1 . We’ve all heard the saying“Life slows down the older you get,” but that's certainly not true for Joan MacDonald.
The 75-year-old fitness influencer has accumulated an incredible following on social media, in part because she's chosen to actively reject the idea that aging robs you of your energy, focus and drive. In fact, MacDonald looks at movement as a “gift, ” and whether you're hitting the gym five days a week, or just beginning your fitness journey 一 it's never too late to take advantage of what your body was meant to do. Get moving.
“Just start with what you can, ” MacDonald tells Guideposts, org when asked what her best piece of advice would be for seniors looking to get active again.“If you can only walk three blocks, start there. Over time aim to add another block.”
And just because you' re starting small, it doesn’t' t mean that a short bike ride or quick stretch session isn't having an impact. The recommended amount of cardio （有氧运动）each day for most adults is 30 minutes, although even short bursts of movement can have a huge impact on decreasing the risk of being overweight, heart problems and other conditions.
The key is consistency. MacDonald knows that the road to healthy isn't easy and sometimes, the struggle can seem impossible to overcome. She had to battle against years of bad habits and recondition her body to push against her imagined limits. She tries to keep her social media channels focused on the positive aspects of working out and eating better, always encouraging and uplifting her followers, and never judging their difficulties 一 or her own. It's that attitude that she says is key to staying active.
“Focus on what is going right and well,” MacDonald says. “For me, I started my whole transformation because I wanted to feel better. I wanted energy to live my life! Now having my health, strength, and endurance is what keeps me committed.”
1. What may contribute to MacDonald , shaving numerous followers on social media?| A．Her attitude. | B．Her impact. | C．Her strength. | D．Her journey. |
| A．They take advantage of what they want. |
| B．They start working out with what they can. |
| C．They get moving by doing what they need. |
| D．They perform short movement as they like. |
| A．Inspiring the followers and evaluating their troubles. |
| B．Holding positive attitudes and keeping a balanced diet. |
| C．Managing the social media channels and gaining views. |
| D．Breaking bad habits and challenging herself to the limit. |
| A．Prevention is better than cure. |
| B．A light heart lives long. |
| C．The nature of life lies in sports. |
| D．Content is better than riches. |
2 . Are you preparing for a big test? If so, you may want to go 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. As 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 doctor, also 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 encourages and excites their five senses. They need to establish a connection between motion and memory. In this way, as they get older, children will begin to connect physical activity with higher learning,” says Margaret.
Older people can develop their brains as well. Columbia University studied a group of seniors who have a short-term memory 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 not be too simple. Learning some new skills or actions, such as with yoga or tai-chi, helps to open up memory paths in the brain that may not have been 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 two to three hours of exercise a week.
1. What is the main idea of this reading?| A．How to exercise. |
| B．How exercise helps the brain. |
| C．How to get good scores on a test. |
| D．How the brain can change. |
| A．Exercise helps make our blood vessels. |
| B．The brain needs special mental exercise. |
| C．The more exercise, the bigger the brain is. |
| D．Physical exercise helps us think better. |
| A．three hours per week | B．40 hours per week |
| C．three hours per day | D．40 hours per month |
| A．It is easy to remember. | B．It can be done in groups. |
| C．It does not increase the heart rate. | D．It includes learning new motions. |
3 . When kids enjoy an activity, they want to do more of it. Practicing a skill improves their abilities and helps them feel confident, especially when the effort is noticed and praised. Toddlers (学步的儿童) and preschoolers should play actively several times a day. Children from 6 to 17 years of age should do 60 minutes or more of physical activity daily. This can include free play at home and P.E. at school.
Preschoolers need play and exercise that help them continue to develop important motor skills—kicking or throwing a ball, playing tag or riding a bike with training wheels. Although some sports leagues may be open to kids as young as 4, organized team sports are not recommended until they’re a little older. Preschoolers can’t understand complex rules and often lack the attention span (持续时间) and skills needed to play sports. Instead of playing on a team, they can work on fundamental skills.
With school-age kids spending more time in front of screens, the challenge for parents is to get them to find physical activity they enjoy. This can range from traditional sports like baseball and basketball to biking, hiking, and laying outside. As kids get older, differences in ability and personality become more apparent. That is why it’s important to find an activity that’s right for your children.
Teens have many choices when it comes to being active—from school sports to after-school interests. It’s a good idea to have an exercise plan. Do what you can to make it easy for your teens to exercise by providing transportation and the necessary equipment (including workout clothes). In some cases, the right clothes and shoes night help a shy teen feel comfortable biking or going to the gym.
In addition to a child’s age, it’s important to consider his or her fitness personality. Meanwhile, be active yourself and support your kids’ interests. If you start this early enough, they’ll come to regard the activity as a normal and fun part of your family’s everyday routine.
1. What does the underlined word “This” refer to?| A．Free play. | B．Play time. | C．Physical activity. | D．Children’s confidence. |
| A．What appropriate sports preschoolers should take. |
| B．How to develop kids’ motor skills before school. |
| C．Why organized team sports are dangerous to kids. |
| D．When preschoolers should start to do sports. |
| A．Tell them to turn to traditional sports. | B．Ask them to join in organized team sports. |
| C．Play with them when they are out of school. | D．Help them find the sports they are fond of. |
| A．Not all the kids are fit for the same sports. |
| B．Teens are particular about sports activities. |
| C．School-age kids are more active than teens. |
| D．Some parents always ignore what their kids like. |
4 . Race walking shares many fitness benefits with running, research shows, while most likely contributing to fewer injuries. It does, however, have its own problem.
Race walkers are conditioned athletes. The longest track and field event at the Summer Olympics is the 50-kilometer race walk, which is about five miles longer than the marathon. But the sport’s rules require that a race walker’s knees stay straight through most of the leg swing and one foot remain in contact with the ground at all times. It’s this strange form that makes race walking such an attractive activity, however, says Jaclyn Norberg, an assistant professor of exercise science at Salem State University in Salem, Mass.
Like running, race walking is physically demanding, she says. According to most calculations, race walkers moving at a pace of six miles per hour would burn about 800 calories per hour, which is approximately twice as many as they would burn walking, although fewer than running, which would probably burn about 1,0000 or more calories per hour.
However, race walking does not pound the body as much as running does, Dr. Norberg says. According to her research, runners hit the ground with as much as four times their body weight per step, while race walkers, who do not leave the ground, create only about 1.4 times their body weight with each step.
As a result, she says, some of the injuries associated with running, such as runner’s knee, are uncommon among race walkers. But the sport’s strange form does place considerable stress on the ankles and hips, so people with a history of such injuries might want to be cautious in adopting the sport. In fact, anyone wishing to try race walking should probably first consult a coach or experienced racer to learn proper technique, she says. It takes some practice.
1. Why are race walkers conditioned athletes?| A．They must run long distances. |
| B．They have to follow special rules. |
| C．They are qualified for the marathon. |
| D．They are good at swinging their legs. |
| A．It’s less challenging physically. |
| B．It’s more popular at the Olympics. |
| C．It’s less likely to cause knee injuries. |
| D．It’s more effective in body building. |
| A．Doing regular exercises. | B．Having a medical checkup. |
| C．Hiring an experienced coach. | D．Getting experts’ opinions. |
| A．Objective. | B．Doubtful. |
| C．Tolerant. | D．Supportive. |
5 . Move to the Music
Music helps us exercise, but why does it have this effect?
Music also motivates us. When we hear dance music, for example, we naturally start to move to the beat. An upbeat song also puts us in a good mood, so we feel happier. This gives us energy and helps us exercise longer.
How does Fritz explain this? Maybe people did better on the Jymmin machines because they had more control, he says. People created the beat. They could make it go faster or slower. Also, the activity was social. Each group was making music together and having fun. Fritz believes that Jymmin exercise may have other advantages, too.
| A．Experts say there are two main reasons. |
| B．This also helps relax our body and brain. |
| C．Music with a quick and steady beat is good for exercising, |
| D．He wants to find out if it can help with more serious conditions. |
| E．He expects to take advantage of it to tap into people’s potential. |
| F．A new study suggests this is only part of the explanation, however. |
| G．When they exercise and make music, working out seems to be easier. |
Paragliding is a kind of flying, but instead of the wing being made of metal, wood or plastic, it is made of nylon or polyester. The wing is attached to a harness by lines where a pilot sits, similar to a parachute.
Is it safe?
Paragliding, is as safe as sailing and deep-sea diving. The big advantage is that it’s probably the slowest form of aviation, so if you do crash, you'll hit the ground quite gently! It’s a very relaxing sport as you're mostly sitting down. Yet, you’ll probably experience pain in some muscles you didn’t know you had while learning, but many of those will be due to the walk up the training hill to launch.
Where do I learn?
There are lots of schools, mainly based inland by appropriate hills or mountains, and there are also schools on the coast near spectacular cliffs. These are very attractive, though the prospect of landing in the sea seems to discourage beginners! It takes seven days to get your basic license; then you’re free to fly independently at sites across the country.
What do I need?
Pilots normally wear warm clothes in case they get very high up, and a helmet in case they stumble on landing. In terms of gear, schools supply basic training, canopies, harnesses, etc. However, you'll probably want to buy your own more sophisticated equipment, which you’ll be able to choose much better once you’ve tried some out on your course.
Who can do it?
There’s no upper age limit provided your instructor judges you capable, but the youngest is 14. Anybody with good eyesight and good balance is a potential paraglider pilot.
Flying a paraglider is a great sport. We hope to see you in the air with us this season!
1. Which would be the best heading for Paragraph 1?| A．What is paragliding? | B．Who invented paragliding? |
| C．How is paragliding special? | D．Why is paragliding popular? |
| A．exciting but tiring | B．safe and relaxing |
| C．attractive but expensive | D．fast and challenging |
| A．Fit people of any age can take up paragliding. |
| B．Most paragliding schools are situated by the sea. |
| C．Pilots need to buy basic equipment on their training course. |
| D．Learners can fly on their own after at least a week’s training. |
7 . Whether you prefer solo dancing or being involved in a more formalized program, dancing offers the obvious plus to your physical health. You're not only moving your body in a rhythmic way and expressing feelings but also burning calories in your body and getting a workout for sure.
In a recent study, researchers compared the effects of walking, stretching and dancing on the wiring and gray matter of the aging brain. The result showed dancing had the significantly positive effect.
In the experiment, after volunteers in their 60s and 70s with healthy brains didn't show signs of cognitive (认知的) disorder, researchers placed them in three groups at will. One group walked, another group stretched and did balance training and the last group learned country dancing. The arrangements of the dancing became progressively more challenging over time. They all did the assigned activity for one hour a day, three times a week. After a period of six months, the volunteers' brains were re-scanned and compared to their brains when they had begun their voluntary work.
Agnieszka Burzynska, the study's lead author who is currently a neuroscientist and director of the BRAiN Lab at Colorado State University, found only one group showed a memory improvement — the country dancers. The participants who learned country dancing now had richer white matter in the part of the brain that processed memory. White matter usually breaks down as a person ages, which may lead to cognitive decline. Dancing, therefore, protected the brain from aging-caused neurodegeneration. So, dancing is not just an aerobic activity good for your physical health. It helps your brain, too!
Country dancing, ballroom dancing, tango and waltz are all done with others. When you take part in these dances, you're involved in a beneficial social activity as well. You are also cognitively motivating your brain as you learn the steps of the dances. Dancing therefore might be one of the best physical activities you can choose for brain health.
1. What's the purpose of paragraph 1?| A．To add background material. | B．To introduce the topic of the text. |
| C．To raise questions about exercise. | D．To present experimental conditions. |
| A．They were grouped at random. | B．They were under cognitive decline. |
| C．They were all asked to learn dancing. | D．They were all born in the 1960s and 1970s. |
| A．The brain function of volunteers. | B．The cognitive disorder of volunteers. |
| C．The relationship between age and dancing. | D．The effect of dancing on the volunteers' brains. |
| A．How Dancing Affects People's Lifestyle |
| B．Why Dancing Is the Best Social Activity |
| C．How Dancing Helps People's Brain Health |
| D．Why Country Dancing Is Beneficial to People's Health |
8 . Swimming is an excellent form of exercise for beginners because it is gentle on the body. It does not shake your bones or damage your joints, but swimming is still effective for weight loss. Swimming improves your cardiovascular (心血管的) fitness and flexibility.
If you do not know how to swim, adult lessons are often available at gyms.
You will find that there are also posted rules about using the lanes (泳道) of the pool. This simply means that the pool is divided up so multiple people can use it at the same time. At times, you may share a lane with one or more other swimmers.
| A．It can help recover soon |
| B．Stay in the slow lane if you're new |
| C．Besides, the water helps strengthen your muscles |
| D．When this happens, think of it as driving on the highway |
| E．If using a pool at a gym, you need follow certain pool rules |
| F．This rule helps keep the pool water clean by removing body oils and sweat |
| G．Even if you learned to swim as a child, you may want to consider signing up for a class |
9 . Why You Shouldn’t Exercise to Lose Weight
Many of us are starting (or restarting) exercise in hopes of losing unwanted pounds. Aiming to be more active is good. But if the main reason is to lose weight, your New Year’s resolution could be very well backfire.
Perhaps the biggest problem with exercising to drop pounds is that it turns physical activity into punishment—a price we have to pay for a slimmer body. How many times have you heard someone say (or said yourself) “I’ll do extra exercise” after eating too much during the holidays or at a celebratory dinner?
The takeaway is that we see exercise positively and actually do it when we focus on our well-being rather than our weight. For some, the motivation may be an improved mood or less stress. Others may find exercise makes them feel physically and mentally stronger.
| A．It kind of made me give up |
| B．So by all means, try to exercise regularly in 2022 |
| C．While it’s not very helpful for melting away pounds |
| D．When exercise fails to meet our weight-loss expectations |
| E．The benefits of physical activity are well beyond these aspects |
| F．We treat exercise as a form of self-punishment for being “bad” in the past |
| G．For starters, exercise, at least the kind most of us do, is typically ineffective for weight loss |
10 . Yoga is an age-old practice that stretches the body and calms the mind. By performing a series of poses, called asanas, Yoga practitioners make themselves more flexible and relaxed. These results in lower blood pressure, a decrease in stress, and healthy muscles.
Let's get started from the most basic pose --- Mountain Pose. Standing barefoot on an anti-slip mat, put your feet side by side so that the basis of your big toes are touching.
| A．It can be hard to balance in this way. |
| B．Hold that pose and breathe in and out. |
| C．Then you can try out Cat to Cow Pose. |
| D．Perform these poses every day, if you can. |
| E．But beyond its health benefits, yogurt has a lot of fun. |
| F．If the stress hurts pull back and lie down slowly on the mat. |
| G．Stand comfortably and adjust your feet till they feel good against the mat. |
