English Olympiad
For those students who are keen on learning English and would like to check themselves doing English Olympiad Year 9 Reading Test 4
Reading Comprehension Test for Year 9 Students
Fit in Mind and Body
You are going to read about different forms of yoga. For questions 1-6, choose from the paragraphs (A- E). Some of the paragraphs may be chosen more than once. When more than one answer is required, these may be given in any order.
A Hatha yoga
Yoga is a very old tradition of maintaining and restoring physical and mental health and leads to happiness and peace of mind There are many different kinds of yoga, but they all work to develop techniques for relaxing the mind and body. The most popular form of yoga in the Western world is Hatha yoga. Hatha yoga has a long history and concentrates on body postures, or positions, that allow the muscles to stretch and relax. It also focuses on controlling breathing so that the body and mind grow calm. Although it is a very gentle activity, Hatha yoga is actually an ideal form of exercise, especially for people who do not like to work out with weights and machines. A regular programme of Hatha yoga is the perfect way to stay in shape, put your mind and body at ease and get rid of the day’s stress.
B Astanga yoga
Astanga yoga is similar to Hatha yoga except that it is more energetic. Astanga yoga uses the body positions and breathing exercises of Hatha yoga and adds greater motion and movement to it. Astanga yoga classes are more like aerobics classes with a lot of movement and physical energy. The goal of course is always the same — to improve health through careful exercise and concentration. People who participate in this kind of yoga generally want a more thorough workout than Hatha yoga gives them. This kind of yoga often attracts younger people who have lots of energy and want to exercise as well as find a little peace of mind at the same time.
C Mantra yoga
Now this is serious yoga and not for the very active types. Mantra yoga focuses on mental concentration. Participants sit in a yoga posture and focus their minds on one peaceful idea or image. Then they repeat a single word. This is called their ‘mantra’. The most typical mantra sound in yoga is ‘om’. People repeat this word over and over again as a way of clearing their minds. The goal of Mantra yoga is to find inner strength through control of the body and relaxation of the mind. Mantra yoga is an excellent choice for people who want to avoid too much physical activity but are searching for better mental health. If you’re looking for lots of activity, this is probably not the yoga for you.
D Hip hop yoga
Hip hop yoga is one of the newest forms of yoga today. It combines the best of traditional yoga with the modern dance style of ‘hip hop’. It is a very lively and fun way to really work out your body, dance, laugh and have a good time — but it’s also more. Hip hop yoga relies on the basic traditions of yoga, which are relaxation of the body and mind through posture and breathing. It brings these together with the fun and contemporary art of dance and produces an all-new style of yoga. This is a good choice for old and young people who want to try yoga but need a good excuse, like dancing!
E Power yoga
The name says it all! Power yoga has developed recently and it takes a little from gymnastics, a little from aerobics, a little from dance and a lot from yoga to make this new exciting kind of yoga. People who take part in power yoga classes say that it’s the best exercise they’ve ever known. It’s a really hard workout! But it pays off in more ways than one. Of course, your body will benefit from the physical activity, but so will your mind. Power yoga focuses on using the power inside you to bring better health to your life. And it really works!
What kind of yoga would you recommend for someone who:
doesn’t want anything too energetic? 1. _________ 2. _________
loves dance and wants a fun way to relax? 3. _________ 4. _________
wants a really powerful workout? 5. _________ 6. _________
is not interested in getting physically fit? 7. _________
wants to try modern styles of yoga? 8. _________ 9. _________
wants to do a well-known, traditional styles if yoga? 10. _________
Yoga is an ancient tradition of maintaining and restoring physical and mental health and leads to happiness and peace of mind. Essentially, once we attach the word ”Yoga” to anything, it indicates that it is a complete path by itself. Now, I try to practice ”Ishi Upa Yoga”. As far as I am concerned, I’m interested in Yoga for several reasons. Firstly, I can don’t want to practice sports or workout, but I need my body to stay healthy. Secondly, Yoga helps me to stay calm and protects me against stress. Finally, it’s a great chance to grow up mentally and understand what life is. If you want to practice Yoga you can find a lot of information on the Internet. I can recommend you a wide guru, Sadhguru.
I’ve never tried yoga, but I am sure, that it will be interesting to open something new for me. It is a good way to relax, “reload”, and to stay in shape. Sometimes, when you feel overwhelmed, probably yoga will help you keep calm. As far as I am concerned, I need to do something fast and energetic, not to sit at the same place. After reading this text, I got to know about Power yoga, and maybe I’d like to try it. Also, it is good to sit in special poses for some minutes, to listen to sounds of nature, and not to think about anything. It is one of the best medicines for your soul.
To tell the truth I’ve read about yoga and different types of it for the first time.
I remember that firstly I heard about yoga in a soviet movie “Sportlotto 82”. And yogi was shown as a person standing on his head and sleeping during the day in some kind of a wooden box. And after that movie I was sure the yoga is more like Mantra yoga, when a person just sits in yoga posture and repeats the mantra word.
When I graduated from the University, one of my friends had lost a lot of his weight by doing yoga and it was surprising for me, I couldn’t imagine how it was possible. And the friend explained that yoga is not only about mental health, yoga could be more like physical exercises. And I’ve understood from the text that my friend did Power or Astanga yoga.
Currently, one of my friends, who lives in the USA practices some “new” kind of yoga, but as for me it is very similar to Mantra yoga, because in their sessions they don’t do any training to improve their health but they work more on their inner world and they focus on mental concentration. I don’t like how she has been changed after these classes , it seems that she is under “the guru influence”. In my opinion, we should learn deeply about new practices, before starting to do it.
As for me, I would like to practice Power yoga, because it looks like a 100% workout. Power yoga concentrates on using the power inside you to bring better health to your life.
As for my daughter, the best type of yoga for her could be Hip Hop yoga, because young people are very energetic, they like to express themselves through dancing.
I must admit that I am not competent in a variety of types of yoga. And thanks to the article I ‘ve learned some most worldwide known kinds of yoga and difference between them.