1 . Ways to Develop Self-discipline

Five years ago, I was the heaviest I’ve weighed in my life. When I would run, I’d immediately get tired. The worst part is that I had no motivation to get healthier—until I threw my back out.     1     When I went to physical therapy (治疗), the young woman helping me pointed to my stomach and said, “we need to awaken these muscles.” From that point on, I knew I had to change. I had to think about how to develop self-discipline with eating and working out.

    2    But I eventually lost 30 pounds and have maintained a consistent workout schedule for the past five years. Of course, self-discipline is bigger than just physical health. Having discipline helps us grow, makes us reliable, and strengthens our moral framework. Here’s how to develop self-discipline.

Set clear end goals.     3     If we don’t set clear goals, we’ll float around like feathers in the breeze. If you want to be disciplined, set clear and measurable goals. Then display those goals where you’ll see them every day.

Do the small things. We all want big change quickly. It doesn’t happen that way, though. Self-discipline starts by performing small activities consistently. The small things add up to big results.     4     Every small act of faithfulness makes your self-discipline stronger.

Keep record of your progress. It’s pointless to have goals if you aren’t measuring whether or not you are moving toward them. When I don’t track my progress, I stop doing things I need to do and become lazy. It’s easy to lack discipline when you lose focus on where you’re going.    5    

A．It did take a lot of work.

B．I decided to take regular exercise.

C．Keeping track helps you stay on point.

D．We have to keep in mind where we want to go.

E．Occasionally, you may get results without effort.

F．I had shooting pains down my legs whenever I got up.

G．It may take time to see those returns, but stick with it.

4 . Running is a great form of exercise. However, running under certain conditions can cause a variety of injuries.

The National Running Association recently released the results of its latest survey on common running injuries, as illustrated in the picture on the right. According to the survey results, the most reported cases are related to knee injury and muscle pull, with the former occurring a little less frequently. About a quarter of the respondents say they have had plantar fasciitis, The number of respondents suffering from Achilles tendonitis or shin splints is nearly twice that of those with stress fracture, which is also what fewest respondents report.

There are two main causes of running injury: structural imbalance and training volume. Structural imbalance occurs when a certain muscle group is weak and requires other muscle groups to help. The body adapts to stresses and becomes stronger. This is the basic principle of training. However, if you push too fast or run too far, you can stress the body in such a way that it never has time to fully recover. Training progression and moderation are the keys to avoiding overuse injury.

Here are several ways to avoid running injury.

● Prepare your body for running by walking.

● Understand your body type and be patient.

● Follow a sensible training plan or find a coach.

● Wear the right shoes.

The cause of the injury is not easy to diagnose. For example, a foot problem can cause a problem in the knees or back. Finding and treating the cause of a running injury is the job of a trained doctor. More importantly, listen to your body and recognize the signs of overtraining so that you can avoid running injury.

1. Which group of injuries best fits the blanks numbered ①, ②, ③ and ④ in the picture?

A．① knee injury; ② muscle pull; ③ stress fracture; ④ shin splints

B．① muscle pull; ② knee injury; ③ stress fracture; ④ Achilles tendonitis

C．① knee injury; ② muscle pull; ③ shin splints; ④ stress fracture

D．① muscle pull; ② knee injury; ③ Achilles tendonitis; ④ stress fracture

2. According to the passage, which of the following leads to structural imbalance?

A．Using some muscles more intensely than others.

B．Training weak muscles more often than strong ones.

C．Adapting your body to stresses slowly.

D．Giving your body little time to recover.

3. According to the passage, if you want to find out why your back and knees hurt after running. you had better _____.

A．turn to a coach for help	B．consult a trained doctor
C．understand your body type first	D．wear another pair of running shoes

5 . Online training is one of the fastest growing parts of the fitness industry. If you’re considering joining the online fitness community, consider these benefits and drawbacks.

One of the most popular reasons for working out following an online video is that it offers ultimate convenience. No need to roll out of bed at 5 a. m. to attend that 6 a. m. boot camp class, which may end up being full when you arrive.    1    And what if you’re on the road? No problem. You can access your workout video through your phone.

    2    Most online fitness programs are much less expensive than similar offline programs—most range in cost from $ 10 to $ 20 per month. Some are even free. For example, the online Les Mills+program offers a free 30-day trial of its 1,500-plus workouts.

Online training also has broad offerings. When you head online, you have instructors from around the globe, all ready and willing to help you master your favorite moves.    3    Just because there isn’t a Krav Maga class in your area doesn’t mean you can’t go online to find one led by qualified instructors.

All these are undoubtedly positive-online training provides fitness resources to general consumers wherever they are, without requiring access to a gym or fitness studio.    4    

Very few online fitness programs enable the instructor to see you, check your form, and offer corrections based on your performance.    5    This is particularly concerning for beginners, as they’re more likely to do incorrectly. Besides, if you struggle with self-motivation and prefer a social workout environment, online fitness may not be for you.

A．Another is the price.

B．But it’s not without problems.

C．The same goes for different types of exercise.

D．However, online personal training isn’t for everyone.

E．Instead, you can turn it on at home at your convenience.

F．That being said, online workouts aren’t perfect when it comes to safety.

G．This means you could perform exercises wrongly, or even unsafely, without knowing it.

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.    1     Many experts say there’s no easy answer because it depends on the person.

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.     2     Muscle preservation is also an essential component of strengthening your body. Nitrogen (氮) is critical for processing protein that builds healthy muscles. People tend to lose less nitrogen during a fed workout than a fasted one.

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.     3     It can cause a sudden drop in your blood glucose (葡萄糖) levels, and you may feel dizzy. You may even be more likely to overeat.

    4     Not all foods are created equal. For example, if you choose a fed workout, you’ll probably lose a lot of water during an intense training, so you should consider drinking some beforehand. With a fasted workout, it would help if you had some nutrition right after your session is complete. Drink some water. Then, have a light meal or nutritional snack.

Deciding when to eat for an ideal workout is a personal choice. Both fasted workouts and fed activities have their benefits and shortcomings.     5    

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 . Here we’ve got three tips to help you start an exercise habit that can stick. It’s a lot easier than you think.

    1    

You don’t have to be a marathoner to get meaningful health benefits from exercise. Experts say even daily activities, which include mopping the floor, organizing a room or carrying groceries up the stairs can reduce the risk of diseases like diabetes, heart disease and even some cancers.

So remind yourself that it’s not a choice between hours-long workout or nothing at all. Instead, think of starting an exercise routine like standing up from your chair and sitting back down repeatedly.     2    

Focus on how exercise makes you feel great

There are so many positives that happen when you move. It improves all the tasks that demand focus and creativity. It helps you generate energy. It boosts mood.     3    . When you feel better, you will bring more enthusiasm and energy to your work and the people working around you.

Forget long- term benefits like weight loss or better overall health.     4    . Actually, they’re not super motivational in real-time and can be disheartening when you don’t see results quickly.

Figure out what kind of exercise and workout location makes you feel good

If weightlifting in a crowded gym gives you anxiety, try to get a set of weights for home or follow workout videos on YouTube or ride a bike in the park.     5    .

A．Start small and every movement counts

B．They often take much longer time to achieve

C．Focus on immediate payoffs like improved mood and energy

D．In short, any movement helps to clear fat and sugar out of blood

E．Remember, when you have more energy, you’re a happier person

F．Keep trying until you find a workout routine that makes you happy

G．No matter how modest those goals are, they create this feeling like I can do more

10 . Over the past decades, experts have done a considerable amount of research to explore different ways to encourage children’s learning. Especially, there has been a common focus on how physical activity, separated from the learning activities, can improve children’s learning. However, there has been less of a focus aimed the potential of integrating physical activity into the learning activities.

The main purpose of the Basket Mathematics study conducted at five Danish primary and elementary schools by researchers from the University of Copenhagen therefore was to develop a learning activity that integrates basketball and mathematics and examine how it might affect children’s motivation for mathematics.

756 children from 40 different classes at Copenhagen area schools participated in the project, where about half of them－once a week for six weeks－had Basketball Mathematics during gym class, while the other half played basketball without mathematics.

“During classes with Basketball Mathematics, the children had to collect numbers and perform calculations associated with various basketball exercises. An example could be counting how many times they could sink a basket from three meters away vs at a one-meter distance, and adding up the numbers. Both the math and basketball elements could be adjusted to suit the children’s levels, as well as being adjusted for whether it was addition, multiplication or some other operations that needed to be practiced,” explains Linn Damsgaard, a leading researcher.

The results showed that children’s motivation for math integrated with basketball was 16% higher compared to classroom math learning. Children also experienced a 14% increase in self-determination compared with classroom teaching. Meanwhile Basketball Mathematics improved their math confidence.

“We are planning to do research to examine whether the Basketball Mathematics model can strengthen performance in mathematics. Once we have the final results, we hope that they will inspire school teachers and principals to prioritize more physical activity and movement in such subjects. Eventually, we hope to succeed in putting these tools into school system and teacher education,” says Associate Professor Jacob Wienecke.

1. What is the purpose of paragraph 1?

A．To show the advantage of the study.	B．To explain the reason for the study.
C．To conduct a review of past research.	D．To introduce a way to raise math grades.

2. What can we learn about the study?

A．All kids didn’t play basketball.	B．Kids were divided into 40 groups.
C．It studied kids’math performance.	D．It tailored activities to different kids.

3. What effect does basketball have on the participants?

A．More motivation for exercise.	B．More confidence in basketball.
C．A gain in desire to learn math.	D．A rise in determination to learn.

4. How does Jacob Wienecke expect the study to help educators?

A．Make math learning easier.	B．Inspire students’ math confidence.
C．Build physical activity into teaching.	D．Notice the benefits of physical exercise.