These days, many gyms require clients to wear masks or face coverings. The good news: research suggests they don't actually hold up your performance.
Researchers at the University of Saskatchewan gathered a group of 7 men and 7 women, ranging from slightly inactive to excellent cyclists and tested the effects of wearing a three-layer cloth face mask, a surgical mask, and no mask on their exercise performance.
The study participants started with a brief warm-up on a fixed bike, then took a progressive intensity exercise test, during which it was vital for them to keep the same pedal rate while the resistance was continually increased until exhaustion (疲惫不堪). Something like the heart rate was recorded every 30 seconds.
The results suggested that wearing a mask had no effect on performance or muscle oxygen levels. Since there was no difference in time to exhaustion between conditions, the highest power reached at the end of each test was similar in mask and no-mask conditions for all participants, Professor Chilibeck explained. Researchers also did not see any effects of the masks during exercise on blood oxygen levels, which wouldn't decrease if breathing was not affected.
And while droplet (飞沫) spread was not measured, all masks used were tested in a previous study in which they were shown to effectively minimize droplet spread, according to Chilibeck. Though the participants represented a wide range of fitness levels, it's important to note that these tests were conducted on a very small sample size, and more research is needed on larger populations to draw sweeping conclusions about the general population.
1. How did the researchers draw the conclusion?| A．By conducting an experiment. | B．By making brief analysis. |
| C．By observing normal cyclists. | D．By doing medical tests. |
| A．Your heart rate may keep stable. | B．You might produce less droplet. |
| C．Your blood oxygen levels will drop. | D．You will feel more tired than before. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Favorable. | C．Disapproving. | D．Objective. |
| A．Why Should We Train with Masks? |
| B．Why Don't Masks Worsen Our Performance? |
| C．Do Masks Affect Our Performance? |
| D．Can We Train While Wearing Masks? |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】Are you the type to run before breakfast in the morning? Working out on an empty stomach won't hurt you—and it may actually help depending on your goal.
Exercising before eating comes with the risk of being light-headed due to low blood sugar. You might feel tired or uneasy, and won't be able to work out as energetically as you would have. A light amount of food is important for older adults over 55—especially in the morning. But if your primary exercise goal is weight loss, exercising on an empty stomach may come with some promising benefits. There's some research to support the idea that working out in a fasted (禁食) state can burn more fat than exercising in a fed state.
Working out on an empty stomach, however, may not prove true for everyone. "Some people, young and in amazing physical shape, suggest fasted exercise," says Douglas Paddon-Jones, a muscle physiology (生理学) researcher of aging and health. "They have no health matters, and what they're eating is super-high quality and carefully regulated." On the other hand, working out in a fasted state without proper planning or professional management may run the risk of unhealthy body changes.
For people who aren't athletes, having food before a workout may be the best way to get the most fat-burning benefit. "You don't want to fill up; you just want to give your body a burst of energy to power your training period. After you exercise, drink some water—but wait 60 to 90 minutes before eating." Says Shivani Sahni, director of the nutrition (营养) program at Harvard University's Institute for Aging Research. "You're trying to take advantage of your promoted metabolic rate (代谢速率) after exercise, so if you can go an hour or an hour and a half without eating, you'll maximize (最大化) the fat-burning response," says she.
1. Who should have a little food before morning exercise?| A．Seniors over fifty-five. | B．Professional athletes. |
| C．Adults over twenty-five. | D．Regular runners. |
| A．To appear younger. | B．To become athletic. |
| C．To achieve excitement. | D．To burn fat at most. |
| A．Improve diet quality. | B．Drink water after exercise. |
| C．Exercise without eating. | D．Do exercise regularly. |
| A．strict | B．careful | C．confident | D．calm |
【推荐2】A high school soccer player leaps into the air, hits the ball with his head and directs it to a teammate. Amid today’s growing awareness surrounding head injuries in sports, would wearing helmets protect the teen and prevent a possible concussion(脑震荡)?
Almost not. Two top doctors who specialize in sports helmet injuries—Dr. James Robinson and Dr. Larry Lemak, founders of Lemak Sports Medicine, said that there was no good scientific evidence that helmets could reduce the rate of concussion. Both of them regarded proper training, not helmets, as the best concussion prevention for soccer players.
That doesn’t mean there’s no need to worry about soccer concussions. For boys soccer, concussions accounted for 23 percent of all game injuries and 10 percent of all practice injuries, according to the study. For girls soccer, the study found concussions accounted for 36 percent of game injuries and 31 percent of practice injuries.
Knowing that, why isn’t a helmet useful? Isn’t some protection better than none at all? The doctors outlined several reasons helmets provide little protection.
First, wearing a helmet makes the head heavier. A heavier upper part may be more dangerous to the beginners. Secondly—and perhaps most importantly for girls, whose neck muscles are often weaker than boys—a helmet makes the head heavier. Imagine a top-heavy head, Robinson said, which increases the risk of falls. Since girls already face a heightened concussion risk, helmets could be especially dangerous for them. Lastly wearing helmets often gives teens a false sense of security. When helmets were matedated(授权)in hockey, head injuries increased ”because they felt unbeatable. “Sometimes the kids wearing helmets are more daring,said Chad Harrelson, boys soccer coach at St. PauPs in Mobile, ‘”because they think they have that added layer of protection.,,
Both coaches and doctors agree on three main ways to prevent soccer concussions. Firstly, learn proper rules and follow norms. Players who understand soccer’s rules and behave themselves are less likely to put themselves in harm’s way. Secondly, promote proper technique. Ifs important to have players know where other players are positioned. This reduces contact and can prevent head-to-head collisions or other dangerous situations. Thirdly, strengthen neck muscles which can protect both your necks and heads.
1. What can we learn from the words of two top doctors?| A．High quality helmets are a wise choice. |
| B．Athletes need wear helmets. |
| C．Science is on the side of helmets. |
| D．Helmets provide little protection. |
| A．training is the best prevention |
| B．how girls players get injured |
| C．boys are more likely to be hurt in training |
| D．why concussion should be concerned about |
| A．Why helmets are useless. | B．How helmets work. |
| C．What causes head injuries. | D．Whom helmets are fit for. |
| A．The early examples. | B．The set standards. |
| C．The suggestions of the athletes. | D．The ways of using helmets. |
【推荐3】My husband and I both grew up playing sports. So we weren’t surprised when our little daughter, Kennedi showed early athletic promise. She could easily outrun other kids, while playing with them on the playground.
By the time Kennedi started primary school, we signed her up for track training. Slowly but surely, track training took over our lives. We gave up taking vacations so our girl wouldn’t miss any practices. I even stopped Kennedi from swimming with her friends, for I thought she would waste the energy needed for competition. We didn’t ask Kennedi if that was what she wanted. Of course she did! she kept winning, and every kid liked to win.
When Kennedi was 13 years old, at a national sports event, she suddenly fell down and ended up lying on the track, screaming in pain. A doctor said, “She worked out too hard that the thick tissue in her knee was torn. she might not run as fast as before.” The doctor kept talking, but I bad a bard time following the words. My feelings were mixed. Was I too strict with my daughter? Was I partly to blame for her injury? Then I realized that my kid needed a mom more than a coach.
To our great relief, after a year-long’s strict medical examination, Kennedi almost recovered. She even joined the volleyball team at her high school. And we were gradually back to a busy family schedule. But not everything is the same. We seldom miss vacations anymore, even if that means missing practice. And I’m learning to believe that if my daughter decides not to run track in college, that only means life has something even more wonderful in store.
1. What does the underlined sentence mean in Paragraph 1?| A．Kennedi made a promise to be an athlete. | B．Kennedi had a gift to be a sports player. |
| C．Kennedi showed great interest in doing sports. | D．Kennedi wanted to be an athlete at her early age. |
| A．Kennedi studied very bard. | B．Kennedi could play with her friends freely. |
| C．Kennedi was asked to train by a coach. | D．Kennedi spent most of her free time in training. |
| A．A serious fall | B．Hard exercise. | C．Carelessness. | D．The running speed. |
| A．Wonderful. | B．Angry. | C．Uncomfortable. | D．Acceptable. |
【推荐1】What’s the first thing you remember doing? It could be playing with your friends at school, or going to a birthday party and eating amazing cake. Most of us have a treasured early memory of our childhood, but can we really believe those vivid memories? Did those special moments really happen, or did we make them up?
It’s a strange concept to grasp, but according to research, about four out of ten of us invent our first childhood memory. Rather than having experienced something, we could have faked a memory from videos or photos we’ve seen. We could have been influenced by a story told to us that encourages our minds to adopt someone else’s memory as our own. What it means is that memories of our younger years, especially before the age of two, may be incorrect, or entirely false.
Our ability to keep memories before the age of two isn’t great. While at that age we do have short-term memories, according to Catherine Loveday, an expert in autobiographical memory at the University of Westminster, the memories that young children make are not long-lasting. This is possibly because of the rapid creation of brain cells in our early years. Some scientists also believe that as we get older, our childhood memories fade and after the age of seven, we get some kind of “childhood amnesia (失忆症) ”.
So why do we create fake memories? Some experts believe that there is a desire for a sense of self and having a united story of our existence. Creating memories can fill in the gap s giving us a more complete structure for our early lives. As we get older, we want to have a complete picture of our entire lives.
So, the next time someone says they have a clear memory from when they were one or even before — just remember that while it could be true, there’s a chance they just invented it at some point in their lives.
1. What’s the function of the questions in the beginning of the text?| A．To explain a common problem. |
| B．To introduce the topic of the text. |
| C．To offer background information. |
| D．To question previous researches. |
| A．It is probably made up by most people. |
| B．It is easily recalled by some videos and photos. |
| C．It is completely related to their own experiences. |
| D．It is likely to be created by using other’s stories. |
| A．Their memories are damaged. |
| B．Brain cells grow very quickly. |
| C．Childhood memories are not great. |
| D．They suffer from childhood amnesia. |
| A．To create a complete self-image. |
| B．To get some hopes for future life. |
| C．To leave a good impression on others. |
| D．To relieve themselves of unpleasant feelings. |
【推荐2】Slow Walking and Ageing
Getting old might not be something that’s yet to cross your mind.
According to the result of those tested, slower walkers tended to show signs of “accelerated ageing”. Their lungs, teeth and immune systems were in worse shape than those who walked faster.
This might be seen as a wake-up call for people with a slower gait who might feel it’s time to work out and get fitter. But it might be too late; researchers predict the walking speed of 45-year-olds using the results of intelligence, language and motor skills tests from when they were aged three.
So, what’s the point of knowing that a slower walking pace might mean a smaller brain? Well, researchers say measuring walking speed at a younger age, and understanding what this might mean, could be a way of testing treatments to slow human ageing.
| A．Everyone wishes to keep young |
| B．There are various ways to exercise |
| C．We all know that regular exercise is good for us |
| D．But ageing is unavoidably going to get the better of us one day |
| E．This might help us make lifestyle changes while we’re still young and healthy |
| F．In other words, some signs even in early life will show who will live younger and healthier |
| G．To add insult to injury, the result also indicates the faces of slower walkers usually look older and they have smaller brains |
【推荐3】Have you ever heard of the saying “All roads lead to Rome”? At one time, this was pretty much true. During the Roman Empire, lots of roads were built in order to move armies, send messages by courier(信使), and make trade easier.
The network of Roman roads was begun in 312 BC. It was demanded that the roads be built strong so that they would not fall down. Roman soldiers, supervised (监督) by engineers, laid down the roads in a special pattern of layers. There were all together 4 layers, which was made of different materials, such as sand, rocks, stones and so on.
Also, Roman roads were cambered(拱形). This means that they were built higher in the middle than on the edges, allowing rainwater to run off, which prevented flooding. We use the same technique in building roads today. The Romans also laid out roads over hills when necessary, setting them down in a zigzag(之字形的) pattern to make the road rise gradually.
All Roman roads had milestones(里程碑), placed every thousand paces (a Roman mile). The milestones told when the road was built, who was emperor at the time, the road’s destination, how far the traveler was from the destination, and how many miles had been traveled since the beginning of the road. This information was a great help to travelers.
Because of their excellence in construction, it really is no surprise that many parts of Roman road still exist today. These roadways are one of the most impressive achievements of the Roman Empire.
1. Which of the following description about Roman roads is TRUE?| A．Roman roads were built by the Roman soldiers directed by the engineers. |
| B．Roman roads could prevent flooding using the technique we don’t use today. |
| C．Roman roads had milestones that were placed every Roman mile. |
| D．Many Roman roads still exist today as the most impressive achievement of Roman Empire. |
| A．The builders of the road. | B．The materials used in building roads. |
| C．The distance from one destination. | D．The time spent in building roads. |
| A．explains the meaning of “All roads lead to Rome” |
| B．praises ancient Romans for their great achievements |
| C．shows how great the Roman Empire was |
| D．introduces the construction of the Roman roads |
【推荐1】While it remains debatable whether animals really feel what we call love, hate and happiness, the following might be yet more proof that humans are not the only creatures capable of emotions.
A friend in need
While some cats might spot a helpless baby chicken and think “lunch", an orange kitten in Russia saw a friend in need of a helping paw. Baby chickens are particularly vulnerable to attacks from rats and other vermin (害兽), but this little chick stayed safe thanks to its energetic feline (猫科的) bodyguard.
We’ve got each other
On an island off the coast of China, a little macaque (猕猴) was seen resting its head on a dove. Having got lost, the macaque was found and taken in by the staff of an animal protection center. It soon became friends with the white dove, which had also been adopted by center staff. For two months they ate together and slept together.
Fast friends
When baby elephant Themba’s mother died, the veterinary (兽医的) team at Shamwari Game Reserve in South Africa hoped another elephant would adopt the orphan, but none would feed him. The team took the baby elephant in, giving him constant care and attention, but Themba was too distressed to eat. Fearing he would starve to death, the team introduced him to a sheep called Albert, who they hoped could provide companionship for Themba. Despite some initial tension, the two quickly became inseparable and Themba finally started eating.
A strong bond
Koko the gorilla, one of the most studied primates (灵长类动物) in history, communicated in American Sign Language. Koko asked for a cat in 1984. She chose a grey kitten and called it All Ball. Koko took care of All Ball as if it were a baby gorilla, and would appear distressed when parted from it. When All Ball was hit and killed by a car, Koko was seen mourning (哀悼) the cat's death.
1. Why did Themba remained hungry in the beginning? Because________.| A．the staff members were unable to feed him. | B．he didn’t get on well with his new friend. |
| C．he lost his parent and was too sad. | D．he got lost from his mother. |
| A．Koko formed a close relationship with All Ball |
| B．All Ball suffered attacks from other vermin. |
| C．All Ball got parted from its mother gorilla. |
| D．Koko liked communicating with All Ball in sign language. |
| A．Animals are not capable of emotions. |
| B．Friendship actually knows no boundaries. |
| C．kittens are most likely to make friends with other animals. |
| D．None of the friends in the passage liked each other at first. |
【推荐2】Most people have had a dog or wanted one as their companion at some time in their lives. If you are thinking of buying a dog, however, you should first decide what sort(种类、类型)of companion you need and whether the dog is likely to be happy in the surroundings(环境) you can provide. Specialists’ advice is available to help you choose the most suitable(合适的) breed of dog. But in part, the decision depends on common sense. Most breeds were originally developed to perform specific tasks. Therefore, if you want a dog to protect you or your house, for example, you should choose one that has the right size and characteristics(特征/色/点). You must also be ready to devote a lot of time to training the dog when it is young and giving it the exercise it needs throughout its life. Dogs are demanding pets, while cats are connected with the house and so they are satisfied if their place is safe. A dog is connected with its master and wants him to show proof of his affection (感情).
The best time to buy a baby dog is when it is between 6 and 8 weeks old so that it can transfer(转移) its affection from its mother to its master. If baby dogs have not established(建立)a relationship(关系)with the human being until they are over eight months old, their strong relationship will always be with dogs. They are likely to be too shy when they are brought out into the world to become good pets.
1. According to the passage, what should be considered first in buying a dog?| A．The age of the dog. | B．The size and characteristics of the dog. |
| C．Whether the dog will get used to the environment(环境). | D．Whether the dog can set up a good relationship with human beings. |
| A．Because it can keep a strong relationship with other dogs forever. |
| B．Because it is less likely to be familiar with the surroundings. |
| C．Because it’s easier for it to establish a relationship with its mother. |
| D．Because it’s easier for it to form a relationship with its master. |
| A．sort | B．price | C．age | D．colour |
| A．The proper time to buy a dog | B．Tips on raising(养)a dog |
| C．The sort of companion you need | D．Dogs are better pets than cats |
【推荐3】Directed by the AFM private company, National University of Science and Technology(NUST)MISIS engineers, together with the Karfidov Lab design group, have invented a machine named Salatomat that could serve meals to users in a very short time. The engineers say this machine cooks dishes from vegetables and cereals(谷物)in 30-60 seconds, so it can produce between 150 and 500 meals per day.
The cooking machine contains 16 basic ingredients-vegetables, cereals, potatoes, noodles-and 20 dressings and toppings. With this set, Salatomat can cook up to 1, 000 different dishes, with the user able to make a personal choice of products. These dishes are especially fit for those who live a healthy lifestyle or have some health problems.
“The machine has its own ‘brain’. It can remember users’ choices and medical history. And it knows what is in it and what it can produce with the help of the RFID chip,” said Aleksey Karfidov, head of the department of technological equipment engineering at NUST MISIS.
“The process begins with the preparation of products -putting ingredients into the robot, cutting vegetables, and controlling the temperature (cooling or heating, depending on the dish),” said Aleksey Karfidov. According to the developers, the robot is able to ensure the safety of food and quick preparation of well-balanced meals. The machine will also be completely non-contact-all cooking steps are carried out by itself.
All ingredients inside Salatomat are put into clean containers. Ingredients can be stored in the containers for eight hours at most, and if not used, they must be removed and cleaned.
1. What is Salatomat designed to do?| A．Store different foods. | B．Help prepare meals. |
| C．Wash the dishes. | D．Grow vegetables. |
| A．It’s smart. | B．It’s unworkable. | C．It’s expensive. | D．It’s space-saving. |
| A．The way Salatomat works. | B．The change Salatomat brings. |
| C．The cost of buying ingredients. | D．The importance of food safety. |
| A．Clean it up after each use. |
| B．Mix everything together before it works. |
| C．Keep a close eye on its temperature. |
| D．Take out its ingredients stored over eight hours. |
