Direction: Read the passage and answer the questions that follow.

If you've decided you want to improve your fitness, walking is a good choice. It's free, simple, and adaptable to your schedule. If you've been relatively sedentary, you might find that you can't walk very far at first without getting sore or out-of-breath. You just have to keep at it! If you try to walk a little further every day, you'll find that your walking stamina gradually improves. If you don't have the patience for that, there are a few other tricks you can try to help you reach your goals faster. Go on a longer walk at least one day a week. Plan a longer walk for at least one of your sessions so you can gradually push your endurance. Walk at a brisk pace of about 3 miles (4.8 km) per hour. This pace is faster than a stroll, but likely not the fastest you can walk. Vary terrain and elevation to change the level of resistance. Walking on grass or sand is more difficult than walking on a paved walking trail. Including plenty of hills on your route helps build your stamina as well. Carry weight while walking. If you only have a short period of time to walk, add resistance to work on your stamina. Find ways to include walking in your regular routine. Think of what you do throughout the day and figure out how you can introduce more walking into the mix. Walk for at least 30 minutes 3 to 5 days a week. Going for regular walks improves your cardiovascular fitness gradually, but don't sweat it if you can't walk this long initially.