1 . Do you want to go to play some basketball in between hitting the books? Doctors are starting to find more and more information that suggests a connection between exercise and brain development.

Judy Cameron, a scientist at Oregon Health and Science University, studies brain development, According to her research, it seems that exercise can make blood vessels (血管), including those in the brain, stronger and more fully developed. Dr. Cameron is sure that this allows people who exercise to think better. As she says, “While we already know that exercise is good for the heart, exercise can actually cause physical changes in the brain.”

The effects of exercise on brain development can even be seen in babies, Babies who often do activities show greater brain development than babies who are less physically active. Even a little movement can show big results. Margaret Barnes, a scientist, also believes in the importance of exercise. She thinks that many learning disabilities that children have in primary school or high school can result from a lack of movement as babies.

Older people can develop their brains as well. Cornell University studied a group of seniors who have a short-term memory increase of up to 40 percent after exercising just three hours a week. Also, exercise for older people should not be too simple. Learning some new skills or actions, such as with yoga or tai-chi, helps to open up memory paths in the brain that may not have been used for a long time. For most people, any type of physical activity that increases the heart rate is helpful. The main aim is to increase the brain’s flow of blood. And your brain can benefit from as little as two to three hours of exercise a week.

1. What is the main idea of this text?

A．How to exercise every week.	B．How exercise makes people strong.
C．How exercise helps the brain develop.	D．How the brain can change one’s memory.

2. According to the text, what is the connection between exercise and brain development?

A．Exercise helps soften our blood vessels.	B．Physical exercise helps us think better.
C．The brain needs special mental exercise.	D．The more exercise, the bigger the brain.

3. Why is yoga suggested for seniors?

A．It can be done in groups.	B．It does good to the bones of old people.
C．It does not increase the heart rate.	D．It includes learning new skills.

4. Why is making the heart rate increase is useful through physical activities?

A．It can improve the brain’s flow of blood.	B．It can slow down the brain’s flow of blood.
C．It can change older people’s mood for the better.	D．It can make seniors forget previous terrible things.

2 . When it comes to being fit and healthy, we’re often reminded to aim to walk 10,000 steps per day. This can annoy many, especially when we’re busy with work and other commitments—and yet where did this number actually come from?

The 10,000 steps a day target seems to have come about from a trade name pedometer sold in 1965 by Yamasa Clock in Japan. The device was called ”Manpo-kei“, which translates to ”10,000 steps meter“. This was a marketing tool for the device and has seemed to have stuck across the world as the daily step target. It’s even included in daily activity targets by popular smartwatches, such as Fitbit.

Research has since investigated the 10,000 steps a day target. But while some research has shown health benefits at 10,000 steps, recent research from Harvard Medical School has shown that, on average, around 4,400 steps a day is enough to significantly lower the risk of death in women. This was when compared to only walking around 2,700 steps daily. The more steps people walked, the lower their risk of dying was, before leveling off at around 7,500 steps a day. No additional benefits were seen with more steps. Although it’s uncertain whether similar results would be seen in men, it’s one example of how moving a little bit more daily can improve health and lower risk of death.

Recent research at the University of Texas has also demonstrated that if you’re walking fewer than 5,000 steps a day, your body is less able to metabolize(新陈代谢)fat the following day. A buildup of fat in the body can also increase a person’s likelihood of developing cardiovascular disease and diabetes. This is further supported by previous research which shows people who walked less than 4,000 steps a day could not change this decreased fat metabolism.

If you want to increase how many steps you get daily, or simply want to move more, one easy way includes walking to work if possible, or taking part of an online exercise program if you’re working from home. Meeting with friends for a walk—rather than in a cafe or pub—can also be useful.

1. What can we know about the 10,000 steps per day in paragraph 1?

A．It is likely to go out of style quickly.

B．It is a rising tendency of mental health.

C．It is effective in reducing pressure on work.

D．It is an upsetting target to achieve.

2. What does research from the Harvard Medical School suggest about the 10,000 steps a day target?

A．It matters as much as 7,500 steps a day.

B．The more steps, the lower risk of death.

C．About half that target appears to be beneficial to women.

D．A bit more than the target can improve health.

3. What does the fourth paragraph mainly tell us?

A．Problems of less daily walking.

B．Recent findings of fat buildup.

C．Absence of previous research.

D．Possible causes of physical challenges.

4. Which of the following is one of the suggested ways according to the passage?

A．Working at home if possible.

B．Treating friends in a cafe or pub.

C．Driving to work from home.

D．Signing up for online exercise programs.