1 . There’s a reason why so many people love running early in the morning.
●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.
●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.
●Stay warm
●
“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. |
2 . Kyle Cassidy and three other members of the Annenberg Running Group were stretching on the grounds of the University of Pennsylvania, waiting for a few latecomers. The Penn colleagues and other community members meet three days a week for a roughly 30-minute jog and an occasional lecture. That’s right - during some runs, one of them delivers a talk. Topics range from the brain to Bitcoin.
But on this day last January, it would not be their normal run. The first clue that something was off was the man who sprinted past them. “Running at an amazing pace,” Cassidy told Runner’s World admiringly. Cassidy discovered why the sprinter was so fleet of foot when another man ran by, yelling, “Help! He took my phone and laptop!”
At that, the group did what running clubs do: They ran, trailing the suspect down the streets of Philadelphia until he ducked into a construction site. The runners split up. Cassidy ran around to the far side of the site to cut the thief off while the others wandered the neighborhood hoping he had dumped the loot (赃物) in a backyard.
No luck. So they decided to ask residents whether they’d seen the guy. When they knocked on the door of one row house, they were in for a surprise. Unknown to them, he had already emerged from the construction site - and was hiding behind a bush by that very house. As the owner opened the door, the suspect darted out from behind the bush and right into the arms of campus police, who’d joined the chase shortly behind the runners.
The members of this running group are not hard-core athletes. But they do understand the benefit of a little exercise. “Running is typically a useless sport where you turn fat cells into heat,” Cassidy told The Philadelphia Inquirer. “But occasionally it can be useful, and here was one of those opportunities.”
1. Why do the group members gather together?| A．To do some stretching. | B．To have a regular run. |
| C．To deliver a lecture. | D．To cover some topics. |
| A．the assistance of the runners | B．the owner of the row house |
| C．the campus police on patrol | D．the joint efforts of the people |
| A．Athletic and generous. | B．Courageous and ambitious. |
| C．Helpful and humorous. | D．Thoughtful and demanding. |
3 . When I first began running in high school on the track team, it made sense to carefully clock every mile and push myself to race for personal bests. But as I changed from running for sport to running for amusement as an adult, I found that tracking my workouts often just ended with frustration. And it wasn’t until my watch battery died several years ago that I first experienced the sense of calm that came with running for the pure joy of it. I never replaced the watch battery, and that might not be a bad thing for my fitness goals.
This is the idea of unplugged (不插电的) running, which is gaining steam in the fitness community. And recent research has shown that getting rid of your running watch, especially if it’s a smartwatch or fitness tracker, could actually improve your workout — or at least your enjoyment of running.
“People used to have an interest in their sport and get enjoyment out of the sport, but now that’s switching to the data,” said Eoin Whelan, a senior lecturer at the National University of Ireland Galway. “They will compare themselves to people who are better than them, who are running faster or running longer. And in the end we know that makes them feel bad. ”
Whelan also noted that people who are very dependent on smart watches or fitness trackers are more likely to skip their workouts if the batteries on their tracking devices are dead.
In addition, there is evidence that running watch-free is beneficial for more than just the casual jogger. Some professionals also have had success with leaving their watches at home. Welsh runner Steve Jones famously set a world record at the 1984 Chicago Marathon without wearing a watch. More recently, Olympic marathoner Trevor Hofbauer made headlines for winning the 2019 Canadian Marathon Championships without a watch.
“If you have too much information being fed to you in real time, it can kind of get in your head,” Hofbauer said. “For me, the simpler, the better.”
1. What happened to the author when his running watch didn’t work?| A．He lost the desire to keep running every day. |
| B．He experienced running as a really fun activity. |
| C．He was at a loss how to replace the watch battery. |
| D．He had great difficulty achieving his fitness goals. |
| A．They can enrich the wearers’ social life. |
| B．The data provided by them is unreliable. |
| C．The way people use them is proper. |
| D．They can lead to harmful consequences. |
| A．To show the popularity of running watch-free. |
| B．To encourage people to become professional runners. |
| C．To prove the positive effects of running watch-free. |
| D．To present professionals’ views on running watch-free. |
| A．It’s time to take off your running watch. |
| B．Unplugged running actually has two sides. |
| C．Comparing with others should be avoided. |
| D．Racing for personal bests requires simplicity. |
4 . 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. |
| A．By using specific data. | B．By explaining its definition. |
| C．By quoting online comment. | D．By making comparisons. |
| A．Risky but rewarding. | B．Thrilling but regretful. |
| C．Unexpected and strange. | D．Eye-catching and inspiring. |
| A．Physical condition. | B．Social trend. |
| C．Pace of life. | D．Work pattern. |
5 . How to Be a Good Athlete
Being a good athlete is about much more than just being great at a sport. The following will do you a favor.
Work with a coach.
Create an individual program. In order to improve your athleticism, you should focus on improving your particular weaknesses.
Show up on time.
Cool down after exercising. Once you have finished a workout or practice session, take some time to give your body a physical cool-down period. Some low-intensity (低强度) movements and stretches are good to help restore your muscles.
| A．Coaches are helpful |
| B．When you are practicing |
| C．Suppose you’re very interested |
| D．Keep focused when you practice |
| E．Practicing with the team is important |
| F．Coaches can help you set reachable goals |
| G．It’s also a good way to relax mentally after an intense practice or game |
6 . Fitness Magazine recently ran an article titled “Five Reasons to Thank Your Workout Partner.” One reason was: “You’ll actually show up if you know someone is waiting for you at the gym,” while another read: “You’ll work harder if you train with someone else.” With a workout partner, you will increase your training effort as there is a subtle competition.
So, how do you find a workout partner?
First of all, decide what you want from that person. Do you want to be a better athlete in your favorite sport? Or do you just want to be physically fit, able to move with strength and flexibility? Think about the exercises you would like to do with your workout partner.
You might think about posting what you are looking for on social media, but it probably won’t result in a useful response. A workout partner usually needs to live close by. If you plan on working out in a gym, that person must belong to the same gym.
My partner posted her request on the notice board of a local park. Her notice included what kind of training she wanted to do, how many days a week and how many hours she wanted to spend on each session, and her age. It also listed her favorite sports and activities, and provided her phone number. Any notice for training partner should include such information.
You and your partner will probably have different skills. Just accept your differences and learn to work with each other. Over time, both of you will benefit — your partner will be able to lift more weights and you will become more physically fit. The core of your relationship is that you will always be there to help each other.
1. What does the author intend to tell us in the first paragraph?| A．The significance of training harder. | B．The importance of a workout partner. |
| C．Ways of thanking a workout partner. | D．Reasons to increase training efforts. |
| A．Living nearby. | B．Searching online. | C．Working in a gym. | D．Training regularly. |
| A．By process. | B．By example. | C．By comparison. | D．By classification. |
| A．How to post a notice on social media. | B．How to balance exercise and health. |
| C．How to become a better athlete. | D．How to find a proper workout partner. |
7 . For decades, different variations of home workouts are regarded as the solution to busy lifestyles. In 1982, there was actress Jane Fonda’s popular VHS aerobic (有氧的) routines, the fitness expert Billy Blanks’ Tae Bo workouts in the 1990s, backbreaking P90X training that took off and more casual Nintendo Wii Fit routines of the same age.
More recently, design and advancements in technology have offered expanded and personalized training options, while reducing the large footprint of most home gyms. In 2018, former ballet dancer Brynn Putnam released Mirror, a fitness system that allows users to follow along with virtual personal trainers in classes including yoga (瑜伽).
That same year, entrepreneur Aly Orady launched Tonal, an AI-powered wall-mounted screen that focuses more on strength training. It features an exercise bench and resistance system that uses electromagnetism (电磁) to imitate weight machines. This month, entrepreneur Trent Ward and designer Yves Behar are uncovering their design for a mirror fitness system, Forme. Forme is reflective like Putnam’s design, uses machine learning to improve workouts like Tonal, and offers attachments including ankle belts, rope handles and a heart rate monitor. When not in use, the two arms that form the resistance system fold behind it and the display screen disappears, turning Forme into a simple full-length mirror.
Interest in home exercise has particularly spiked in recent weeks around the world as physical gyms have temporarily closed. Home workout apps have seen a significant increase in downloads, and trendy brands like Peloton have rolled out free virtual workouts for everyone stuck indoors. One French athlete who was kept away from others chose to run an entire marathon on his 23-foot balcony.
But beyond the new restrictions affecting daily workout routines, Ward and Behar are tapping into the same concerns that have made every home workout appealing: the ability to save time and sweat in the privacy of one’s home. In an age of personal metrics (衡量标准)—where one can measure their heart rate and sleep cycles with smart watches and train for marathons with AI smart sneakers — Ward and Behar want to improve exercise through machine learning. Forme evaluates performance and adjusts weights accordingly.
1. How many kinds of workouts are mentioned in paragraph1?| A．Two. | B．Three. | C．Four. | D．Five. |
| A．They both can be used as a mirror. |
| B．They can test more accurate heart rates. |
| C．They’re designed for strength training. |
| D．They provide more attachments than Tonal. |
| A．Troubled. | B．Heightened. | C．Exchanged. | D．Disappeared |
| A．What are the advantages of smart watches. |
| B．What benefits its users get from Forme. |
| C．What the personal metrics are about. |
| D．What are the features of AI smart sneakers. |
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.
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.”
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.
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.
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. |
9 . Playing sports is a lot of fun, but getting hurt is not.
Wear protective equipment.
The equipment you wear depends on the sport you play. Helmets (头盔) are the most common protective equipment. They protect your head while you’re playing football, baseball, softball, biking, skateboarding, and so on.
Warm up.
Know the rules of the games.
Traffic lights help prevent crashes between the many cars that drive on the roads together. This works because drivers know the rules and follow them.
Some rules don’t have anything to do with scoring points. Some rules are just about protecting other people. For example, a diver would make sure that the pool was clear before diving in. Otherwise, he or she might land on someone else.
This is a really important one. If you love sports, you may get right back in the game, even after an injury. But playing when you’re hurt is a bad idea. It can lead to an even worse injury.
| A．You can take the following steps to prevent injuries . |
| B．It’s just like(就像……一样) sports. |
| C．Don’t play when you’re injured. |
| D．Don’t do too much exercise. |
| E．You and the other players know what to expect from each other. |
| F．It’s not a good idea to just go to the field and start playing. |
| G．Watch out (当心，注意) for others. |
10 . Winter is one of the most magical times of the year to get moving.
Work out with a group.
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).
Change up your workout.
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. |
