Older women who walk a little over three kilometers each day might live longer than less active women of the same age, a new study suggests.
Many Americans hoping to stay healthy set a daily goal of 10, 000 steps, or about eight kilometers. They often have this goal because they are wearing electronic devices which set that target, note researchers in the United States. Their findings appeared recently in the publication JAMA Internal Medicine.
But it is not clear how much intensity(强度)or speed matter when counting the health benefits of every step, the researchers write. They add that 10,000 steps per day might not be the right goal for everyone.
For the study, researchers observed 17,000 women, all in their early 70s. They asked the women to wear accelerometers for at least four days. Accelerometers are small devices that measure the number of steps and the intensity of movement. The researchers followed up with the women much later, around 4. 3 years later, on average. Since the beginning of the study, 504 women had died. Compared to women who took no more than 2, 718 steps daily, the women who took at least 4,363 steps per day were 41 percent less likely to die.
“Even a modest amount of steps is associated with lower death rates, "said I-Min Lee, the lead writer of a report on the study. "The rate of stepping did not matter in these older women: it was the number of steps that mattered.
The study had a few limitations. For example, the researchers only measured women’s movements once, at the start of the study period. It is possible that the women’s behaviors changed over time. Still, the results are "good news for older adults who may have difficulty walking at faster paces, "said Keith Diaz, a researcher at Columbia University. He was not involved in the study.
“Any walking is better than nothing, " Diaz said by email. "With even small amounts of walking, your risk of death will be sharply reduced "For those who have difficulty walking, other research shows that any form of aerobic activity provides health benefits," he added. "Swimming, bicycling or any form of activity that is continuous in nature will provide health benefits.
1. What conclusion can we come to from the text?| A．People who walk about 10,000 steps can live longer. |
| B．10,000 steps per day might be the right goal for people. |
| C．The more steps one walks per day, the longer life he may live. |
| D．The number of steps is important for a long life among older women. |
| A．By giving examples. | B．By comparison. |
| C．By listing statistics. | D．By explaining reasons. |
| A．People who walk fast will get more health benefits. |
| B．If people have a habit of walking, the risk of death will be reduced. |
| C．People with walking difficulty can not benefit from activities |
| D．Activities such as swimming and bicycling are not as beneficial as walking. |
| A．A medical journal. | B．A news report. |
| C．A magazine about fashion. | D．A traveler brochure. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】Sports can help you keep fit and get in touch with nature. However, whether you are on the mountains, in the waves, or on the grassland, you should be aware that your choice of sport might have great influence on the environment.
Some sports are resource-hungry. Golf, as you may know, eats up not only large areas of countryside, but also tons of water. Besides, all sorts of chemical and huge amounts of energy are used to keep its courses in good condition .This causes major environmental effects. For example, in the dry regions of Portugal and Spain, golf is often held responsible for serious water shortage in some local areas.
There are many environment-friendly sports. Power walking is one of them that you could take up today. You don’t need any special equipment except a good pair of shoes; and you don’t have to worry about resources and your purse. Simple and free, power walking can also keep you fit. If you walk regularly, it will be good for your heart and bones. Experts say that 20 minutes of power walking daily can make you feel less anxious, sleep well and have better weight control.
Whatever sport you take up, you can make it greener by using environment-friendly equipment and buying products made from recycled materials. But the final goal should be “green gyms”. They are better replacements for traditional health clubs and modern sports centers. Members of green gyms play sports outdoors, in the countryside or other open spaces. There is no special requirement for you to start your membership. And best of all, it’s free.
1. What do we know about golf from the passage?| A．It is not played in Portugal and Spain at all. |
| B．It causes water shortages around the world. |
| C．It pollutes the earth with chemicals and wastes. |
| D．It needs water and energy to keep its courses in good condition. |
| A．it is free | B．it benefits our health |
| C．it is resource-saving | D．it gets people close to the nature |
| A．Cycling in a mountain. | B．Working out in a gym. |
| C．Swimming in a sports center. | D．Playing golf in the countryside. |
【推荐2】It is hard to say I was a runner years ago. The longest I had ever run was 5 km. What’s more, I didn’t like running. No matter how hard I tried, every so often I would fasten my old shoes, walk out of the house with heavy steps, get less than a mile in and wonder why I was bothering, especially when there are many more satisfying ways of exercising.
Before last summer, I had never taken part in any kind of race at all. But at the end of July, I completed a triathlon(三项全能)after two weeks’ training. At the end of it came the run—which ended up more like a walk. Then I realized something about it attracted me. The extremely painful fun of doing something I hated and was unprepared for turned out to be an excitement. The difficulty felt like something to test my abilities.
When an invitation of the Berlin Marathon dropped onto my desk a few weeks after the triathlon, it felt like a change of fate. After the triathlon, I didn’t say I should start running at once. Was it because I hate running? In fact, in course of running I enjoyed the joy of exceeding my limits. I felt necessary to find out again where those limits might lie. So I said yes.
Training for a marathon often takes at least 20 weeks or more. The training plan becomes something to stop me worrying when the race seems too frightening. This worry feels impossible to avoid, but there is something equally sure about the training plan: if I follow it, then I have done everything I can; if I do everything I can, then I won’t regret what comes at the end.
1. What aspect of the triathlon drew the writer?| A．The special feeling of facing a challenge. |
| B．The fun of walking to the finish line. |
| C．The excitement of winning a race. |
| D．The two-week painful training. |
| A．He was eager to change his destiny. |
| B．He wasn’t supposed to stop running. |
| C．He wanted to realize his full potential. |
| D．He was keen on taking part in another triathlon. |
| A．Patient and pessimistic. | B．Courageous and determined. |
| C．Helpful and persistent. | D．Energetic and changeable. |
| A．A bad beginning makes a bad ending. |
| B．Challenge ourselves to live without regrets. |
| C．Life is full of challenges that can’t be avoided. |
| D．Exercise is to the body what reading is to the mind. |
【推荐3】The benefits of walking are many, but deciding how many miles to cover and how much time to spend walking each day is another matter.
Studies have shown that the average American takes between 3,000 and 4,000 steps daily doing everyday tings — about 1.5 to 2 miles.
It may also be helpful to health to make walking a part of one’s daily routine. People can take the stairs instead of the elevator, park at the other end of the lot and walk a further distance to a store’s entrance when shopping.
On top of such physical benefits, walking has been shown to improve sleep and mental health including mood and self-esteem.
| A．Combine walking with everyday routine. |
| B．They will provide the same health benefits. |
| C．What if counting results by miles isn’t your thing? |
| D．Still, why not get off public transportation a stop early? |
| E．Walking sessions should be continuous to be beneficial. |
| F．That amount alone has been shown to lower one’s death risk. |
| G．Walking requires no special equipment, gym membership or training. |
【推荐1】When a group of college kids channeled their pandemic troubles into action, they never imagined the project would fuel a nationwide movement to tackle hunger and food waste.
But that’s exactly what Farmlink has done since 2020, bringing together hundreds of young volunteers to rescue nearly 77 million pounds of harvests headed for the trash and delivered them to those in need. The organization’s efforts help farmers, the environment, and people struggling to feed thef.
Launched during the height of the pandemic in spring, 2020, Farmlink was initially supposed to help struggling families and food banks. “In the United States, 40 million Americans are food insecure,” said Aidan Reilly, who co-founded Farmlink. “Meanwhile, we’re throwing out over 100 billion pounds of food every year.” Learning that local farms were forced to destroy excess produce that they couldn’t sell, especially with restaurants and schools closed, Aidan and a group of friends worked together to contact farms coast to coast.
In California, they found a farmer who had 13,000 eggs that could be donated, and Reilly offered to do the pickup and delivery himself. That was the first of many more deliveries. With “we’ll come to you” as their catchphrase, the group rented trucks and attempted to do all the food pickup and deliveries themselves.
The students ultimately got a welcome help from Uber Freight, and with the help of professional drivers, they moved more than one million pounds of produce from farms to food banks within just two months, transforming their passion project into a massive logistics (物流) operation in the process. Word spread, and more and more young people at home during the pandemic reached out to help.
Farmlink has worked with more than 100 farms and 300 communities in the US, rescuing and moving enough food to distribute more than 64 million meals.
1. What is Farmlink?| A．A project. | B．A volunteer. | C．A food bank. | D．A college. |
| A．To deal with food waste. | B．To protect the environment. |
| C．To help with food shortages. | D．To fight against the pandemic. |
| A．Fresh. | B．Necessary. | C．Expensive. | D．Extra. |
| A．Transforming Passion into Action |
| B．Turning Food Waste into Meals |
| C．Distributing Meals with Joint Efforts |
| D．Rescuing the World from Hunger |
【推荐2】When you enjoy your morning cup of tea, you are probably not aware that those tea leaves can mean injury, or even death, for Asian elephants wandering Indian tea gardens.
In the Indian state of Assam, growing numbers of tea farms are destroying the Asian elephant’s habitats and endangering their population. Much of the forest land where tea is grown in Assam is flat and thus farmers must dig drainage trenches or small channels to prevent water from accumulating and hurting the plants. The trenches, however, can be death traps for the elephants.
Since the elephants need to use tea plantations as landmarks when traveling in forests, they almost unavoidably have to move through the farms. Moreover, because there are fewer humans around, pregnant females often use tea-growing areas as safe shelters to give birth. But baby elephants, still not used to rough ground may easily fall into the trenches and get hurt. Once injured, they might not be able to climb out. When mothers try to dig their babies out, both may be trapped in thick mud, even be killed. Furthermore, elephants are known to resist leaving their sick or dying behind, and a group may stay at a trench with a trapped baby for hours, unwilling to move on until all hope is lost.
Is there possibility for elephants to live in harmony with the booming tea business? Elephant Friendly Tea is an organization that takes the initiative to make it possible. The organization encourages consumers to choose brands that take an active part in elephants protection, and has established a certification program to reward tea growers who are doing it right. Until now, only smaller tea brands have been certified, but awareness is growing. The organization believes that people may be encouraged to buy elephant-friendly brands when they know more about the risk tea can cause to these endangered animals.
1. Why do farmers in Assam dig trenches?| A．To trap elephants. | B．To mark boundaries. |
| C．To protect tea trees. | D．To expand tea farms. |
| A．They get stuck by the sharp branches of the tea trees. |
| B．They have difficulty moving around the uneven fields. |
| C．They might miss the landmarks while travelling in forests. |
| D．They fail to find a safe shelter when climbing out of trenches. |
| A．Encouraging consumers to choose high-quality brands. |
| B．Rewarding tea growers for protecting the environment. |
| C．Promoting elephant-friendly trenches and organizations. |
| D．Creating a win-win situation for elephants and tea farms. |
| A．The Trenches Pose Threats to Elephants |
| B．Habitat Loss Affects Endangered Animals |
| C．Growth of Tea Gardens Benefits Plantation |
| D．Farms Sponsor Environmental Organizations |
【推荐3】In recent years, we have always seen different kinds of new energy vehicles on the road frequently, but do you know anything about them?
In the 21st century, with the increasing shortage of resources such as oil and natural gas, the issue of non-renewable resources has become a major concern. The traditional industry uses mostly oil as a fuel, and the carbon dioxide produced by burning oil hurts the air. The vehicle emissions (排放) contribute to global warming and other poisonous gases cause serious air pollution.
In response to the problem of vehicle pollution, countries and regions worldwide are setting increasingly strict standards for vehicle emissions. To cope with the increasing severity of vehicle emission standards, the major car manufacturers(制造商) are now mainly adopting methods to improve the technology related to the engines of conventional energy vehicles. Although this has improved the quality of emissions, it will be increasingly difficult to upgrade the technology. At this point, the development of new energy vehicles has become a new option for manufacturers, as the production and use of new energy vehicles will fundamentally solve the problem of vehicle emissions. Therefore, the development of new energy vehicles are a necessity and a general trend.
New energy vehicles are proposed as opposed to traditional vehicles, which are mainly fuelled by petrol. A new energy vehicle is a type of vehicle that runs on clean energy sources, using new energy sources as the fuel commonly used to power the car and provide the drive energy for the vehicle. New energy vehicles can be divided into several categories, such-as pure electric vehicles, fuel cell electric vehicles, hybrid (混合动力) vehicles, and so on. In addition, new energy vehicles have the advantage of low energy consumption and low-carbon environmental protection.
However, although new energy vehicles follow the concept of sustainable development, there are still many problems and challenges in the development of new energy vehicle research and production. For instance, many issues require specialist technicians and solutions, and further breakthroughs are needed in key technology areas. In addition, the efficiency of new energy use needs to be further improved, making it difficult to form an industrial-scale operation in a short period.
1. What does using non-renewable resources invite?| A．Harm to the planet. | B．Low-carbon life. |
| C．Less air pollution. | D．Shortage of water. |
| A．Improving energy efficiency of traditional resources. |
| B．Replacing the engines of conventional energy vehicles. |
| C．Innovating vehicles related to renewable resources. |
| D．Manufacturing more cars and lowering their prices. |
| A．The source, fuel and advantage. |
| B．The definition, fuel and protection. |
| C．The source, category and conformation, |
| D．The definition, category and advantage. |
| A．They should be replaced. | B．Further exploring in needed. |
| C．It is unnecessary to improve. | D．They call for no more energy. |
【推荐1】When it comes to making healthy lifestyle changes, which should come first — changing your diet or becoming more physically active?
Previous studies suggested that providing people with too much information about nutrition and physical activity at once tends to be discouraging. That has led to the popularity of advising people to make changes gradually, and set smaller goals.
So the scientists divided 200 inactive participants who were age 45 or older into four groups. One group was instructed about making diet and fitness changes at the same time, the second group was taught about diet changes first, then fitness changes four months later, the third group changed their exercise habits first and made changes in their eating habits four months later, and the final, control group was not instructed about either diet or fitness changes but about how to manage their stress.
The researchers tracked the groups for a full year. Compared to the control group, the three intervention (干预) groups made healthy changes in their diet. Those who changed their fitness habits first significantly increased the amount of exercise they received daily compared to the other groups after four months. However, at the end of the year, the group that changed both diet and exercise at the same time was the only one that met the nationally recommended targets for both exercise and nutrition levels, while those who worked on improving their nutrition first were unable to meet the recommended levels of fitness after a year. The researchers suspect that changes to diet are easier to make than changes to physical activity.
The findings show, however, that pairing diet and exercise changes may help to overcome some of the barriers people face in adding more physical activity into their lives. If folks change diet and exercise orderly, the scientists say, they may end up placing more importance on the first set of behavior changes and feel less pressured to address the second set.
1. The advice mentioned in the second paragraph seemed .| A．popular | B．dangerous | C．scientific | D．unsatisfactory |
| A．The first group. | B．The second group. |
| C．The third group. | D．The control group. |
| A．they might be very lazy |
| B．they wouldn’t like to change their behavior |
| C．it is much harder to change physical activity |
| D．they might put on weight before changing their physical activity |
| A．Pairing diet and exercise changes. |
| B．Becoming more physically active first. |
| C．Changing diet and exercise following a fixed order. |
| D．Changing diet first and placing more importance on it. |
【推荐2】With climate change and overfishing threatening our oceans, it is becoming increasingly important for researchers to closely observe and check sea animals and plants. However, it’s almost impossible to make it since human presence scares the animals. Now, thanks to the robot, aka SoFi, researchers may be able to solve the problem.
Built by MIT’s laboratory, the snow-white remote-controlled robot simulates fish, complete with a flexible tail that moves from side to side and two “fins (鳍)”.
When the robot is under the sea, a motor is pumping water into a pair of balloon-like rooms located in the robot’s tail. These rooms operate similarly to the key parts in engines. As one room expands, the tail bends to one side; when the motor pushes water to the other channel, the tail bends in the other direction. Thus the robot gains the ability to move to where it wants to go.
SoFi solves many of the issues that have affected the usefulness(有效性) of previous robots --- some types of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs).
AUVs traditionally often have had to be tied to a boat because radio frequency communications do not work well underwater. So researchers use sound waves. The new technology can travel greater distances, allowing drivers, by using a controller, to pilot SoFi from up to 50 feet away. SoFi can move around the ocean, unaffected by ropes. Also limiting traditional AUVs’ usefulness is the risk of hitting something, like hard stones. With the outside made of rubber(橡胶) and plastic that can keep its built-in electronics dry, SoFi can efficiently avoid hitting. So a soft robot is more likely to survive a potential crisis.
During test dives in Rainbow Reef, SoFi swam alongside the unsuspecting(无疑心的) ocean life at depths of 50 feet for up to 40 minutes at a time, obtaining high-quality photos and videos. More importantly, it was able to do so without causing any disturbance. Researchers say sometimes the fish would swim alongside the strange-looking robot in curiosity, while at other times they appeared to completely ignore its existence. “It’s not perfect, but we’re improving it. Our efforts will pay off,” says Robert Katzschmann.
1. The robot SoFi is created to ________.| A．observe climate change | B．help to monitor sea creatures |
| C．catch fish and observe them | D．prevent overfishing in oceans |
| A．Is modeled after. | B．Is designed for. |
| C．Is combined with. | D．Is applied to. |
| A．The shape of SoFi. | B．The application of SoFi. |
| C．The structure of SoFi’s tail. | D．The theory of SoFi’s movement. |
| A．Satisfied. | B．Negative. | C．Hopeful. | D．Neutral. |
【推荐3】If you are a recent social science graduate who has had to listen to jokes about unemployment from your computer major classmates, you may have had the last laugh. There are many advantages for the social science major because this high-tech “Information Age” demands people who are flexible and who have good communication skills.
There are many social science majors in large companies who fill important positions. For example, a number of research studies found that social science majors had achieved greater managerial success than those who had technical training or pre-professional courses. Studies show that social science majors are most suited for change, which is the leading feature of the kind of high speed, high-pressure, high-tech world we now live in.
Social science majors are not only experiencing success in their long-term company jobs, but they are also finding jobs more easily. A study showed that many companies had filled a large percentage of their entry-level positions with social science graduates. The study also showed that the most sought-after quality in a person who was looking for a job was communication skills, noted as “very important” by 92 percent of the companies. Social science majors have these skills, often without knowing how important they are. It is probably due to these skills that they have been offered a wide variety of positions.
Finally, although some social science majors may still find it more difficult than their technically trained classmates to land the first job, recent graduates report that they don’t regret their choice of study.
1. Compared with graduates of other subjects, social science graduates _____.| A．are ready to change when situations change |
| B．are better able to deal with difficulties |
| C．are equally good at computer skills |
| D．are likely to give others pressure |
| A．Willingness to take low-paid jobs. | B．Readiness to gain high-tech knowledge. |
| C．Skills in expressing themselves. | D．Part-time work experience. |
| A．keep for some time | B．successfully get |
| C．immediately start | D．lose regretfully |
【推荐1】A young Dutch inventor is widening his effort to clean up floating(浮动的) plastic from the Pacific Ocean. He has developed a floating device(设备) to catch plastic waste moving into rivers before it reaches the oceans.
Boyan Slat was just 18 years old when he invented a system for catching waste in the ocean. He also set up an environmental group called “The Ocean Cleanup”. Its purpose is to develop the system. Last year, Slat showed the next step: a floating device called Interceptor. It takes plastic out of rivers. The device is powered by energy from the sun. “The 1,000 rivers are responsible for about 80% of plastic going into the world’s oceans,” said Slat. Three of the machines have already been used. Each machine costs about $ 775,660, but the cost might drop as production increases.
Since they were used, the machines have been doing very well, collecting the plastic bottles and all the rubbish in the rivers. According to Slat, it is necessary to close “the tap”, which means stopping more plastic from reaching the ocean in the first place. He wanted to clean them all in the next five years. “This is not going to be easy, but if we do get this done, we could truly make our oceans again,” said Slat.
The device is designed to be safe in rivers. Its nose is shaped to change directions to keep it away from larger floating things. It works by guiding plastic waste into an opening in the front of the device. The waste is then carried inside the machine where it is dropped into containers(容器). The device sends a text message to local operators that can come and empty it when it is full.
1. What do we know about Interceptor?| A．It hasn’t been used yet. |
| B．It can help sort waste. |
| C．It is mainly used under the sea. |
| D．It needs energy from the sun to work. |
| A．To empty the waste. |
| B．To serve as containers. |
| C．To ensure(确保) the device’s safety. |
| D．To send operators text messages. |
| A．A floating device for catching plastic waste. |
| B．A young well-known Dutch inventor. |
| C．A system for making rivers safe. |
| D．An environmental group called the Ocean Cleanup. |
| A．A diary. | B．A dictionary. |
| C．A travel brochure. | D．A magazine. |
【推荐2】In four years, the space agency plans to land the first woman ever on the Moon through its Artemis program, which calls for $28 billion in funding through 2025' for Stage I, NASA said in its news release. Artemis is named after the Greek goddess of the moon and twin sister of Apollo. NASA's Apollo 11 mission succeeded in landing the first 12 men on the moon on July 20, 1969.
One billion dollars of the budget will go directly to the development of a commercial human lunar system that will take humans to the moon's surface, NASA' said. A share of $651 million will be used to support the Orion Spacecraft and the rocket for the moon mission—called the Space Launch System or SLS.NASA has already spent at least $11.9 billion on the SLS, which was supposed to be ready by December 2017. The spacecraft is complete, NASA said, and the main stage and four attached rockets are undergoing final tests in preparation for a "critical hot fire test this fall."
NASA's Artemis I mission is on track to launch in 2021 with two test flights around the Moon without astronauts. However, NASA will send robots to the Moon twice in 2021 in order to "send dozens of new science investigations and technology demonstrations".
Artemis II is set to launch in 2023 with astronauts on board in preparation to have Artemis III bring astronauts back to the surface of the Moon. The astronauts will be fitted with modern spacesuits that allow for greater flexibility and movement than the spacesuits used by other Apollo-era astronauts, and they will be tasked with collecting samples and conducting a range of science experiments over the course of nearly seven days.
The Artemis program will search for and potentially explore resources' such as water that can be turned into other usable resources such as oxygen and fuel, and NASA hopes to develop new 'mobility capabilities that will allow astronauts to explore new regions of the Moon.
1. Where is the text probably from?| A．A news report. | B．A guidebook. |
| C．An advertisement. | D．A book review |
| A．It is carried out by NASA in the name of Greek goddess!t.. |
| B．Artemis I will have two test flights around the Earth in 2021 |
| C．At a cost of $11:9 billion, SLS was completed in December 2017. |
| D．Both Artemis II and Artemis III will be launched with humans on board |
| A．Searching for oxygen and fuel. | B．Performing science experiments. |
| C．Developing new mobility capabilities. | D．Testing the flexibility of modern spacesuits. |
【推荐3】Bonfire night(篝火之夜)is fast approaching in London. The following are the best spots to watch fireworks shows.
Saturday Morden Park
This fireworks show is perfect to take the tittle ones along to. The show will include new fire and light acts and will be set to accompanying music. When all of the magic is over, attendees can enjoy the entertainment or pick up a refreshment at the on-site bar.
Tickets:￡9 in advance ￡10 at the gates.
Tickets can be bought here.
Clissold Park
This 20-minute show is more demure(娴静的)than other show spots due to the animals which live in the park, however, still promises a beautiful show. The show will also be accompanied(伴奏)by music.
Tickets: Adults ￡8.75, children ￡3.75. Prices reduced by ￡l for people living in Hackney Borough
Tickets can be bought here.
Croydon Road Recreation Ground
This family-focused event has been running since 1946 and offers two chances to catch the excitement of the fireworks. A smaller show at 6:00pm promises reduced noise, perfect for little children, meanwhile, the main event promises a bang at 7:45pm.
Tickets: Children under 11 free, over 11￡5, adults￡10
Tickets can be bought on the gate.
Alexandra Palace
The biggest fireworks event in London, having run for 150 years, Alexandra Palace is set to excite audiences again this year with a splendid show. The grounds will also include a German-Beer festival and delicious food.
Tickets: Adults ￡12.50, kids 11-15 ￡10, and kids under ￡2.50
Tickets can be bought here.
1. What do Clissold Park and Saturday Morden Park have in common?| A．Neither is open to kids. | B．One can enjoy coffee in a bar. |
| C．There are caged animals. | D．The background music is provided. |
| A．It is the biggest firework show. | B．It includes two shows. |
| C．It serves delicious food. | D．It is family-friendly event. |
| A．￡15.5. | B．￡18.25. |
| C．￡19.25. | D．￡20. |
| A．A textbook. | B．A magazine. |
| C．A website. | D．A report. |
