1 . Sports can help you keep fit and get in touch with nature. However, whether you are on the mountains, in the waves, or on the grassland, you should be aware that your sport of choice might have great influence on the environment.
Some sports are resource-hungry. Golf, as you may know, eats up not only large areas of countryside, but also tons of water. Besides, all sorts of chemicals and huge amounts of energy are used to keep its courses (球场) in good condition. This causes major environmental effects. For example, in the dry regions of Portugal and Spain, golf is often held responsible for serious water shortage in some local areas.
There are many environment-friendly sports. Power walking is one of them that you could take up today. You don’t need any special equipment except a good pair of shoes; and you don’t have to worry about resources and your purse. Simple and free, power walking can also keep you fit. If you walk regularly, it will be good for your heart and bones. Experts say that 20 minutes of power walking daily can make you feel less anxious, sleep better and have better weight control.
Whatever sport you take up, you can make it greener by using environment-friendly equipment and buying products made from recycled materials. But the final goal should be “green gyms”. They are better replacements for traditional health clubs and modern sports centers. Members of green gyms play sports outdoors, in the countryside or other open spaces. There is no special requirement for you to start your membership. And best of all, it’s free.
1. Which of the following is the author most probably in favor of?| A．Cycling around a lake. |
| B．Motor racing in the desert. |
| C．Playing basketball in a gym. |
| D．Swimming in a sports center. |
| A．It is popular in Portugal and Spain. |
| B．It causes water shortages around the world. |
| C．It pollutes the earth with chemicals and wastes. |
| D．It needs water and electricity to keep its courses green. |
| A．show us the function of major sports |
| B．encourage us to go in for green sports |
| C．discuss the major influence of popular sports |
| D．introduce different types of environment-friendly sports |
2 . If you’ve fallen off the exercise wagon (健身车), it can be hard to get back into it even if you know about its advantages.
Step 1: Be gentle with yourself.
You are probably worried that you’re not as fast as you used to be.
Step 2:
Be smart about the frequency and duration (持续时间) of your exercise, especially during your first few weeks back to exercise. Spreading them throughout the week rather than being a weekend warrior (勇士) and gradually increasing your activity levels will help you avoid injury.
Step 3: Make things convenient.
Step 4: Try getting it done first.
Everyone has a different sweat style, whether you prefer dawn exercise or are more of a night owl. By getting the exercise done first, you have less chance to make excuses to leave out the workout later in the day.
| A．Set a realistic plan. |
| B．Don’t worry about that. |
| C．Exercise anytime, anywhere. |
| D．Try your best to reach your previous level. |
| E．There are more people trying to keep healthy. |
| F．Once the exercise is over, you’ll think you’ve already achieved something. |
| G．Here, some experts offer four simple steps you can use to get back into it. |
3 . It’s a long-term question for teachers: how do you get children who hate physical activity to take part in PE lessons? A Northampton primary school believes it has the answer. Designed to make the least active pupils take an interest in their fitness, a program has been introduced at Lings Primary School. And not only have the pupils developed an interest in activities ranging from football to ballroom dancing, according to the school, but their school work has also improved significantly.
The students also turn up on time—Lings now has the best attendance record in the county at 98 percent—and results have improved:86 percent of pupils now achieve the required standard in English and maths tests for 11-year-olds, compared with only 44 percent four years ago.
The turnaround has been achieved by simply making PE fun. Instead of climbing wall bars and running on the spot, the pupils practice exercises such as moving like animals. One routine involves crawling around the floor like a bear and moving around like gorillas. In another the children try to maintain their balance on the boards made of rubber, all of which stretch their muscles and improve their fitness.
Baroness Campbell, who chairs the Youth Sport Trust, which designed the program, said, “We want to show young people that physical activity is fun and a great way to learn skills which will stay with them for life.”
1. How did Lings Primary School get students interested in physical activities?| A．By making the classes full of fun. | B．By improving their school work. |
| C．By increasing students’ attendance. | D．By getting help from some students. |
| A．Running on the spot. | B．Climbing over wall bars. |
| C．Eating like bears. | D．Keeping balance on rubber boards. |
| A．It is popular among active students. | B．It has benefited most students a lot. |
| C．It was designed by Baroness Campbell. | D．It made all students punctual in class. |
4 . Are you wondering whether it’s worth going for a little jog? Don’t hesitate, and get your sports shoes on. A new study shows that proper running lowers the risk of death before the normal time.
In an analysis of 14 previous studies from the US and Denmark, the group of researchers from institutes in Australia and Finland concluded that increasing running participation would probably lead to substantial improvements in population health and longevity. The studies involved 232,149 participants over time periods ranging from 5.5 to 35 years.
On the whole, people running any distance were associated with a 27% lower risk of death from all causes than those who did not, the study shows. Running was also related with a 30% and 23% lower risk of death from cardiovascular (心血管的) disease and cancer, respectively.
Previous studies had concluded “inconsistent findings” about whether running could lower the risk of premature death, according to the researchers. Lead researcher Jim White, a professor at Victoria University in Melbourne, told CNN: “Our recent findings may encourage physically inactive individuals to take up running and those who already run to keep on doing it.”
He added that doctors may be encouraged by our findings to promote running as a part of “lifestyle medicine”. In their paper, which will be published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, the researchers say health professionals are sometimes wary of promoting running because vigorous (剧烈的) use of it has been linked with sudden heart death.
Jim and his team deny this by noting that the benefit of running outweighs the risk. However, they did say advice should be given on a case-by-case basis, as running might not be appropriate for everyone. Although running has a clear health benefit, the researchers point out that higher “doses” of running may not reduce the risk of premature death further. According to the WHO’s guidelines, adults aged between 18 and 64 should take 150 minutes of gentle exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise each week.
1. What did the new study focus on?| A．The benefit of jog. | B．People’s lifestyles. |
| C．People’s living conditions. | D．The risk of jog. |
| A．The risk of exercising vigorously. |
| B．The reasons why people should keep running. |
| C．The suggestions on running appropriately. |
| D．The argument about whether running benefits people. |
5 . The human body is designed to move. But modern lifestyles and office jobs rarely give us the chance to move around. As we know, we sit while we’re eating, we sit in the car and we sit while we're watching TV. And many of us sit for many hours at work.
New research shows that sitting less than three hours a day might extend your life by two years. Peter Katzmarzyk, a scientist at the University of Louisiana in the southern United States, says that sitting is ubiquitous in our lives, meaning it is something we do all the time, everywhere.
However, Mr.Katzmarzyk says even that does not mean you can sit for the rest of your waking hours. He also says you may exercise often. “We can’t throw away physical activity. It’s extremely important. We have 60 years of research showing us that.”
Mr.Katzmarzyk and his colleagues are part of a new generation of researchers studying how sitting all day affects length of life. “Studies that have assessed the relationship between sitting and mortality (死亡率)or television viewing and mortality are very rare. There have only been a few of them, actually five or six now，in the last four or five years.” They found that cutting television time to less than two hours a day could add one-point four years to life.
Luckily, change is already coming to some offices, especially in the design of desks. A “standing desk” lets people stand while they are working. Another new design is called the “treadmill desk”. A treadmill is an exercise machine that lets you walk in one place. Even some U.S. schools are beginning to experiment with desks that are part bicycle to keep children moving, That’s one of the strategies that many companies are using now.
Mr. Katzmarzyk also says studying this problem has inspired his team to make a few changes in their own lives.
1. The underlined word “ubiquitous” is the closest .| A．危险的 | B．尴尬的 |
| C．舒适的 | D．普遍的 |
| A．Sitting too long may help increase one’s life. |
| B．Exercise is important, but so is not sitting. |
| C．Watching TV is bad, but can broaden one’s horizons. |
| D．Stopping watching TV is a necessary but hard task. |
| A．It’s a relatively new area of study. |
| B．It’s a hot subject studied by experts. |
| C．It’s a study that begins too late. |
| D．It’s ignored by many experts. |
| A．To give them more comfort . |
| B．To improve their work efficiency. |
| C．To offer them the chance to exercise. |
| D．To seek pleasure while working. |
6 . The Growing Popularity of Cycling
They say once you learn how to ride a bike, you never forget. Most of us learnt when we were kids, and many still strap (系好) on our helmets, put our feet on the pedals , and shoot off for a ride around the streets. In recent times, cycling has seen a boost in popularity.
First, let’s look at the health benefits. Cycling can improve your cardiovascular (心血管的) health and burm excess body fat. Strengthening your leg muscles in your calves (小腿肚) and thighs (大腿).
Cycling can be a great way to commute (通勤) or get about town.
So, whether people want to cycle for their health, getting about town, their wallet, the environment, or a combination of all of them—
| A．The popularity of cycling is on the rise. |
| B．By cycling, you save money on fuel or train fares. |
| C．Finally, cycling can also be good for the environment. |
| D．Cycling except for transport, also can be used for fitness. |
| E．And cycling’s benefits aren’t just physical, but mental as well. |
| F．What makes it so appealing to people to straddle their bikes once again? |
| G．I feel very relaxed by cycling, but the body was able to quickly reach the amount of exercise! |
7 . On Us TV shows, you may sometimes see rubber balls on people’s desks. These balls are known as “stress relief balls”. People can squeeze them when they feel stressed out. It’s believed that by concentrating on the act of squeezing, they can let go of the negative energy in their bodies.
In fact, the rubber stress relief balls that are so popular today in the US are believed to date back to ancient China.
And today, we have many gadgets (小器具) and toys that are designed to reduce stress in addition to stress relief balls. One example is the popular fidget spinner (指尖陀螺).
| A．This helped them relax as well. |
| B．These gadgets may look like simple toys. |
| C．It keeps your hand busy with an easy task. |
| D．This is the only way to ease away your tension. |
| E．Indeed, stress is a big problem for many people. |
| F．A focused activity helps take your mind off the problems of your day. |
| G．Back in the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220), soldiers used walnuts to get rid of stress. |
8 . Sports day! These two words can inspire both joy and terror in the hearts of students everywhere. For many, sports day can be a great day of fun and the chance to bag a prize or two.
Today, more and more schools have recognized the importance of exercise.
However, some people feel that it’s important that sport has winners and that learning to lose is just as important as learning how to win.
There are lots of people who agree with the idea—parents in particular! According to a 2017 survey by Families Online, 82% of parents say they prefer “traditional” competitive sports days.
People have different ideas about whether it is the winning or the taking part that counts when it comes to school sports days. So, should School Sports Day be competitive or not? We want to know your ideas.
| A．What’s the point if no one wins? |
| B．Should sport just be about winning? |
| C．Many of them have “non-competitive” sports days. |
| D．Everyone should be celebrated for trying and playing their part. |
| E．Many adults are worried that their kids can get injured when doing sports. |
| F．For others, it might feel like having to take part in something they aren’t good at. |
| G．Many adults feel that children can learn valuable lessons in both winning and losing. |
9 . As we age, even if we’re healthy, the heart just isn’t as efficient in processing oxygen as it used to be. In most people the first signs show up in their 50s or early 60s. And among people who don’t exercise, the changes can start even sooner.
“Think of a rubber band. In the beginning, it is flexible, but put it in a drawer for 20 years and it will become dry and easily broken,” says Dr. Ben Levine, a heart specialist at the University of Texas. That’s what happens to the heart. Fortunately for those in midlife, Levine is finding that even if you haven’t been an enthusiastic exerciser, getting in shape now may help improve your aging heart.
Levine and his research team selected volunteers aged between 45 and 64 who did not exercise much but were otherwise healthy. Participants were randomly divided into two groups. The first group participated in a program of nonaerobic (无氧) exercise—balance training and weight training—three times a week. The second group did high-intensity aerobic exercise under the guidance of a trainer for four or more days a week. After two years, the second group saw remarkable improvements in heart health.
“We took these 50-year-old hearts and turned the clock back to 30-or 35-year-old hearts,” says Levine. “And the reason they got so much stronger and fitter was that their hearts could now fill a lot better and pump (泵送) a lot more blood during exercise.” But the hearts of those who participated in less intense exercise didn’t change, he says.
“The sweet spot in life to start exercising, if you haven’t already, is in late middle age when the heart still has flexibility,” Levine says. “We put healthy 70-year-olds through a yearlong exercise training program, and nothing happened to them at all.”
Dr. Nieca Goldberg, a spokeswoman for the American Heart Association, says Levine’s findings are a great start. But the study was small and needs to be repeated with far larger groups of people to determine exactly which aspects of an exercise routine make the biggest difference.
1. What does Levine want to explain by mentioning the rubber band?| A．The right way of exercising. | B．The causes of a heart attack. |
| C．The difficulty of keeping fit. | D．The aging process of the heart. |
| A．Diet plan. | B．Professional background. |
| C．Exercise type. | D．Previous physical condition. |
| A．Middle-aged hearts get younger with aerobic exercise. |
| B．High-intensity exercise is more suitable for the young. |
| C．It is never too late for people to start taking exercise. |
| D．The more exercise we do, the stronger our hearts get. |
| A．Making use of the findings. | B．Interviewing the study participants. |
| C．Conducting further research. | D．Clarifying the purpose of the study. |
10 . Human bodies were actually designed for walking, a wonderful form of exercise at no cost. It’s kind to our bodies and great for our waistlines.
Probably you already love to walk, but you’re getting bored of tracing the same old route day after day, or maybe you’re new to walking and aren’t sure how to get started.
Call up your friends and schedule walks with them if socializing is your aim.
From the benefits to your heart to your overall happiness, walking is just plain good for you.
| A．This month, pick up a map and start walking. |
| B．Ask your friends where they like to walk and just go there. |
| C．You may as well consider heading to a new city for a change. |
| D．Either way, it’s time to accept the idea of walking with a purpose. |
| E．Recently, science has proved that walking is good for your body shape. |
| F．And best of all, it’s a great way to see new things and meet new people! |
| G．If you’re after walking alone, ask about local hikes that get you away from the crowd. |
