3 . Are you preparing for a big test? If so, you may want to play some basketball in between hitting the books. Doctors are starting to find more and more information that suggests a connection between exercise and brain development. Judy Cameron, a scientist at Oregon Health and Science University, studies brain development. According to her research, it seems that exercise can make blood vessels (血管), including those in the brain, stronger and more fully developed. Dr Cameron claims this allows people who exercise to concentrate better. She says, “ While we already know that exercise is good for the heart, exercise can really cause physical changes in the brain.”

The effects of exercise on brain development can even be seen in babies. Babies who do activities that require a lot of movement and physical activity show greater brain development than babies who are less physically active. With babies, even a little movement can show big results. Margaret Barnes, a pediatrician (儿科医生), believes in the importance of exercise. She thinks that many learning disabilities that children have in elementary school or high school can be traced back to a lack of movement as babies. “Babies need movement that stimulates their five senses. They need to establish a connection between motion and memory. In this way, as they get older, children will begin to associate physical activity with higher learning,” says Margaret.

Older people can beef up (加强) their brain as well. Scientists from 11 universities studied a group of seniors ranging in age from 70 to 79. Their study showed a short-term memory increase of up to 40 percent after exercising just three hours a week. The exercise does not have to be very difficult, but it does have to increase the heart rate. Also, just like the motion for babies, exercise for older people should involve some complexity (复杂). Learning some new skills or motions, such as with yoga or tai chi, helps open up memory paths in the brain that may not have used for a long time.

For most people, any type of physical activity that increases the heart rate is helpful. The main goal is to increase the brain’s flow of blood. And your brain can benefit from as little as three hours of exercise a week.

1. The passage is mainly about ________.

A．how to exercise

B．how exercise helps the brain

C．how to get good scores in a test

D．how the brain can change

2. According to the passage, what is the connection between exercise and brain development?

A．Exercise makes us active

B．The brain needs special mental exercise

C．The more exercise, the bigger the brain

D．Physical exercise keeps the brain in a better condition.

3. The least amount of exercise required to gain any benefit is ________.

A．Three hours per week

B．Forty hours per week

C．Three hours per day

D．Forty hours per month

4. Why does the author think that yoga is fit for seniors?

A．It is easy to learn.

B．It can be done in groups.

C．It does not increase the heart rate.

D．It involves learning new motions

5 . All over the world people enjoy sports. Sports help to keep people healthy and happy, and to live longer. Many people like to watch others play games. They buy tickets or turn on their TVs to watch the games. Often they get very excited when “their” player or team wins.

Some sports are so interesting that people everywhere go in for them. Football, for example, has spread around the world. Swimming is popular in all countries near the sea or in those with many rivers. What fun it is to jump into a pool or lake, whether in China, Egypt or Italy! And think of people in cold countries. Think how many people love to skate or ski in Japan, Norway or Canada. 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. They are about one hundred years old. People are inventing new sports or games all the time. Water－skiing is one of the newest in the family of sports.

People from different countries often become good friends after a game together. Sports help them to understand each other. One learns to fight hard but fight fair, to win without pride and to lose with grace．

1. Why do people all over the world enjoy sports?

A．Because they want to keep healthy.	B．Because they are happy.
C．Because they want to live longer.	D．All the above.

2. Some people get excited when they watch a game because ________．

A．their favorite team wins	B．they win the game
C．they get the good news	D．they can’t help themselves

3. Which of the sports has a long history?

A．Water－skiing.	B．Basketball.
C．Volleyball.	D．Jumping.

4. People from different countries often become friends after a game together because ________．

A．they train their character in the game	B．they understand each other
C．they are friendly to each other	D．they help each other

7 . 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.

8 . Shooting down an ice-covered track, a bobsled can go faster than 80 miles an hour.     1     The answer is a combination of athletics and science.

At the start of a race, the crews push their sled, building up speed before they jump in for the ride. For months before the race, the crew members have built up explosive power in their legs. That means doing a lot of jumps, and sprints. It also means pushing heavy sleds! The push is the crew's only chance to add speed.     2    

The design of the sled's runners (滑板) reduces their friction with the ice.     3     They may not melt enough ice fora fast ride. Runners that are too rounded may become too warm, softening the ice and slowing the sled down.

    4     The rules state that all runners must be made of the same type of steel, and crews may polish them using only approved materials. Before each race, officials check the temperature of the runners. Runners may not be more than a few degrees warmer than the ice.     5    

But remember the sled must not be too fast — the crew still needs to be able to reach the bottom safely.

A．Why do people go for the sport?

B．Crews polish their runners for a fast ride.

C．The riders sit inside a hard shell, called cowling.

D．How do bobsleds go faster than cars on a highway?

E．A hot runner will melt more ice and may possibly go faster.

F．Runners that are too flat would spread the friction over a wide area.

G．All other work goes into keeping other forces from slowing the bobsled down.

9 . My first piece of advice to people who want to start getting fit is: don’t buy an exercise bike. People who buy them usually use them for a week or so and then forget about them. The bikes are useful if they are often used but you need to be determined (有决心的). Most people will find it much easier to go for a jog (慢跑) around the park.

As well as being easy to do, jogging is also quite cheap compared to most other sports. You don’ t need to buy expensive clothes if you’ re just going running around the park or on the beach. There is one thing, however, that you will have to spend time and money on, and that’s your running shoes. Remember that you are looking for something that will support your feet and protect you from injury. They can be expensive, but if they are of good quality they will last you a long time. Ifs always best to get expert advice, and the best place for that is a sports shop.

As for jogging, the secret is to start slowly, and not to do too much at the beginning — especially if you haven’t had any exercise for a long time. Try a mixture of walking and running for ten minutes about three times a week at first. Once you are happy doing that you can then start to increase the amount (数量) you do gradually. After a few months you should hope to be able to run at a reasonable speed for twenty minutes three or four times a week.

It’s important that you feel comfortable with whatever you do. If you do, you’ll start to enjoy it and will probably keep doing it. If it makes you feel uncomfortable, you'll probably stop after a short time and return to your bad habits. Remember that training too hard is not very effective. Research has shown that somebody who exercises twice as long or twice as hard as another person doesn't become twice as fit.

1. What is the authors opinion on the exercise bike?

A．It is unaffordable for most people.	B．It is easy to learn for most people.
C．It is a helper for most people.	D．It is a waste for most people.

2. According to the author, what is very important for a jogger?

A．Listening lo expert advice.	B．Keeping on jogging ever)-day.
C．Having a pair of good jogging shoes.	D．Running for twenty minutes each time.

3. What does the author mainly explain in Paragraph 3?

A．Why it is easy to go for a jog.	B．What kind of sport jogging is.
C．How to go jogging in a right way.	D．When is the best time to go for a jog.

4. What do we know from the last paragraph?

A．Good exercises stop bad habits.

B．A partner helps a lot in exercise.

C．Feeling good keeps one's exercise going.

D．The more you exercise, the fitter you will be.

10 . Benefits of Sports

Taking exercise is a physical, mental and social adventure. It’s a great way for children to take a break from study and release extra energy. It also helps them lead fuller and happier lives as regular sports have proven to improve general well-being.

    1     Regardless of your fitness level when you start playing sports, you’ll notice an increase in your overall fitness once you take part. Nearly every sport requires physical activity and the skills needed to be competitive. Basketball players focus on strength training.     2     The training process helps encourage physical fitness and performances in competitions.

    3     Playing sports contributes to mental health, helping to increase confidence and self-worth. A pat on the back, high-five from a teammate, or handshake after a match really raises a child’s confidence. Words of praise and encouragement from the coach, parents and other players raise the self-worth.     4     So after a game, it’s a better idea to ask “Did you enjoy the game?” rather than “Did you win?”

Children who participate in sports might also benefit from the social aspect, feeling part of a group, building up leadership and responsibility.     5     Teamwork demands both being dependable as a teammate and learning to rely on your teammates to achieve a positive outcome. Teamwork will raise your responsibility and give you an opportunity to be a leader.

There is no shortage of reasons to find a sport to take part in. Are you ready to go? Pick one and get moving!

A．It’s not just your body that benefits from sports.

B．Therefore, playing sports is going to make you more fit.

C．Football players work on speed while track athletes train through longer runs.

D．Among these, learning how to work as a team is the most important advantage.

E．But remember, a child’s self-worth should not be judged by victory or loss.

F．If you play group sports, you’ll be part of a team that takes direction from a coach.

G．The physical benefits of doing sports are probably the most obvious.