1 . The benefits of regular exercise are well documented but there’s a new bonus to add to the ever-growing list. New researchers found that middle-aged women who were physically fit could be nearly 90 percent less likely to develop dementia in later life, and as they did, it came on a decade later than less sporty women.
Lead researcher Dr. Helena Horder, of the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, said : "These findings are exciting because it’s possible that improving people's cardiovascular （心血管的）fitness in middle age could delay or even prevent them from developing dementia. "
For the study, 191 women with an average age of 50 took a bicycle exercise test until they were exhausted to measure their peak （最大值的） cardiovascular capacity. The average peak workload was measured at 103 watts.
A total of 40 women met the criteria for a high fitness level, or 120 watts or higher. A total of 92 women were in the medium fitness category; and 59 women were in the low fitness category, defined as a peak workload of 80 watts or less, or having their exercise tests stopped because of high blood pressure, chest pain or other cardiovascular problems.
These women were then tested for dementia six times over the following four decades. During that time, 44 of the women developed dementia. Five percent of the highly fit women developed dementia, compared to 25 percent of the women with medium fitness and 32 percent of the women with low fitness.
"However, this study does not show cause and effect between cardiovascular fitness and dementia, it only shows an association. More research is needed to see if improved fitness could have a positive effect on the risk of dementia and also to look at when during a lifetime a high fitness level is most important. " She also admitted that a relatively small number of women were studied, all of whom were form Sweden, so the results might not be applicable to other groups.
1. What is on the ever-growing list mentioned in the first paragraph?| A．Positive effects of doing exercises. |
| B．Exercises suitable for the middle-aged. |
| C．Experimental studies on diseases. |
| D．Advantages of sporty woman over man |
| A．To predict their maximum heart rate. |
| B．To assess their cardiovascular capacity |
| C．To change their habits of working out |
| D．To detect their potential health problems |
| A．It aimed to find a cure for dementia. |
| B．Data collection was a lengthy process. |
| C．Some participants withdrew from it. |
| D．The results were far from satisfactory. |
| A．More Women Are Exercising to Prevent Dementia |
| B．Middle-Aged Women Need to Do More Exercise |
| C．Fit Women Are Less Likely to Develop Dementia |
| D．Biking Improves Women's Cardiovascular Fitness |
According to a review of evidence in a medical journal, runners live three years
The best exercise is one that you enjoy and will do. But otherwise… it's probably running. To avoid knee pain, you can run on soft surfaces, do exercises to
3 . My mother turned ninety. I knew I needed to find a senior
I called a nearby center, “Do you have aerobics (有氧运动) classes
When I came into the room, a woman
I
| A．leisure | B．fitness | C．community | D．learning |
| A．change | B．remember | C．wait | D．enjoy |
| A．routine | B．aim | C．challenge | D．plan |
| A．attached | B．familiar | C．appropriate | D．vital |
| A．comforted | B．invited | C．promised | D．welcomed |
| A．sure | B．disappointed | C．anxious | D．hopeful |
| A．make up for | B．look down on | C．get down to | D．keep up with |
| A．greeted | B．recognized | C．helped | D．introduced |
| A．relax | B．stretch | C．strengthen | D．use |
| A．improvement | B．agreement | C．interpretation | D．conclusion |
| A．Fortunately | B．Consequently | C．Naturally | D．Surprisingly |
| A．problem | B．contribution | C．standard | D．focus |
| A．lonely | B．absent | C．unhappy | D．tired |
| A．fail | B．manage | C．attempt | D．continue |
| A．backgrounds | B．connections | C．skills | D．duties |
4 . If you’re a runner who secretly hates running, here’s some good news: settling into a leisurely jog rather than an all-out run may actually be better for your health in the long term.
A team from Denmark followed over 5, 000 people taking part in the Copenhagen City Heart Study, and tracked whether they were non-joggers, or joggers who kept a slow, moderate (中等的), or fast pace. The participants’ health was tracked over the next 12 years, and so was their mortality (死亡率): 28 of the joggers and 128 of the non-joggers died.
The connection was this: Joggers of mild and moderate intensity had a lower risk of death than the fast joggers. In fact, the lowest mortality risk was that of the mild intensity joggers. The fast-paced joggers had about the same mortality rate as sedentary (久坐的) people. This suggests that there may be an upper limit to hard exercise, after which the benefits fall off.
“The U-shaped association between jogging and mortality suggests there may be an upper limit for exercise amount that is best for health benefits,” said study author Peter Schnohr. “Anything more is not just unnecessary; it may be harmful.” From the current study, jogging just three times per week, for less than 2.5 hours per week was associated with the lowest overall mortality risk.
There have been a lot of mixed messages about the “right” amount of exercise and what intensity is best. The World Health Organization has suggested that the current 150 minutes per week recommendations are strenuous for most people to tackle, and that expectations should be lowered, since, after all, anything is better than nothing. Everyone probably has a level of activity that feels best to him or her. But at least the growing consensus seems to be that more — if you’re pushing yourself very hard— is not necessarily better. And it may even be worse.
1. What was the study designed to find out?| A．The relation between exercise amount and health. |
| B．The difference between non-joggers and joggers. |
| C．The advantages of jogging over running. |
| D．The common causes of death from exercise. |
| A．Those jogging just three times per week. | B．Those jogging 150 minutes per week. |
| C．Those fast-paced joggers. | D．Those slow-paced joggers. |
| A．The early bird catches the worm. | B．Wealth is nothing without health. |
| C．To go beyond is as wrong as to fall short. | D．Enough exercise brings about happiness. |
| A．Intense. | B．Wide-ranging. |
| C．Necessary. | D．Far-reaching. |
| A．Why Jogging May Be Better For Your Health Than Running? |
| B．Can Jogging Increase Your Weight? |
| C．How Does Jogging Affect Your Health? |
| D．How Often Should Beginners Run? |
5 . Practice Tai Chi & Feel Better
| Free Open House See a demo of tai chi and try a free class, all welcome! Saturday Feb 2 Level 1,566 Lutwyche Rd 1:00 pm-2:30 pm Saturday Jan 19 Mermaid Beach Community Center, 2439 Gold Coast Highway 11:00 am-1:00 pm |
| New Weekly Beginners’ Classes Buranda Primary School, 24 Cowley St, Woolloongabba STARTS Thu Mar 7 6:30 pm-8:00 pm Holland Park St Joachim’s Hall, 24 Crown St STARTS Tue Mar 5 5:30 pm-7:00 pm You can choose one of them. |
| Health Recovery Classes Health recovery classes are for people with chronic (慢性的) illnesses, or who are recovering from illnesses, to work on tai chi at their own speed. You can start anytime, and start to feel the benefits. Level 1,566 Lutwyche Rd STARTS anytime Thursday 11:00 am-12:30 pm |
| Short Courses Are you short of time? In just one afternoon or a weekend you can get a quick introduction to tai chi. SAT APRIL 27 to SUN APRIL 28 2:00 pm-4:00 pm Introduction to tai chi(weekend) Room 502, Building 13, St Peter’s College For more information, visit the Short Courses page on our website. |
 Bookings are important. Call 3357 5600 or email brisbane@taichi.org. |
| A．Mermaid Beach Community Center. |
| B．Buranda Primary School. |
| C．Holland Park. |
| D．St Peter’s College. |
| A．Every day. | B．Once a week. |
| C．Twice a week. | D．Once a month. |
| A．6:30 pm-8:00 pm | B．5:30 pm-7:00 pm |
| C．11:00 am-12:30 pm | D．2:00 pm-4:00 pm |
| A．Free Open House. |
| B．New Weekly Beginners’ Classes. |
| C．Health Recovery Classes. |
| D．Short Courses. |
| A．Make a booking. |
| B．Build a website. |
| C．Become an active person. |
| D．Learn a lot about tai chi. |
1．学生参与体育运动的情况；
2．体育运动的重要性；
3．提出倡议。
注意：1．词数100左右；
2．可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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7 . It will come as no comfort to a child shivering (打哆嗦) on a playing field on a cold winter’s day. But regular organized school sport helps children in their academic studies in years to come. The researchers said other “structured” activities such as music or religious activities were not as beneficial for attention as taking part in a games lesson. The difference in academic ability was noticeable even at age ten, with those who had taken in sports since the start of junior school performing better than those who hadn’t.
The Canadian study looked at children aged six and then ten. Professor Linda Pagani said:“We worked with information provided by parents and teachers to compare kindergarteners’ activities with their classroom activities as they grew up. By the time they reached the fourth grade, kids who played structured sports were clearly better at following instructions and remaining focused in the classroom. There is something special to the sporting environment — perhaps the sense of belonging to a team to a special group with a common goal — that appears to help kids understand the importance of respecting the rules and honoring responsibilities.”
Researchers began studying 2,694 Canadian children around the age of six, with teachers filled in questionnaires about their behavior in school. Meanwhile, the children’s parents were interviewed by phone or in person about their home life. The exercise was the repeated four years later to test what effect the behavior had.
Professor Pagani said: “We found children who had better behavior in the kindergarten class were more likely to be involved in sport by age ten. Nevertheless, we found those children who were specifically involved in team sports at kindergarten scored higher by the time they reached the fourth grade.” The researchers believe sporting activities and attention skills go hand in hand. Professor Pagani added: “The results should be encouraging for schools looking to cut childhood obesity rates and low attainment in schools.”
1. What kinds of children may do better in their academic study according to paragraph one?| A．Those who join in structured activities. |
| B．Those who don’t shiver on a cold winter’s day. |
| C．Those who don’t like school sports. |
| D．Those who take part in game lessons. |
| A．The classroom activities. | B．The results of the exams. |
| C．The performance at kindergarten. | D．The time spent in classrooms. |
| A．understand each other better | B．follow the rules |
| C．respect the teachers | D．give up |
| A．How scientists carried out the research. |
| B．Why parents were interviewed by phone. |
| C．How kids behaved at home or at school. |
| D．How many sports kids did at school. |
| A．The research will be of great benefit. |
| B．It’s necessary for children go to kindergartens. |
| C．Childhood obesity rates can lead to low attainment. |
| D．Team sports will be reduced at kindergartens. |
8 . So whether you are “a yoga professional” looking for somewhere new to practice, or “a novice” interested in trying yoga for the first time, Move GB is pulling all the stops out for National Yoga Month, reaching out to its 1,281 yoga partners to generate a yoga schedule for Londoners that will keep you inspired and feeling great throughout the month.
Monday, 3 September
Sunrise yoga in the clouds at Yogasphere
Start the day with an active yoga practice. An hour of mind, body and soul relaxation makes you feel flexible, inspired, and ready for the day ahead.
24th floor of The Shard, 32 London Bridge Street SEI 9SG; movegb.com
Saturday, 8 September
Aerial (空中的) yoga at Flying Fantastic
Aerial yoga gives a slightly different reading of the ancient art of yoga I uses poses through seven paths in the body and can help those with back and shoulder pain and provides a good workout. It’s devoted to helping you reduce the tension in the bones and muscles, which in turn increases your balance ability and flexibility in the muscles.
Yard Arches, 229 Union Street SEI 0LR; movegb.com
Wednesday, 12 September
Color therapy with Chroma Yoga
Conquer the mid-week tiredness and stimulate your senses with Chroma Yoga, which combines yoga practice with light and color therapy techniques, brain-stimulating music and natural smell to create a wellness experience.
45 Charlotte Road, Hackney EC2A 3PG; movegb.com
Thursday, 20 September
Power yoga at Factory 45
Turn on your holiday with an experimental studio space in the heart of Borough that is now home to art, music, fashion and fitness.
44-46 Newington Causeway, Elephant & Castle SEI 6DR; movegb.com
1. What is “a novice”?| A．A student. | B．A beginner. | C．A yoga coach. | D．A pregnant woman. |
| A．Power yoga at Factory 45 |
| B．Aerial yoga at Flying Fantastic |
| C．Color therapy with Chroma Yoga |
| D．Sunrise yoga in the clouds at Yogasphere |
| A．helping you get rid of outdated yoga moves |
| B．teaching you some basic dancing skills |
| C．curing your back and shoulder diseases |
| D．making your body more flexible |
| A．do yoga exercise while your senses are stimulated |
| B．experience floating in the air and enjoy nice views |
| C．enjoy colorful paintings by famous artists |
| D．create your own therapy techniques |
| A．To teach us the correct yoga routines. |
| B．To show us the benefit of doing yoga. |
| C．To encourage people to take more exercise. |
| D．To spread yoga classes throughout London. |
9 . National Music Theater Competition
The 2024 National Music Theater Competition (NMTC) will be held. It was launched in 2011 as the first national competition for the emerging professional music theater soloist (独唱者). NMTC has provided industry connections for past competitors and winners that have led to their success on Broadway and other venues.
Prizes (each prize only for a person)
The champion: $5,000 plus a concert at the next national conference of National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS), a $1,000 Gift Certificate from Hal Leonard, a Career Management Services package from Stage Door Connections.
The runner-up: $2,500 plus a $500 Gift Certificate from Hal Leonard.
The third place: Louise Lerch Prize; $1,000 cash prize.
The fourth place: Bill Hayes Prize; $750 cash prize.
Qualification
Singers aged from 20 to 28 as of September 15, 2023.
Entrance Procedure
Application requires a fee of $900, but for these students of NATS members the fee is $75. Application fees due to cancellation by the applicant won’t be returned. All application materials must be submitted by September 15, 2023. If you are planning to submit your application for the online round, you must complete the submission by September 15, 2023, but you’ll have 30 days after the deadline to upload your audition (试唱) videos. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.
Where to Audition
The preliminary (预选的) round
Live auditions: November 1 to 10, 2023 in New York City.
Online auditions: Video submission deadline is October 15, 2023.
Semifinal and final rounds
Live auditions: The semifinal round: January 3 to 9, 2024; the final round: January 15 to 20, 2024.
The semifinal and final rounds will be held in New York City as part of the 2024 NATS Winter Workshop.
1. Why was the National Music Theater Competition launched?| A．To make people like music. |
| B．To promote the leisure industry. |
| C．To popularize Broadway musicals. |
| D．To seek promising talents. |
| A．A $500 Gift Certificate and Louise Lerch Prize. |
| B．$2,500 in prize money and a Gift Certificate. |
| C．A Career Management Services package. |
| D．A chance to perform at a concert. |
| A．Being at least 28 years old. |
| B．Applying for membership of NATS. |
| C．Submitting application materials on time. |
| D．Uploading audition videos by September 15. |
| A．Competitors can enter the semifinal round on January 18, 2024. |
| B．Both online and live auditions are available in any round. |
| C．There are three rounds in the competition in total. |
| D．Application submission deadline is October 15, 2023. |
| A．To call on people to explore their potential in music. |
| B．To attract young singers to apply for the competition. |
| C．To appeal to young singers to become NATS members. |
| D．To encourage people to enter the musical industry. |
10 . NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC KIDS 2020 PHOTO COMPETITION!
Woo-hoo! Get your cameras and smartphones at the ready, because it’s time for this year’s NG KIDS photography competition.
What you need to know
Competition is open only to legal residents (居民) of the UK and Ireland who are between the ages of 7 and 14.
We have THREE categories (类别) in the competition — animals, people and environment (a new category started this year). You can enter as many categories as you like but just ONE photo per category, please!
All photos should be sent through our website. If you’ve not already registered, you or your parent will need to do so at natgeokids. com/uk/ photocomp — it will only take a minute to do!
You can submit (提交) ONE photo for each of the three categories. Photos should be in JPEG format, between 1MB and 5MB in size. Enter at natgeokids. com/uk/photocomp.
Before you submit your photo, make sure you rename it with your full name and the category you are entering. For example, Joe-Bloggs-Animals. jpg.
Don’t forget to tell us your full name, date of birth and the title of your photo!
The prizes
Our Star Prize is a family holiday in Morocco!
And that’s not all! Each category winner will win a number of prizes too, including an amazing Nikon COOLPIX W150 camera, which is built to go anywhere.
The closing date is 23:59 (GMT) on 21 October 2020. Winners will be notified (通知) before 18 November 2020.
1. How is this year’s competition different from that of last year?| A．It has a new category. |
| B．It lasts about one month longer. |
| C．It is open to kids from around the world. |
| D．It will give more than one prize to winners. |
| A．One. | B．Two. | C．Three. | D．five. |
| A．be 14 years old or older |
| B．submit their photos on its website |
| C．get their parents agreement |
| D．Give their photos an amazing name. |
| A．The photos can be submitted on 18 November 2020. |
| B．All the winners can go for a family holiday in UK. |
| C．It will take a long time to register. |
| D．One must rename the photo with full name and the category. |
| A．A research plan. | B．A science report. |
| C．A nature magazine. | D．A tourist guidebook. |
