1 . Before there was the written word, there was the language of dance. Dance expresses love and hate, joy and sorrow, life and death, and everything else in between.
“I adore dancing,” says Lester Bridges, the owner of a dance studio in Iowa. “I can’t imagine doing anything else with my life.” Bridges runs dance classes for all ages. “Teaching dance is wonderful.
So, do we dance in order to make ourselves feel better, calmer, healthier? Andrea Hillier says, “Dance, like the pattern of a beating heart, is life. Even after all these years, I want to get better and better.
A.So why do we dance? |
B.Dance in the U.S. is everywhere. |
C.If you like dancing outdoors, come to America. |
D.My older students say it makes them feel young. |
E.I keep practicing even when I’m extremely tired. |
F.Dancing seems to change their feeling completely. |
G.They stayed up all night long singing and dancing. |
2 . If you are already making the time to exercise, it is good indeed! With such busy lives, it can be hard to try and find the time to work out.
Your productivity is improved. Exercising makes you more awake and ready to handle whatever is ahead of you for the day.
Your metabolism(新陈代谢) gets a head start.
There are a lot of benefits to working out, especially in the mornings. Set your alarm clock an hour early and push yourself to work out! You will feel energized all day long.
A.You will stick to your diet. |
B.Your quality of sleep improves. |
C.You prefer healthy food to fast food. |
D.There is no reason you should exercise in the morning. |
E.You can keep your head clear for 4-10 hours after exercise. |
F.After you exercise, you continue to burn calories throughout the day. |
G.If you are planning to do exercise regularly, or you’re doing it now, then listen up! |
3 . As the parent of two teenagers who have played multiple sports over the years, I’ve seen the good, the bad, the ugly and the absolutely cruel.
However, when I think about the value of sports and why my kids continue to play sports teach kids lessons to become successful adults. Through sports, kids learn how to work in teams, have to take risks, how to challenge themselves to be better, and how to behave when they lose—and when they win.
Whether kids play soccer, baseball, football, or cheer, they learn they are part of a team where one person depends on another. When my son plays baseball, he’s not the only one who needs to play well; he depends on his defense to make the plays in the field. When my daughter plays tennis, she depends on her partner to cut off the ball at the net and win the point, and the tennis team depends on each person in order to win the overall match. Sports also teach children to trust and respect the decisions of someone who understands how the entire team needs to work in order to succeed.
Sadly, though, youth sports have suffered from the “winning isn’t everything; it’s the only thing” attitude. They have become too much of a refection of professional sports. Winning is a happy result, but the lessons from losing are even more important. When my daughter loses tennis match, her coach reminds her that you learn more from losing than from winning. Losing makes you focus on improving your skills and your strategy. We’re going to learn from our mistakes and not repeat them.
I believe that participating in youth sports is much more than building a sound body winning a scholarship to college. Sports are the best way to shape and build more self-motivated and happier children and help them become more self-motivated and happier adults.
1. What is the author’s attitude to youth sports?A.Critical. | B.Positive. |
C.Doubtful. | D.Unclear. |
A.What sports the author’s kids take. |
B.What the author’s kids do in sports. |
C.How sports benefit the authors kids. |
D.How the author’s kids continue to play sports. |
A.Teenagers don’t have to win every time. |
B.Winning is the only goal for teen players. |
C.Teenagers should work together to succeed. |
D.Winning is not the most important in sports. |
A.Youth Sports Build Better Adults |
B.Teenagers Suffer from Youth Sports |
C.Losing Brings More than Winning Does |
D.Teenagers Perform Better than Adults in Sports |
4 . Two new studies suggest that modern running shoes could increase the risk of injuries to runners.
One study involved sixty-eight healthy young women and men who ran at least twenty-four kilometers a week. The runners were observed on a treadmill machine (跑步机). Sometimes they wore running shoes. Other times they ran barefoot.
Researchers from the JKM Technologies Company in Virginia, the University of Virginia and the University of Colorado did the study.
They found that running shoes create more stress that could damage knees, hips and ankle joints than running barefoot. They observed that the effect was even greater than the effect reported earlier for walking in high heels.
The study appeared in the official scientific journal of the American Academy of Physical Medicine.
The other study appeared in the journal Nature. It compared runners in the United States and Kenya. The researchers were from Harvard University in Massachusetts, Moi University in Kenya and the University of Glasgow in Scotland.
They divided the runners into three groups. One group had always run shoeless. Another group had always run with shoes. And the third group had changed to shoeless running.
Runners who wear shoes usually come down heel first. That puts great force on the back of the foot. But the study found that barefoot runners generally land on the front or middle of their foot. That way they ease into their landing and avoid striking their heel.
Harvard’s Daniel Lieberman led the study. He says the way most running shoes are designed may explain why those who wear them land on their heels. The heel of the shoe is bigger and heavier than other parts of the shoe, so it would seem more likely to come down first. Also, the heel generally has thick material under it to soften landings.
But the researchers do not suggest that runners immediately start running barefoot. They say it takes some training. And there can be risks, like running when your feet are too cold to feel if you get injured.
The study was partly supported by Vibram, which makes a kind of footwear that it says is like running barefoot. The findings have gotten a lot of attention. But the researchers say there are many problems in the way the press has reported in their paper. So they have tried to explain their findings on a Harvard Website.
1. What can we learn from the passage?A.The way that we run by landing on the front or middle of our foot could avoid damaging our heel. |
B.We should start running barefoot in no time. |
C.Running in modem running shoes could have more serious effects than running in high heels. |
D.We won’t be injured if we run barefoot. |
A.Three. | B.Four. |
C.Five. | D.Six. |
A.By practising. | B.By comparing. |
C.By questioning. | D.By reasoning. |
A.Walking in high heels could have fewer serious effects than running barefoot. |
B.Two new discoveries encourage people to run in high heels. |
C.Running in shoes is partly good to runners. |
D.Two new studies prove running without shoes is beneficial to runners in most cases. |
5 . 4 Key Strategies for Running to Lose Weight
As one of the most active exercises out there, running is an extremely efficient way to burn calories and lose weight. A 150-pound person will burn approximately 100 calories per mile when running.
1. Healthy Eating is the First Step
If you want to lose weight by running, keep in mind that you’ll only lose pounds if you burn more calories than you consume. To lose a pound, you have to burn, through exercise or life functions, about 3500 calories.
2. Follow a training schedule
Sticking to a training schedule is a simple way to stay motivated to run.
3. Run regularly
If you don’t want to follow a schedule, you still need to have some consistency with your running because you won’t lose weight by running once a week. It’s best to get some activity every day.
4.
Incorporating speed work or interval training (running at a very fast speed for short intervals of time) into your running routine can also help your weight loss efforts. Speed work burns a great amount of calories in a short period of time. You’ll also increase your muscle mass, causing you to burn more calories throughout the day.
A.Keep it challenging |
B.Eat for Performance |
C.You’ll know exactly what you need to do every day and each run builds on the next. |
D.So you’ll need to combine running with a healthy diet. |
E.If you’re hoping to use running to lose weight, here’s some advice on how to be successful. |
F.Here are ways to improve your running motivation. |
G.But if that’s not possible, try to shoot for at least 3-4 times per week. |
6 . When I was in my third year at university, my roommates were American footballers, so I decided to join them. I remember seeing them in front of me wearing pads (防护垫), and thinking they were going to kill me. I got tackled (阻截) so hard that I was frightened. But then I realized it was just physical contact. I’ve been addicted since.
The fundamental aim of the game is to score by running with the ball into, or receiving the ball inside the opposition’s end zone. Every player on the field has a set responsibility. I’m a running back. My job is using my speed, strength and skill to carry the ball and keep running until either I score or I get put down. And it does hurt.
I’ve broken two fingers and hurt my shoulder, but the worst was when I trapped the ligaments (韧带) in the back of my leg. I had to take a year out. But none of that put me off—all I could think was how I was going to come back stronger. Besides training with the team, I now have my gym routine to get fitter, faster and stronger.
Although people think American football is aggressive, there’s much more to it. Every team has its own playbook, outlining everyone’s role in different scenes. My playbook was 73 pages long. Words can’t describe how it feels when it all comes together on the field.
American football has changed my life for the better. I’ve learned time management, how to take responsibility for my action, and how much I treasure being part of a team. Within the four lines of the field, it is physical. Emotions run high. If you’re on the opposing team, you are my enemy. But once the game is done, we’re like a big family.
1. The author’s body parts were hurt EXCEPT________.A.his arm | B.his shoulder |
C.his leg | D.his finger |
A.The author was very delighted when first playing. |
B.The author has benefited more than suffering from the sport. |
C.The author began to play at the beginning of his university life. |
D.Playing American football is very popular among university students. |
A.Relaxing. | B.Challenging. |
C.Boring. | D.Rewarding. |
A.the rules of playing American football |
B.how painful it is to play the sport |
C.how the sport has changed the author’s life |
D.the reason for the author’s playing American football |
7 . All over the world people are hooked on sports, which help them to strengthen their body and build their character.
Many people like to watch others play games.
People from different countries or races may not be able to understand each other, but after a game, they get to know each other better and they often become good friends.
A.They buy tickets or turn on the TV to watch the games. |
B.What fun it is to jump into a pool or lake, whether in China, Egypt or Italy! |
C.Some sports or games date back thousands of years, like running or jumping. |
D.Sports help to train a person’s character. |
E.Chinese people liked doing sports even in ancient times. |
F.Sports are competitive physical activities or games through casual or organized participation. |
G.And the friendship may last for a life time. |
8 . The dangers of sitting all day are obvious. Researchers have shown that remaining sitting for extended periods of time (like at your 9-to-5 desk job) can do harm to your health. While exercise is a big part of reducing the harmful effects of sitting, it was unclear how many gym periods were needed to help – until now.
A new study, published in The Lancet, shows the ideal formula for reducing the negative effects of a sedentary(久坐的)job. Instead of a fixed number of hours spent exercising, the ratio(比率)depends on how much you sit: people who work a typical eight-hour day should spend at least one hour each day moving. If you sit six hours a day, you should spend half an hour exercising. The research also indicates that the exercise doesn’t have to be all once – or rigorous(严格的). It can be spread throughout the day and be as simple as walking.
The team behind the study analyzed data from a pool of a million adults over the age of 45 in Western Europe, the United States, and Australia. Using previous data, the researches examined data from 16 published studies and used it to determine how much exercise is required to compensate for sitting. Their recommended daily exercise goal is higher than previous advice but not necessarily less achievable, given it can be completed throughout the day.
Fitting in an hour of exercise a day sounds especially discouraging if you have a desk job, but there are plenty of workouts you can complete before and after work. Even if it means taking a 10-minute walk during lunch, your body will thank you in the long run.
1. The underlined words “compensate for” can be best replaced by ________.A.make up for | B.break away from |
C.give up | D.take the place of |
is that ________.
A.workouts may reduce the harm of sitting for long |
B.the harm of sitting for long has been proved |
C.they don’t have to exercise as long as suggested previously |
D.the time spent on exercise is flexible |
A.The best form of workouts is walking. |
B.The longer you exercise, the better. |
C.The new exercise goal is practical though higher. |
D.A desk job makes it impossible to exercise regularly. |
A.by example | B.by process |
C.by comparison | D.by contrast |
9 . How to keep fit
Nowadays, with the high pace of modern life, more and more people are in the state of sub-health (亚健康). A healthy body is very important to every one of us. The steps to good health aren’t complex. Here are some suggested ways.
• Form good healthy habits. Better your healthy lifestyle by adopting a variety of healthy habits, including getting enough sleep. Sleep is one of the most important bodily functions to make cells healthy again.
• Do exercise. I don’t know whether you discover that most of the ancient people are healthy.
•
A.Keep a good diet. |
B.And then the health problem comes. |
C.Realize the importance of keeping fit. |
D.You should get at least six hours of sleep a night. |
E.If you try, a life of good quality will be the reward. |
F.The reason is that they have to do labor work every day. |
G.It is said that keeping a good mood will lead to a good body. |
10 . Recently a study,led by Pedro Hallal of the Federal University,suggests that nearly a third of adults,31%,are not getting enough exercise. That rates of exercise have declined is hardly a new discovery. Since the beginning of the industrial revolution,technology and economic growth have helped to create a world in which taking exercise is more and more an option rather than a necessity. But only recently have enough good data been collected from enough places to carry out the sort of analysis Dr. Hallal and his colleagues have engaged in.
There are common themes in different places. Unsurprisingly,people in rich countries are less active than those in poor ones,and old people are less active than young ones. Less obviously,women tend to exercise less than men—34% are inactive,compared with 28% of men. But there are exceptions. The women of Croatia,Finland,Iraq and Luxembourg,for example,move more than their male countrymen.
Malta wins the race for most slothful country,with 72% of adults getting too little exercise,and Swaziland and Saudi Arabia are in close behind,with 69%. In Bangladesh,just 5% of adults fail to exercise enough. Surprisingly,six Americans in ten are active enough according to Dr. Hallal’s study,compared with fewer than four in ten British.
These high rates of inactivity are worrying. Human beings seem to have evolved to benefit from exercise while deliberately avoiding it whenever they can. In a state of nature it would be impossible to live a life that did not provide enough of it. But that is no longer the case. Actually lack of enough activity these days has nearly the same effect on life span as smoking.
1. We may learn from Paragraph 1 that ________.A.the decline of exercise rates is newly discovered |
B.the study suggests 31% of female adults get too little exercise |
C.the industrial revolution has changed the way people live to some degree |
D.the good enough data has been collected from only one country |
A.have little time to exercise |
B.hate to get regular exercise |
C.take more exercise to lose weight |
D.exercise more than men in their country |
A.lazy | B.rich |
C.powerful | D.unpopular |
A.Benefits of Taking Exercise |
B.New Health Discovery |
C.Evolvement of Human Beings |
D.Worldwide Lack of Enough Exercise |