1 . To stay healthy and fit, Chinese students do group exercises every day at school. Most of you probably do the same set of exercises. But some school exercises have grown popular online due to their local and innovative designs.

Singing in Sichuan dialects with energetic movements and unique mask-changing is not just a Sichuan Opera performance. It’s the routine exercise for students of Mianyang Foreign Languages Experimental School in Sichuan province.

“Sichuan Opera is a local opera, and it is now facing a gap in inheritance (传承). Therefore, we cooperated with Mianyang Intangible Cultural Heritage Center to create a simple and easy-to-learn Sichuan Opera exercise,” said Shen Junhua, who is in charge of organizing the school’s exercise between classes.

According to Shen, this new type of exercise has been practiced since 2017 and has been popular among students. When students enroll (入学), they will spend several weeks practicing it. At present, almost all of the students and teachers have mastered it.

“In fact, we had hardly heard of Sichuan Opera before teachers taught us how to do the Sichuan Opera exercise,” said Li Yangwenwen, 14, an eighth grade student who also joined the school’s Sichuan Opera club out of interest. “It’s very different from normal exercises. After practicing it, we found it very beautiful and became interested in it. Now, almost all of the students look forward to our daily exercise time and feel excited to do it.”

“By combining opera with daily exercise, the daily class activity allows students to perceive and understand Sichuan Opera’s culture”, Shen said. “After years of continuous effort to spread the seeds of traditional culture, the younger generation is finally catching on.”

1. What do students in Shen’s school do during the group exercise?

A．They do normal exercise .

B．They sing pop songs in Sichuan dialects.

C．They do mask-changing in a Sichuan Opera performance.

D．They combine group exercise with Sichuan Opera.

2. Why do they adopt the new type of exercise?

A．To attract new students to the school.

B．To inherit local culture.

C．To create an easy-to-learn exercise.

D．To make the school’s group exercise popular.

3. How do teachers and students react to the group exercise?

A．Calm.	B．Indifferent.
C．Enthusiastic.	D．Uninterested.

4. What can we learn from the last paragraph?

A．Shen’s continuous effort is highly praised.

B．The younger generation will have a stronger body.

C．The students can better understand their local culture.

D．Students help to spread the seeds of traditional culture to younger generation.

2 . Most people think Chinese martial arts (武术) are all about kicking, punching and fighting.

    1     It is slow, calm and peaceful.

Tai chi dates back to the mid 17^th century in Wenxian county in Henan province. UNESCO recently added it to its intangible Cultural Heritage List. Although tai chi is an ancient martial art, it is still quite popular today.    2    

People do tai chi as a way to stay fit. Unlike other exercises, it is “soft” － the muscles are not tensed, the joints are not fully bent, and you don’t need to stretch (伸展) your body too much.

    3     You can practice it almost anytime and anywhere without equipment. It is believed that practicing tai chi can help us have better control of our bodies so that we can stand, walk and run better.

    4     You can control them better. Slow movements also allow you to take deep, long breaths. This is good for your bodies.

But tai chi’s benefits go beyond the physical.    5     Tai chi has taught them the value of   living more slowly. Just as a Peruvian woman who has practiced tai chi for more than 10 years says “Practicing tai chi is like speaking with my soul.”

A．This means many can do it.

B．But tai chi is the other way around.

C．It’s a practical way for one to further balance.

D．You need to keep a healthy balance in all things.

E．It has over 100 million fans in more than 150 countries.

F．For some people, it’s not only a sport, but also a way of life.

G．During slow movements, you can concentrate on your hands and feet.

3 . All over the world people enjoy sports. Sports help to keep people healthy and happy, and to live longer.     1    . They buy tickets or turn on their TVs to watch the games. Often they get very excited when their player or team wins.

    2     Football, for example, has spread around the world. Swimming is popular in all countries near the sea or in those with many rivers. What fun it is to jump into a pool or lake, whether in China, Egypt or Italy!     3    . Think how many lovers to skate or ski in Japan, Norway or Canada.

Some sports or games go back thousands of years, like running or jumping. Chinese wushu, for example, has a very long history. But basketball and volleyball are rather new. Neither one is a hundred years old yet.    4    . Water-skiing is one of the newest in the family of sports.

People from different countries may not be able to understand each other, but after a game together they often become good friends.     5    . One learns to fight hard but fight fair, to win without pride and to lose with grace.(胜不骄，败不馁)

A．And think of people in cold countries.

B．Sports help to train a person’s character.

C．Not a few people like sports in the world.

D．Many people like to watch others play games.

E．People aren’t inventing new sports or games.

F．Some sports are so interesting that people everywhere take part in them.

G．People are inventing new sports or games all the time.

4 . Exercise helps to keep us in good health. Doctors at the American Heart Association suggest getting at least 150 minutes of proper physical activity every week. Many people exercise for a few minutes every day or every other day. So, getting 150 minutes every week is easy.

But what about those times when you are sick? If you do not feel well, should you keep following your exercise habit? Following are the answers from health experts.

Edward R. Laskowski is a doctor at the Mayo Clinic. He and other experts have a general rule about exercising when you are sick. It is usually fine to exercise properly (not hard), he explains, if your symptoms are all “above the neck”. These signs may include a runny nose, sneezing or a sore throat.

Geralyn Coopersmith, a physical fitness trainer who has written several books on exercise offers similar advice. However, both Coopersmith and Dr. Laskowski suggest taking a break from exercising if signs of your illness appears “below the neck”. Pay special attention to symptoms such as chest congestion, bad cough or pain in the stomach.

There are other symptoms that can tell you to avoid exercise. They include a higher than normal body temperature, a sense of feeling very tired, and widespread muscle pain.

Both Coopersmith and Dr. Laskowski suggest listening to your body. If you feel really bad, take a break and let your body rest. If you don’t feel too bad, these experts both suggest cutting down the amount of exercise. For example, if you usually run, take a quick walk instead.

1. How long should people do exercise according to doctors?

A．No less than two and a half hours a week.	B．One hundred and fifty minutes each day.
C．At least a few minutes every day.	D．About 150 minutes every other day.

2. People with symptoms “below the neck” are advised to ______.

A．stop exercise	B．walk instead of run
C．ignore the symptoms	D．do less exercise

3. What does the underlined part “listening to your body” in the last paragraph mean?

A．Taking good care of yourself.

B．Learning to take advice of your body.

C．Making decisions according to your physical condition.

D．Listening to music when exercising to keep healthy.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．Warnings against exercise when you are ill.

B．Harmful results of exercise when you are ill.

C．Time for exercise when you are ill.

D．Professional suggestions on exercise when you are ill.

5 . Why Is Exercise Cool?

•Exercise Strengthens Muscles

Did you ever do a push-up or swing across the monkey bars at the playground?    1    By using your muscles to do powerful things, you can make them stronger. For older teens and adults, this kind of workout can make muscles bigger, too.

•    2    

Can you touch your toes easily without yelling ouch? Most kids are pretty flexible, which means that they can bend and stretch their bodies without much trouble. Being flexible is having “full range of motion”, which means you can move your arms and legs freely without feeling tightness or pain.

•Exercise Keeps the Balance

    3    Your body needs a certain amount of calories every day just to function, breathe, walk around, and do all the basic things.    4    If you’re not very active, your body won’t need as many calories. Whatever your calorie need is, if you eat enough to meet that need, your body weight will stay about the same. If you eat more calories than your body needs, it may be stored as extra fat.

•Exercise Makes You Feel good

It feels good to have a strong, flexible body that can do all the activities you enjoy—like running, jumping and playing with your friends. It’s also fun to be good at something, like scoring a basket, hitting a home run, or perfecting a dive.

But you may not know that exercising can actually put you in a better mood.    5    It’s just another reason why exercise is cool!

A．Exercise Makes You Flexible

B．Exercise Makes Your Heart Happy

C．Those are exercises that can build strength.

D．So you want to do some aerobic (有氧的) exercise right now?

E．But if you’re active, your body needs an extra measure of calories or energy.

F．Food gives your body fuel in the form of calories, which are a kind of energy.

G．When you exercise, your brain releases a chemical which may make you feel happier.

6 . If you're out for a run, what difference does it make if you're able to tough it out for another 50 seconds? If you're less than a minute from the top of the hill, that extra time can make the difference between having reached your goal and snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

How do you get those extra seconds of energy? A research team at the Texes Tech University developed a study to measure what effect listening to music would have on exercise tolerance. The researchers based the study on a stress testing. As part of the testing, they noted any changes in heart rate and blood pressure as participants underwent physically stressful exercise.

The tests were done on treadmills (跑步机), which increased in both speed and incline (坡度) through three stages. In the final stage, the treadmills moved at 10 miles per hour at a 14-percent grade. Most of these tests were designed to last up to 40 minutes. The average gym-goers lasted 30 minutes. For this study, they divided 127 participants into two groups. One listened to upbeat(快节奏) music, while the other group had earbuds in but did not listen to music.

The group that listened to music was able to outlast the non-music group by an average of 50.6 seconds. Again, being able to go an extra minute may seem like a no-brainer ,but “after 30 minutes, you feel like you are running up a mountain, so even being able to go 50 seconds longer means a lot," said the study's lead author, Waseem Shami, MD.

The study has confirmed something runners and gym-goers have suspected for years: Listening to music during workout can be beneficial to your endurance. "Our findings reinforce the idea that upbeat music can help you exercise longer and stick with a daily exercise routine," said Shami. When doctors are recommending exercise, they might suggest listening to music, too."

1. Why did Shami’s team conduct the research?

A．To test the effect of music on health.	B．To know the cause of failure in sports.
C．To improve runners' exercise tolerance.	D．To record the body change of participants

2. What did the researchers than about the Participants in the stress testing?

A．They ran much faster than average runners.	B．They created a new record of indoor sports.
C．They could run a little longer with music on.	D．They all enjoyed extreme physical challenge

3. What do the underlined words “a no-brainer” mean in paragraph 4?

A．A dull activity.	B．A foolish action.
C．A demanding task.	D．An easy practice

4. What did Shami suggest us doing in the last paragraph ?

A．Developing a daily exercise routine.	B．Listening to music while working out
C．Participating in physical stress testing.	D．Taking exercise as doctors recommend.

7 . The martial art of Tai Chi is on the rise as more and more people discover the benefits that come from regular practice.    1    With its gentle movements and focus on forms, it' s also a good way to relax and calm the mind while it energizes and build the body.    2    "Chi" means energy, and it's the focus on energy that makes it different from other martial arts. Tai Chi practitioners believe that, in a struggle, meeting force with force only hurts both parties.

Tai Chi is quite easy to learn. Many recreation centers and community groups offer classes, sometimes in parks and other public places.    3    Wear loose and comfortable clothing and shoes, and you can just join in.

One of the major benefits of Tai Chi is that it's a sport you can practice for life. In China, many elderly people continue to do Tai Chi into their eighties and nineties, and the strengthening and balance moves are hugely beneficial to their continued mobility.    4    As you focus on your breathing and posture, your mind can clear itself of its worries, which does good to your whole body.

    5    All you need is your own body and enough room to stand in. You can do Tai Chi on a mountaintop, in a park, on an ocean beach, or in the middle of a forest. It's a perfect camping activity, and it's a lot of fun. So next time you see someone doing Tai Chi, ask them about it. They might offer to teach you the forms of this fascinating sport.

A．Tai Chi is more than a just a sport.

B．There are many styles and forms of Tai Chi.

C．Best of all, Tai Chi can be performed anywhere.

D．Tai Chi's true name in Chinese is Tai Chi Chuan.

E．More old people than young men practice Tai Chi

F．Often these classes are free and open to anyone who shows up.

G．Also, the slow moves and focus make Tai Chi a relief from stress.

8 . The WHO says that 80% of the world’s teens don’t get enough exercise to live healthy lives. The report was based on research done with students aged 11 to 17 in 146 different countries.     1     It’s a pity that not much has changed since then, as the WHO reports.

Doctors say 60 minutes of exercise daily is needed for teens to build up their bone and muscle strength. It’s also hugely important for the health of the heart and lungs.     2     Besides, more and more research is showing that exercise doesn’t just help the body, but also the brain, improving thinking, test scores, and school grades.

    3     They were also very different between boys and girls. In the US, for example, 64% of boys were not active enough, compared to 80% of girls. South Korea was the country with the lowest activity levels — 91% of the boys and 97% of the girls didn’t get enough exercise.

One big reason for the lack of activity in today’s teens is technology, such as smartphones, computers and TVs. Many teens find it hard to pull themselves away from them.     4    

So the WHO warns that teens need to do less playing in the digital world, and more playing in the real world. Teens should take part in sports, whether on official teams or just playing around on the playground.     5     For many people, walking or biking to school is one way to make that happen. It’s very important for young people to build these habits now, because the positive effects of those habits can carry through into adult life.

A．Exercise benefits you academically.

B．Activity levels vary from country to country.

C．The WHO has spared no effort in the research.

D．Such inactivity can severely affect their growth.

E．Exercise can also be built into a normal day’s activities.

F．Regular activity can help them control their weight, too.

G．The WHO has been studying teen activity levels since 2001.

9 . Race walking shares many fitness benefits with running, research shows, while most likely contributing to fewer injuries. It does, however, have its own problem.

Race walkers are conditioned athletes. The longest track and field event at the Summer Olympics is the 50-kilometer race walk, which is about five miles longer than the marathon. But the sport’s rules require that a race walker’s knees stay straight through most of the leg swing and one foot remain in contact (接触) with the ground at all times. It’s this strange form that makes race walking such an attractive activity, however, says Jaclyn Norberg, an assistant professor of exercise science at Salem State University in Salem, Mass.

Like running, race walking is physically demanding, she says, According to most calculations, race walkers moving at a pace of six miles per hour would burn about 800 calories(卡路里) per hour, which is approximately twice as many as they would burn walking, although fewer than running, which would probably burn about 1,000 or more calories per hour.

However, race walking does not pound the body as much as running does, Dr. Norberg says. According to her research, runners hit the ground with as much as four times their body weight per step, while race walkers, who do not leave the ground, create only about 1.4 times their body weight with each step.

As a result, she says, some of the injuries associated with running, such as runner’s knee, are uncommon among race walkers. But the sport’s strange form does place considerable stress on the ankles and hips, so people with a history of such injuries might want to be cautious in adopting the sport. In fact, anyone wishing to try race walking should probably first consult a coach or experienced racer to learn proper technique, she says. It takes some practice.

1. Why are race walkers conditioned athletes?

A．They must run long distances.

B．They are qualified for the marathon.

C．They have to follow special rules.

D．They are good at swinging their legs.

2. What advantage does race walking have over running?

A．It’s more popular at the Olympics.

B．It’s less challenging physically.

C．It’s more effective in body building.

D．It’s less likely to cause knee injuries.

3. What is Dr. Norberg’s suggestion for someone trying race walking?

A．Getting experts’ opinions.

B．Having a medical checkup.

C．Hiring an experienced coach.

D．Doing regular exercises.

4. Which word best describes the author’s attitude to race walking?

A．Skeptical.	B．Objective.
C．Tolerant.	D．Conservative.

10 . BEST BODY FITNESS

About us

You don’t want just gym membership. You want membership that means something. And that means you need support, expert help and a community.

Best Body Fitness isn’t just a gym: it’s full-service fitness membership made for you.

Here’s how it works:

STEP ONE: Your assessment

We begin with an assessment session. This is a chance for you to see what we do at Best Body. Our assessment plans are no-cost and no-risk. We’ll also make a training plan specifically for you.

STEP TWO: Your training

When you decide to become a Best Body member, we show you what to do, how to do it and why you are doing it. After a few sessions with an expert private trainer you will feel comfortable working out on your own. But don’t worry, we’ll always be nearby if you have questions.

STEP THREE: Your membership

Membership works on a month-to-month basis. There are no sign-up fees and no cancellation fees. Start and stop whenever you want. And the best part? Our fees are the most competitive in the whole downtown area.

STEP FOUR: Your community

At Best Body Fitness, we see everyone as part of a big team. And when you work with a team, you can do great things. Join any of our specialized classes, led by expert instructors. Come to our nutrition classes. Participate in our regular social events. Everything is included in your fee.

Finally, share some reasons why our members have chosen us over any other fitness centre in the city.

It’s so EASY

Easy to start, stop, cancel or refund membership

Easy to access — we’re open 24/7, we never close

Easy to do exercise — we have lots of equipment, no long wait

Easy to find — in the centre of town, near public transport and with parking

1. Which statement about Best Body Fitness is correct?

A．It provides you with a fitness assessment after training.

B．It offers you a customized training plan.

C．It allows you to work out without any fees.

D．It asks you to work out on your own.

2. What is the best part of Best Body Fitness?

A．Its price is quite good.	B．Its time is enough.
C．Its classes are no-risk.	D．Its trainers are experienced.

3. What type of writing does this text probably belong to?

A．News report.	B．Speech.
C．Announcement.	D．Advertisement.