2 . Lawn Games for Adults That’ll Make You Feel Like a Kid Again

Experts say that engaging in playful activities through adulthood can help lower stress, improve cognitive functions, and build social bonds with others, which is so much more than what your phone can do for you. So what are you waiting for? Round up the family, grab one of these lawn games for adults, and let the good time scroll.

Spikeball Game Set $59.99

The flexible, hula-hoop-sized net stands on its foldable legs and can be taken to the beach or the park to give four players plenty of space to run around. Start the two-on-two game by bouncing a ball off the net, sending it flying toward your opponents—they have three passes between them to send the ball back over to your team. When they miss, you score, and the first one to get to 21 wins.

The Pocket Shot $25.00

Who doesn’t love lining up cans and shooting them down with a slingshot? It’s demanding yet thrilling. The Pocket Shot is a super powerful slingshot that shoots at two or three times the rate of a regular slingshot. It’s super tiny, so it fits in your pocket.

Giant 4-Connect-In-A-Row $79.99

Two players at a time try to insert their red or blue coins into the wooden frame to form a vertical or horizontal line of all the same color. It’s way more challenging than you’d think.

1. According to the first paragraph, in what way can lawn games benefit adults?

A．Stopping their phone use.	B．Boosting their confidence.
C．Easing their pressure.	D．Building up their strength.

2. How many players are needed when Spikeball Game Set is played?

A．Two.

B．Four.

C．Five.

D．Six.

3. What do the second and third game have in common?

A．They need two players.	B．They are cheap to buy.
C．They are of pocket size.	D．They take skills to play.

7 . 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.

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

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.

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

A．three hours per week	B．40 hours per week
C．three hours per day	D．40 hours per month

4. Why is yoga recommended for seniors?

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.

8 . 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.

2. What does the author want to tell us in paragraph 2?

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.

3. How can parents help their school-age kids?

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.

4. What can we infer from the last paragraph?

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.

9 . 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

10 . 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.

2. What advantage dose race walking have over running?

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.

3. What is Dr. Norberg’s suggestion for someone trying race walking?

A．Doing regular exercises.	B．Having a medical checkup.
C．Hiring an experienced coach.	D．Getting experts’ opinions.

4. Which word best describes the author's attitude to race walking?

A．Objective.	B．Doubtful.
C．Tolerant.	D．Supportive.