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. "It 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 again
1.The 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
2.The underlined word "they" in paragraph 2 refers to ________.
A．experts B．feet C．shoes D．runners
3.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
4.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
5.Where would you probably read this article?
A．A travel book. B．A movie website.
C．A sports magazine. D．A science journal.
完形填空
阅读下文，掌握其大意，然后从各题所给的四个选项中选出一个最佳答案。
Help comes in many different ways and plays an important part in our lives.
A mother wanted to ________ her son to play the piano. She ________ tickets to the concert of a great pianist. ________ they arrived at the theatre, the mother met a friend. She ________ to talk to her friend and didn’t notice her son run away.
At eight o’clock, the lights began to dim (变暗) and the concert was going to ________ . The mother was ________ looking for the boy. Then, she saw her 6-year-old son on the stage. He was on the piano bench ________ Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.
The mother was very ________. Before she could get her son back, the famous pianist had ________ moved to the piano.
“Don’t move, son. ________ playing,” he said kindly to the boy. The great pianist reached down with his left hand and began filling in the bass (低音) part of the song. Soon, his right ________ reached around the other side. They played a________ piece of music. Together, the two impressed people with their music.
In all of our lives, we often receive helping hands---some we notice, and ________ we don’t. We also have lots of ________ to give helping hands---sometimes we want people to know, and sometimes we don’t. Little of ________ we all achieve comes without others’ help. So, when we receive, we should also give back.
1.A. force B. order C. warn D. encourage (鼓励)
2.A. bought B. sold C. donated D. raised
3.A. Because B. Before C. When D. Though
4.A. enjoyed B. stopped C. continued D. discovered
5.A. take B. start C. leave D. hold
6.A. still B. nearly C. also D. recently
7.A. playing B. singing C. writing D. listening
8.A. creative B. strong C. energetic D. surprised
9.A. safely B. slowly C. angrily D. quickly
10.A. Stop B. Spend C. Keep D. Manage
11.A. eye B. hand C. ear D. leg
12.A. difficult B. forgetful C. wonderful D. awful
13.A. other B. others C. the others D. another
14.A. races B. examples C. days D. chances
15.A. how B. which C. that D. what
In the UK, a woman usually doesn’t like to be asked ________.
A. when did she get married B. how old is she
C. how much she weighs D. where does she come from
You’d better not go home until all the work ________.
A. finish B. will finish
C. is finished D. will be finished
---Have you found a good method to solve the problem?
---No, I haven’t worked it out
A. worked it out B. worked out it
C. tried out it D. found out it
I’m too busy to go to the barber shop to have my hair ________.
A. to be cut B. to cut C. cut D. cutting
