1 . What’ s a micro activity? I consider this question about the word “micro” whenever it appears.

    1     Quite literally, it means “extremely small”. But in this article, a micro activity will refer to something which takes up no more than five minutes of your time.

The following recommendations are micro activities you should do for your body.

Self-Massage (自我按摩)

Self-massaging should become a part of your daily musts.     2    As we get older, our muscles (肌肉) tighten. But if we self-massage, these muscles will feel cared for. According to the Mayo Clinic, massage can reduce stress and increase relaxation.

Intensive Exercise

There are many benefits of intensive exercise (高强度运动). And do you know what else it does for your body? It makes your body realize it can do so much more. In less than five minutes, the goal is to break a sweat. This can be from running or lifting weights.     3    

Let Loose

Whether it be dancing, skipping or something else, our body should do whatever it feels like doing without judgment.     4    Thus we will feel happy and relaxed.

Be Still

    5    Your body loves movement. But we must find a few moments of stillness throughout our day. By devoting ourselves to more stillness, we can find ourselves more at peace and less stressed even under hard circumstances.

A．Did you regret doing it?

B．What does it really mean?

C．Don’t give yourself too much pressure.

D．It should be as necessary as brushing your teeth or taking a shower.

E．Every activity involves some sort of movement.

F．The playful nature helps bring out the inner child and promotes creativity and joy.

G．It doesn’t matter which activity you choose, so long as you bring intensity to that workout.

3 . How to make exercise a habit that sticks

There’s a reason why so many New Year’s resolutions to get in shape crash and burn before February rolls around. And it’s not that you simply don’t have what it takes.     1     Follow these steps to make exercise one of them.

Remove obstacles.     2     Do you tend to run out of time in the morning? Get your workout clothes out the night before so you’re ready to go as soon as you get up. Do you skip your evening workout if you go home first? Keep a gym bag in the car, so you can head out straight from work.

    3     A goal of exercising for 30 minutes a day, 5 times a week may sound good. But how likely are you to follow through? The more ambitious your goal is, the more likely you are to fail, feel bad about it and give up. So, it’s better to start with easy exercise goals you know you can achieve.

Reward yourself. People who exercise regularly tend to do so because of the rewards it brings to their lives, such as more energy, better sleep, and a greater sense of well-being.     4     When you’re starting an exercise program, it’s important to give yourself immediate rewards when you successfully complete a workout or reach a new fitness goal.

Choose activities that make you feel happy and confident. If your workout is unpleasant or makes you feel clumsy or inept. you’re unlikely to stick with it. Don’t choose activities like running or lifting weights at the gym just because you think that’s what you should do.     5    

A．Set yourself up for success.

B．Start small and build motivation.

C．However, these tend to be long-term rewards.

D．Instead, pick activities that fit your lifestyle, abilities, and taste.

E．Plan ahead for anything that might get in the way of exercising.

F．Science shows us that there’s a right way to build habits that last.

G．Plan your workout for the time of day when you’re most awake and energetic.

4 . There’s a reason why so many people love running early in the morning.     1     Not only do you begin your day more relaxed and refreshed, but you’ve already started things of with an accomplishment. If you think you’re ready to take advantage of the benefits of a morning run, here are five suggestions from the professionals.

●Find a friend, and be gentle with yourself

Finding a partner to run with will give you someone to be responsible for, and make it much harder to blow off the run. It’s also important to remember that this is a process, and you can’t expect to do it perfectly from the beginning.     2     “Once you get into the habit, it becomes natural and actually jump starts your day,” says Sheri Piers, top American finisher at the 2012 Boston Marathon.

●Embrace the movement

“The first few steps or blocks will be tough in the morning. They always are,” says Dr. Jordan Metzl, who has over 32 marathon finishes under his belt. With a practice of more than 20, 000 patients, Metzl’s days are jam-packed, so early morning runs are a must.     3     “Sometimes you have to just do it, and remember that the motivation will come later.” he says.

●Stay warm

    4     “If I go to bed in my sports wear, all I need to do is throw on the outer layers and head out the door. At least that takes away some of the inconvenience,” says Tina Muir, a half-marathoner. She also leaves her alarm on the other side of the room to help push herself up.

●     5    

“I view waking up early like tearing off a Band-Aid,” says Michele Gonzalez, a running coach. “It’s gonna hurt for a bit.” Her advice is relatively simple. “You just have to set the alarm early and start doing it,” she says. “After a few days, you’ll be tired earlier at night and will start going to bed earlier. This makes the early alarm feel a bit more manageable.”

A．It has major benefits.

B．Have a training plan.

C．Make peace with the pain.

D．It’s just like warming up a car in the winter.

E．Even if you have a setback or two, keep at it.

F．Still, he knows how hard it can be to get motivated.

G．The worst part is getting changed in the cold air especially in winter.

5 . Even if you haven’t tried Pamela’s workouts, her name likely rings a bell -the German-born model is one of the world’s most popular fitness influencers. Lately, she’s been trying out something new: Baduanjin, a traditional Chinese fitness exercise, originally created over 800 years ago during the Song Dynasty. The name generally refers to how the eight individual movements characterize and give a silken quality to the movement of the body and its energy.

Baduanjin used to be popular mainly among older Chinese folks, but young people are now also getting into it. No equipment is necessary and it requires very little space or, perhaps most importantly in our fast-paced lives, time. In fact, it’s perfect for office workers, as they often suffer from lower back pain caused by hours sitting in front of the computer.

The video of Pamela doing Baduanjin has become a hit on Chinese social media, receiving millions of views. In addition to 9.68 million followers on YouTube, Pamela has established a presence on Chinese social media, including Bilibili, with more than 11.6 million followers. Showing her perfect figure year-round, Pamela has become an inspiration for many people worldwide, offering pathways to fat-burning, increased energy, and improved sleep quality.

Apparently, no one can resist the charm of Baduanjin. “I have been doing Baduanjin for about one month, which makes me sleep well and get stronger. I owe big thanks to Baduanjin since it gives me a much healthier lifestyle,” a young netizen commented below the video.

But not all people are suitable for practicing Baduanjin. Liu Xiaodan, an associate professor at Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, cautioned that people should always put safety first when doing Baduanjin, and patients who are extremely weak and fall easily should not take up this exercise.

1. What can we learn about Baduanjin from the text?

A．It is 8 movements practised with a silk band.

B．It is created by Pamela for young people.

C．It helps office workers slow down their pace.

D．It helps people sleep better and get into shape.

2. How did the author show the benefits of practising Baduanjin?

A．By using specific data.	B．By explaining its definition.
C．By quoting online comment.	D．By making comparisons.

3. Which of the following can best describe Pamela’s practising Baduanjin?

A．Risky but rewarding.	B．Thrilling but regretful.
C．Unexpected and strange.	D．Eye-catching and inspiring.

4. What should be considered if one wants to take up Baduanjin?

A．Physical condition.	B．Social trend.
C．Pace of life.	D．Work pattern.

6 . Sportsmen in the running races of the Olympics are great athletes, but even the slow runners of the running world — joggers in the park — have good health. A study out this week in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology finds that even 5 to 10 minutes a day of slow running is enough to extend life by several years, compared with not running at all.

The new study focused on a group of more than 55, 000 men and women aged 18 to 100. About a quarter of them were runners. Over 15 years, those who ran just 50 minutes a week or fewer at a slow speed were less likely to die from either cardiovascular (心血管的) disease or other causes, compared with those who didn’t run at all.

The study suggests relatively low efforts are necessary to benefit from jogging, but it can be better to exercise more often. “A little bit is good but a little more is probably better,” says Dr. Aaron Baggish. A 2013 study in Denmark suggested that the secret of maximum longevity is up to 2. 5 hours of running a week.

Although running can make you less likely to have cardiovascular disease, it doesn’t entirely take the risk away from you. “There is no question that the healthier you are and the more exercise you do, the longer you’ll live and the better your quality of life will be,” Dr. Baggish says. “But it doesn’t mean you’ll never get sick.”

“Many long-term runners do not run because they want to live longer,” Dr. Baggish notes. “They run because it makes them feel better every day.”

For these runners, the cost of feeling good can be injuries, so Dr. Baggish supports the value of what he calls “active rest.” His belief, not supported by any recent research, is that it’s a good idea to spend 25% of exercise time over the course of a year running at a slow speed or doing other activities like swimming or biking.

1. What does the new study mainly show us?

A．The best way to run.	B．The best time to run.
C．The importance of running.	D．The popularity of running.

2. What does Dr. Baggish say about cardiovascular disease?

A．It can result from running often.	B．It’s not completely preventable.
C．It’s not so serious as most people think.	D．It can be treated by some kind of exercise.

3. What’s Dr. Baggish’s suggestion for someone doing exercise?

A．Staying active all the time.	B．Swimming more, run less.
C．Having a big rest after doing sports.	D．Taking a little light exercise.

4. In which part of a newspaper can you most probably find this text?

A．Health.

B．Business.

C．Society.

D．Medicine.

8 . When you think of how much you do with your hands all day, from making yourself fried eggs in the morning to folding laundry in the evening, it becomes clear how vital skillfulness is to daily life.     1     You need it to play sports, for example, or use a remote or a video game controller.

For some specific tips on improving skillfulness, we turned to a personal trainer Abdias Rojas. He said, “there are so many movements you can do to actually improve not just the strength of your hands but also flexibility in your hands.”     2    

Put rubber bands on your fingers, then expand and contract them. This will contribute to myofascial (肌筋膜的) release and getting your hands to feel more comfortable.

To get a better sense of how much pressure you should apply when touching things, do hand exercise in sand.     3     But when you do hand exercise inside of a sandbox, put your hands in a box of sand, you can literally learn to squeeze the sand and understand which joint or which finger is giving more giving more pressure or less pressure.

    4     Practice leaning into them with your palm down on the floor. Then, practice leaning into them with the backs of your hands on the floor, rolling on them, like putting weight on and taking weight off the wrist.

Finally, try seated eccentric (偏心的) wrist extension. Sit upright with an arm on a table, holding a dumbbell with your hand hanging off the edge and your palm facing down. Use your other hand to curl your wrist up, lower it, and repeat.     5    

Don’t overlook the value of overall body health when it comes to improving skillfulness, either. Rojas pointed out that without the optimal gross (最佳的粗肌) and fine motor skills, which make up the skillfulness of our hands, we would be unable to perform daily tasks.

A．It sounds strange.

B．Moreover, it helps you have fun, too.

C．Here are the ones that he recommended.

D．To strengthen your wrists, do wrist mobility drills.

E．Do this in sets of two with 20 repetitions each, every day.

F．To strengthen your sensation of touch, avoid working out with gloves.

G．To start with the basics, flexibility is the skill of performing tasks, particularly with your hands.

10 . Winter is one of the most magical times of the year to get moving.     1     However, when you wake up in the morning, it can be hard to follow through on an exercise commitment. Here are ways to keep that drive going throughout the cold months.

Work out with a group.     2     This gives you social support and can help with making friends. When you exercise with a group, flaking out (入睡) is no longer an option.

Dress for the weather. When you are working out in the winter, especially if you are exercising outdoors, keep yourself out of the cold in warm layers (层).     3     Make sure the top layer keeps out the snow and rain. If you plan to exercise outside in the dark or in bad weather, where visibility is poorer, wear bright and reflective clothing for safety.

Change up your workout.     4     Doing the same type of training can be demotivating. Those who vary their workout routines are 20% likelier to enjoy the exercise session. Switching up your routine can give you a boost of motivation, and help keep winter workouts fun and enjoyable.

    5     Using phone apps, or a fitbit, or even going low tech and marking your calendar in red pen can help you visualize how you’ve progressed thus far. Finding a system that lets you track your exercise achievements can give you the extra push to get you going when the going gets hard.

New Year’s resolutions are a great opportunity to start an exercise routine. Sure working out during the winter may be an uphill battle, but there are strategies to get us over the hill, and onto a healthier, happier new year.

A．Track your training.

B．Variety is important to enjoy exercise.

C．You can make your workouts enjoyable.

D．Your layers should be, not just warm, but dry.

E．Use an app to remind you of an exercise routine.

F．Winter workouts give us energy to get through winter’s cold days.

G．One way to stay motivated during winter is to work out with a group or a partner.