TedTest

From the Ted Talk by Leah Lagos and Jaspal Ricky Singh: How playing sports benefits your body... and your brain

Unscramble the Blue Letters

The victory of the uenddorg over the favored team. The last minute penalty shot that wins the tournament. The high-energy training montages. Many people love to glorify victory on the pynailg field, ceher for favorite teams, and play sports. But here's a question: Should we be so obsessed with stpros? Is playing sports actually as good for us as we make it out to be, or just a fun and entertaining pastime? What does science have to say? First of all, it's well accepted that exercise is good for our bodies and minds, and that's definitely true. Exercising, especially when we're young, has all sorts of health benefits, like strengthening our bones, ceirlnag out bad chtorleeosl from our arteries, and decreasing the risk of stroke, high blood pressure, and diabetes. Our brains also release a number of caleichms when we workout, including ehrndniops. These natural hormones, which control pain and pleasure responses in the cental novreus sestym, can lead to feelings of eoriuhpa, or, what's often called, a runner's high. Increased endorphins and consistent physical activity in gareenl can sapehrn your fucos and improve your mood and memory. So does that mean we get just as much benefit going to the gym five days a week as we would joining a team and competing? Well, here's where it gets interesting: because it turns out that if you can find a sport and a team you like, studies show that there are all sorts of benefits that go beyond the physical and mental benefits of esxceire alone. Some of the most significant are psychological benefits, both in the short and long term. Some of those come from the communal experience of being on a team, for instance, learning to trust and depend on others, to accept help, to give help, and to work together towards a common goal. In addition, commitment to a team and doing something fun can also make it esaier to establish a regular habit of exercise. School sport proiaicatiptn has also been swhon to reduce the risk of sreuinffg from depression for up to four years. Meanwhile, your self-esteem and confidence can get a big boost. There are a few reasons for that. One is found in tnriniag. Just by wrionkg and working at skills, especially with a good coach, you reinforce a gwrtoh mindset within yourself. That's when you say, "Even if I can't do something today, I can improve myself through practice and achieve it eventually." That mnsdeit is useful in all walks of life. And then there's learning through failure, one of the most transformative, long-term benefits of playing sports. The experience of cnmoig to terms with defeat can build the rseinlecie and self-awareness necessary to manage academic, social, and phayiscl hurdles. So even if your team isn't winning all the time, or at all, there's a real benefit to your experience. Now, not everyone will enjoy every sport. Perhaps one team is too cvttpmieioe, or not competitive enough. It can also take time to find a sport that payls to your strengths. That's completely okay. But if you spend some time looking, you'll be able to find a srpot that fits your individual needs, and if you do, there are so many benefits. You'll be a part of a supportive community, you'll be building your confidence, you'll be exercising your body, and you'll be nurturing your mind, not to mention having fun.

Open Cloze

The victory of the ________ over the favored team. The last minute penalty shot that wins the tournament. The high-energy training montages. Many people love to glorify victory on the _______ field, _____ for favorite teams, and play sports. But here's a question: Should we be so obsessed with ______? Is playing sports actually as good for us as we make it out to be, or just a fun and entertaining pastime? What does science have to say? First of all, it's well accepted that exercise is good for our bodies and minds, and that's definitely true. Exercising, especially when we're young, has all sorts of health benefits, like strengthening our bones, ________ out bad ___________ from our arteries, and decreasing the risk of stroke, high blood pressure, and diabetes. Our brains also release a number of _________ when we workout, including __________. These natural hormones, which control pain and pleasure responses in the cental _______ ______, can lead to feelings of ________, or, what's often called, a runner's high. Increased endorphins and consistent physical activity in _______ can _______ your _____ and improve your mood and memory. So does that mean we get just as much benefit going to the gym five days a week as we would joining a team and competing? Well, here's where it gets interesting: because it turns out that if you can find a sport and a team you like, studies show that there are all sorts of benefits that go beyond the physical and mental benefits of ________ alone. Some of the most significant are psychological benefits, both in the short and long term. Some of those come from the communal experience of being on a team, for instance, learning to trust and depend on others, to accept help, to give help, and to work together towards a common goal. In addition, commitment to a team and doing something fun can also make it ______ to establish a regular habit of exercise. School sport _____________ has also been _____ to reduce the risk of _________ from depression for up to four years. Meanwhile, your self-esteem and confidence can get a big boost. There are a few reasons for that. One is found in ________. Just by _______ and working at skills, especially with a good coach, you reinforce a ______ mindset within yourself. That's when you say, "Even if I can't do something today, I can improve myself through practice and achieve it eventually." That _______ is useful in all walks of life. And then there's learning through failure, one of the most transformative, long-term benefits of playing sports. The experience of ______ to terms with defeat can build the __________ and self-awareness necessary to manage academic, social, and ________ hurdles. So even if your team isn't winning all the time, or at all, there's a real benefit to your experience. Now, not everyone will enjoy every sport. Perhaps one team is too ___________, or not competitive enough. It can also take time to find a sport that _____ to your strengths. That's completely okay. But if you spend some time looking, you'll be able to find a _____ that fits your individual needs, and if you do, there are so many benefits. You'll be a part of a supportive community, you'll be building your confidence, you'll be exercising your body, and you'll be nurturing your mind, not to mention having fun.

Solution

system
endorphins
participation
sport
focus
growth
suffering
exercise
shown
nervous
mindset
sharpen
competitive
underdog
training
sports
easier
clearing
cheer
resilience
general
euphoria
cholesterol
plays
chemicals
working
playing
physical
coming

Original Text

The victory of the underdog over the favored team. The last minute penalty shot that wins the tournament. The high-energy training montages. Many people love to glorify victory on the playing field, cheer for favorite teams, and play sports. But here's a question: Should we be so obsessed with sports? Is playing sports actually as good for us as we make it out to be, or just a fun and entertaining pastime? What does science have to say? First of all, it's well accepted that exercise is good for our bodies and minds, and that's definitely true. Exercising, especially when we're young, has all sorts of health benefits, like strengthening our bones, clearing out bad cholesterol from our arteries, and decreasing the risk of stroke, high blood pressure, and diabetes. Our brains also release a number of chemicals when we workout, including endorphins. These natural hormones, which control pain and pleasure responses in the cental nervous system, can lead to feelings of euphoria, or, what's often called, a runner's high. Increased endorphins and consistent physical activity in general can sharpen your focus and improve your mood and memory. So does that mean we get just as much benefit going to the gym five days a week as we would joining a team and competing? Well, here's where it gets interesting: because it turns out that if you can find a sport and a team you like, studies show that there are all sorts of benefits that go beyond the physical and mental benefits of exercise alone. Some of the most significant are psychological benefits, both in the short and long term. Some of those come from the communal experience of being on a team, for instance, learning to trust and depend on others, to accept help, to give help, and to work together towards a common goal. In addition, commitment to a team and doing something fun can also make it easier to establish a regular habit of exercise. School sport participation has also been shown to reduce the risk of suffering from depression for up to four years. Meanwhile, your self-esteem and confidence can get a big boost. There are a few reasons for that. One is found in training. Just by working and working at skills, especially with a good coach, you reinforce a growth mindset within yourself. That's when you say, "Even if I can't do something today, I can improve myself through practice and achieve it eventually." That mindset is useful in all walks of life. And then there's learning through failure, one of the most transformative, long-term benefits of playing sports. The experience of coming to terms with defeat can build the resilience and self-awareness necessary to manage academic, social, and physical hurdles. So even if your team isn't winning all the time, or at all, there's a real benefit to your experience. Now, not everyone will enjoy every sport. Perhaps one team is too competitive, or not competitive enough. It can also take time to find a sport that plays to your strengths. That's completely okay. But if you spend some time looking, you'll be able to find a sport that fits your individual needs, and if you do, there are so many benefits. You'll be a part of a supportive community, you'll be building your confidence, you'll be exercising your body, and you'll be nurturing your mind, not to mention having fun.

Frequently Occurring Word Combinations

ngrams of length 2

collocation	frequency
playing sports	2

Important Words

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achieve
activity
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psychological
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