1 . As is often the case, it is human nature to lead a sedentary（久坐的）lifestyle and most of us are so involved in our busy schedules that we don't even notice our bad habits. Many worry about the right time or "right age" to start working out.     1     Here're some practical tips to help you get fit.

Master your mind. Most people argue that they are too tired or old to start exercising. Doing so is much easier than trying to change the busy lifestyle. Change your mindset and be more confident in improving your health.     2    

Easy does it. Once you have chosen a fitness program, start slowly and increase it in stages. Begin with just a few minutes of gentle exercises and stretches.     3     About 30 minutes should be devoted to your workout. As your body starts to respond and your muscles get used to the exercises, you can gradually increase the length of your workout.

Always warm up. Always remember to warm up your muscles before exercising. Gentle warm-ups will reduce your risk of injury, aches and pains, and increase blood circulation and flexibility.

    4     There's no quick access to getting fit. It's a common mistake to do too much too soon. If you don't know how to balance your needs and your expectations, you might seriously injure your muscles or just create stress.

Cool down. When you finish your routine, you need to cool your muscles and let your heart rate slow gradually.     5    

A．Don't overload your body.

B．Never ignore your potentials.

C．Tell your body to be more active and say, "I can do it."

D．However, nobody cares about what you have done for them.

E．Go next to some mild activity such as walking, jogging or cycling.

F．Cooling down will help your body to return to its pre-exercise level.

G．But it's never too late for them to start exercising and all they need is enough determination.

2 . Benefits of Sports

Taking exercise is a physical, mental and social adventure. It’s a great way for children to take a break from study and release extra energy. It also helps them lead fuller and happier lives as regular sports have proven to improve general well-being.

    1     Regardless of your fitness level when you start playing sports, you’ll notice an increase in your overall fitness once you take part. Nearly every sport requires physical activity and the skills needed to be competitive. Basketball players focus on strength training.     2     The training process helps encourage physical fitness and performances in competitions.

    3     Playing sports contributes to mental health, helping to increase confidence and self-worth. A pat on the back, high-five from a teammate, or handshake after a match really raises a child’s confidence. Words of praise and encouragement from the coach, parents and other players raise the self-worth.     4     So after a game, it’s a better idea to ask “Did you enjoy the game?” rather than “Did you win?”

Children who participate in sports might also benefit from the social aspect, feeling part of a group, building up leadership and responsibility.     5     Teamwork demands both being dependable as a teammate and learning to rely on your teammates to achieve a positive outcome. Teamwork will raise your responsibility and give you an opportunity to be a leader.

There is no shortage of reasons to find a sport to take part in. Are you ready to go? Pick one and get moving!

A．It’s not just your body that benefits from sports.

B．Therefore, playing sports is going to make you more fit.

C．Football players work on speed while track athletes train through longer runs.

D．Among these, learning how to work as a team is the most important advantage.

E．But remember, a child’s self-worth should not be judged by victory or loss.

F．If you play group sports, you’ll be part of a team that takes direction from a coach.

G．The physical benefits of doing sports are probably the most obvious.

3 . Water skiing

Water skiing is an exciting water sport that can be a ton of fun. You will get to have a happy and joyful adventure every time you go out on the water.     1     However, once you start, water skiing is a sport you can enjoy whenever you have a boat and enough flat water.

    2     Every water skier needs water skis—these are different from snow skis and they also differ depending on the size of the skier and the experience level of the skier.     3     You will need to find at least two people to go with you on your water skiing adventure. You and everyone you go with will have more fun if the friends you go with also want to water ski. You need a boat, naturally.     4    

For your first time water skiing, you may want to either take a lesson from an expert or find a friend that has experience and is willing to teach you.     5     The observer rides in the boat, but watches the water skier for any signals and helps the driver know when to start and stop.

A．It’s no hard task to learn.

B．It takes a little patience to learn.

C．Of course, no one can water ski alone.

D．Once prepared, a skier can start the game on his own.

E．You will also need a water skiing cable and a life jacket.

F．Before you start water skiing, there are a few supplies you’ll need.

G．Of your two helpers, you need one to drive the boat and one to observe.

4 . One major reason Americans don’t get enough exercise is that they feel they don’t have enough time. It can be difficult to squeeze in the 75 minutes of aerobic (有氧的) exercise per week that federal guidelines recommend.    1    .

In a new analysis of 14 studies, researchers tracked deaths among more than 232,000 people from the U.S., Denmark, the U.K. and China over at least five years, and compared the findings with people’s self-reports about how much they ran. People who said they ran any amount were less likely to die than those who didn’t run at all.    2     This was true even for those who didn’t log a great deal of time. The analysis divided people into groups, with 50 minutes or less per week representing the group that ran the least―but still ran. ‘‘Regardless of how much you run, you can expect such benefits,” says Zeljko Pedisic, one of the authors of the new analysis published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

The analysis is the latest to illustrate the benefits of running on the human body. It’s what we evolved (进化) to do.     3     But as leisure-time exercise, running keeps us healthy. “One of the best ways to avoid having to see a doctor,” Zeljko says, “is to stay physically active.”

    4     Running is good at guarding against cancer partly because it uses up blood sugar, starving the cancer cells that rely on it for fuel. And it protects you in other ways not necessarily measured in the latest research: by decreasing inflammation (炎症), for example, which is at the root of many diseases, and stimulating the production of a protein that improves brain health.

    5     Neither were how often people ran and the pace they kept. As long as you’re running, more isn’t always better, especially given that the risk of injury increases with repetition.

A．People may no longer hunt wild animals for their next meal.

B．The physical demands of running affect our body in a beneficial way.

C．Some people run to prevent disease, and others run because it makes them feel better.

D．Runners were 27% less likely to die for any reason, compared with nonrunners.

E．But researchers point out, to infer something like that, they need the whole population measured.

F．But new research suggests people may be able to get life-lengthening benefits by running for far less time.

G．The good news is that running more than 50 minutes per week wasn’t linked to additional protections against dying.

5 . Humans were made for walking. With our upright posture and strong leg muscles, our bodies were actually designed with walking in mind which makes it such perfect exercise. It’s kind to our bodies and great for our waistlines.     1    

Maybe you already love to walk, but you’re getting tired of tracing the same old route day after day, or maybe you’re new to walking and aren’t sure how to get started.     2    Ask yourself, what do you want to get out of walking aside from the health benefits? Do you want to meet other people? See new places? Get out into the countryside or explore a new city? Knowing your goals will help you decide on the type of walk you want to do.

If making friends and socializing is your goal, call up your friends and schedule walks with them.    3     Many malls have groups that come every day, or every weekend, to “walk the mall.” These groups are always happy to include one more walker!

    4    Many large cities have incredible gardens and parks that include quiet walking trails getting you off the beaten path. Thanks to the Rails to Trails program, railways across the country are being transformed into scenic walking paths that are a perfect way to seek calmness.

From the benefits to your heart to your overall happiness, walking is just plain good for you.    5    It’s a fantastic way to get to know a place by the power of your own two feet.

A．Headed to a new city?

B．This month, pick up a map and start walking.

C．Ask your friends where they like to walk and just go there.

D．Either way, it's time to accept the idea of walking with a purpose.

E．And best of all, it’s a great way to see new things and meet new people!

F．Recently, science has proved that walking is good for your body shape.

G．If you're after walking alone, ask about local hikes that get you out of town and into the countryside.

6 . We’ve all been there: Just when you’re getting used to your new workout routine, suddenly your knee is killing you.     1     Before injury strikes, listen to these signs that might show your body needs some time off.

You’re always sore (酸疼).     2     But if you’re exercising regularly, you shouldn’t constantly be feeling sore. You should always give your muscles 24 to 48 hours to recover between training sessions. If you still feel sore, it’s possible you’re overtraining.

    3     Anger, anxiety, and tiredness are also signs. It is known that exercise can make us happier because of endorphins — a stress-fighting chemical — in the brain. However, those endorphins are also accompanied by cortisol, a stress chemical. And when cortisol levels remain high for an extended period, they cause harm on mental health.

Your heart rate is abnormal. One of the best ways to tell if you’ve been overtraining is to check your heart rate. If you’re above your normal, then your body is not really ready for a hard workout that day.     4           

The best thing about noticing these symptoms (症状)?     5     A little R&R (rest and recovery) is just what your body ordered!

A．You’re constantly tired or emotional.

B．Yes, you’ve over-worked yourself into an injury.

C．Fortunately, recovery is simple — just take it easy for a few days!

D．That’s one of the best ways to judge your readiness to exercise.

E．Sure, a bit of muscle soreness after some workout is totally normal.

F．It’s much easier to relax and check heart rate than it is to recover from an injury.

G．Doing the same activity over and over without proper recovery is going to cause injury.

7 . Staying fit while indoors

During this special time, it’s a good idea to do some indoor exercises. Exercising has many benefits.    1    , when you start feeling and looking just as you desire. Here are some great ideas to get you started!

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.

    2    .

Work on mountain climbers.

Start by getting into a standard push-up (俯卧撑) position.    3    , keeping your arms in place. Replace your left leg and bring your right knee to your chest. Continue to alternate legs. Repeat this three times for 30 seconds each set.

    4    

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.    5    .

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

8 . Why do you run? Different people have different reasons. Whatever your reason is, there’s one thing we can be sure of: Running is much better injury-free. In his book, Dr. Jordan Metzl’s Running Strong, Metzl has the perfect suggestions for enjoying your running without losing your well-being (健康). Here are five must-follow rules for injury-free running:

Train for your level of fitness and your goals.

Don’t run more miles than your body can deal with. If you run for fitness and your goal is about 30 minutes a day, that’s cool. But if you are just starting out,     1    

Wear the right shoes for your feet.

You will hear lots of opinions about whether running shoes really help prevent injury and whether you should even wear them.     2     And some of you may need a little added assistance from inserts (鞋垫).

    3    

Be honest about how much sleep you need and stick to it. The cool runner is the one who wins the race. Sleep will get you there.

Fuel (提供能量) your body right for running and recovery.

    4     And after a workout or race, you need to deliver nutrients to all the body rebuilders in your muscles, so they can do their job and get you back into tip-top shape for your run tomorrow.

Pay attention to pain.

When pain changes the way you run, stop running.     5     And use dynamic rest (动态休息) to stay in shape until you are back on your running feet.

A．Get seven to eight hours of sleep every night.

B．Try to find out what is going on and treat the pain.

C．you need to get there slowly.

D．Running should be seen as fun rather than pain.

E．It is because of the health benefits, including lowering your risk of disease.

F．The right running shoes can help correct foot-movement problems that lead to injury.

G．A good pre-run meal plan is one that keeps you stepping strong.

9 . Until two weeks ago, sixth graders could be found playing football. Recess(课间休息)was a time to play, learn, and exercise. Then, football was banned for being “too dangerous”. Now you'll find us lying on the grass and wishing for something to fill our time with.

Football is a good source of exercise. The TIME for Kids article, “Fighting Fat in Kids,”talks about different ways to fight obesity(肥胖).    1    We need football so we don't grow up to be unhealthy and get diseases like diabetes or heart disease.

    2    With big teams it doesn't leave anyone out like other games Just picture it: Every child in sixth grade can be invited to play together! Whether you are a great player or a beginner, there is always a place for you on the team!

Some people think football is only for boys.    3    Out of 25 kids, including boys and girls, all will say they want to play football. Even my mom and sister love to play. This shows that football is a valuable part of recess and should not be banned.

Football helps us learn important things.    4    Sometimes during the game both teams argue because they think they should get the point. This gives kids a chance to work out their problems on their own and make a solution.

Please allow football again at recess.    5    We will get more exercise, we will build community, and we will learn important skills. These are lessons we need, and as long as we are careful, we can be safe. Please take the football ban away and let us play again.

A．In fact, that's not true.

B．We will be healthier, stronger kids if you do.

C．For example, we can learn to solve problems.

D．Football is a game that everyone can participate in.

E．These are the basic football rules for school children.

F．One of the reasons kids get fat is because they don't get enough exercise.

G．Football is a dangerous sport with injuries happening frequently to the head.

10 . Running is becoming popular these days. Many people run to keep fit.     1         However, if you’re doing it wrong, you won't get such good results. Fortunately, here are some tips to help you.

•Set right goals

    2     Be smart and set the right goals. Sign up fora fun run or a 5K first, before even thinking about a marathon. Your goal should simply be to finish. If you push yourself too much, it is possible that you will get hurt and won't want to insist on running.

•Wear suitable shoes

Once you’ve decided to try out running, it's time to get yourself new shoes, as the wrong pair can cause foot pain. Wearing the wrong shoes can destroy your workout plan.     3    

•Eat properly before or after a run

Some of you don't eat before or after a workout. Your body needs energy to exercise.     4    So it's important to give your body energy. Experts suggest that you eat foods before and after a workout to help with your body's fat burning process.

• Run out of the city

If you live in a busy city, running along city streets is the easiest way to get in the miles, but if it's possible, find a less polluted space for your long runs.     5     Exposure to air pollution can cause damage to brain health and the lungs, so running at a cleaner environment might be worth the extra time.

A．Fresh air cleans our lungs.

B．It is a good, inexpensive way to get into shape,

C．It’s exciting to start running, but don’t set your goals too high.

D．Another side effect of skipping meals is to make you feel tired.

E．And not eating properly will affect your mental and physical being,

F．Therefore, before running, you should go to the shoe store to buy a new pair of running shoes.

G．Research shows that running in polluted air doesn’t give you the same benefits (好处) as running in clean air.