1 . First it was jogging. Then aerobics (有氧运动). Not too long ago, Americans discovered race walking.

Now Americans are into a new fitness craze. They’re taking up bicycling. Over hills and down mountainsides and across quiet country roads, Americans are busily rolling along.

The number of adults who ride for fitness is around 17 million, an increase of 70 percent over four years ago. Twice as many women as men are coming to the sport. Americans are falling in love with biking because it has speed, the benefits of jogging and beautiful scenery.

Bicycling is a very appropriate sport, which is important to people who injured their knees while jogging or whose joints are aching from aerobics. And biking is a real awakening for people who have been into race walking in the past. Race walking is as dull as watching paint dry.

The most popular kind of bicycle for people who are new to the sport is the mountain bike, which has a fixed frame with wide tires and upright handles.

Mountain bikes also have many gears (齿轮) to make it easier to climb hills. About 5 million Americans ride mountain bikes, compared with 200, 000 who rode them only five years ago.

Costs range from about $130 for a bottom-of-the-line bicycle to more than $2,700 for an expensive bicycle.

Mountain biking has attracted some people who race down the sides of mountains like a bat out of hell. But most riders ride slowly and they rarely venture far from home.

The biking craze has brought an unexpected profit (盈利) to clothing and bicycle accessory (附属品) makers. Last year, bikers paid $630 million for biking clothes and accessories.

Bicycling seems likely to continue its fantastic growth.

1. Why is race walking as dull as watching paint dry?

A．Race walking is a slow-moving sport.

B．The number of adults who ride for fitness has grown 70 percent in four years.

C．It has speed, the benefits of jogging and beautiful scenery.

D．Americans are taking up bicycling.

2. Whom has the bicycling craze been a profit for?

A．People who want to ride like a bat out of hell.

B．Bicycle accessory makers.

C．Race walkers.

D．Twice as many women as men.

3. What does the underlined word “bottom-of-the-line” mean?

A．poor

B．modern

C．old

D．cheapest

4. What is the main idea of the article?

A．Riding a bicycle is one of the most dangerous sports in America.

B．Americans are rolling along.

C．Bicycling is the latest fitness craze to hit America.

D．Most people in America want to own a hand-made bicycle that can cost more than $2,700.

3 . Why play sports? You might say “to get exercise” and you would be right. To have fun? That's true, too. But there's more.     1     According to the Women's Sports Foundation, girls who play sports get a lot more than just fit.

Girls who play sports do better in school. You might think that athletics will take up all your study time.     2     Exercise improves learning, memory, and concentration, which can give active girls an advantage in the classroom.

Girls who play sports learn teamwork and goal-setting skills.     3     When working with coaches, trainers , and teammates to win games and achieve goals, you're learning how to be successful. Those skills will serve you well at work and in family life.

Sports are good for a girl's health. In addition to being fit and keeping a healthy weight, girls who play sports are also less likely to smoke. And later in life, girls who exercise are less likely to get breast cancer or osteoporosis(骨质疏松症).

Playing sports improves self-confidence.     4     Why? It builds confidence when you know you can practice, improve, and achieve your goals. Sports are also a feel-good activity because they help girls get in shape, keep a healthy weight, and make new friends.

    5     Playing sports can reduce stress and help you feel a little happier. How? The brain chemicals leased during exercise improve a person's mood. Friends are another mood-lifter. And being in a team creates tight bonds between friends. It's good to know your teammates will support you-both on and off the field!

A．Exercise cuts the pressure.

B．Sports teach valuable life skills.

C．Regular exercise increases quality of life.

D．In fact, there are at least five more reasons.

E．Girls who play sports feel better about themselves.

F．Playing sports offers children more than just physical benefits.

G．But research shows that girls who play sports do better in school than those who don't.

4 . Sport is not only physically challenging, but can also be mentally challenging. Criticism from coaches, parents and other teammates, as well as pressure to win can create too much anxiety or stress for young athletes. Stress can be physical,emotional, or psychological and research has indicated that it can lead to burnout. Burnout has been described as dropping or quitting of an activity that was at one time enjoyable.

The early years of development are critical years for learning about oneself. The sport setting is one where valuable experiences can take place. Young athletes can, for example, learn how to cooperate with others, make friends, and gain other social skills that will be used throughout their lives. Coaches and parents should be aware, at all times, that their feedback to youngsters can greatly affect their children. Youngsters may take their parents' and coaches' criticisms to heart and find flaws in themselves.

Coaches and parents should also pay attention that youth sport participation does not become work for children. The outcome of the game should not be more important than the process of learning the sport and other life lessons. In today's youth sport setting young athletes may be worrying more about who will win instead of enjoying themselves and the sport. Following a game many parents and coaches focus on the outcome and find fault with youngsters' performances. Positive support should be provided regardless of the outcome. Research indicates that positive support motivates and has a greater effect on learning than criticism. Again, criticism can create high levels of stress,which can lead to burnout.

1. An effective way to prevent the bumout of young athletes is________.

A．to make sport less competitive

B．to increase their sense of success

C．to reduce their mental stress

D．to make sport more challenging

2. According to the passage, sport is positive for young people in that________.

A．it can help them learn more about society

B．it enables them to find flaws in themselves

C．it can provide them with valuable experiences

D．it teaches them how to set realistic goals for themselves

3. According to the passage, parents and coaches should________.

A．pay more attention to letting children enjoy sport

B．help children to win every game

C．train children to cope with stress

D．enable children to understand the positive aspect of sport

4. The author's purpose in writing the passage is ________.

A．to teach young athletes how to avoid burnout

B．to persuade children not to worry about criticism

C．to stress the importance of positive support to children

D．to discuss the skill of combining criticism with encouragement

6 . 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.

2. What do all the challenges have in common?

A．Money-raising.	B．Badge-earning.
C．Internet-related.	D．Gender-based.

3. How many challenges could you attend if you hope to work out regularly?

A．Only one.	B．Four.
C．Three.	D．Two.

7 . Some people say that the best way to reduce the size of your waist is to do stomach exercise. Many people believe that when specific muscles are exercised，the fatty tissues(组织)in the immediate area are burned up. The truth is that exercise burns fat from all over the body and not from one specific area. Of course，if you reduce the fat throughout your body，you will certainly see results around your waist，too.

Some people believe that you need to exercise twice a week in order to keep a sufficient level of physical fitness. However，studies directed by American scientists show that unexercised muscles lose their strength very quickly. Within 48 to 72 hours，you must use the muscles again to reestablish(重建)the good physical effects. And what does that mean to you？American scientists concluded that while daily exercise is most helpful，exercising every other day or three days a week will keep a sufficient level of physical fitness.

Is it true that you burn more calories running one mile than walking the same distance？The answer is no. The truth is that you use the same amount of energy whether you walk or run the mile，since in both cases you are moving the same weight the same distance. The speed does not matter. Of course，if you run rather than walk for 30 minutes，you will cover more distance，and therefore，burn more calories.

If your breathing doesn't return to normal within 5 minutes after you finish exercising，you have exercised too much. Five minutes or so after exercising，your breathing should be normal，your heart shouldn't be beating loudly，and you shouldn't be tired.

1. If you want to reduce the fat around your waist，you should________．

A．do stomach exercise

B．exercise the waist

C．exercise all the muscles of your body

D．run fast for 30 minutes

2. From the second paragraph，we learn that________．

A．we only need to exercise twice a week

B．we should exercise three times a week

C．muscles lose their strength after 48 hours

D．we should exercise every other day，or three days a week

3. If you have exercised too much________．

A．your breathing will take longer than 5 minutes to return to normal after you finish exercising

B．your breathing will return to normal within 5 minutes after finishing exercising

C．your heart will not be beating loudly

D．you will be too tired to move

4. This passage tells us that________．

A．it is better to do more running than walking

B．the more exercise you do，the healthier you will be

C．the unexercised muscles must be used again within 48 to 72 hours

D．in order to lose weight，you have to run fast

8 . An extreme sport is a popular term for certain activities regarded as having a high level of danger. These activities often involve speed, height, and a high level of physical effort. In the past, young athletes would play baseball. Today，they want risk and excitement — the closer to the edge, the better. They snowboard over cliffs and mountains, or bike down steep mountains.

Extreme sports started as an alternative to more expensive sports such as golf. A city kid who couldn’t afford expensive sports equipment could get a skateboard and have fun, but now it has become a whole new area of sports, with specialized equipment and high levels of skill. There is even an Olympics for extreme sports, called the winter X­game, which includes snow boarding. mountainbiking and ice climbing.

What makes extreme sports so popular? People love the risk. City people want to be outdoors on the weekend and do something challenging. The new equipment is so much better that people can take more risks without getting hurt. Sure there’s a risk. Once you go mountain biking or snowboarding, it’s impossible to go back to bike riding or skiing. It’s just too boring.

Now even the older crowd is staring to join in. Every weekend, groups of friends in their early 30s get together. On weekdays they work as computer programmers in the same office. On weekends they rent mountains together.

Extreme sports are certainly not for everyone. Most people still prefer to play basketball or watch sports on TV. But it has been a fact that, extreme sports are gaining in popularity.

Nowadays more and more young athletes are taking part in the risky activities.

1. All the following sports are X­sports EXCEPT _________.

A．ice climbing.	B．snow boarding.
C．skiing.	D．mountain­biking.

2. Which of the following is NOT the characteristic of extreme sport?

A．Risky.	B．Challenging.
C．Exciting.	D．Unskilled.

3. The underlined word “alternative” in Paragraph 2 more probably means “________”.

A．replacement.	B．activity.
C．equipment.	D．competition.

4. From the passage, we can learn that ________.

A．all young people like extreme sports.

B．playing basketball is still a popular game.

C．people prefer extreme sports to traditional sports.

D．bike riding and skiing are boring sports.

9 . 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.

10 . Walking music is any type of music that a person uses to help him or her walk and maintain a steady pace and rhythm during exercise.    1    . If someone is not interested in the workout and is walking to enjoy the scenery or just to get outside，then music could also be chosen.

The music chosen as walking music will usually be music that he or she finds especially motivating. This may not be as fast paced as music chosen for running.    2    . How it is chosen will depend a great deal upon the musical preferences of a person.

    3    . Someone else，however，may find such music too relaxing and prefer modern rock and roll，jazz，hip hop. Regardless of the actual music itself，the intention is for a person to find music that helps him or her keep feet moving. Thus，the exercise becomes easier and requires less focus.

This is especially helpful for someone to increase the effectiveness of walking as a form of exercise. In this type of situation，a person might choose walking music that allows him or her to disappear into the music and not focus on the act of walking.    4    .

Someone else，however，might choose walking music that motivates him or her to push himself or herself harder and walk faster or for greater distances.    5    . It could be intended to get someone psychologically more excited for an intense workout.

A．Thus，they will like walking

B．This type of music may be more intense

C．People will get used to walking music soon

D．The choice of walking music is usually a fairly personal one

E．This can made him or her not feel any aching muscles or weariness

F．This type of music may often be used for other types of exercise and activity as well

G．For one person，classical music such as Beethoven or Mozart may be excellent walking music