3 . 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.     1     Well, many people are fond of it, based on evidence that it can actually be good for us.

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,     2     A cold dip might wake you up, but research has found it can have much bigger benefits than that for your body and mind. As well as being good exercise, spending time outdoors and by water improves wellbeing.

    3     One man who suffered constant pain after surgery claimed he was cured by taking a plunge in cold open water. And another swimmer, Sandria Simons, told the BBC “the immersion4 of your body in cold, salt water, just feeling like you’re at one with nature if you like, just feels amazing.”

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.     4    

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,     5    

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.

4 . Are you trying to find the best time for exercise?     1     Follow these tips to figure out what fitness routine works best for you.

Dawn, dusk or dead of night — when’s the best time to work out? Well, that depends on when’s the best time for you, because the benefits of physical activity depend upon how consistent you are.     2     But if you’re not a morning person, it may not work for you to try to get up at dawn to work out. The key is to do what’s most likely to work for you consistently.

    3     If you find that working out too late in the evening keeps you from falling asleep easily, shift your exercise session earlier in the day or try less intense, more mindful forms of movement.

To stay motivated, choose activities you enjoy. If you’re a social person, do something that engages you socially. Take a group exercise class, join a recreational team or walk with a group of friends. If you prefer having time alone, walking, swimming or biking solo might be a better fit for you.     4    

There are so many choices.     5     Having a variety of fitness activities to choose from may keep you from getting bored or burnt out.

A．The truth is, it’s personal!

B．Don’t limit yourself to just one.

C．There are other important considerations.

D．Use your body clock as a guide to when to go for a walk.

E．You might have heard that the best time to exercise is early in the morning.

F．If you’d like to spend more time with your family, find an activity you can all do together.

G．If your schedule isn’t predictable (可预测的), you may need to be flexible and have a plan for various times of day.

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 . 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.

7 . On a bright early summer morning, many young swimmers gather at a local swimming pool in the state of Maryland. They are members of a competitive summer swim team, and that’s a regular part of their daily life. As they train and cut seconds off their times, which makes them closer to the championship in the following large-scale (大规模的) competitions, they are getting lots of physical exercise and vitamin D from the sun. However, the benefits of belonging to a sports team are not just honor or health related. You can learn useful life skills.

Paul Waas, coach of the swim team, explains, “The discipline (自制力) comes into play when you’re talking about concentrating on the details that your coaches are saying as it makes you faster rather than going up and down the pool the same way you have every time. When you focus on what you’re doing right and what you can do better, then you’ll see the improvement.”

Besides, there is also responsibility, goals and workings within a group. Again, here is Coach Waas. “It’s really great! It’s so fun to watch from year to year. I’ve had kids who as 7-year-olds on the team could barely pay attention in practice and were only interested in who was going first. Now they’ve come back as 8-year-olds, having set some goals and having things that they want to achieve. These skills can help them a lot.”

But playing the sports is not without harm. Some can be hard on the body. Young athletes suffer serious injuries that follow them into adulthood. Coach Waas says that in fact, swimming is different from most others. First, it poses a lower risk of injury. The second one relates to how swim teams are structured. Actually, children are not the only ones who can benefit. Adults can also benefit from team sports.

1. Why do the swimmers gather at a swimming pool in the early morning?

A．To obtain vitamin D from the sun.	B．To build practical skills for future.
C．To join in a large-scale competitive.	D．To carry out their routine practice.

2. What do Paul Waas’ words imply in paragraph 2?

A．Swimmers should concentrate on details.

B．Members get disciplined and focused in the team.

C．Coaches play a key role in layers’ improvement.

D．Most swimmers enjoy sinning in the same way.

3. What happens to the kids after a year’s training?

A．They are more aware of what to do.	B．They pay less attention to training.
C．They devote more time to practice.	D．They care more about who goes first.

4. What does the author want to convey in the text?

A．Exercise benefits everyone.	B．Swimming is better than other sports.
C．Team sports teach life lessons.	D．Physical exercise should be a habit.

8 . 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.

9 . All of my five children played team sports in middle school and high school, and four of them are in college.     1    .

Teenagers may get into bad habits.     2     According to a study in Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine, a survey of more than 14,000 teenagers found that those who had taken part in team sports were less likely to smoke or have unhealthy eating habits.

As children get older, they naturally develop their own lives and there will be fewer ways for parents to be involved（参与）. Some teenagers shut their parents out of their room.    3    .

Sports build strong and healthy bodies. Children who compete know that they are only at their best if they eat and rest well.    4     In sports, strength and speed are wanted. Team sports help kids avoid obesity（肥胖） problems even better than activities like running or biking.

    5     The joy of a sports season stays with us long after the season is over. Our children may forget who was in their English class or which math teacher they had in the 10th grade one day. But they will never forget their sports teams.

A．Team sports can bring lifelong memories.

B．Team sports make a child’s social world wider.

C．As a matter of fact, doing sports makes us a better family.

D．However, they still want their parents to attend their games.

E．Cigarettes and drugs harm their performance and every athlete knows that.

F．But teenagers who often take part in team sports have less time for bad behavior.

G．From their experiences, I’ve learned it’s important for children to play team sports.

10 . Try This at Home!

Are you looking for a new pastime that will create a balance between physical activity and relaxation? Then yoga may be the perfect choice for you. Yoga can be practiced by people of all ages and levels of fitness.    1     It's a great way to strengthen your muscles and become more flexible.

In the 1930s, Indian Sri Tirumali and K. Pattabhi developed one of the most popular forms of yoga practised worldwide today. They worked together using an ancient Sansknt text called Yoga Korunta to create a set routine of yoga movements and breathing exercises.     2    

Ashtanga is different from other forms of yoga. It is a very powerful form of aerobic (有氧的)exercise which creates deep heat in the body.     3     In other forms of yoga, however, the routine can change each time and the stretching exercises aren't aerobic.

    4    As well as making you stronger and more flexible, it can also help you to stay calm. By focusing on your breathing while doing physical exercise, you are able to get a balance between mind and body. In addition, yoga helps to make us healthier so we are less likely to get common illnesses like colds.

Furthermore, yoga encourages you to think about what you're doing. Often you will close your eyes while doing certain movements.    5    After a few lessons you'll stop looking at what the others around you are doing. You will stop comparing yourself and start focusing on yourself.

A．It can also be done anywhere at any time.

B．The result of their co-operation was ashtanga yoga.

C．Whatever kind of yoga you choose, there are many long-term benefits.

D．This allows you to concentrate better and it makes you less competitive.

E．Every time someone practices ashtanga, he or she does exactly the same movements.

F．If you're interested in yoga, but can find a class near you, then it might be     an excuse to travel.

G．Recently, it has become extremely common for beginners as well as advanced yoga students to go on yoga holidays.