Bicycles have long been     1    (use) for transportation in China. Cycling     2     can be done individually as well     3     in groups has     4    (large) been free from restrictions.

But recently, cycling-the activity or sport of riding a bicycle for exercise-     5    (become) popular among the country’s urban middle class. The pandemic has played     6     part in cycling’s growing popularity as officials moved quickly to close some businesses,     7    (include) gymnasiums.

“With the pandemic... it seems to be the only way for us     8    (run) away from the terrible city life...” a cyclist Yang Lan said, adding, “What you are investing in is     9    (you) own body and a very good workout habit.” Increasing demand and worldwide supply chain problems mean that people wanting to buy bicycles must wait     10    (week) or months to get one.

Slow movements, calming thoughts and deep breathing —— this is the Chinese art of Tai Chi. People     1     (practice) it for hundreds of years, and it helps improve strength. According to     2     new study, researchers point out it is also known     3     (reduce) the effects of Parkinson’s disease by several years. Parkinson’s disease,    4     influences the brain, leads to shaking and difficulty in speaking and     5     (move).

To find out more, researchers from the Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine     6    (careful) observed a group of 330 people with Parkinson’s at     7     (differ) times. One group of 143 people did Tai Chi twice a week for one hour,    8     the other group of 187 people didn’t. The results were published in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery in October 2023. They showed that the progression (进展) of the disease was slower in the group that did Tai Chi     9     in the group that didn’t. This group also had better balance and movement, and less back pain. Based on these results, they said that Tai Chi can be used to help keep Parkinson’s     10    (patient) active.

An intrepid (无畏的) group of elderly individuals in northern China’s Tianjin has recently sparked both     1     (curious) and concern with their unique approach to the sport of diving.

The spirited seniors have turned the Shizilin Bridge on the Haihe River     2     a stage for their aquatic acrobatics,     3     (leave) both residents and tourists spellbound. Videos of their daredevil diving acts     4     (pass) around on social media platforms.

The bridge stands about 6 metres above the surface of the river, with the depth of water     5     (be) around 7 metres according to the divers most of     6     are over 60 years old. The elderly divers have become hugely popular for their signature moves which often include bold opening statements with dollops of humour before the daring plunge. Amid     7     orchestra of gasps (倒吸气) and applause, they perform their impressive array of flips (空翻) and jumps, each with a style     8     (unique) their own.

The fun sport seems     9     (play) a significant role in Tianjin’s tourism. Attractions that are in close proximity to the bridge have experienced a substantial increase in their online     10     (expose). Social media posts on the nearby Italian Style Street saw a staggering 51. 8 percent jump, data showed.

Since the outbreak of the COVID pandemic, home workouts     1     (grow) more and more popular in China, experts say. Recently, Liu Genghong, a singer and fitness coach from Taiwan, has     2     (surprising) become an online hit for livestreaming (网络直播) workouts from his living room. Liu’s workout sessions are so popular     3     they have broken Douyin’s livestreaming record for 2022 so far.

On video-sharing platform Douyin, Liu appears with his wife Wang Wanfei, even     4     Saturdays for a 90-minute workout. They exercise and dance to up-beat songs while     5     (explain) and showing their moves. One of his most-watched     6     (routine) is set to “Herbalist Manual”, a fast-paced tune of Jay Chou,     7     is Liu’s best friend and a popular singer among young people.

Simple moves, fast-paced rhythms and energetic coaching, some fans say Liu’s workouts are    8     (good) than other forms of exercise. Some young girl fans even call     9     (they) “Liu Genghong girls”. However, although Liu’s dance moves look simple, for some of his audience they are too strong     10     (follow). Therefore, experts also warn that warming up and stretching all muscles and ligaments (韧带) before exercising are necessary.

What are the Olympic Games?

The modern Olympic Games, also called the Olympics, are     1     international athletic competition of sporting events between athletes representing their country.

There are two related but separate events     2     (call) the Olympic Games,     3     are usually called the Winter Olympics and the Summer Olympics. The Winter Games feature winter sports,     4     (include) figure skating, skiing, snowboarding, and many others. The Summer Games feature traditionally warm weather and indoor sports, like track and field, swimming, and basketball, among many others.

The Olympic Games are sometimes referred to as the Olympiad or the Games of the Olympiad, often with the number of the current event. For example, the Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo will be known as the Games of the XXXII Olympiad. The event is also     5     (common) referred to with the name of the host city, as in the Tokyo Olympics. Athletes who compete     6     the Olympic Games are called Olympians.

At the Olympic Games, the top three finishers in each event     7     (award) Olympic medals: gold for first place, silver for     8     (two) place, and bronze for third place. Because the Olympic Games often feature the     9    (good) athletes in the world, winning a medal-or even competing-in them is considered one of the highest athletic     10     (achieve).

As new technologies continue to revolutionize (变革) the world of sport, e-fitness (电子健身) is emerging as a trendy lifestyle. Lu Xiangyu is an     1     (employ) working for an Internet company.     2     (be) busy at work, she has no choice but to do her exercise late in the evening when her son is sleeping. To her delight, many fitness apps are now available for her to do     3     wide range of physical exercises such as muscle strengthening and stretching. The advantage of these apps is that users can exercise anywhere and at any time for busy people     4     Lu.

"Compared to traditional gyms, apps minimize geographical and time constraints (约束), keeping pace with the changes in the way of life of this technology generation," said He Wenyi, Deputy Director of the Peking University Sports Industry Research Center.

The COVID-19 pandemic has given a boost to the apps, with more and more people turning to e-fitness. According to a report     5     (publish) by the China Sporting Goods Federation, 37 percent of Chinese consumers     6     (choose) to exercise at home in 2020. Keep, one of the most popular apps, had 200 million users last year. Today,     7     (thank) to the new technologies, the sport is proving to be more flexible, smart, personalized and interactive whether for specific sports events     8     for fitness in general.

As for e-fitness, there is still a long way to get to perfection. Furthermore, with the help of artificial intelligence and deep learning, the smart sports equipment     9     (expect) to offer more accurate information, making training more     10     (effect).

At the age of 21, Chris Nikic became the first person with Down syndrome to complete the Ironman triathlon, which consisted of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride and a 26.2-mile run. The very thought would be enough     1    (put) off those in the greatest physical condition. However, by completing    2    challenge in 14 minutes under the official cut-off time, this sporting hero set a Guinness World Record.

This    3    (impress) accomplishment was made possible thanks to the loving guidance of Nikic’s father, Nik. While     4    (raise) Nikic, Nik was worried about his son’s inactive lifestyle, thus giving him the task of becoming 1%     5    (fit) every day. And the first step    6     (achieve) with a single push-up.

Now, three years later, Nikic has gathered much    7    (strong) and determination to really push his body to the limits. Considering those with Down syndrome have to fight varying physical and learning disabilities, Nikic’s accomplishment is another example of    8    people with this condition overcome barriers and achieve success. The key for him is resilience.

Nikic isn’t stopping there. He has set new goals for 2021, including the plan to participate    9    the special Olympics in Orlando, Florida in 2022. Undoubtedly, with his family, friends and followers by his side, Nikic     10    (continue) to set new records.