1 . Running is often tiring and a lot of hard work, but nothing beats the feeling you get after finishing a long workout around the track.
But while it’s long been believed that endorphins (内啡肽) —chemicals in the body that cause happiness—are behind the so-called “runner’s high”, a study suggested that there may be more to this phenomenon than we previously knew.
According to a recent study published by a group of scientists from several German universities, a group of chemicals called endocannabinoids (内源性大麻素) may actually be responsible for this familiar great feeling.
To test this theory, the scientists turned to mice. Both mice and humans release high levels of endorphins and endocannabinoids after exercise. After exercising on running wheels, the mice seemed happy and relaxed and displayed no signs of anxiety. But after being given a drug to block their endorphins, the mice’s behavior didn’t seem to change. However, when their endocannabinoids were blocked with a different drug, their runners’ high symptoms seemed to fade.
“The long-held notion of endorphins being responsible for the runner’s high is false. Endorphins are effective pain relievers, but only when it comes to the pain in your body and muscles you feel after working out,” Patrick Lucas Austin wrote on science blog Lifchacker.
Similar studies are yet to be carried out on humans, but it’s already known that exercise is a highly effective way to get rid of stress or anxiety. The UK’s National Health Service even prescribes (开药 方) exercise to patients who are suffering from depression. “Being depressed can leave you feeling low in energy, which might put you off being more active. Regular exercise can improve your mood if you have depression, and its especially useful for people with mild to moderate (中等的) depression,” it wrote on its website.
It seems like nothing can beat that feeling we get after a good workout, even if we don’t fully understand where it comes from. At least if we’re feeling down, we know that all we have to do is to put on our running shoes.
1. What did scientists from German universities recently discover?| A．Working out is a highly effective way to treat depression. |
| B．The runner’s high could be caused by endocannabinoids. |
| C．Endorphins may contribute to one’s high spirits after running. |
| D．The level of endorphins and endocannabinoids could affect one’s mood. |
| A．To find what reduces the runner’s high symptoms. |
| B．To see the specific symptoms of the runner’s high. |
| C．To identify what is responsible for the runner’s high. |
| D．To test what influences the level of endocannabinoids released. |
| A．Effect. | B．Goal. | C．Opinion. | D．Question |
| A．They can help ease depression symptoms. |
| B．They are the best way to treat depression. |
| C．They only work for those with serious depression. |
| D．They can help people completely recover from depression. |
2 . Do you like to keep fit? We’re always told that regular exercise is good for our body and mind. More and more people are taking up activities that improve their fitness. But is there a risk that some of us might get obsessed (着迷的) and overdo it?
Well, for some people, fitness has become an obsession as they aim for perfection. And fitness trackers and apps can add to this addiction, especially if someone is driven by achievement and perfectionism. And sharing data on social media means exercising becomes public and competitive, which could cause problems in someone who is vulnerable (脆弱的). Experts say this can lead to a medical condition called orthorexia nervosa, or addiction to healthy eating and over-exercise. Untreated, it can lead to malnutrition and mental health problems.
Too much exercise can also take its toll on someone’s physical health as well. Symptoms of over-exercising include injuries such as a broken leg and a low immune system. So how much exercise is too much? Researches found the ideal pace to jog was about eight kilometers per hour-and that it was best to jog no more than three times a week or for 2.5 hours in total, showing that moderate jogging is possibly more beneficial than being inactive or undertaking strenuous (剧烈的) jogging.
If you’re more of a couch potato than a runner, this might sound like good news. But for amateur (业余的) athletes who can’t help but push their bodies to the limit, the advice from Martin Turner, a sports and exercise psychologist, is, “It’s all about letting go, not being obsessed, learning not to control everything, saying, ‘You don’t need to be perfect.’”
1. What is the main reason for people’s addiction to over-exercise according to paragraph 2?| A．Their need for social support. |
| B．Their addiction to fitness apps. |
| C．Their pursuit(追求)of perfectionism. |
| D．Their concern over health issues. |
| A．Going hand in hand. |
| B．Having a bad effect. |
| C．Making little difference. |
| D．Playing an important role. |
| A．The risk of fitness obsession. |
| B．The importance of mental health. |
| C．The benefits of moderate jogging. |
| D．The symptoms of over-exercising. |
| A．Fiction. | B．Lifestyle. | C．Culture. | D．News |
3 . Physical education, or gym class, isn’t required for all high school students. In some schools, it isn’t offered for some different reasons. But should high school students have physical education? The answer is certainly “yes”.
Today many people don’t do sports. But as is known to all, doing sports is very important for an adult. Teaching teens the importance of a healthy lifestyle and making fitness plans now can help teens put exercise in the first place as an adult.
High school isn’t that easy. Many students are under a lot of stress. Stress can be harmful to a student’s studies and life. Doing sports can help them deal with stress better, helping them live a happier life at school.
The American Heart Association says that 10 million kids and teens suffer from obesity (肥胖症). Teens should get 60 minutes of physical activity per day to control their weight and to help their bones get stronger.
The increase in activities that don’t get teens to move around, such as video games and computer activities, means many teens don’t get their required exercise. Physical education classes act as a public health measure to encourage activity and help teens have healthy weights.
Inactivity increases teens’ risk of developing many diseases. An active lifestyle offers a good way of protection from these health problems. As much as 75 percent of health-care spending goes toward treating medical conditions that can be hindered by lifestyle changes, according to the American College of Sports Medicine.
According to the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition (PCFSN), students who performed five hours of physical activity each week improved their academic (学业的) performance. Students from programs with no physical activity, who used the extra time for classroom study, did not perform better on tests than those who gave up some study time in support of physical education.
1. According to Paragraph 2, what does physical education in high school mean?| A．Helping teens learn to make good plans. |
| B．Removing the stress faced by teens at school. |
| C．Getting teens to encourage adults to exercise. |
| D．Making teens attach importance to exercise later. |
| A．Measured. | B．Shown. | C．Prevented. | D．Caused. |
| A．Helping students do better in their studies. |
| B．Helping students make good use of all their time. |
| C．Helping students adjust to their studies better. |
| D．Making students choose between sports and studies. |
| A．How high school students can live a better life. |
| B．Why high school students should receive physical education. |
| C．Why some schools consider physical education important. |
| D．How schools can help students love doing sports. |
| A．Twice a month. | B．Twice a week. | C．Four times a week. |
5 . With the cold weather drawing nearer, few people will choose swimming as a daily or usual activity.
Good for your brain.
Swimming is one of the best activities you can do all year round, which benefits your body and your mind. Swimming has been found to increase blood flow to the brain, which leads to more oxygen.
Work your muscles.
Every time you swim, it is like doing a mini-resistance workout. Each kicks and pull works your muscles more than you could imagine, especially your arms, shoulders and gluteus — the muscles that are inactive all day when you’re sitting at your desk.
Lift your spirits.
While swimming is an individual sport, it is also very social. You can meet people from all walks of life when swimming. Have a chat in the lap pool, join a swimming club or get involved in social water sports to get to know people in your community. Besides, the great thing about swimming is that you can do it — rain or shine. Although your backyard pool, the river or beach cools down over winter, most inside swimming pools run heated pools year round, so you’ve got no excuse to stop swimming.
| A．Benefit your body. |
| B．Meet new people. |
| C．These chemicals can control your thought and action. |
| D．Swimming also works your abs (腹肌) and will reduce your waist line. |
| E．Exercise gives off chemicals in your body called endorphins (内啡肽). |
| F．And that means you’re experiencing better memory and sharp mind. |
| G．However, swimming in winter is of great benefit in cold days. |
This global site is a place for runners
Li Yue was born with asthma and he never thought he
It’s becoming clear that nature nurtures (培养) your body, mind and soul.
In 2003, researchers at the University of Essex invented the term “Green Exercise”,
“In an analysis of the entire population of England, it was found that the odds of hospitalization (住院几率) for heart disease and stroke are lower among adults
For those confined to a bed, a window can do wonders for your wellbeing: a study in 1984 revealed that hospital
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Safe, accessible green spaces make exercise
Whether picnicking or park running, being with people brings its own set of benefits. Studies show it is loneliness
8 . These days, videos of “ diving grandpas” from north China’s Tianjin are popular on the Internet. In the videos, they jumped off the Shizilin Bridge into the 7-meter-deep Haihe River. However, on Wednesday, they announced that they would give up the sport.
With an average age of 60, the diving grandpas have much experience in diving. They started as a group of local diving lovers. They went swimming in the city’s rivers, and later they tried their hand at diving. The hobby has now lasted for more than thirty years.
Videos on the Internet have drawn lots of tourists from across the country to the Shizilin Bridge over the Haihe River, where “diving grandpas” perform diving. However, some inexperienced divers, trying to follow“ diving grandpas”, have met with accidents and got themselves injured. Some of the grandpas have begun volunteering to keep order for the crowds that come to see the performance on the bridge. However, accidents still continued to happen. As reported, members of the Blue Sky Rescue team in Tianjin said that they rescued 14 people at the risk of drowning or other injury in just two days.
The grandpas then made a difficult decision. They stopped diving off the bridge. They also prevented inexperienced locals and children as well as tourists from diving from the bridge . The grandpas welcomed the tourists to Tianjin, especially pointing out the other great places of interest and delicious food around the Shizilin Bridge.
1. What can we learn from Paragraph 2?| A．The diving grandpas made a living by diving. |
| B．The diving grandpas came from all over China. |
| C．The diving grandpas made diving a life-long hobby. |
| D．The diving grandpas began diving when they were little. |
| A．The weather became colder. |
| B．They were too old to carry out the task. |
| C．The bridge was too crowded with tourists. |
| D．They hoped to prevent accidents from happening. |
| A．Kind and honest |
| B．Energetic and warm-hearted |
| C．Brave and talented |
| D．Outgoing and optimistic |
| A．Diving became a popular activity in Tianjin. |
| B．Diving without guidance may cause injury or death. |
| C．“Diving grandpas” helped speed up tourism in Tianjin. |
| D．“Diving grandpas” gave up diving for tourists’ safety. |
| A. allowing B. avoidable C. briefly D. part E. principle F. research G. increasingly H. lowest I. maintain J. maximum K. prevent |
Walking, if you do it vigorously enough, is the overall best exercise for regular physical activity. It requires no equipment, everyone knows how to do it and it carries the
Strength training is another important
Finally, flexibility and balance training are
10 . After having a child, I found my regular exercise interrupted. I was not only busy, but I also lacked the motivation. Solo gym sessions or some quick
Look over my travel arrangements before I left. I scanned phrases such as “3-hour hike
However, as we made our way through the forests and were
Experts confirm my experience: Group exercise can really start a new attitude toward fitness. “People get a better
With the support of a group, I’m slowly getting back into a
| A．summary | B．addition | C．exercise | D．lecture |
| A．contribute to | B．appeal to | C．cater to | D．object to |
| A．trip | B．voyage | C．award | D．speech |
| A．acting | B．flying | C．studying | D．moving |
| A．across | B．over | C．through | D．beyond |
| A．convinced | B．disappointed | C．delighted | D．worried |
| A．rewarded | B．crowded | C．covered | D．equipped |
| A．begged | B．forced | C．permitted | D．inspired |
| A．summit | B．foot | C．destination | D．waterfall |
| A．that | B．which | C．where | D．when |
| A．position | B．workout | C．income | D．diet |
| A．business | B．career | C．flight | D．fitness |
| A．offer | B．consume | C．receive | D．ignore |
| A．natural | B．traditional | C．practical | D．social |
| A．wealthier | B．healthier | C．higher | D．richer |
