When movie star Scarlett Johansson was photographed naming in Los Angeles recently, she attracted a lot of attention; for the 27-year-old actress was wearing Vibram FiveFingers, so called because they look more like gloves than shoes, with a space for each toe.
Strange though they may look, these so-called barefoot shoes, which reproduce the effect of barefoot running but with less pain, are just one brand in a range of minimalist footwear. These super-thin sports shoes are causing a stir in the world of running and fitness. Why? Because some experts believe they could make you a better, more efficient runner and that traditional trainers could be doing you more harm than good.
"Wearing a shoe that has lots of cushioning and support affects the way your body naturally moves and studies suggest that this carries a higher risk of injury," explains Matt Wallden, an athlete performance expert. "But with barefoot shoes, the foot can actually feel the firmness and shape of the ground, which allows your body to respond effectively.'"
But before you rush out to invest in minimalist footwear, be careful. These kinds of shoes are not meant for everyone, or at least not straight away.
"Ordinary sports shoes with support are good for beginners whose bodies are not used to the impact of running," explains Patrick Davoren, former Olympic athlete. "If you are not in great condition, then running in minimalist footwear may cause injuries and will turn a lot of people off exercise and running.
If you are currently injured, and figures show that in any given year 65% of all runners are, it can be tempting to try anything that promises to get you back on the road, trail, or beach. But barefoot running is not a method of treating injury nor is it a magical way of suddenly turning you into a great athlete.
Even if you're used to running, when you start using minimalist shoes you should build up your distance gradually. Start_off'by doing just 10% of what you'd normally run and increase the distance by no more than 10% every week. And a word of warning - you may never have soft feet againThe Vibram FiveFingers are shoes ______.
| A．specifically designed for women |
| B．that have lots of cushion inside |
| C．safest for people who enjoy sports |
| D．that are much thinner than normal sports shoes |
The underlined word "they" in paragraph 2 refers to ________.
| A．experts | B．feet | C．shoes | D．runners |
According to Matt Wallden, the new shoes ________.
| A．make feet more sensitive to the running surface |
| B．will produce immediate improvements |
| C．force your body to move less naturally |
| D．increase the chances of getting hurt |
The author suggests that new users of Vibram FiveFingers should ________.
| A．run in the shoes every day at top speed |
| B．begin with a shorter running distance than normal |
| C．occasionally run barefooted to harden their feet |
| D．make sure they are already very fit before using them |
Where would you probably read this article?
| A．A travel book. | B．A movie website. |
| C．A sports magazine. | D．A science journal. |
I’m trying to be a writer, but I can’t even start. What should I do?
Abraham, Nebraska
There are many ways to come up with ideas, one of which is to write down a list of your experiences, as well as things from your imagination. When you want to write, look in the notebook for ideas.
Books for writers often have good suggestions, too. One we like is Spilling Ink: A Yong Writer’s Handbook by Anne Mazer and Ellen Potter. Perhaps your library has it.
My classmates keep asking about a new movie I’ve seen. But I don’t want to spoil it for them. What should I do?
Corinne (by e-mail)
You could ask your classmates whether they are sure they want to know and if they insist, go ahead and tell them. You may be able to give them a general idea of the movie without revealing details of the ending.
I’m going to a soccer camp for youth, but I’m not sure if I’m good at soccer or if I’ll make friends.
Louise, New Hampshire
Soccer camp is for people who share an interest in the sport. No matter what a person’s ability is at the beginning, it’s likely that everyone will leave camp with improved skills.
Sharing a common interest may make conversations easier. Smile, be friendly, and have a sense of humor. Before long, you may find that you’ve made some good friends.
Someone invited me to a birthday party. When I got there, kids were doing stuff I’m not interested in, like watching scary movies. I told them my mom would pick me up, so I just left. Was I rude for doing that?
Sam (by e-mail)
You just did the right thing and that isn’t being rude.
We hope you’ll talk with your parents about this. They’re probably proud of what you did. They may have other suggestions for you, too. Talk about different situations that might come up and what would be the best way to handle (处理) them.Who is interested in Spilling Ink: A Yong Writer’s Handbook?
| A．Corinne. | B．Louise. |
| C．Abraham. | D．Sam. |
What can we learn about the soccer camp?
| A．The practice is hard but interesting. |
| B．It is difficult to make friends in the camp. |
| C．The camp only wants people who are new to soccer. |
| D．One’s skills can be improved when leaving the camp. |
The answer to Sam’s question shows what Sam did is _____.
| A．funny | B．strange |
| C．foolish | D．smart |
This purpose of the text is to _____.
| A．give advice | B．tell stories |
| C．find friends | D．share interests |
Jason had been watching the X Games on TV. Athletes from all over the world were competing in the most amazing sports. Just then his grandmother walked into the room. “I want to be extreme. Would you really let me do that? You always worry about my safety!” said Jason.
“You will have to follow some rules,” said his grandmother. “You can only ride in the park — never on the streets. You have to promise to wear a helmet (头盔). If you hurt yourself too much, I have the right to take your skateboard away. Is it a deal?”
“You bet!” Jason was so excited that he jumped off the sofa. A week later he had a board and a helmet.
On Saturday, his grandmother dropped him off near the park. He was happy to have a grandmother who let him try new things.
Kids in the park were moving quickly up and down the ramps (坡道). They flew into the air and landed as easily as birds. When he watched the X games, Jason felt like he was doing the tricks himself. But watching these kids up close, he knew that none of it was going to be easy. He felt a little bit scared.
Very slowly he carried his board to the ramp. Taking a deep breath, he put his right foot on the board. He kicked off with his left foot. For a few seconds he glided (滑行) along, just waiting to fall. Then he came to a stop. Kicking off again, he waited for the worst to happen. Again, he stayed up. The third time he kicked, lost his balance, and fell hard on his left knee.
It hurt, but it was no big deal! Why had he been so scared? Now he felt calm because things had gone wrong, and he was fine!
Next time he kicked off harder and went fast and farther. “Excellent!” said a girl as she passed him. “Extreme!” laughed Jason to himself. “Not quite.”Jason’s grandmother agreed to let him try skateboarding unless _____.
| A．he finished his homework |
| B．he liked the sport |
| C．he observed some rules |
| D．he won a bet |
Jason jumped off the sofa because _____.
| A．he was allowed to go skateboarding |
| B．he was angry at his grandmother |
| C．he was going to play outside |
| D．he was given a board and a helmet |
After watching the kids skateboarding in the park, Jason felt skateboarding was _____.
| A．easy | B．difficult |
| C．boring | D．exciting |
The girl praised Jason for his _____.
| A．skill | B．honesty |
| C．courage | D．kindness |
One night in February 1962, John H. Glenn. Jr., flew over Australia. The man in the Mercury(水星) capsule（宇宙飞行容器）was alone, but friendly voices reached him by radio. On the dark land 100 miles below, he saw a sprinkling of light. They marked the city of Perth, where people had turned on their lights as a greeting to him.
In Friendship7, Glenn radioed, “ The lights show up very well. Thank for everybody for turning them on.” His capsule raced on to the east.
During his three orbits（绕……轨道而行） of the earth, Glenn could always reach one of eighteen tracking stations. Some of them were on ship at sea. Others were in the United States.
Many of the stations had been built with the help of other countries. These countries allowed Americans to bring in radio equipment and set it up. Without the help of such lands as Nigeria（尼日利亚）, Zanzibar（尚巴西，坦桑尼亚领土的一部分）, and Mexico, there would have been breaks in the worldwide radio network.
John H. Glenn. Jr., was the first America to orbit the earth. For his flight, the tracking network（跟踪网络） covered 60,000 route miles. Five hundred men worked in the stations along the route. Since his flight, the network has grown. Today, it covers more than 100,000 route miles and has about one hundred stations. One-third of these stations are outside of the United States.This passage is mainly about .
| A．talking to ships at sea around the world |
| B．breaks in the worldwide network |
| C．the first American to orbit the earth |
| D．a satellite which fell into the ocean |
From the passage we can see that .
| A．Friendship7 stopped in Perth, Australia |
| B．all tracking stations are inside the United States |
| C．radio equipment is important in space flight |
| D．many people could see Glenn in his capsule when he made the flight |
During his flight Glenn could always .
| A．see lights turned on on the ground |
| B．reach ships at sea |
| C．reach one of the tracking stations |
| D．arrive at Mercury in his Friendship7 |
Why did people in Perth turn on the lights?
| A．They wanted guide him to land. |
| B．It was too dark for them to see in the room. |
| C．They wanted to see the Friendship7. |
| D．They wanted to greet Glenn. |
Which of the following is not true?
| A．Countries must work together to track satellites. |
| B．There are now about 70 tracking stations in the United States. |
| C．The tracking network covers many more route miles now than before. |
| D．Nobody has orbited the earth besides Glenn. |
These are some signs that you can see on the roads of Great Britain.
Number one is a sign with the number thirty on it. When drivers see this sign they must not go at more than thirty miles an hour. We see this sign when we get to parts of the country where there are many houses and other buildings, for example, when we are getting near a town. Thirty miles an hour is the speed limit. Number two is sign for the end of the speed limit. We are out of the town now and may go at more than thirty miles an hour. Number three is a sign that we are near a crossroads, that is, a place where two roads cross. We must drive carefully. Number four is a sign that there is a bend in the road. Again, we must drive slowly and carefully. Number five is a sign that there is a hill and number six is a sign that the roads get narrow. Drivers must go slowly and carefully. Number seven has the word “school” on it. This is a sign that there is a school at the side of a street or road. Perhaps there are children going to school or leaving school. So drivers must look carefully and go slowly until they are past the school building.
Number eight is a sign with the letter P on it. The letter P is for “parking.” A parking place is a place where drivers may leave their cars. If the driver of a car wants to leave his car and go to the shops, he looks for this sign. Then he knows that he may leave his or her car there.Who will most probably read the passage?
| A．People who drive badly. | B．People who are learning to drive. |
| C．People who drive well. | D．People who drive carelessly. |
When a driver sees the sign number one, he must .
| A．always go at 30 miles an hour |
| B．go at more that 30 miles an hour |
| C．not go at more than 30 miles an hour |
| D．stop |
A driver must drive carefully when he gets to .
| A．a bend | B． a crossroads |
| C． a narrow road | D． all of them |
If a driver wants to leaves his car and go to the shops, .
| A．he can leave his car anywhere |
| B．he can leave his car at the gate of any shop |
| C．he must look for the sign with the letter P on it |
| D．he can leave his car at the side of the street. |
Now , you—three drivers are driving side by side along the road, if you see the No. six sign, you have to _______.
| A．drive along one after one because the road is not wide enough |
| B．drive more slowly because of the speed limit |
| C．drive more carefully because school children maycrossthe road |
| D．drive slowly because you have got to drive uphill |
Thomas Edison was one of ten said to be the greatest genius of his age. There are only a few men in all of the history, who have changed the lives of other men as much as the inventor of the first useful electric light. But Edison could never be happy only because someone said he was a genius.“ There is no such thing as genius,” Edison said. He said that what people called genius was mostly hard work.
But Edison was a dreamer as well as a worker.. From his earliest days as a child he wondered about the secrets of nature. Nature , he often said ,is full of secrets. He tried to understand them; then , he tried to learn what could usefully be done with them.
Edison enjoyed thinking. He knew that most people will do almost anything instead of the difficult work of thinking, especially if they do not think very often. But he knew, too, that thinking can give men enjoyment and pleasure.
Edison could not understand how anyone could be uninterested in life. As he loved to think, he also loved to work. On the day he became 75 years old, someone asked him what ideas he had about life. “ Work,” he answered. “Discovering the secrets of nature and using them to make men happier.” He said he had enough inventions in his mind to give him another 100 years of work.Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．Edison invented the electric light. |
| B．Many other people have changed Edison’s life. |
| C．Edison has changed the life of many other people. |
| D．Few men in history can change other people’s life. |
Edison thought .
| A．he could be happy if he was a genius |
| B．genius plays the most important part in one’s success |
| C．hard work could do better than genius |
| D．genius could do better than hard work |
Edison was .
| A．very much interested in nature |
| B．interested in discovering the secrets of nature |
| C．interested in changing people’s ideas |
| D．uninterested in making people happier by discovering the secrets of nature |
In Edison’s opinion, .
| A．thinking can supply people with enjoyment and pleasure as well as help |
| B．people’s success lies mostly in genius |
| C．hard work is the second important thing in making people successful |
| D．there are few secrets for him to discover later |
The last sentence in the passage most probably implies .
| A．life is too short for Edison to invent more for human beings |
| B．Edison made 100 inventions in his life |
| C．Edison was able to live and work for 100 years |
| D．People of his time were ready to give Edison another 100 years’ work |