1 . 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.

2 . 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.

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 . The beach may seem like an inviting place to run on a cool summer morning, but is running on the sand good for your body? It can be, but it’s important to be aware of the challenges that some beach runners experience before you get ready.

Running on the beach can be a good thing. It’s certainly different from running on a track or a pavement. For starters, sand can be a challenge because it has an uneven (不平坦的) surface. As you push off, you’re going to lose some of your push as the sand moves. So, you’re not going to be able to push yourself forward as you would on a track or a pavement. But this unevenness has an upside; It gives your body an extra workout, forcing you to exercise muscles that don’t get as much use during runs on firm surfaces. For example, your feet, ankles and lower back might feel sorer and more tired than usual after a beach run just because the surface is constantly moving and changing step to step.

You also might feel sore afterward because beaches tend to slope (倾斜) down to the water. If you’re going for a long run on the beach, you might notice that one side of your body might feel sorer because you’re putting more pressure on it due to the slope.

Some beach runners prefer to run barefoot — not wearing anything on feet. However, if you’re not used to barefoot running, start slowly and don’t run long distances at first. That’s because running barefoot uses more different muscles than running with shoes does, and it’s important to strengthen these muscles and adapt your feet. If you want to run barefoot and as long as you run carefully enough into it, go for it!

Running on the sand can be a smart choice for you, because running on softer ground surfaces can reduce muscle damage.

1. Why is it difficult to run on the beach for starters?

A．Running on its uneven surface takes much effort.

B．People need to run carefully on its smooth surface.

C．The soft surface makes people fall over easily.

D．It’s hard to keep one’s balance on its hard surface.

2. Which of the following best explains “upside” underlined in Paragraph 2?

A．Character.	B．Reason.
C．Advantage.	D．Challenge.

3. The passage can probably be found in ________.

A．A primary school textbook	B．A sports magazine
C．A tourist guide	D．A scientific report

7 . When it comes to making healthy lifestyle changes, which should come first-changing your diet or becoming more physically active?

Previous studies suggested that providing people with too much information about nutrition and physical activity at once tends (趋向) to be discouraging. That has led to the popularity of advising people to make changes gradually, and set smaller goals.

So the scientists divided 200 inactive participants who were 45 or older into four groups. One group was instructed in making diet and fitness changes at the same time; the second group was taught about diet changes first, and then fitness changes four months later; the third group changed their exercise habits first and made changes in their eating habits four months later; and the final, control group was not instructed in either diet or fitness changes but in how to manage their stress.

The researchers followed the groups for a full year. Compared to the control group, the three intervention (干预) groups made healthy changes in their diet. Those who changed their fitness habits first significantly increased the amount of exercise they received daily compared to the other groups after four months. However, at the end of the year, the group that changed both diet and exercise at the same time was the only one that met the nationally recommended targets for both exercise and nutrition levels, while those who worked on improving their nutrition first were unable to meet the recommended levels of fitness after a year. The researchers suspect that changes to diet are easier to make than changes to physical activity.

The findings show, however, that pairing diet and exercise changes may help to overcome some of the barriers people face in adding more physical activity into their lives. If folks change diet and exercise orderly, the scientists say, they may end up placing more importance on the first set of behavior changes and feel less pressured to address the second set.

1. How is Paragraph 3 developed?

A．By giving examples.	B．By making comparisons.
C．By analyzing causes.	D．By making classifications.

2. Which group was the most physically active after four months?

A．The first group.	B．The second group.
C．The third group.	D．The control group.

3. What might the scientists approve of?

A．Changing eating habits first may be reasonable.

B．Diet and exercise changes should be made orderly.

C．Diet and exercise changes are equally hard to make.

D．Diet and exercise should be processed at the same time.

4. Which of the following is probably the title of the passage?

A．Changing your habits for better health

B．Ways to lead a healthy and balanced life

C．Making healthy lifestyle changes really counts

D．Timing matters in making diet and exercise changes

8 . Playing tennis regularly could help keep people off death, but football, rugby and running may not help people to live longer, a study suggests.

A study followed more than 80,000 people for an average of nine years to find out if certain sports protected them against early death. It found that people who played racket sports regularly were the least likely to die over the study period, reducing their individual risk by 47 percent compared with people who did no exercise. Swimmers also reduced their chance of death by 28 percent, aerobics (有氧运动) fans by 27 percent and cyclists by 15 percent. Yet running appeared to have no impact at all on dying early, and neither did playing football or rugby.

Scientists say the difference may lie in the social aspect which goes alongside sports like tennis and squash (壁球), which often involve clubs and organized activities outside of the game. It means that people often have larger social net-works and tend to keep up activities into later life, both of which are proven to be good for health.

In contrast, people who play team sports often do not move onto a new sport once their teams break up for family, or injury reasons. They become watchers rather than participants in their chosen activity.

The researchers found that playing racket sports was associated with a 56 percent lower risk from heart death. Similarly, swimmers lowered their heart disease or stroke risk by 41 percent, and people who took part in activities like aerobics, dance or gymnastics lowered their risk by 36 percent. But again running, football and rugby had no significant impact on heart deaths.

However, other experts argue that this study must not be misinterpreted as showing that running and football do not protect against heart disease. In this study both runners and footballers had a lower rate of death from heart disease.

1. Which sport has hardly any impact on protecting people against early death?

A．Cycling.	B．Swimming.
C．Rugby.	D．Tennis.

2. According to the study, which makes a big difference in keeping healthy?

A．Playing basketball with their friends occasionally.

B．Watching football games every day.

C．Taking up gymnastics and joining a club.

D．Doing running in the park every day.

3. What is considered more important to people's health?

A．Social networks.	B．Staying at home.
C．Physical examinations.	D．Setting up families.

4. What is the main idea of the text?

A．Thousands of people participated in a 9-year research.

B．Study finds playing tennis helps people live longer.

C．It is wrong to say running has no impact on heart disease.

D．There are differences between racket sports and team games.

9 . There’s nothing magical about the number 10,000. In fact, the idea of walking at least 10,000 steps a day for health goes back many years to a marketing campaign started in Japan for the sale of a pedometer (计步器). And, in the years that followed, it was accepted in the US as a goal to build up good health. It’s often the default setting (默认设置) on fitness trackers, but what’s it really based on?

“The original basis of the number was not scientifically determined,” says researcher I-Min Lee of Brigham and Women’s Hospital. She was curious to know how many steps you need to take a day to maintain good health and live a long life, so she and her workmates designed a study that included about 17,000 older women. Their average age was 72. The women all agreed to wear devices to track their steps as they went about their day-to-day activities.

It turns out that women who took about 4,000 steps per day got an increase in longevity (长寿), compared with women who took fewer steps. In fact, women who took 4,400 steps per day, on average, were about 40 percent less likely to die during the follow-up period of about four years compared with women who took 2,700 steps. The findings were published Wednesday in JAMA Internal Medicine.

Another surprise: The benefits of walking maxed out at about 7,500 steps. In other words, women who walked more than 7,500 steps per day saw no additional increase in longevity.

Janz, who released the new national exercise recommendations last November, says the message that comes from this study was encouraging. “I think it’s really good news for women who may not be particularly active.” says Janz. “All they have to do is walk. To me, this study suggests there are more benefits to light activities than we were previously thinking there might be.”

1. How did the idea of walking 10,000 steps a day come into being?

A．It was made up by a group of elderly ladies.

B．It was indeed the result of a scientific research.

C．It actually came from a business advertisement.

D．It was based on a test by both Japan and the US.

2. Which is an ideal choice for women walkers according to the study?

A．2,700 steps.	B．4,400 steps.
C．10,000 steps.	D．17,000 steps.

3. Which of the following does Janz agree with?

A．Light activities benefit people most.

B．The study is not as satisfying as expected.

C．Women should be more active than before.

D．The result of the study is a little surprising.

4. In which part of a newspaper can you read the passage?

A．Health.	B．Culture.
C．History.	D．Tourism.

10 . 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.