Long-term tai chi exercise can be used as a treatment for patients suffering from early-stage Parkinson’s disease(帕金森病), said a research team from Shanghai.

Parkinson’s is     1     progressive and disabling disease of the nervous system, resulting in slowness of movement, uncontrollable arm and leg shakes and muscle inflexibility.     2     is predicted that there     3    (be)nearly 5 million Parkinson’s sufferers in China by 2030. Doctors say patients face problems with current treatments, including some side effects     4    (cause)by long-term medication, and the limited     5    (improve)of patients’ well-being.

In the research,     6     began in 2016, a total of 143 participants trained with coaches twice a week and practiced     7    (regular)at home. Their conditions     8    (compare)with a 187-patient control group. Evaluations of patients in the two groups showed differences in their yearly levels of disease progression, and the patients     9    (practice)tai chi also needed less medical treatment in terms of both drugs and deep-brain stimulus.

Tai chi has been pursued as a treatment for Parkinson’s since 2012 with the specific benefits of long-term practice now     10    (far)clarified by the Shanghai study.

Walking more than 2,200 steps a day could reduce our risk of heart disease and early death, even if we spend the rest of the day     1     (sit) down. That’s according to a study     2     (publish) in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

Researchers looked at data from more than 72,000 people in the UK, with     3     average age of 61. Previous studies have linked time spent sitting with early death and heart disease, and walking is known     4     (decrease) these risks. So the research team wanted to find out     5     walking could offset(抵消) the health risks of spending a lot of time sitting.

The study participants     6     (wear) a device on their wrist, which was able to record the     7     (step) they took and the amount of time they spent sitting or lying down. Then they     8     (track) for around seven years afterward. During this time, 1,633 participants died, and almost 6,200 had heart problems like heart attacks and strokes.

The study found that taking between 9,000 and 10,500 steps per day reduced the risk of early death     9     39%, and reduced the risk of heart disease by 21%. That’s even if people were spending a lot of time sitting.

One of the researchers, Matthew Ahmadi said the results show that “all     10     (move) matters” and anyone who has to spend a lot of time sitting should increase the number of steps they take.

Tai Chi is par of China’s traditional culture. It is a unique type of Chinese kung fu marked with slow and gentle movements    1     are designed for self-protection, strengthening of body and prevention of diseases. Tai Chi’s movements with deep breathing and relaxation can help promote inner peace and calm, so it is suitable    2     people of different ages.

Tai Chi    3    (date) back as far as 2, 500 years. It is said that Zhang Sanfeng, a 13th-century Taoist, invented Tai Chi after watching     4     fight between a snake and a bird. However, more people tend to believe that Tai Chi     5     (develop) on the basis of martial arts skills by Chen Wangting, a l7th-century master of Chinese martial arts.   

In general, it is believed that Tai Chi can slow down aging, strengthen muscles, and aid in the treatment of heart disease, skin diseases and many other    6     (illness). Besides, Tai Chi can improve mood if people are worried or depressed. According to some studies,     7    (practice) Tai Chi on a daily basis can also help people get a     8     (good) sleep. With so many benefits of Tai Chi, more and more people begin to pick up this     9     (amaze) Chinese traditional sport to improve the quality of     10     (they) life.

Despite being 75 years old, Chai Tixia’s expertise in Jianzi is truly impressive. With quick kicks, he effortlessly sends the Jianzi into the air and gracefully guides it to land    1     (gentle) on his head.

Jianzi,    2     game that dates back to the Han Dynasty, is surprisingly simple: players must keep the Jianzi in the air,    3     (use) any part of their body except their hands and arms. However, to master this game    4     (require) a lot of practice.

While enjoyed throughout China, Jianzi     5     (describe) by Chai as an important aspect of hutong culture. The narrow alleyways, situated within Beijing’s inner city, provide the setting for the game’s    6     (popular). Each mormning, Chai and his fellow hutong residents gather for their shared passion for Jianzi.

Chai’s spirited matches with his neighbors have a big audience     7     (draw) to the artistry and excitement of the game. The onlookers who watch them playing with great athleticism are amazed at     8     Chai and his fellow players can achieve.

Having practiced Jianzi for over 30 years, Chai cherishes the physical and social     9     (benefit) the game brings. Engaging in lively matches with his neighbors energizes his body, enhances his flexibility,     10     promotes unity within the community. Through Jianzi, Chai harvests not only health but a sense of belonging and friendship.

Every morning, millions of people in China do Tai Chi. It is popular    1    women and men. Tai Chi is    2     good kind of exercise for old people. It is good for the body and the mind. It is healthy and    3     (relax). Tai Chi    4    ( arise) from China. It is    5     (hundred) of years old. Tai Chi is a “soft” martial art (武术),    6     means it is slow and calm.

There are also “hard” martial arts. Shaolin Kung Fu, for example, which has a history of over 1, 500 years, is a “hard” martial art. It is fast and    7    (danger). You have to be very fit and strong    8    (do) “hard” martial arts.

In Beijing, Master Li Yu    9     (teach) Shaolin Kung Fu to thirty young students now, three of whom come from abroad. “Shaolin Kung Fu is    10     (extraordinary) difficult,” said Li Yu. “You must practise every move many times. ”

Sports like football and basketball are also popular in China. But martial arts like Tai Chi and Shaolin Kung Fu are part of Chinese culture and history.

Doing morning exercises is a daily routine in every Chinese kindergarten and school. For the grown-ups, however, familiar schoolyards have already been replaced     1     public parks.

The morning scenes in central parks around China are lively. At every corner of the park, you can also see people     2     (practise) many kinds of sports: square dancing, badminton and so on.

But the most eye-catching groups in the park are the so-called “Kung Fu Grandpas/ Grannies”,     3     videos have gone viral on the Internet. Most of them are ordinary workers from different industries who only started working out after their     4    (retire). They say age is just a number when it comes to fitness.

The     5     (benefit) of exercise are endless: a healthier body together with a slimmer figure and a     6     (happy) mood. No matter how old they are or when during the day they exercise, they will always strengthen the body.

Social connection is also     7     the elderly seek during their morning workout. Feng, who is seventy-two years old, plays Taichi every day. He     8     (keep) this exercise routine for six years and now he is managing a WeChat group of 270 members who share     9     same hobby.

“What I like about this place is that newcomers are always welcome. Everyone in the park feels     10     (include), ” said Feng. It is like a chorus of life.

As leader of a square dancing team with over 200 members, Tan Jianchang keeps     1     busy schedule. Watching Tan dance,     2     is hard to believe that she is 70.     3    (actual), most of her team members are seniors, one of     4     is more than 80 and used to be sickly and lay in bed most of the time. But her health     5    (improve) a lot since she joined the dancing team.

Besides the dancing team, more than 95 percent of people in Loudi take part in sports. The government has been playing an important role     6     the popularity of sports, from organizing     7    (activity) to encourage people to take part to investing (投资) heavily in building fitness facilities to provide places for people     8    (exercise). For example, since the city invested 2 million yuan to build a litness trail and a running track around the hill of Zhushan Park, many people have been visiting the park after dinner to run, cycle and walk.

The development of a mass fitness movement in Loudi is a microcosm (缩影) of the overall picture in China, where a     9    (grow) number of people now consider physical exercise a key part of life and the habit of exercising to stay     10    (health) has taken root.

Liu Genghong, aka Will Liu, singer and composer from Taiwan    1    (become) an online hit for livestreaming (直播) fitness routines from his home recently. One of his    2    (broadcast) and most-watched fitness routines is set to “Herbalist Manual” from Jay Chou’s Still Fantasy album. In all of his    3     (livestream), Liu and his wife appear    4    (energy), friendly, happy and super fit. They exercise and dance to up-beat songs while explaining and showing their moves, often encouraging people    5    (participate) in their own living rooms.

His    6    (popular) took off especially following a workout on April 9, during    7    the couple were seen wearing a down jacket, supposedly after their livestream was cut off    8    some unspecified reasons. “It was really hot,” Liu told domestic outlet China News,     9     (recall) the experience. “But at the time, we couldn’t find out    10    the livestream was cut off. We guessed it might be caused by a clothing issue, so we wrapped up our whole bodies in down jackets to amuse our audience.”

The Chengdu World University Games concluded on August 8 as the curtain     1     (raise) for the 15th National Fitness Day. This handover highlights the importance of both     2    (compete) sports and the general public’s     3     (pursue) of healthy lifestyles.

    4     its focus on benefiting the public and sharing the competition, the Chengdu Universiade not just made dreams come true for athletes     5     inspired enthusiasm for wellness and sports. The sports spirit left behind by the event is sure to continue benefiting the public for years     6     (come).

In recent decades, people across China     7     (participate) in a wide range of mass fitness activities to celebrate National Fitness Day. The data revealing more than 24,000 national fitness events were carried out across the country, with     8     number of participants estimated to exceed 6.5 million.

According to the National Fitness Program, the general public will enjoy more convenient physical fitness services by 2025, with full coverage of fitness     9     (facility) in counties, towns, and villages within a 15-minute walk. The program is also to offer people professional advice and a science-based policy,     10     (perfect) athletic performance with a universal standard.

Tai chi is a centuries-old Chinese martial art and an internationally popular form of exercise. It is a series of postures (姿势) and motions that develops one’s     1     (strong)and flexibility through careful, flowing movements and focused breathing. Each posture     2     (slow) transforms into another, and we gradually need to shift our weight     3     (maintain) balance. At the end, we return to the starting position: in other words, all of the movements     4     (connect) in an endless, continuous flow.

The practice of tai chi is rooted in     5     (tradition) Chinese philosophy, particularly the ancient concept of yin-yang. The tai chi symbol, or taijitu,     6     (show) yin and yang together: yin symbolizes the dark, female force in nature,     7     yang represents the bright, male force. Yin cannot exist without yang, and yang cannot exist without yin. Tai chi aims to achieve balance     8     opposites in life: yin and yang; soft and hard; mind and body, and so on. At the heart of tai chi is the concept of qi,     9     generally translates as “vital energy”. The different exercises help move the qi through your body,     10     (produce) positive effects on one’s mental and spiritual health.