Ninety percent of Americans drive to work every day although working from home is on the rise. If you’re lacking for topics of conversation at a party, chatting about your commute(通勤) is a pretty safe bet.
According to a recent study, driving for more than two hours each day can steadily decrease the IQ of middle aged drivers. The Sunday Times of London detailed the study, which looked into the lifestyle choices of over 500,000 Britons between the ages of 37 and 73.
When looking at the data of the 93,000 participants who drove more than two to three hours per day, the study found a noticeable drop off in brainpower, measured by intelligence and memory tests. The study found similar results with participants who took part in several hours similarly sedentary (久坐的) activities, like television watching.
As it turns out, stimulating activity stimulates your brain, while non-stimulating activity, well, doesn’t stimulate your brain.
“Cognitive (认知的) decline is measurable over five years because it can happen fast in middle-aged and older people. This is associated with lifestyle factors such as smoking and bad diet — and now with time spent driving,” Kishran Bakrania, a medical epidemiologist(流行病学家) at the University of Leicester(莱斯特大学) told the Times.
Fortunately for most Americans, the average commute time was recorded at approximately 26.5 minutes according to the 2015 United States Census.
And if you think that the way to pump up your IQ is through brain games, think again. Just try and avoid those long hours on the road if possible, and if you happen to have free time on your commute, be sure to use it wisely.
1. According to the passage, which of the following may be of help to our brainpower?A.Watching TV. | B.Having sports. |
C.Driving long time. | D.Sleeping. |
A.To make a contrast. | B.To give an example. |
C.To make a description. | D.To give more evidence. |
A.people should participate in more stimulating activities |
B.long time drive may decrease the driver’s IQ |
C.smoking and bad diet can cause cognitive decline |
D.an increasing number of Americans drive to work every day |
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【推荐1】And you’re smiling, because you feel totally at peace with the world. This is the runner’s high — the strange excitement that sets in after a long bout of aerobic (有氧的) exercise.
The most obvious way to get a runner’s high is to start running, particularly long-distance running. It may take several miles for the effects to kick in, though it’s difficult to quantify(量化)exactly when, where and for how long a runner’s high will occur. And not every runner — or every run — will be able to produce a runner’s high. This variability has led some snarky Twitter users to conclude that the runner’s high is, in fact, a myth, despite the physiological changes associated with it.
Other aerobic activities, including biking, swimming and strenuous hiking, can trigger the same response without necessarily forcing you to pound the pavement.
Interestingly, humans aren’t the only animals that have exhibited signs of runner’s high. Several experiments have observed a similar phenomenon in mice. Raichlen’s lab has also tested dogs and ferrets (雪貂) by sticking them on a treadmill (跑步机) and looking for exercise-induced excitement, according to research published in the Journal of Experimental Biology. After 30 minutes of running, the dogs appeared at-ease; blood tests revealed elevated levels of endocannabinoids in their systems. “We didn’t see that in the ferrets,” Raichlen said.
One major benefit to achieving a runner’s high is that it makes exercise more enjoyable. By extension, this makes people more likely to stick to an exercise routine, which is a key component of long-term heart health, according to the American Heart Association. There is also good evidence that, over the long term, exercise can help reduce anxiety and stress. So go ahead and lace up your shoes. You’re free to chase that runner’s high as far as it takes you.
1. According to the text, what is the direct result when “runner’s high” is reached?A.Fewer diseases. | B.Being positive. | C.Higher speed. | D.Feeling anxious. |
A.Break down. | B.Relate to. | C.Set off. | D.Add to. |
A.Runner’s high appears in some animals. |
B.Runner’s high surely brings lots of benefits |
C.Another example with runner’s high is found. |
D.Different animals have different runner’s high. |
A.Running is highly recommended by the author. |
B.Most of us are running to achieve runner’s high. |
C.If you are running, runner’s high is sure to happen. |
D.Runner’s high appears whenever you feel at peace. |
【推荐2】More and more people like bicycling and it is no surprise. It is fun, healthy and good for the environment. Maybe that's why there are 1.4 billion bicycles and only 400 million cars on roads worldwide today. Bikes can take you almost anywhere, and there is no oil cost!
Get on a bicycle and ride around your neighborhood. You may discover something new all around you. Stopping and getting off a bike is easier than stopping and getting out of your car. You can bike to work and benefit from the enjoyable exercise without polluting the environment. You don't even have to ride all the way.
Folding bikes work well for people who ride the train. Just fold the bike and take it with you. You can do the same on an airplane. A folding bike can be packed in a suitcase. You can also take a common bike with you when you fly. But be sure to look for information by getting on airline websites. Not all airlines are bicycle-friendly to travelers.
It helps to prevent heart diseases. Bicycling helps to control your weight. A 15-minute bike ride to and from work three times a week burns off five kilos of ft in a year. Bicycling can improve your mood.
Exercise like bicycling has been shown to make people feel better, more relaxed and self-confident. Bicycling is healthier than driving.
1. When you are riding your bicycle around your neighborhood, you may________.A.pollute the environment around | B.find something you didn't notice |
C.go everywhere and use a little oil | D.get off your bike and begin to work |
A.get out of the car | B.take it onto a train |
C.put it in your purse | D.go on airline websites |
A.you can fold the bicycle | B.you will e friendly to others |
C.you will be more relaxed | D.you may get fatter and fatter |
A.Bicycling is enjoyable exercise for people. | B.Driving cars is healthier than riding bikes. |
C.Riding a bike pollutes your neighborhood. | D.Common bikes are welcomed by all airlines. |
【推荐3】Any exercise is good exercise, but when it comes to losing weight, it's hard to beat running. After all, running is one of the most efficient ways to burn calories and get fit without having to restrict your diet.
Running is time-efficient. Even if the myth that running a mile and walking a mile burn the same number of calories were true, running is a considerably faster way to burn those calories.
Running is convenient. Though many of us have accumulated a vast arsenal(武器,装备)of GPS gadgets and tech tees over the years, little is actually required to go running. You can do it alone. You can do it almost anywhere.
Two words: runner's high.
A.If you're already a runner, keep on. |
B.Cultivate the good habit of running. |
C.Running works even when you're at rest. |
D.You will never stick to a habit if you don't like it. |
E.You don't need any equipment beyond a pair of running shoes. |
F.Most people can run two or three times as far as they can walk in a given amount of time. |
G.The first rule of exercising for weight loss is that if you don't enjoy it, you won't stick with it. |