1 . Why do we play sports? You might say “to get exercise” and you’d 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 playing sports will take up much of your study time.
Girls who play sports learn teamwork and goal setting skills. Sports teach us valuable life skills. When you work with coaches, trainers, and teammates to win games and achieve goals, you’re learning how to be successful.
Playing sports improves self-confidence.
| A．Exercise cuts the pressure down. |
| B．In fact, there are at least 5 more reasons. |
| C．Regular exercise improves the quality of life. |
| D．Girls who play sports feel better about themselves. |
| E．Those skills will serve you well at work and in family life. |
| F．Playing sports offers children more than just physical benefits. |
| G．But research shows girls who play sports do better in school than those who don’t. |
2 . What Are the Physical Benefits of Exercise?
Exercise is often thought of as activities that help a person lose weight or prevent weight gain. Having a body that is slimmer and trimmer is certainly one of the physical benefits of exercise, but there are many others.
Exercising can help strengthen the muscles.
Diet pills may help a man shed weight but they will not help him build or strengthen his muscles. The physical benefits of exercise are generally experienced simultaneously.
Working out can make the bones stronger.
Exercise also strengthens bones, which becomes more important the older a person gets. Bones go through a natural process of breaking down the rebuilding.
Many people are concerned with looking older. Slowing and reversing the effects of aging are benefits of physical exercise. Cellulite (皮下脂肪团), for example, can make a young woman appear older than she is.
| A．Many people want to change or improve their bodies. |
| B．Taking regular exercise can reduce the effects of aging. |
| C．As people grow older, however, the rebuilding process slows unless it is stimulated. |
| D．Training also reduces the negative physical effects which a person feels when he ages. |
| E．Exercise has the ability to help a person change his body shape, and make him stronger. |
| F．The appearance of cellulite can be diminished with basic exercises such as walking or jogging. |
| G．These include strengthening the bones, strengthening the muscles, and reducing the effects of aging. |
3 . 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. |
4 . Recess for Kids
Ask a group of kids about their favorite part of the school day and many will talk about something that happened at recess. Maybe they finally made it across the monkey bars (单杠). Maybe somebody kicked the ball over the fence. Maybe a fruit tree in a neighboring yard started to drop apples on the playground.
It’s true not just according to kids, but also to adults who study recess for kids. Whether they’re inventing a new game or sitting under a tree, kids need a break — or several of them — during the school day.
Why Kids Need Recess.
There's no debate that recess, or mainly referred to as physical activity, is good for kids.
You can’t have your brains go hours at a time and retain and store information in working memory.
How Much Recess Should Kids Get.
“Ideally, children should get four 15-minute recesses every day”, says Debbie Rhea, a professor from Texas Christian University, who advocates for outdoor play in schools.
In addition to simply providing enough time for recess, schools should teach skills that will make recess more successful. For instance, letting kids run fast will help them develop coordination.
| A．How to Make Recess Better. |
| B．Who should help kids recess. |
| C．You need time away to process it. |
| D．This recommendation has been widely accepted. |
| E．Any one of these things is a marker of a good recess. |
| F．Maybe running up the slide is not as unsafe as it looks. |
| G．We wouldn’t have kids sitting there for math or reading for long hours. |
5 . 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. |
6 . Is running a marathon (马拉松) under two hours possible? Will a human ever be able to run that fast? Now, the world record for the 42.195km (26.219 miles) distance is held by the Kenyan runner Eliud Kipchoge. His time of 2:01:39 hours was achieved at the Berlin Marathon of 2018.
But studies published in the past have come to the conclusion that running a marathon under 2 hours can be done. They even see a time of around 1:57 as the fastest a human can ever run. However, we may have to wait longer for this to happen.
To achieve an under two-hour marathon, an athlete would have to have the perfect body size and weight, the right running plans and of course, the right nutrition (营养). Today’s perfect runners come from Kenya and Ethiopia, countries that have dominated (占优势) long distance races for years. East African athletes have long legs and lungs that can take in lots of oxygen (氧). Training at high altitudes (海拔) gives them a strong heart. Ideal weather conditions with cool temperatures and no wind will also be needed to attempt such a mark. An extremely fast marathon would only be possible on flat city courses, like Berlin or London.
Since the beginning of the modern Olympic Games in 1896, athletes have tried to run long distance races as fast as possible. In 1900, the marathon world record was at around 3 hours. In the following 30 years, men were able to reach a mark of 2:30. But in the last 15 years, the world record has improved by only 3 minutes.
On the other side, some experts think that such fast performances will only be possible with the help of some medicine.
1. Why is the world record mentioned in Paragraph 1?| A．To show a human can run very fast. |
| B．To prove Eliud Kipchoge is the best. |
| C．To introduce the greatest success in the world. |
| D．To show an under two hour marathon hasn’t been achieved yet. |
| A．It requires too many things to fit together. |
| B．It isn’t easy to find right running plans. |
| C．Training a perfect runner takes a long time. |
| D．Kenyan and Ethiopian runners control marathons. |
| A．High altitudes. | B．Lots of oxygen. |
| C．A perfect environment. | D．Tall and strong runners. |
| A．Men will run faster and faster. |
| B．Men made the greatest progress in 1930. |
| C．Achieving shorter time became more difficult. |
| D．It’s impossible to break the marathon world record. |
7 . Adolescents who routinely engaged in moderate and energetic exercise showed long-term improvements in their academic performance, the British Journal of Sports Medicine study reported.
“Our study suggests that the effect of physical activity may be quite large,” John Reilly, a professor at the University of Strathclyde said. The researchers looked at a sample of about 5000 children who were involved in a long-term study that tracks children born in the UK between 1991 and 1992. When children reached 11 years old, their daily physical activity levels were measured using an accelerometer for three to seven days. The device, similar to a pedometer tracking the number of steps taken, recorded the average time children exercised, which was 29 minutes a day for boys and 18 minutes for girls.
“The actual levels of daily physical activity at age 11 were quite low,” Mr. Reilly noted. The children had their academic performance tested at ages 11 and 13 with compulsory national tests for students, and also at 15 or 16 with the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) exam. The tests assessed the children’s abilities in English, math and science subjects.
When factors that could affect academic performance including birth weight, mother’s age at delivery and other socioeconomic factors were adjusted for, the results showed that the more children participated in moderate and energetic physical activity, the higher their test scores were at age 11 in all three subjects. For girls, science scores were most strongly linked to exercise. When they followed up with the kids at age 13, their academic scores were still linked to how much they had exercised when they were 11 years old.
By the time the youngsters took the GCSE exam, each 17-minute-per-day increase in physical activity for the boys was linked to an improvement in their scores. Every additional 12-minute increase a day in exercise for the girls was also linked to an increased score as well, especially in the science category.
The researchers have called for more studies to look at the possible academic benefits that could be gained if students exercise the recommended 60 minutes or more a day.
1. How did the researchers carry out the study?| A．By asking different questions. | B．By using tracking equipment. |
| C．By asking teens to take some tests. | D．By asking teens to report the exercise time. |
| A．His age. | B．His mother’s weight. |
| C．His mother’s age at delivery. | D．His birth date. |
| A．When the children were tested again at age 13 |
| B．When the kids continued physical exercise at 13 |
| C．When they moved along with the 13-year-old kids |
| D．When they took an interest in the 13-year-old kids |
| A．12 minutes | B．18 minutes | C．30 minutes | D．60 minutes |
8 . Do you love outdoor challenges? And there are a bunch of really awesome hiking challenges out there now that will not only inspire you to get outside more and push yourself physically- but also provide you access to an awesome community of hikers and often-times hiking groups focusing on the same challenges.
1. THE 52 HIKE CHALLENGE
The goal of the 52 Hike Challenge is to get you outside moving every week for an entire year. The difficulty and length is entirely up to you. but the point is to get out and to get moving! Register online now and the resources on their website allow you to track your journey as you complete each weekly hike and earn completion badges as you go.
2. WE HIKE TO HEAL
We Hike to Heal is a month-long women's empowerment and wellness campaign that organizes group hikes all over the world on the last Saturday of March. The organization's mission is to encourage women all over the world to tap into the healing and empowering influences within themselves and the Great Outdoors. You can join the movement for free in the link above and find free group hikes that will be happening all over the world.
3. CURE-SEARCH ULTIMATE HIKE
This event is put on by CureSearch on February 4th every year, a non-profit organization dedicated to finding a cure and a way to raise money for children s cancer. To join this event that supports an incredible cause, you attend an informational session, register and get your own online fund-raising page and raise money to support your trek for children's cancer research.
4. THE 365 MILE CHALLENGE
This challenge is great because it is so simple. The goal is to get outside every day and walk a mile. This challenge focuses on small efforts that, over time, have big results and focuses on, creating healthy habits to benefit your mind, body, and soul. To join all you have to do is register , join the Face book group, and start moving.
1. Which of the hiking challenges is specially intended for women?| A．We Hike to Heal | B．The 52 Hike Challenge. |
| C．Cure-search Ultimate Hike. | D．The 365 Mile Challenge. |
| A．Money-raising. | B．Badge-earning. |
| C．Internet-related. | D．Gender-based. |
| A．Only one. | B．Four. |
| C．Three. | D．Two. |
9 . All parents know that young children are always energetic, eager to run, jump and play. Turning that natural energy into competitive sports can help keep kids active and healthy as they grow. Competitive sports such as soccer， track， basketball and swimming can also help kids learn important life lessons about teamwork and fair play.
Learning How to Compete
Joining in sports teaches children and teenagers how to compete in the real world. As they grow older, they'll face competition in school, in the workforce and other areas of life. But these competitions don't have to be negative（负面的）or unhealthy.
Understanding the Value of Exercise
Improving Self-respect
Improved self-respect is another benefit of competitive youth sports.
Losing with his team can also increase self-esteem, as he learns to hold his head high and feel proud for trying his best.
Youth sports can help stop negative behavior, such as joining a gang（帮派）, because competitive sports provide a way of expressing their energy, friendship and controlled attacking behaviour. Teens who have positive influences and friends feel less of a need to join in risky behaviors.
| A．Reducing Risky Behavior |
| B．Developing Character Values |
| C．Here are the benefits of competitive sports for youth |
| D．If you try your hardest, you have a better chance to succeed |
| E．When a child wins a game with his team, he feels recognized |
| F．Taking part in competitive youth sports burns calories and helps to keep slim |
| G．Playing sports can help kids understand how competition works in a friendly environment |
10 . We all know about the health benefits of swimming. It offers a great workout for the body—it builds endurance, muscle strength and cardiovascular fitness. If you don’t mind getting wet, it can be fun too.
Cold-water swimming—sometimes called wild swimming—involves swimming in natural areas including ponds, rivers and the sea. Jumping in gives a short sharp shock to the body,
But what is it that people are gaining from this chilly experience? Doctors say getting into cold water arouses a stress response, but the more you do it, your reaction to stress is reduced. It’s also thought to have a strong anti-inflammatory effect. But there are bigger benefits to this stress-reducing exercise. Some experts believe cold-water swimming helps ‘cross-adaptation’, where one form of stress prepares the body for another.
So, if you’ re convinced that this is for you, take advice: approach it with caution, swim with a friend, and maybe start in the summer,
| A．but many participants say they get used to it. |
| B．when the water temperatures are higher! |
| C．Swimming is good exercise, in part because it is fun. |
| D．But who would enjoy swimming in water that’s ice cold? |
| E．Cold weather limits the months when ocean or lake swimming is possible. |
| F．There is much evidence suggesting cold-water swimming’s benefits. |
| G．For example, it also helps reduce the stress of exercising at high altitude. |
