1 . Most people think Chinese martial arts (武术) are all about kicking, punching and fighting.
Tai chi dates back to the mid 17th 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.
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.
But tai chi’s benefits go beyond the physical.
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. |
2 . All over the world people enjoy sports. Sports help to keep people healthy and happy, and to live longer.
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.
People from different countries may not be able to understand each other, but after a game together they often become good friends.
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. |
3 . Tired of your quiet day-to-day life? How about leaving your computer games behind and taking up an extreme sport?
You can ride a bicycle, right? In that case you’re halfway to becoming a mountain biker. All you have to do is take your bike off the road and try some hilly areas. Mountain biking was developed in California in the 1970s and became an Olympic sport in 1996.
Not challenging enough? Skydivers jump from planes at a height of 1,000 to 4,000 meters. You have to be fit but there’s no age limit with this sport. For example, Dilys Price from Cardiff went on her first jump aged 54. The minute she came down, she wanted to go up again. She said: “It was so attractive”.
Some adventures have invented base jumping, in which people jump from tall structures, such as buildings or bridges, with a parachute. Many of their jumps aren’t legal, especially in the cities.Dan Witchalls has jumped off The Shard —London’s 310 meter-high building four times.He says, “Base jumping is scarier than jumping out of a plane. In a plane there is no sense of height, but when you are standing on the edge of the building you can see people and cars, the experience makes it very real.”
It seems there’s no shortage of imagination when it comes to risking life to look cool and get the heart beating wildly. Surfing, diving, rock climbing ...And how about extreme ironing? That is, pressing your clothes on top of a mountain! Extreme ironing is said to have been created in the 1990s in England by a man who saw a large amount of wrinkled clothes and felt bored when doing the cloth ironing. That man was Phil Shaw. For him, the excitement of this sport comes from looking at the viewers’ faces. Shaw says, “Sometimes they look confused; sometimes they laugh. It’s fun to see how people react to it.”
1. What does the author think about mountain biking?A.A bit boring. | B.Challenging indeed. |
C.Great fun. | D.Not very hard. |
A.Skydivers have to be very healthy. | B.Skydiving is not challenging enough. |
C.Elderly people can also take up skydiving. | D.People can easily become crazy about skydiving. |
A.The sense of height. | B.Base jumping experience. |
C.The edge of the building. | D.Jumping out of a plane. |
A.He liked ironing clothes. | B.He wanted to make clothes ironing more fun. |
C.He enjoyed different looks on people's faces. | D.He had a good view standing on top of a mountain. |
4 . Why Is Exercise Cool?
•Exercise Strengthens Muscles
Did you ever do a push-up or swing across the monkey bars at the playground?
•
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
•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.
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. |
5 . To get in shape soon, some people use “quick” methods without realizing that these methods can put their overall health in danger. For example, they lose weight by eating fat-free food. It’s true that consuming(消耗)fewer fats can help you get in shape sooner, but low fat foods like dried fruits, nuts, beans, etc, actually contain high amounts of calories. For example, fruit juice contains no fat, but has high calories, so drinking more than one glass of fruit juice won’t help in losing weight.
To rely only on fruit and vegetable juice to lose weight is also a wrong method. By replacing your meal with only juice, you decrease the calorie intake(卡路里摄取量)greatly. It’ll help lose weight, but it can make you lack energy, leading to headaches, stomach disorders, etc.
It’s true that exercise helps to keep healthy weight, but it’ll probably not help you much if you don’t take care of your diet by reducing your calorie intake. If you believe you can exercise every day and eat as much as you want, you’re incorrect. For healthy weight loss, you need to burn more calories than you consume. So, you need to limit the intake of food.
Wrong weight loss methods are dangerous. So if in doubt, you’d better ask a doctor before starting weight loss. Luckily, it’s possible to lose weight with healthy methods. For example, follow healthy food habits, exercise regularly for 20-30 minutes every day, and go on with a healthy lifestyle even after you lose weight. Anyway, as you don’t gain weight overnight, it can’t be lost in a short time either. Give yourself some time. Although healthy methods may take a bit longer to work, they’re surely good for your body.
1. We can know from the first paragraph that .A.fruit juice is low in fat and calories | B.most people don’t lose weight safely |
C.eating high fat foods helps lose weight | D.some quick shaping methods may be harmful |
A.makes you skip meals | B.reduces the calorie intake greatly |
C.can cause a few health problems | D.doesn’t help you to lose weight fast |
A.By reducing mental pressure. | B.By only drinking fruit juice. |
C.By having more rest. | D.By exercising with food control. |
A.We should be patient with losing weight. |
B.We can actually lose weight very easily. |
C.Regular exercise is enough for us to lose weight. |
D.We don’t have to consider our doctor’s advice. |
6 . As is known, exercise helps to keep us in good health. Doctors at the American Heart Association suggest getting at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity every week. Many people have an exercise routine.
Health experts answer these and other questions on the Mayo Clinic website. Mild to moderate physical activity is usually OK if you have a common cold. According to the experts, it is usually fine to exercise if your symptoms are all “above the neck”.
Finally, experts suggest learning to listen 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 back on the intensity (强度) of your exercise routine.
A.These signs may include a runny nose, nasal congestion (鼻塞), sneezing or a minor sore throat |
B.Experts especially point that if you feel tightness in the chest, it is not advisable to work out |
C.They exercise for a few minutes every day or every other day |
D.Exercising will result in more severe illness |
E.For example, if you usually run, take a quick walk instead |
F.Experts suggest taking a break from exercising if signs of your illness appear “below the neck” |
G.Exercising regularly keeps us feeling exhausted |
7 . The martial art of Tai Chi is on the rise as more and more people discover the benefits that come from regular practice.
Tai Chi is quite easy to learn. Many recreation centers and community groups offer classes, sometimes in parks and other public places.
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.
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 standing broad jump is an exercise where the jumpers must jump as far as possible. Unlike other classic Olympic events, the jumper cannot run to build up strength. This exercise takes great attention, and it can be difficult to improve.
Throughout the jump, jumpers should always look forward, toward their goal distance.
Using the power from your upper body to push yourself forward can help you achieve a great distance. This can be a great way to warm up before trying the jump. Start by standing in the correct position with your toes lined up and feet shoulder-width apart.
Having more strength in your legs will allow you to jump a greater distance. Practicing the standing broad jump will exercise your legs as well, but having strong leg muscles to begin with will help you achieve greater distances.
A.However, improvement is well worth it. |
B.This will set the direction they want the body to. |
C.The best way to improve is to have a goal in mind. |
D.Improving the standing broad jump requires great attention. |
E.You must stand in one spot to jump without any kind of lead-in. |
F.So you should exercise your legs as much as possible to build muscles. |
G.Next, move your arms forward, then backward and up over your head. |
9 . 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.
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.
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.
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.
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. |
10 . As is often the case, it is human nature to lead a sedentary(久坐的)lifestyle and most of us are so involved in our busy schedules that we don't even notice our bad habits. Many worry about the right time or "right age" to start working out.
Master your mind. Most people argue that they are too tired or old to start exercising. Doing so is much easier than trying to change the busy lifestyle. Change your mindset and be more confident in improving your health.
Easy does it. Once you have chosen a fitness program, start slowly and increase it in stages. Begin with just a few minutes of gentle exercises and stretches.
Always warm up. Always remember to warm up your muscles before exercising. Gentle warm-ups will reduce your risk of injury, aches and pains, and increase blood circulation and flexibility.
Cool down. When you finish your routine, you need to cool your muscles and let your heart rate slow gradually.
A.Don't overload your body. |
B.Never ignore your potentials. |
C.Tell your body to be more active and say, "I can do it." |
D.However, nobody cares about what you have done for them. |
E.Go next to some mild activity such as walking, jogging or cycling. |
F.Cooling down will help your body to return to its pre-exercise level. |
G.But it's never too late for them to start exercising and all they need is enough determination. |