1 . Running is often tiring and a lot of hard work, but nothing beats the feeling you get after finishing a long workout around the track.
But while it’s long been believed that endorphins (内啡肽) —chemicals in the body that cause happiness—are behind the so-called “runner’s high”, a study suggested that there may be more to this phenomenon than we previously knew.
According to a recent study published by a group of scientists from several German universities, a group of chemicals called endocannabinoids (内源性大麻素) may actually be responsible for this familiar great feeling.
To test this theory, the scientists turned to mice. Both mice and humans release high levels of endorphins and endocannabinoids after exercise. After exercising on running wheels, the mice seemed happy and relaxed and displayed no signs of anxiety. But after being given a drug to block their endorphins, the mice’s behavior didn’t seem to change. However, when their endocannabinoids were blocked with a different drug, their runners’ high symptoms seemed to fade.
“The long-held notion of endorphins being responsible for the runner’s high is false. Endorphins are effective pain relievers, but only when it comes to the pain in your body and muscles you feel after working out,” Patrick Lucas Austin wrote on science blog Lifchacker.
Similar studies are yet to be carried out on humans, but it’s already known that exercise is a highly effective way to get rid of stress or anxiety. The UK’s National Health Service even prescribes (开药 方) exercise to patients who are suffering from depression. “Being depressed can leave you feeling low in energy, which might put you off being more active. Regular exercise can improve your mood if you have depression, and its especially useful for people with mild to moderate (中等的) depression,” it wrote on its website.
It seems like nothing can beat that feeling we get after a good workout, even if we don’t fully understand where it comes from. At least if we’re feeling down, we know that all we have to do is to put on our running shoes.
1. What did scientists from German universities recently discover?| A．Working out is a highly effective way to treat depression. |
| B．The runner’s high could be caused by endocannabinoids. |
| C．Endorphins may contribute to one’s high spirits after running. |
| D．The level of endorphins and endocannabinoids could affect one’s mood. |
| A．To find what reduces the runner’s high symptoms. |
| B．To see the specific symptoms of the runner’s high. |
| C．To identify what is responsible for the runner’s high. |
| D．To test what influences the level of endocannabinoids released. |
| A．Effect. | B．Goal. | C．Opinion. | D．Question |
| A．They can help ease depression symptoms. |
| B．They are the best way to treat depression. |
| C．They only work for those with serious depression. |
| D．They can help people completely recover from depression. |
2 . TEC Community Event Series
Date and time
Thursday, July 13, 11 a.m.—11:45 a.m.
Location: Online
Duration: 45 minutes
Join our monthly community event! At TEC we have found that community increases success and consistency.
Have you ever wondered why the needle does not move, even when you get your 10.000 steps in? Do you still feel overly sore after a weekend full of activities? Or you can’t seem to break the pattern with ongoing injuries?
If this sounds like you, then TEC has you covered! From movement to mindset, we will help you engage your body and give you easy-to-follow movements that you can do from anywhere. This will help you accomplish your fitness goals, feel great in all your summer activities and avoid the roller coaster of injuries!
TEC monthly community event!
Stay active beyond your training for performance, and prioritize your overall health.
Each movement will help you maximize your recovery and avoid any of the bad effects of your workouts, for example, overuse injuries, tightness, range of motion issues, etc.
Have a body and mind ready to interact in all the activities the healthy way!
Connect with other athletes and individuals.
Ask TEC coaches and other athletes questions and collaborate (合作) on best practices to optimize (优化) your mindset!
This event is for you if：
★You desire a community to grow with.
★You have strong feelings of enthusiasm for workouts.
★You enjoy achieving at a high level.
★You are looking for support for your mindset, sport or fitness.
This event is not for you if：
★You are close-minded and are not looking to be challenged or encouraged.
★You don’t value learning from others.
★You are looking for a place to sell your products or services.
1. What can we learn about this event?| A．It takes place every month. |
| B．It offers 45-minute offline training. |
| C．It shows people the secret to success. |
| D．It aims to help measure people’s weight. |
| A．They will recover immediately when injured. |
| B．They will gain permanent free workouts. |
| C．They will get one-to-one guidance from a coach. |
| D．They will learn how to avoid some injuries when exercising. |
| A．Those who hope to enjoy a quiet weekend. |
| B．Those who want to attract potential customers. |
| C．Those who attach importance to an active lifestyle. |
| D．Those who desire good academic performance. |
3 . At 81 years old, Jeanne Daprano is still pushing her body to the limit. She’s still running competitive races, breaking world records and taking on new challenges.“The thing I’m learning about aging is that it’s inevitable,” Daprano said.“I’m not going to escape it. There are two ways to go:You can either press on or give up.”
Daprano grew up in Iowa. Then, she moved to California. As a primary school teacher, she began running in order to keep up with her student.“I was known as a running teacher,” she said.“I had my students do fitness before we studied in the morning and then throughout the day.”Then she began running competitively with 5K and 10K road races before moving to the track. She is now the world record holder in the women’s 75-year-old age group 400 meters and 800 meters. “When I get to the final fi nish line, I want this body to be worn out. I’m not doing this to live to be 100. I’m doing this to be the best I can be today.”
After moving to Atlanta about a decade ago, Daprano met fitness trainer David Buer. Ever since, she’s been coming to his gym, where he tailors workouts for Daprano’s specifc needs.“When she came to me, she was pushing 70 years old,”Buer said.“I’ve worked with other individuals of Jeanne’s age, but she came to me with different goals. She had a unique drive and passion—not just a passion for fitness or athletics but for life in general.”
Last February, Daprano took on a new challenge: her first indoor rowing competition. In classic fashion, she broke the world record in the 80-to-84 age group, rowing 2,000 meters in 9:23:7. For those hoping to either start getting in shape or stay in shape for a long time, she offers this advice: Listen to your body. What are you passionate about? How are you going to keep physically fit and mentally fit? Start where you are. Don’t look ahead or compare yourself to somebody else.
1. What does the underlined word“inevitable” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?| A．Invisible. | B．Abnormal. | C．Impossible. | D．Unavoidable. |
| A．working at a primary school | B．taking fitness training classes |
| C．volunteering in a 5K road race | D．moving to Atlanta |
| A．She was a qualified teacher. | B．She was an unusual woman. |
| C．She was too old to run a race. | D．She was hard to get along with. |
| A．Run right now. | B．Live and learn. |
| C．Follow your heart. | D．Be a good listener. |
4 . If you always sit indoors for too long, putting on weight may become a trouble. Tired of all that fat? If so, these sports can help you burn the most calories.
Running
“Running is one of the best calorie burners out there,” qualified personal trainer Daniel Saltos says. An average person can burn anywhere from 500 to 1000 calories in one hour of running. “Speed, pace, and tolerance are all factors that can impact this range. But running uses every muscle group in the body, allowing you to burn more calories.”
Swimming
“Swimming is a workout that produces the lowest impact on body while it still can burn 500 to 600 calories in just 30 minutes,” Saltos says. Swimming also improves heart health and increases strength—all great reasons for playing in the water.
Boxing
Not only is boxing a great way to release energy, but it also helps improve balance, builds up tolerance and strengthens the upper body and core. “Boxing helps you get a good calorie burn, too, with the average person burning up 400 to 800 calories in an hour session,” Saltos says.
Rowing
The pushing and pulling motion of rowing machines targets multiple muscle groups including the arms, core, and back, helping you to burn more calories. “An hour of rowing will burn 400 to 600 calories on average,” Saltos says.
1. Which sport can burn the most calories per hour?| A．Boxing. | B．Running. |
| C．Swimming. | D．Rowing. |
| A．It enhances balance. | B．It improves tolerance. |
| C．It produces low impact. | D．It builds muscle groups. |
| A．Great athletes. | B．Fitness experts. |
| C．Sports reporters. | D．Overweight persons. |
5 . All over the world people enjoy sports. Sports help to keep people healthy and happy, and to live longer.
Some sports or game go back thousands of years, like running or jumping. Chinese Kungfu, for example, has a very long history. But basketball and volleyball are rather new. Neither one is a hundred years old yet.
People from different countries may not be able to understand each other, but after a game together they often become good friends.
| A．And think of people in cold countries. |
| B．Sports help to train a person’s character. |
| C．People aren’t inventing new sports or games. |
| D．Many people like to watch others play games. |
| E．People are inventing new sports or games all the time. |
| F．Some sports are so interesting that people everywhere take part in them. |
| G．Not a few people participate in different sports competitions themselves. |
6 . As we age, even if we’re healthy, the heart just isn’t as efficient in processing oxygen as it used to be. In most people the first signs show up in their 50s or early 60s. And among people who don’t exercise, the changes can start even sooner.
“Think of a rubber band. In the beginning, it is flexible, but put it in a drawer for 20 years and it will become dry and easily broken,” says Dr. Ben Levine, a heart specialist at the University of Texas. That’s what happens to the heart. Fortunately for those in midlife, Levine is finding that even if you haven’t been an enthusiastic exerciser, getting in shape now may help improve your aging heart.
Levine and his research team selected volunteers aged between 45 and 64 who did not exercise much but were otherwise healthy. Participants were randomly divided into two groups. The first group participated in a program of nonaerobic (无氧) exercise—balance training and weight training—three times a week. The second group did high-intensity aerobic exercise under the guidance of a trainer for four or more days a week. After two years, the second group saw remarkable improvements in heart health.
“We took these 50-year-old hearts and turned the clock back to 30-or 35-year-old hearts,” says Levine. “And the reason they got so much stronger and fitter was that their hearts could now fill a lot better and pump (泵送) a lot more blood during exercise.” But the hearts of those who participated in less intense exercise didn’t change, he says.
“The sweet spot in life to start exercising, if you haven’t already, is in late middle age when the heart still has flexibility,” Levine says. “We put healthy 70-year-olds through a yearlong exercise training program, and nothing happened to them at all.”
Dr. Nieca Goldberg, a spokeswoman for the American Heart Association, says Levine’s findings are a great start. But the study was small and needs to be repeated with far larger groups of people to determine exactly which aspects of an exercise routine make the biggest difference.
1. What does Levine want to explain by mentioning the rubber band?| A．The right way of exercising. | B．The causes of a heart attack. |
| C．The difficulty of keeping fit. | D．The aging process of the heart. |
| A．Diet plan. | B．Professional background. |
| C．Exercise type. | D．Previous physical condition. |
| A．Middle-aged hearts get younger with aerobic exercise. |
| B．High-intensity exercise is more suitable for the young. |
| C．It is never too late for people to start taking exercise. |
| D．The more exercise we do, the stronger our hearts get. |
| A．Making use of the findings. | B．Interviewing the study participants. |
| C．Conducting further research. | D．Clarifying the purpose of the study. |
7 . Exercising regularly not only helps you keep slim, but also improves your overall health and well-being. Different exercises produce different results, as they focus on alternate parts of the body. There are four broad exercise categories: endurance, strength, flexibility, and balance. Many people often only focus on one exercise type, but including all four in your workout will produce better results and reduce your risk of injury.
Endurance
Endurance exercises increase your breathing and heart rate. By doing endurance exercises, you are working to keep your heart, lungs, and blood-flow system healthy while improving your total fitness. Over time these activities will make everyday activities seem easier.
Strength
If you want to build up your muscles, then strength exercises, which are also known as “resistance training”, are right for you. Even the slightest increase in strength can make a huge difference in your ability to carry out daily tasks. Developing strong muscles also reduce your risk of weak bones.
Flexibility
Flexibility exercises help stretch your body’s muscles. This allows for more freedom of movement for other exercises and can also improve your range of motion, posture, ability to breathe deeply, and blood flow. Also, it reduces the muscle tension caused by stress.
Balance
Balance exercises help prevent falls and are especially important to older adults, helping them stay independent. Most good balance exercises are ones that keep you constantly moving with your feet on the ground. Heel-to-toe walking and standing on one foot are simple ways to improve balance.
1. How can a person benefit most from their exercise routine?| A．By combining different exercise types together. |
| B．By having enough rest between their workouts. |
| C．By concentrating on one training aspect at a time. |
| D．By increasing the frequency of their training gradually. |
| A．Strength and Balance. | B．Flexibility and Balance. |
| C．Endurance and Strength. | D．Endurance and Flexibility. |
| A．Arms. | B．Legs. | C．Waist. | D．Neck. |
8 . Although a gym membership can be nice, you don't have to have one to get into great shape! All you need is a little bit of time and space at home for yourself.
Spend 5 to 10 minutes warming up before every workout.
Set achievable goals that you can break into smaller tasks. It's one thing to say you want to get fit, but that means something different for everyone.
| A．Not sure what to do? |
| B．Want to build muscle without buying equipment? |
| C．Do strength training twice a week to build muscle. |
| D．If you're struggling to fit in workout time, don't worry. |
| E．Spend five to ten minutes cooling down after each workout. |
| F．Figure out what you plan to achieve and make that your goal. |
| G．But before everything, you need to create an at-home fitness routine. |
9 . Physical education, or PE, isn’t required for all high school students. In some schools, it isn’t offered for some different reasons. But should high school students have physical education? The answer is certainly “yes”.
Today many people don’t do sports. But as is known to all. doing sports is very important for an adult. Teaching teens the importance of a healthy lifestyle and making fitness plans now can help teens put exercise in the first place as an adult.
High school isn’t that easy. Many students are under a lot of stress. Stress can be harmful to a student’s studies and life. Doing sports can help them deal with stress better, helping them live a happier life at school.
The American Heart Association says that 10 million kids and teens suffer from obesity (肥胖). Teens should get 60 minutes of physical activity per day to control their weight and to help their bones get stronger. The increase in activities that don’t get teens to move around, such as computer games, means many teens don’t get their required exercise. PE classes act as a public health measure (措施) to encourage physical activities and help teens have healthy weights.
Not doing sports increases teens’ hazard of developing many diseases. An active lifestyle offers a good way of protection from these health problems. As much as 75 percent of health-care spending goes toward treating medical conditions that can be prevented by lifestyle changes, according to the American College of Sports Medicine.
According to the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition (PCFSN), students who performed five hours of physical activities each week improved their academic (学业的) performance. Students from programs with no physical activity, who used the extra time for classroom study, did not perform better on tests than those who gave up some study time in support of physical education.
1. According to Paragraph 2, what does physical education in high school mean?| A．Making teens attach importance to ęxercise later. |
| B．Removing the stress faced by teens at school. |
| C．Getting teens to encourage adults to exercise. |
| D．Helping teens learn to make good plans |
| A．Happiness. | B．Risk. | C．Safety. | D．Sadness. |
| A．means making students choose between sports and studies |
| B．helps students make good use of all their time |
| C．means students adjust to their studies better |
| D．helps students do better in their studies |
| A．Why high school students should receive physical education. |
| B．Why some schools consider physical education important. |
| C．How schools can help students love doing sports. |
| D．How high school students can live a better life. |
10 . We hear endlessly how good exercise is for our health, but you might be surprised to know just how good.
It lowers the risk of dementia.
The World Health Organization estimates that the number of people with dementia will double in the next 30 years.
It aids digestion.
Just 15 minutes of exercise a day for eight years can increase your lifespan by three years. It can be low-intensity exercise, swimming or a long slow walk. The more you do, the longer you could live. Physical activities delay cell ageing，which increases longevity in humans.
It enhances your mental health.
Doing something active releases “happy” brain chemicals, such as endorphins and serotonin, which make you more positive. The more you do it, the better you’ll feel. But you do need to work up a bit of a sweat. If you’ve had a bad day, a quick power walk is a brilliant stress reliever.
| A．It keeps you young. |
| B．It helps you be energetic. |
| C．Here are some benefits of exercise. |
| D．You can surely brighten your day after it. |
| E．Your stomach feels more comfortable after exercise. |
| F．However, regular exercise could save you from dementia. |
| G．Therefore, the benefits of exercise outweigh its shortcomings. |
