【文章內(nèi)容簡介】 s dogs, horses or antelopes. However, this is only true if we consider fast running over short distances. Even Olympic athlete can hardly run as fast as a horse can gallop, and can only keep up a top speed for fifteen seconds or so. Horses and antelopes, on the other hand, can run at top speed for several minutes, clearly outperforming us in this respect. But when it es to longdistance running, humans do astonishingly well. They can maintain a steady pace for miles, and their overall speed pares favorably with that of horses or dogs. Bramble and Lieberman examined twentysix anatomical features found in humans. One of the most interesting of these is the nuchal ligament（頸背的韌帶） . When we run, it is this ligament that prevents our head from pitching back and forth or from side to side. Therefore, we are able to run with steady heads held high. The nuchal ligament is not found in any other surviving primates（靈長類動物） , although the fossil（化石） record shows that Homo erectus, an early human species that walked upright, much as we do, also had one. Then there are our Achilles tendons（跟腱）at the backs of our legs, which have nothing to do with walking. When we run, these tendons behave like springs, helping to push us forward. Furthermore, we have low, wide shoulders, virtually disconnected from our skulls (the bony part of the head), another anatomical adaptation which allows us to run more efficiently. But what evolutionary advantage is gained from being good longdistance runners? One assumption is that this ability may have permitted early humans to obtain food more effectively. “What these features and fossil facts appear to be telling us is that running evolved in order for our direct ancestors to pete with other carnivores (animals that eat meat) for access to the protein needed to grow the big brains that we enjoy today.” says Lieberman. can learn from the passage that the human ability to run _______. A. was only recently described in a scientific journal B. played an important part in human evolution C. was considered more natural than the ability to live in trees D. contributed to the form of human language to the second paragraph, humans _______ A. are better runners than most other animals B. are not good at running short distances C. pare unfavorably with horses and dogs D. are poor longdistance runners appears that the nuchal ligament _______. A. enables us to run with steady heads B. is found in modern primates only C. prevents the head from being held high D. is a unique feature of carnivores passage does NOT tell us that _______ A. early humans had an advantage in obtaining food thanks to the running ability B. fossils help us better understand human evolution. C. our Achilles tendons are an adaptation for running efficiently D. big brains may have been evolved for running longdistance C It’s well known that meditation (冥想 ) has many benefits, but do you know how to practice it for a beginner? Set a proper scene Find a space for meditation． It should be private and quiet． Make sure the temperature is fortable． Sit on a cushion (墊子 ) if the floor is unfortable． You may play soft music if you like. Take a moment to loosen up． Remember that the goal of meditation is to relax． Loosen your clothing, remove your shoes and have a good stretch． Do your best to ease any muscle tension that might keep you from achieving relaxation． Make an effort to relax your facial muscles． Focus on your breath Sit down in the space you’ve prepared ． Close your eyes and breathe． Each time you breathe in, count “one ” ． Each time you breathe out, count “one” ． The idea is to strengthen being in the moment — the last breath doesn’t matter, and the next one doesn’t matter。 only this one matters ． Feel your breath inflate (脹大 ) your lungs and push on your diaphragm (隔膜 )． Feel how sweet it is to inhale the fresh air． As you do this, your body will gradually begin to relax and all of your attention will be centered within your mind． Return to real life Once you feel fully centered in your mind, allow yourself to gradually drift back to real life． Move your fingers and toes and slowly wake your body up． Open your eyes and remain there for a few minutes until your senses e back, and then slowly stand up． Even if you can’t make it fully into your mind, you still get some benefits from it． If you want to feel better, you just need to practice． Set about 10 minutes around the same time every day and repeat this exercise. 1． The text is about _________. A． steps in practicing meditation for beginners B． tips on how to breathe slowly C． the benefits of practicing meditation D． the best way to stay relaxed 2． Which of the following can best fill in the blank? A． Fet yourself. B． Prepare yourself for it. C． Avoid being disturbed. D． Pay attention to your inner self． 3． The underlined word “inhale” in the text can be replaced by “__________”. A． look for B． take in C． keep away D． think of 4． To ga