Read the passage.

(A)

Most people know that a balanced diet and regular exercise are very important.
However, most people do not know how to exercise properly. Instead of concentrating
on how to get the best results efficiently and effectively, people usually rush through
their workouts, or they make the same common workout mistakes. Exercising the
right way is important for people who are worried about their health and their
appearance. However, if someone is not working out properly, it is rare that he or she
will see the results he or she wants. Therefore, training experts have devised tips to
teach people how to exercise correctly in order to achieve the greatest health benefits.
If you want to achieve the best workout results, here are a few helpful tips to bear in
mind.

One of the most common workout mistakes is doing the same routine over and
over again. This does not challenge your muscles, and it can actually prevent muscles
from growing and repairing themselves. Instead of always sticking to the same old
workout, it is important to change your routine every six to eight weeks. It is also
important to add a variety of workouts to your routine, such as swimming, yoga, or
biking, to make sure your whole body stays fit. This will help make your workouts
more interesting, and benefit your health and muscle development as well.

Another mistake people tend to make is to work out too hard, too often. Your
body needs to rest between workouts; otherwise, no progress will be made. It is best to
keep the number of hard workout routines to no more than two per week. Then, for
those who don’t want to get off schedule by skipping a day, shorter workouts of about
twenty minutes can be used on other days. For more variety in workouts, you could
also plan an easier routine for forty to sixty minutes between days of shorter, more
intense workouts. Experts recommend, however, taking at least one day off completely
each week, especially after several hard workout days in a row.

In reality, no one is perfect. However, if you want to make a difference in your

overall health, there are some things you can do. Stretch before and after every
workout. Do not rush your routine, and do not work out too little or too much.
Remember not to make these common workout mistakes, and always have fun while
exercising!
Reading (B)
Elena and David sat in the backseat of their parents’ car. Their cousins,
Raphael and Luis, sat beside them. It was the first time the cousins had all been
together since they were babies. That was when Elena and David’s family had
returned to Mexico for a visit.
 Mr. and Mrs. Rodriguez spoke Spanish at home sometimes, but Elena and
David knew only a few words. They always meant to learn the language because they
knew it was important to their parents, but somehow they never had. Now that they
sat beside their cousins, they wondered how on earth they were all going to
communicate during Raphael and Luis’s week-long visit.

“Do you play baseball?” David asked his cousins.

His mom glanced at them in the rearview mirror and started to translate.
Then, she stopped and shrugged her shoulders. “You’re all going to have to come up
with a way to make yourselves understood this week,” she said. “Now is as good a time
as any to get started, I suppose.”

David thought for a moment, and then he pretended to swing a baseball

bat. Elena looked up and then mimicked catching a ball in a glove. Raphael and Luis
grinned. “Béisbol,” they said nodding.

David and Elena laughed. “Exactly!” they said. By the time the Rodriguez’s
car pulled in the driveway, it had been decided that David and Elena would gather a
few of their friends for a quick game of softball before dinner.

As they walked home after the game, Elena glanced up at Luis. “You’re
really fast,” she said. She moved her legs up and down in an exaggerated running
motion. “Rápido,” she said, remembering what her dad always said when he was in a
hurry to get the family out the door.

Luis smiled at her. “I am a runner,” he said shyly.

Raphael patted his brother on the back. “Numero uno,” he said to Elena
and David, holding a single finger up in the air. Then, he clasped both hands above
his head and shook them, first to one side and then to the other.

“That’s great,” said David. He glanced at Elena. “I think he means that Luis
is the fastest runner at school.”
 Elena gave her brother a look. “Of course, that’s what he means, David.”
She turned back to Luis. “I’m a runner, too,” she told him. She made very quick
running motions, pointed to herself, and then shook her head. “No rápido,” she said.
Then, she made slower running motions, pointed to herself again, and pointed far off
in the distance. She looked at Luis to see if he had understood. Luis gave Elena the
thumbs-up sign as the four cousins walked in the house for dinner.

“How did it go?” asked Mr. Rodriguez, placing napkins on the table for
dinner.

“Language is way overrated, Dad,” joked David. “All the four of us need are
some acting lessons, and there won’t be a thing we can’t tell each other!”