1 . Benefits of sport
Every sport has its own specific health benefits. Swimming, for example, is an excellent physical activity as nearly all muscles are used when you swim. As a result, it provides a terrific full-body workout, improving coordination, flexibility, balance and muscle strength.
Sport, as well as being a physical activity, has a mental aspect too. It can help define who you are and who you can become. Sport builds character and promotes the development of a number of qualities that are essential for a successful and fulfilling life.
Sport requires self-discipline, without which there will always be the temptation to simply give up. In order to excel in sport, you will have to set goals, make plans and persevere with thoughts and actions, even without immediate rewards.
Sport will help you understand the importance of teamwork. It will show you that you often need to rely on others for your success.
The world of sport is a fairground of exciting opportunities where you can discover who you really are.
| A．Time, I think, to lace up your sports shoes and go play. |
| B．Included here are three qualities worthy of special consideration. |
| C．Of course, swimming is also a great way to cool down on a hot day. |
| D．Regular exercise will also help you maintain a healthy body weight. |
| E．Sport will encourage you to maintain a positive and balanced outlook. |
| F．Similarly, you also have a responsibility to contribute to the success of others. |
| G．Another benefit of exercise is that it will improve your body’s immune system. |
2 . Teenagers around the world are familiar with the great pain of boredom. And every parent is familiar with the sounds of groaning (咕哝的) kids, sulking (生闷气) in their room or pacing aimlessly around the house. But sometimes, it’s this very sense of boredom that can inspire creativity and create fast-growing trends.
This is true for pickleball (匹克球), now a popular sport in the West. According to the Mental Floss website, the sport was invented in the summer of 1965. At that time, Frank Pritchard, 13, had nothing to do in his family’s summer home in Washington, US. After complaining loudly, his father, Joel, suggested he make up a game. When Frank replied “Why don’t you?” his father gladly took up the challenge. Thus, pickleball was born.
Certain parts of tennis, badminton and ping-pong can be seen from pickleball. It’s a bat game played on a badminton-sized court with what looks like a wiffle ball (威浮球) over a low net. Only the serving team can score points, and all serves must be made with an underhand stroke (击球).
The popularity of pickleball has grown steadily over the last decade. According to Mental Floss, the number of pickleball courts has grown by an estimated 385 percent worldwide since 2010. One reason for its popularity is that it’s “a sport for everyone”. Anyone can play pickleball because it’s relatively easy to pick up. There are simple rules, and all people need is a couple of bats and a ball, which is affordable and accessible to all. Plus, pickleball is a sport centered around fun and friendship. The game lasts as short as 15 minutes, which means less running and stress for players.
Pritchard said that the game’s rapid rise in popularity was amazing, especially considering that a bad-tempered kid “inspired a sports craze by making a stink (吵闹) about being bored one afternoon 56 years ago”.
1. What do we know about pickleball, according to the passage?| A．It was invented accidentally by a young boy. |
| B．It is a game suitable for family gatherings. |
| C．It combines elements from several ball games. |
| D．The game’s judges come from a serving team. |
| A．Why pickleball has become so well received. |
| B．What equipment pickleball players need. |
| C．How significant pickleball is to the world. |
| D．What rules must be obeyed in pickleball. |
| A．Unexpected. | B．Reasonable. | C．Natural. | D．Awkward. |
| A．To advise us to join in sports games. |
| B．To teach us how to play pickleball. |
| C．To tell us the birth of a sports game. |
| D．To motivate us to follow new trends. |
A Teen Case Study
Mrs Zhang, our school counsellor who is also a medical doctor, is passionate about the advantages of playing sport. She believes that it is vital for teenagers to have a positive attitude, and sports help them do this. She gave us the following example as inspiration.
I had a teenage patient, who was depressed and moody. Let’s call her Shan. Conventional wisdom said that I should prescribe medication of some sort. I decided rather to ask about her lifestyle. From her responses it was clear she was getting no exercise. So l encouraged her to choose a school sporting activity and take part in it. I suggested that she keep a journal of all her new activities, and how she felt about them and about herself.
Shan took my recommendation and joined the school volleyball team. Six months later she was hardly recognisable: she had lost weight and was looking fit and healthy; she had more friends; her schoolwork had improved, and best of all, she was no longer depressed or moody. Her mum told me she was a changed person. Shan told me later that I had changed her life. I hadn’t really. It was Shan herself who did it. She took the idea I gave her and embraced it with enjoyment and determination.
Read the report. Answer the questions.
1. What was Shan’s problem?
2. Why didn’t Mrs Zhang prescribe medication for Shan? What did she decide rather to do?
3. What were the benefits to Shan of taking up volleyball?
4 . The most popular martial arts1 today originated in Asia, especially in China. Some Chinese fighting styles were invented more than 3,000 years ago. Many martial arts were invented because people needed to defend themselves or protect others. Nowadays, people learn martial arts as a way of keeping fit or as a competitive sport, but they are still very useful for self-defence.
Martial arts are often referred to as either soft or hard. These terms imply a way of dealing with your opponent’s force. Soft martial arts, such as tai chi, teach you to use your opponent’s own force to defend yourself. Soft styles use fluid movements and timing to avoid, deflect and redirect their opponent’s attacks. These martial arts are soft for the defender but not for the attacker! On the other hand, hard styles, such as kung fu, teach you to defend yourself using force. Techniques involve blocking, posturing and powerful punching2 and kicking. Hard martial arts techniques are more effective if you are more skilful, more powerful and faster than your opponent.
Perhaps one of the best known Japanese martial arts today is karate. But did you know that its roots are derived from Fujian Province? In the 14th century, a community of Chinese migrants from Fujian settled in what was then the kingdom of Okinawa. The Chinese migrants used to gather in a park to enjoy cultural activities—one of which was kung fu. This soon caught the attention of local youths, who started leaning kung fu from their Chinese neighbours.
In fact, Chinese influence in martial arts was not limited to kung fu. The very first Korean military training manual3 was based on a Chinese version, During the Japanese invasion of Korea in the 16th century, the Korean army needed an effective way to train a large number of troops4. They adopted a training methodology5 from a Chinese military manual called Ji Xiao Xin Shu6, written by the famed Chinese general, Qi Jiguang, who had himself defeated Japanese pirates7.
NOTES
1. martial arts 武术 2. punch v. 用拳猛打 3. manual n. 使用手册
4. troop n. 军队 5. methodology n. 方法 6. Ji Xiao Xin Shu 《纪效新书》
7. pirate n. 海盗
GENERAL UNDERSTANDING
Read the text. Answer the questions.
1. What are the two main reasons why people learn martial arts?
2. What are soft martial arts? What are hard martial arts?
Hi Jeremy,
Thanks for your question. As people often say, any exercise is better than none, but long-distance running in particular has a lot of benefits.
It is a great sport for beginners — you do not need a gym membership or any special equipment. Just a pair of good running shoes will do. Then, keep it up. There is also no better way to know yourself and to see what you are capable of.
You are also somebody who worries about getting sick. Running will help you get fit and prevent diseases. It will give you good upper and lower body strength. Like any exercise, running increases the flow of blood and oxygen to your brain. It makes your heart stronger and allows more blood to flow around your body. It also strengthens your immune system and reduces the risk of serious health problems, as well as more common illnesses like colds. Besides, anybody who is feeling down can go for a run to cheer themselves up. Even a thirty-minute run will provide relief from aches or tension that you may be suffering due to stress.
If you are new to running, here is some advice for you — it is important to warm up and cool down properly before and after running, so you do not hurt yourself. A warm-up gets your blood flowing and prepares your body before you exercise. After a long run, you should jog slowly for ten minutes, then walk for five minutes. Such kind of warm-down relaxes your body after exercise.
For more guidelines on running, click here. I hope this will help!
Best Regards,
Dr. Martin
Group Work Discuss the questions below.
1. Do you think long-distance running will help Jeremy? Why?
2. How will running help us get fit and prevent diseases?
3. What advice would you give to someone who is new to running?
6 . There are many ways to travel within a city. We can walk, cycle, or take a bus. But no matter which way we travel, we have to follow the route (线路) the city planners laid down for us.
Parkour practitioners (跑酷爱好者), however, see the city in a completely different way. To them, there are no designed routes. There are no walls and no stairs — they jump, climb, roll and crawl to move across, through, over and under anything that they find in their path. The city is their playground.
The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) has noticed that this activity is drawing more and more people to it — there are 100, 000 people taking part in parkour today in the UK alone, according to The Guardian — and how it is helpful for people to be much stronger: It trains coordination and balance. So the FIG is thinking about recognizing parkour as a new sport and adding it to the Olympics by 2024.
But parkour practitioners themselves don’t seem to be happy with the idea. They see parkour as “a lifestyle”, wrote the website NextSportStar. “It’s a competition against the conditions rather than just a sport.”
Indeed, many do parkour just to “escape the daily routine and experience the city in different ways”, wrote reporter Oli Mould on The Conversation. They see parkour as a way to express themselves through relaxing moves and creative routes while freeing themselves from the pressure.
It’s great that the FIG wants to develop a new sport and stay close to a new cultural form. But it would be greater if they knew that not everything in life is a competition.
1. How do the parkour practitioners do parkour?| A．They plan the way themselves. |
| B．They move on as they wish. |
| C．They run faster than others. |
| D．They follow certain routes. |
| A．It’s a special way of life. |
| B．It draws their attention. |
| C．It helps balance people’s life. |
| D．It’s good for people to keep healthy. |
| A．It is more exciting than other sports. |
| B．It is worth adding to the sporting event. |
| C．It is more a lifestyle than a competition. |
| D．It encourages people to challenge themselves. |
| A．Parkour practitioners |
| B．Making the city their own |
| C．Training in a different way |
| D．A new sports competition |
7 . Sport is not only physically challenging, but it can also be mentally challenging. Criticism from coaches, parents, and other teammates, as well as pressure to win can create an excessive amount of anxiety or stress for young athletes. Stress can be physical, emotional, or psychological and research has suggested 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 parents’ and coaches’ criticisms to heart and find a mistake in themselves.
Coaches and parents should also be careful 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 reinforcement motivates and has a greater effect on learning than criticism. Again, criticism can create high levels of stress, which can lead to burnout.
1. What is the main idea of the first paragraph?| A．Mental stress should be reduced. | B．Sport should be made less competitive. |
| C．Stress should be made less. | D．Sport can be mentally challenging. |
| A．it can help them learn more about society |
| B．it enables them to criticize themselves |
| C．it can provide them with valuable experiences |
| D．it teaches them how to set realistic goals for themselves |
| A．Parents and coaches should enable children to enjoy sport. |
| B．Parents and coaches should help children to win every game. |
| C．Parents and coaches should train children to deal with stress. |
| D．Parents and coaches should understand the meaning of sport. |
| A．To teach young athletes how to avoid burnout. |
| B．To persuade young children not to worry about criticism. |
| C．To stress the importance of encouraging children. |
| D．To discuss the skill of combining criticism with encouragement. |
8 . Some people prefer to have a bite to eat before hitting the gym, known as a fed workout. Others would like to wait until after exercising to refuel their bodies, called a fasted workout.
If you want energy and strength for an ideal workout, you need fuel. A fed workout will provide your body with power. Eating before exercise may help you sustain longer sessions and lift heavier weights.
Many fitness enthusiasts are not on board with this idea. They report feeling sick and inactive while trying to exercise after eating. With a fasted workout, you may not get the usual indigestion. Experts for fasted workouts further claim that eating afterwards makes your body use its fat reserves for energy, meaning you will burn more fat.
Deciding when to eat for an ideal workout is a personal choice. Both fasted workouts and fed activities have their benefits and shortcomings.
| A．However, a fasted workout might not work for you. |
| B．How your body will respond is based on your workout intensity. |
| C．These benefits can result in burning more fat and shaping a slimmer body. |
| D．To eat or not to eat, that is the question on many fitness enthusiasts’ minds. |
| E．Think thoroughly and discuss with your fitness instructor before taking a choice. |
| F．Knowing what to eat for an ideal workout is just as important as knowing when to eat. |
| G．A person doing a 30-minute session a day may not have a problem with fasted workouts. |
9 . If you thought running was just great for the body, then think again. Scientists have found that the sport not only keeps people fit but also improves your brain power (脑力).
The research found that people who keep fit are more likely to have larger brains, better memories and clearer thinking. They also found that unfit people tended to have smaller brains and reduced cognitive skills. The findings add to a growing body of evidence which links exercise with helping protect the brain against ageing (老化) and also helping it replace dying cells (死细胞). This might reduce the risk of many illnesses and diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
One research paper within its latest issue sees scientists at Kentucky University putting 30 adults aged 59 — 69 on a treadmill (跑步机). Their heart and lung capacity was measured and an MRI scanner was used to assess the blood flow to their brains. Those who were less fit had smaller brains compared to the fitter volunteers who had larger brains. Scientists in Germany followed 21 adults aged between 60 — 77. As they went through a three-month fitness program, they saw improvements in their memory.
Researchers are not yet sure why exercise helps to protect brain cells but some research in mice has produced results. Mice, examined at the National Institute on Ageing, in Baltimore, found that cells in the hippocampus (海马体), an area of the brain used for memory, were actively reproducing while their fatter peers were in decline.
Linda Clare, professor of clinical psychology of ageing and dementia at Exeter University and a member of the Global Council on Brain Health told The Sunday Times: “Moderate intensity aerobic (有氧的) activity such as walking, cycling or running can produce changes in brain structure and function.”
1. Who tend to have larger brains, better memories and clearer thinking?| A．People who are healthy. | B．People who are thin. |
| C．People who are unhealthy. | D．People who are fat. |
| A．Those who were less fit had larger brains. |
| B．Those who were fitter had smaller brains. |
| C．Exercise helps people improve their memory. |
| D．Old people doing exercise improve memory better than young people. |
| A．Walking. | B．Singing. |
| C．Cycling. | D．Running. |
| A．To tell you sport improves your brain power. |
| B．To introduce some good ways to keep healthy. |
| C．To teach you how to best spend time in doing sports. |
| D．To introduce several ways to improve your memory. |
10 . A woman who lost one leg in a traffic accident is seeking to break a world record by completing 102 marathon-length runs in 102 days. A marathon is a race that goes 42 kilometers.
Jacky Hunt-Broersma, who lives in the Western American state of Arizona, set her goal last month. And every day since then, she has been running the distance of a marathon. Most of the time, she runs on roads and trails near her home. Sometimes she completes her runs on a running machine. If she keeps successfully completing marathon-length runs every day, she would reach her goal three months later. She would then hold the world record for completing 102 back-to-back marathon runs.
The current world record of 101 marathons was set on April 10 by British runner Kate Jayden. The 35-year-old Jayden does not have a disability.
Hunt-Broersma said that until five years ago, she was not very active. But then she looked into running and decided to give it a try. The sport ended up being quite costly. Currently, she runs on a prosthetic (假体的) leg made out of a strong, light material known as carbon fiber. The carbon fiber blade she uses, which is designed specifically for running, costs about＄10,000.But Hunt-Broersma says her investment (投资) has been well worth it.
One of her recent runs was the world-famous Boston Marathon in Boston, Massachusetts. She finished that race, held on April 18, with a time of 5 hours and 5 minutes.
Hunt-Broersma’s main support team is her husband and their two young children. She is posting her progress online and has also gained a large social media following. As she nears the end of her goal, Hunt-Broersma is hoping to inspire a dream in others, regardless of (不管) their own physical limitations. She tells people, “You’re stronger than you think-and you’re capable of so much more.”
1. What is Hunt-Broersma’s goal mentioned in the text?| A．To make her body stronger. | B．To show off her great power. |
| C．To set a new world record. | D．To prove she can live a normal life. |
| A．Trying hard to earn money for her game. | B．Training strictly for a famous marathon race. |
| C．Running together with a British marathon runner. | D．Running 42 kilometers either indoors or outdoors. |
| A．Caring. | B．Determined. | C．Responsible. | D．Intelligent. |
| A．Encouraging others to achieve their goals. | B．Having more people run the marathon race. |
| C．Drawing more attention to the disabled. | D．Getting more people into her support team. |
