really enjoy it. |
| B．They find it too challenging physically. |
| C．They have difficulty resisting (抵抗) delicious food. |
| D．They turn their attention to their well-being. |
| A．How long should you exercise a day to lose weight? |
| B．What are the best exercises for losing weight? |
| C．Weight loss: why exercise is the wrong path |
| D．Exercise and weight loss: a pair of brothers |
3 . If you thought running was just great for the body, then think again. Scientists have found that the sport not only keeps people fit but also improves your brain power (脑力).
The research found that people who keep fit are more likely to have larger brains, better memories and clearer thinking. They also found that unfit people tended to have smaller brains and reduced cognitive skills. The findings add to a growing body of evidence which links exercise with helping protect the brain against ageing (老化) and also helping it replace dying cells (死细胞). This might reduce the risk of many illnesses and diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
One research paper within its latest issue sees scientists at Kentucky University putting 30 adults aged 59 — 69 on a treadmill (跑步机). Their heart and lung capacity was measured and an MRI scanner was used to assess the blood flow to their brains. Those who were less fit had smaller brains compared to the fitter volunteers who had larger brains. Scientists in Germany followed 21 adults aged between 60 — 77. As they went through a three-month fitness program, they saw improvements in their memory.
Researchers are not yet sure why exercise helps to protect brain cells but some research in mice has produced results. Mice, examined at the National Institute on Ageing, in Baltimore, found that cells in the hippocampus (海马体), an area of the brain used for memory, were actively reproducing while their fatter peers were in decline.
Linda Clare, professor of clinical psychology of ageing and dementia at Exeter University and a member of the Global Council on Brain Health told The Sunday Times: “Moderate intensity aerobic (有氧的) activity such as walking, cycling or running can produce changes in brain structure and function.”
1. Who tend to have larger brains, better memories and clearer thinking?| A．People who are healthy. | B．People who are thin. |
| C．People who are unhealthy. | D．People who are fat. |
| A．Those who were less fit had larger brains. |
| B．Those who were fitter had smaller brains. |
| C．Exercise helps people improve their memory. |
| D．Old people doing exercise improve memory better than young people. |
| A．Walking. | B．Singing. |
| C．Cycling. | D．Running. |
| A．To tell you sport improves your brain power. |
| B．To introduce some good ways to keep healthy. |
| C．To teach you how to best spend time in doing sports. |
| D．To introduce several ways to improve your memory. |
4 . Is there a way to turn back the clock on your age? A new study says yes. Exercise can make you look younger. At least it can lower your fitness age—that is the measure of how well your body works.
A study of athletes in the National Senior Games found that their fitness age was more than 20 years younger than their chronological age. The games took place in the Midwestern state of Minnesota.
Tony Diamond took part in the games. Every morning he went to a local park and walked fast for an hour. Then, the retired navy captain ran for an hour.
Two or three times a week, he went to a gym for muscle(肌肉) training. Mr. Diamond won three medals at the 2015 National Senior Games.
“My current age is 86 years old, and my fitness age is 44. I think I am in such good physical condition because I do a lot of exercise during my life. I have been exercising since I was a little boy,” said Mr. Diamond.
“I'm 62 years old and my fitness results showed that I was 32 years,” said Ms White.
Ms. White and Mr. Diamond are some of the 5,000 Senior Games participants who took part in the fitness age study.
Pamela Peeke was an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Maryland. She worked on the study with Ulrik Wisloff at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. Mr Wisloff developed a fitness calculator.
An online calculator is available for anyone to use for free. Ms. Peeke says there are benefits from attending this test.
The National Senior Games take place every two years. They are the competition for athletes older than 50. The games include a variety of sports.
This year the average age of the people competing was 68. But their average fitness age was 43.
1. What can make us look younger?| A．Taking exercise. | B．Becoming an athlete. |
| C．Walking fast every day. | D．Going to the park every day. |
| A．Mental age. | B．Psychological age. |
| C．Actual age. | D．Full age. |
| A．support the main idea of the passage |
| B．prove more people like taking exercise |
| C．encourage more people to take exercise |
| D．show many people pay attention to beauty |
| A．the faster you walk, the healthier you are |
| B．the older you are, the more exercise you need |
| C．the more active you are, the younger you look |
| D．the more exercise you take, the longer you live |
