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. |
2 . What did the woman do yesterday?
A.She played football. | B.She watched a game. | C.She worked in the lab. |
3 . 听下面一段对话,回答以下小题。
1. What kind of sports does the man like?A.Only playing basketball. |
B.Only swimming. |
C.Both basketball and swimming. |
D.Only climbing mountains. |
A.She thinks it’s important. |
B.She doesn’t think it’s important. |
C.She thinks it’s boring. |
D.She doesn’t have enough time for it. |
A.She is too busy. |
B.She doesn’t like sports. |
C.She doesn’t have a sports club. |
D.She doesn’t have any money. |
A.Quit her job. |
B.Drink a cup of coffee before work. |
C.Go for a walk after lunch. |
D.Work more hours. |
A.Sports. |
B.Exercising. |
C.Coffee. |
D.Work. |
1. What is Amy’s favorite sport?
A.Soccer. |
B.Running. |
C.Swimming. |
D.Basketball. |
A.Amy. |
B.Lily. |
C.Steven. |
D.It’s not mentioned. |
A.Running. |
B.Soccer. |
C.Jumping. |
D.Swimming. |
A.He won the first prize. |
B.He won the second prize. |
C.He came in third. |
D.He didn’t place. |
A.Sports meeting. |
B.Favorite sports. |
C.Running. |
D.Jumping. |
1. How does Amy feel about running?
A.She thinks it’s boring. |
B.She enjoys it. |
C.She doesn’t like it at all. |
D.She only runs when she has to. |
A.She actually is the fastest. |
B.She doesn’t want to brag. |
C.Lily runs faster than her. |
D.She doesn’t run at all. |
A.Improve his grades. |
B.Try out for the school team. |
C.Break a record. |
D.Win another prize. |
A.Sports in general. |
B.Running in particular. |
C.The school sports meet. |
D.The participants’ personal experiences with sports. |
1. What will Robert do in the club?
A.Train the soccer players. |
B.Hold all the meetings. |
C.Collect fees from members. |
A.To attract more students. |
B.To open another club. |
C.To buy new equipment. |
A.For two years. | B.For five years. | C.For ten years. |
A.Ways to join the soccer club. |
B.Classes opened for this season. |
C.Details of three club leading members. |
A.Catching fish. |
B.Having a meal. |
C.Playing tennis. |
A.The team lost by too much. |
B.The team didn’t make him excited. |
C.The team withdrew from the match. |
9 . If someone says you are too old to learn to swim, ignore them. Remind them of then 75-year-old Rosemary Caruana, the grandmother who knows you’re never too old to learn to swim. She thought she was unable to swim at all. More than that, she had a strong dislike for the water. But despite this, she found herself in her swimming costume at her local pool.
Caruana took her grandson swimming and was watching her grandson in the pool. She decided she needed lessons. So after her grandson’s lesson she approached the swimming teacher and asked whether or not she would be able to take some swimming lessons. The teacher told Rosemary that you’re never too old to learn to swim and said she’d be happy to teach her.
“I watched my youngest grandson swimming and thought, this is ridiculous...you’re 75-year-old, he’s swimming, you’re not-and you live on an island. So I asked his teacher if she would teach me and she said yes.”
Over the next 12 months, Caruana attended each session to build up her swimming ability. She had a goal, which was to swim a length of the pool. She did it. She still takes part in her swimming lessons each week, and now looks forward to each session rather than panicking as she had in the early months.
“Now, 12 months later, I absolutely love it. And I can now do four lengths of the main pool which is 25 meters, two on my front and two on my back. I do still need my wonderful instructor Sally beside me, though. I am not quite confident enough to go it alone.”
You are never too old to learn: inspired?
You are never too old to learn to swim, said Rosemary. If you are a grandmother inspired by Rosemary to learn to swim, then use our Poolfinder widget to track down your nearest pool below.
1. Which of the following statements is true?A.Caruana had a love for water at first. | B.Caruana started to learn to swim at 75. |
C.All grandmothers can learn to swim. | D.Caruana is old enough to learn to swim. |
A.There were no local pools when Caruana was young. |
B.Caruana’s grandson asked her to teach him swimming. |
C.Caruana could do 25 meters after attending one session. |
D.The swimming center has different pools in various areas. |
A.To tell a story. | B.To make an advertisement. |
C.To introduce a practical trick. | D.To prove one’s ability. |
A.You are never too old to learn to swim | B.How a grandmother loves swimming |
C.Rosemary Caruana, an old grandma | D.What a wonderful swimming instructor! |
1. Who does the man focus on in the competition?
A.The judges. | B.The audience. | C.Other skaters. |
A.Swimming. | B.Horse riding. | C.Tennis. |
A.Teach some skaters. |
B.Compete in another match. |
C.Work as a judge in a TV show. |
A.The moves to do. | B.The music to skate to. | C.The partner to skate with. |