1 . Using the health records of more than a million Swedish conscripts (应征入伍者), a recent study revealed that keeping cardiorespiratory (心肺的) fitness in their late teens and early twenties can cut the risk of developing nine types of cancer by 40% when older. The research team from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden said, “These results could be used to further strengthen the promotion of interventions aimed at increasing fitness in youth.”

Almost a third of people aged from 16 to 24 in England aren’t physically active, without meeting guidelines of at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity a week including walking, riding a bike and dancing.

Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) measures how well the heart, lungs and linked systems work to get oxygen to muscles during constant activities. The conscripts, aged between 16 and 25, had tests of CRF on exercise bikes between 1968 and 2005. The researchers used Swedish health data to see who went on to have cancer during an average follow-up of 33 years. The study found that increasing fitness was beneficial, regardless of body weight. However, they also found that higher fitness was linked to a higher risk of skin cancer. The researchers explained that this trend might be driven by exposure to sunlight.

Findings from those observational studies provide much evidence for a link between higher levels of physical activity and a lower risk of cancer. However, these studies cannot fully rule out the possibility that active people have lower cancer risk because they engage in other lifestyle behaviors. The researchers cautioned that they had no access to full data on factors such as diet, alcohol intake and smoking and so couldn’t fully account for those.

Dr Claire Knight, of Cancer Research UK, said, “The NHS recommends 150 minutes of activity a week, but it’s fine to build up activity over time and there are lots of ways to be more active. You don’t need to run a marathon or join a gym. Anything that gets you warmer and slightly out of breath and your heart beating faster counts.”

1. What’s the significance of the research findings?

A．They prove the importance of a good diet.

B．They show how our health declines with age.

C．They stress the importance of general health.

D．They give reasons to improve the health of the young.

2. What do we know about CRF?

A．It measures the blood oxygen level.

B．It shows the ability of body systems.

C．It indicates the level of exercise.

D．It controls the spread of cancer in the body.

3. What’s the limitation of the study?

A．It didn’t analyze the collected data thoroughly.

B．It connected sunlight exposure with cancer.

C．It failed to suggest the ideal time for exercise.

D．It didn’t consider other health-related factors.

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．Lifestyle changes in youth help reduce cancer risks

B．Less exposure to sunshine can rid us of cancer

C．The cardiorespiratory system plays a big role

D．Sports have a great effect on our health

2 . Endless studies show the physical, mental and longevity-based benefits of working out, while plenty suggest that avoiding activity is bad. But headlines about someone collapsing after a row always stick in the mind. So, how risky is training too hard?     1    

The NHS recommends that healthy adults aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity — but doesn’t suggest where to stop. This is because the ability to handle excess exertion (过度努力) depends on many varied factors.

The exact cause of “overtraining”, in the sense of doing too much over an extended period, is still being debated.     2     Others suggest the intestinal microbiota (肠道菌群) are involved. Whatever the case, it can hurt the rest of your life, making you moody, tired, or injury-prone.

The best advice is to pay attention when you lack energy or feel unwell and back off a bit. If you are a runner, this can also help with the common complaint of shin splints (胫骨骨膜炎), or more serious stress fractures, which are tiny cracks in the bone itself. The latter, which can be due to a sudden increase in training intensity, won’t heal until you ease off.     3    

“The obvious risk factors are linked to impact and exertion,” says Steve Hoyles, a personal trainer and gym owner. “Running is a high-impact activity and analysis shows that inexperienced runners suffer an average of 17.8 injuries per 1,000 hours, whereas in gym users the average is 5.3 injuries per 1,000 hours.     4     Combining these with a form of resistance training would be helpful. Strong muscles, bones, and connective tissues are more resistant to injury than weaker tissues, so prioritise some form of strength training, regardless of your exercise of choice.”

    5     By easing in and increasing the difficulty gradually, you will learn to listen to your body, which can help to warn you if something does go wrong. By not thrashing yourself from the start, you will learn to love exercise — and do it for the long haul.

A．The story is similar for men and women at risk of stroke.

B．So do your best to avoid them by not pushing too hard, or too fast.

C．Some experts theorise that it’s all about the central nervous system.

D．Swimming and cycling are low-impact but offer limited strength benefits.

E．And is there a way to make sure you never cross that red line into dangerous territory?

F．If you don’t have existing problems, the chances of something going wrong are very low.

G．Exercise will improve your quality of life and almost certainly your chances of living longer.

3 . After taking a few steps back, Hadj Benhalima rushed toward the building, pushed himself upward with his foot against the wall and stretched out his arm. At the peak of his jump, he flipped off a light switch, and the bright lights of a nearby barbershop went off immediately.

This is what Hadj and his friends have been doing for the past two years: swinging around Paris and switching off wasteful shop signs at night, in an effort to fight against light pollution and save energy. And they are all enthusiastic about Parkour — a sport that consists of running and jumping over urban obstacles.

While climbing other people’s property to turn off their lights may strike some as a form of trespassing (非法入侵), the Parkour athletes insist their activities are only about enforcing seldom-respected rules.

More than a decade ago, Paris City Hall issued orders requiring stores to turn off all signs and window displays from 1 am to 6 am, but they are widely ignored with little consequence. “for 10 years there has been no follow-up, no control, no punishment,” said Anne-Marie Ducroux, the head of the National Association for the Protection of the Sky and the Night Environment.

That is why Hadj and his friends have taken matters into their own hands. The group often gathers in the so-called Golden Triangle neighborhood, in western Paris, which is the center of French luxury.

Enforcing the orders in place of the authorities certainly enters a legal grey area. But the Parkour athletes say all the police officers they have met during their rounds have allowed their action — as long as it causes no damage.

And it seems that their efforts have produced the desired result, because Hadj says he has noticed that in recent months, several shops have stopped leaving their lights on after his group targeted them. He hopes others will follow suit. “At least, I’ll sleep better,” he said.

1. What are Hadj Benhalima and his friends trying to do at night?

A．To practice their Parkour skills.

B．To remove possible urban obstacles.

C．To turn off unnecessary store lights.

D．To ensure the safety of their neighborhood.

2. What can we learn about the rules set by the government?

A．They are too strict to follow.

B．They have achieved the desired effect.

C．They put great pressure on stores.

D．They are not carried out effectively.

3. What is the government’s attitude towards the Parkour athletes’ act?

A．Worried.

B．Supportive.

C．Doubtful.

D．Unconcerned.

4. What does the text mainly talk about?

A．Why Parkour is so popular among young people in Paris.

B．Why it is difficult to fight against light pollution in Paris.

C．How the lighting of shop signs affects the night view of Paris.

D．How young people in Paris help save energy through Parkour.

4 . Winter 2024 Story Contest

OUR WINTER CONTEST is open to all fiction and nonfiction writers. Entries must be previously unpublished, no longer than 15,000 words, and must not have been previously chosen as a winner, finalist, or honorable mention in another contest.

Narrative winners and finalists have gone on to win Whiting Awards, the Pulitzer Prize, and the Atlantic prize, and have appeared in collections such as Best American Short Stories, Best American Non-required Reading and many others.

As always, we are looking for works with a strong narrative drive, characters we can respond to, and language, situation, and insight that are intense and total.

We welcome and look forward to reading your pages.

Awards: First Prize is $2,500, Second Prize is $1,000, Third Prize is $500, and up to ten finalists will receive $100 each. All entries will be considered for publication.

Submission Fee: There is a $27 fee for each entry. With your entry, you’ll receive three months of access to Narrative Backstage at no cost.

Timing: The contest closes on March 31,2024, at midnight, Pacific Standard Time.

Judging: The contest will be judged by the editors of the magazine. Winners and finalists will be announced to the public by April 30,2024. All writers who enter will be informed by email of the judges’ decisions, which will be final. Please make sure info@narrativemagazine.com is in your address book and your email settings permit messages from www.narrativemagazine.com.

Submission Guidelines: Please read our Submission Guidelines for contributions formatting and other information.

1. What is required of the entries?

A．They should be related to winter 2024.

B．They should be based on real-life events.

C．They should be submitted before April 30.

D．They should be limited to 15,000 words.

2. What will each of the participants get?

A．A copy of excellent narrative works.	B．Access to the Pulitzer Prize.
C．Free visits to Narrative Backstage.	D．A collection of winners’ works.

3. How can participants know the contest’s final results?

A．By entering the official website.	B．By checking an email.
C．By attending the awards ceremony.	D．By making a phone call.

5 . We all want to keep fit and stay healthy, but a few things may prevent it: laziness, a busy schedule, and maybe even a limited spend.     1    . You can even make a bit of money on a few of these activities.

Babysit.

If you have your own kids, you’ll probably agree that looking after kids can help keep you fit. If you don’t, you can experience the wonderful world of toddlerhood by volunteering or signing up for a babysitting job. The best ages to babysit are those toddler years (2 through 5). Why?     2    .

Care for your yard.

    3    . Work on your yard all year long and you’ll have more than your heart going — best exercise of all is to push that lawnmower (除草机) around especially if you have a large lawn. Or even better, put in your own waste water system. All that digging should be great for upper body strength and patience.

    4    .

Have you checked your storeroom, basement and kitchen lately? Well, moving small items from their storage areas and turning them into boxes for sale, donation pick-ups or just further storage will get your blood exciting. Even just pushing around a dust cleaner, or sweeping your garage floor should oil your joints (关节).

Use someone else’s sports or exercise equipment (设备).

Have you checked under your bed lately? All around the nation, there is a flood of unused exercise equipment sitting around in garages and hiding in spare rooms and basements.     5    — if not at your own home, they could be sitting somewhere in a friend’s or relative’s home, sadly unused. It may be a good idea to reuse them.

A．Be your own gardener

B．Volunteer or get active work

C．Clean out or organize your house

D．Actually there are some free ways to move your body!

E．You could have these things right under your very nose.

F．It doesn’t really take much to get yourself into better shape.

G．In that case, you have to carry, lift, run and follow them around all day.

6 . Tracy Anderson

Gwyneth Paltrow and Victoria Beckham are fans of the Tracy Anderson Method, which involves dance-based classes using body resistance and very light hand weights. Her online programme includes a new weekly workout, as well as access to existing classes, her digital magazine and meal planning guides. It’s at ￡69 per month, but you get a discount for annual membership.tracyanderson.com

Roar

The singer Ellie Goulding and the fashion designer Henry Holland are said to be fans of Roar’s daily live classes, which include the Overdrive—a high energy weights-based workout focusing on upper-body strengthening and cardiovascular fitness. Their founder, the three times Olympian speed skater Sarah Lindsay, has also trained the broadcaster Piers Morgan and the DJ Nick Grimshaw. There’s a 14-day free trial, then membership starts at โ12.50per month with live daily workouts and unlimited access to the library. roar-fitness.com

Centr

The Thor actor Chris Hemsworth and his personal trainer Luke Zocchi launched the Centr app in 2019. It features 20 and 40-minute session s of HIIT, Pilates, yoga, boxing and guided meditation, plus recipe ideas, a meal planner and stress and well being support. It’s offering a free seven-day trial, and starts from £7.83permonth. centr.com

Get It Done

The former professional footballer and celebrity trainer Bradley Simmonds launched his platform, Get It Done, in 2020. The app includes daily live streamed and on-demand classes featuring yoga, core fitness and strength. From ￡22 per month. Getitdone. fitness

1. What do Tracy Anderson and Centr have in common?

A．Dance-based classes.	B．Special magazines.
C．Meal planning guides.	D．A free trial period.

2. |Which can probably offer one-on-one classes?

A．Tracy Anderson.

B．Roar.

C．Centr.

D．Get It Done.

3. Who is the text intended for?

A．Professional athletes.	B．Fitness enthusiasts.
C．Famous celebrities.	D．Personal trainers.

7 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. How is the weather now?

A．Cloudy.

B．Sunny.

C．Snowy.

2. What does the woman think of the man’s suggestion?

A．Practical.

B．Crazy.

C．Shameful.

3. What does the woman say about the Black Run?

A．It is very dangerous.

B．It is easy for skiing in the area.

C．It is very good for exercising legs.

8 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

In the past couple of years, videoclips of young Chinese doing traditional fitness qigong     1     (flood) video sharing websites, among which     2     instructional video of Baduanjin, a form of fitness qigong has been played for more than 10 million times and received over 6,000 comments on Bilibili, a quality-video sharing platform     3     (target) young people.

Baduajin is one of the oldest health and fitness therapies in China, and it was     4     (original) created 800 years ago during the Song Dynasty (960-1279). The name, literally meaning “eight-section brocade”, generally     5     (refer) to how the eight individual movements characterize a silken quality to the movement of the body and its energy. Compared with more physically demanding sports such as the ballgames, swimming or gym workouts, Baduanjin is slow and usually accompanied     6     soft music,     7     it used to be considered as the exclusive sport for the elders.

No equipment is necessary and     8     requires very little space or, perhaps most importantly in our fast-paced lives, time. “I have been doing Baduajin for about four months, which makes me sleep better and get stronger. I owe big thanks to Baduajin since it gives me a much     9     (healthy) lifestyle,” a young netizen commented below the video. But not all people are suitable for practicing Baduanjin. Liu Xiaodan, an associate professor at Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, cautioned that people should always put     10     (safe) first when doing Baduanjin, and patients who are weak should not take up this exercise.

9 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. Why isn’t the man watching the World Cup matches?

A．His favorite team didn’t advance to the second round.

B．His favorite football star missed the matches.

C．The player he likes wasn’t in the starting line-up.

2. What caused the team’s loss?

A．Red cards.

B．Referees.

C．Injuries.

3. Where will the man watch the final match?

A．At home.

B．In the bar.

C．In the Stadium.

10 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填人1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Taijiquan is an especially helpful exercise to both the old and young. UNESCO describes it as “a traditional physical practice”. It    1    (characterize) by relaxing, circular movements that work in harmony with breath regulation and the cultivation of a    2    (moral) acceptable and neutral mind.

One’s understanding of Taijiquan can evolve    3    the practice continues. As an adolescent, it might be more of a martial art that strengthens your body and improves fighting skills. As one’s experience grows, it becomes easier    4    (appreciate) its cultural implications.

Taijiquan can teach people to stay calm during life’s ups and downs and to embrace the world with an open mind. Taijiquan also    5     (feature) the interaction effect between movement and stillness, emptiness and reality, opening and closing, and rigidity and gentleness,    6     is “a perfect picture of harmonious coexistence and unity in diversity”.

Taijiquan requires its practitioners to be upright and peaceful and act from     7     perspective of others, which reflects Confucianism’s emphasis     8     self-cultivation and humanity.

The leisure of Taijiquan and Olympic spirit, originated from western     9     (country), are two different kinds of life concepts under different culture background. Nowadays, widespread Taijiquan shows that these two kinds of culture are in the process of     10     (blend) which are the inheritance of Chinese traditional culture and the complementation of world Olympic Spirit as well.