You may have heard about the many benefits of yoga, but a recent New York Times story, has stirred up more than a little controversy in the yoga community.

"How Yoga Can Wreck Your Body," by science writer William J. Broad, quotes a long-time yoga teacher who "...has come to believe that 'the vast majority of people' should give up yoga altogether. It's simply too likely to cause harm." He goes on to describe a number of cases where people have been injured doing yoga, including himself.

The research in the article isn't groundbreaking: doing any form of exercise you could potentially hurt yourself. If you look at the injury rates of other physical activities, the number of injuries sustained from yoga would pale in comparison.

Practicing yoga is just like anything in life: You have to push yourself in order to grow. But you also have to know your limits and when you're breaking them. If you stick to your comfort zone, you'll never be able to increase your flexibility. If you push to the point where you're not only uncomfortable, but in real pain, you'll likely injure yourself.

The reasons that yoga causes "serious injury”, according to the Times story, range from students' physical weaknesses to inexperienced teachers pushing too hard to the growing number of inflexible "urbanites who sit in chairs all day" trying hard to twist themselves into difficult postures.

Yoga is called a "practice" for a reason. You don't have to be perfect. You don't have to tackle every pose. It doesn't matter if you can touch the floor with your palms during your first forward bend or your thousandth, or if you never get there.

We go to the mat to learn to better listen to what our bodies are telling us, and to better hear that quiet inner voice drowned out by the noise of our busy lives. It's a shame to discourage the majority of people from practicing yoga and missing out on all of the mind-body benefits that going to the mat has to offer.

1.The underlined word is best replaced by __.

A. Injure    B. Benefit    C. Push   D. Shape

2.What does author mainly want to tell us in the 3rd paragraph?

A. All physical activities are equally harmful.

B. Yoga causes much less injuries than other physical activities.

C. Similar researches have been done before.

D. Yoga, like any other form of exercise, can hurt people.

3.Which is not mentioned among the reasons for yoga being likely to cause injury?

A. Teachers lack the knowledge of students’ limits.

B. Modern lifestyle decreases our flexibility.

C. The body doesn’t tell when you are in real pain.

D. Students themselves might not be in good physical condition.

4.What is the author’s attitude towards practicing yoga?

A. It’s a shame not to practice yoga.

B. One should push the limits in order to be perfect.

C. The majority should give up yoga for it may cause harm.

D. One should enjoy the physical and mental benefit that yoga brings.

 

阅读下面短文，从短文后所给各题的四个选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。

Many years ago, whites ruled South Africa. Apartheid（种族隔离制度）was the   16  of the land. One evening, two middle-aged blacks met in a “whites only” section of Johannesburg. One of them had a permit to work in the area, the other did not, which   17  he could be put behind bars（关押）for staying in this zone.   18  they saw a policeman coming towards them, and   19 .

“Run!” whispered the man with the permit to his friend, “I’ll   20  .” They started running and the policeman began chasing them, shouting “stop, stop”. Finally he caught the second man.

“Did you think you could outrun me!” he snarled. “Show me your   21 ！”

The man, playing for time, began reaching in his pocket and finally took out his permit. The policeman was surprised and realized that he had been   22 . The man without the permit was now too far away to be caught.

“When you had a permit why did you run!” he shouted   23 .

“Doctor’s   24 ,” said the man. “He has asked me to run a mile every evening.”

“Oh, yes? ” Sneered the policeman. “Then why was your friend   25 ?”

“His doctor has also ordered him to run,” said the man.

The policeman became   26  with anger. “You think you’re very   27 , don’t you?” he snarled. “But tell me, if you were running   28  for your health why didn’t you stop when you saw me running after you? And don’t tell me you didn’t see me chasing you. I know you did!”

“Of course I   29  you were running after me,” said the man.

“Then why didn’t you stop?” asked the policeman.

“It was   30 of me,” said the man, “but I thought you too had been ordered to run by your doctor.”

1.                A．property        B．mistake         C．law  D．custom

 

2.                A．meant          B．showed         C．replied   D．imagined

 

3.                A．Happily         B．Suddenly        C．Finally    D．Generally

 

4.                A．hid            B．fell            C．cried D．froze

 

5.                A．fight           B．explain         C．follow    D．walk

 

6.                A．invitation       B．permit          C．pocket   D．ticket

 

7.                A．fooled         B．hurt           C．blamed   D．abandoned

 

8.                A．nervously       B．sadly           C．carefully  D．angrily

 

9.                A．attitudes        B．methods        C．orders   D．hopes

 

10.               A．stopping        B．missing         C．staying    D．running

 

11.               A．shy            B．strict           C．red   D．serious

 

12.               A．brave          B．healthy         C．native D．smart

 

13.               A．only           B．also           C．never D．often

 

14.               A．remembered    B．knew          C．believed   D．agreed

 

15.               A．stupid          B．rude           C．kind  D．wise

 

 

The missing boys were last seen _______ near the river.

A. to play                                                                   B. to be playing

C. play                                                                        D. Playing

 

It was January lst, the first day of the year and a holiday for me．I went to the bank to get the bank work out of the way. The bank clerk nodded and I sat in front of him．  He was busy filling up entries in his register．

I put my form and booklet in front of him．After waiting for a few more minutes, in which I showed all signs of being impatient, I asked him if my work was done． He shouted, "Nothing is done, and it will take time ! "

Just then I saw his morning cup of tea, which had been lying there for the last ten minutes, untoucheD.The tea had turned almost cold while he was doing his work．Suddenly I felt what this man must be feeling  when customers like me come always in a hurry to get their work done． We do not even feel the need to thank them for being there．

So I told him, "Sir, please have your teA.I am not in a hurry． " This man suddenly looked up at me and for the first time we had eye contact．I saw a different person there, who was as hard-pressed for time as I always am．

I saw both of us sailing in the same boat. I felt that he was also missing the small things in life like a hot cup of tea or lying in a warm bed for a few more minutes like me．He gave me a rare smile and said, "It is an everyday affair with me; you are not in a hurry but somebody else will be．

He really touched my heart with his wise words． I felt that all this time I thought of him as someone who was there for my convenience, but today I suddenly felt a strange communion with him. I vowed(郑重宣布) to be friendly with people who help me with my work and be thankful that they are there for me．

1.Which of the following is NOT true of the writer?

A．He works in the bank as a clerk, too．

B．He went to the bank to do some business．

C．He was touched by the untouched cup of tea．

D．He got annoyed after waiting a few minutes．

2.What can we learn about the bank clerk?

A．He hated to work on a holiday .

B.He didn't like his work in the bank.

C．He was under great work pressure．

D．He communicated well with his customers．

3.What can you learn from the underlined sentence in Paragraph 5?

A．He was sometimes in the similar situation．

B．They once sailed in the same boat．

C．They expected to sail in the same boat．

D．He's too busy to sail in a boat, too．

4.The writer's attitude towards the bank clerk might be that of     .

A.tolerance   B.gratitude  C.sympathy  D.satisfaction

5.What does the text try to tell us?

A.To be patient with your customers

B．Helping others is helping yourself

C.To be thankful to those who help you.

D.It is our duty to do things for others

 

Missing in Thailand, a comedy about two rival Chinese businessmen and a simple-minded pancake maker,      box offices records since Dec 12.

A．is breaking        B．are breaking       C．has broken        D．have broken