1 . Scientists are now digging into precisely why exercise holds so many benefits for our mental health and memory. The answer, studies say, lies in our brain chemistry.
Each time you work up a sweat, your body releases feel-good happy hormones (荷尔蒙), including endorphins, dopamine and endocannabinoids, the latter being responsible for the so-called runner’s high. Now researchers are also pointing to myokines (肌肉因子) as an important contributor to the mental health benefits of exercise. When our muscles contract, myokines are released into the bloodstream, helping your muscles and organs communicate. They think this communication increases resilience to stress, reduces symptoms of mental suffering and anxiety and has a direct effect on depression.
A 2021 scientific report published in Neuropharmacology showed evidence that myokines boost brain function, like improving memory and mood. “Myokines reduce systemic inflammation (炎症), which is especially beneficial for people with drug-resistant depression whose low mood is linked to high inflammation,” explains Dr Jennifer Heisz, an expert in brain health and associate professor in the department of kinesiology at McMaster University in Canada.
A recent study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine showed that treatment for depression can be much more effective when physical activity is added to the usual care. Participants found benefits after 12 weeks of exercising for 30 to 60 minutes a day. “While exercise is not a replacement for professional mental health treatment, physical activity can complement and enhance the effects of the treatment,” says lead researcher Ben Singh, a research fellow at the University of South Australia.
“It is amazing to consider how moving our bodies can heal our minds,” says Heisz. Whether you’re cycling, walking around your neighbourhood or doing yoga, getting sweaty is good for your body and mind. To get the biggest overall health boost, the key is to zero in on sports and activities you enjoy, so you’ll keep going back to them.
1. How do myokines boost our mental health?A.By bonding muscles with organs. |
B.By slowing down our bloodstream. |
C.By contracting muscles through the body. |
D.By releasing happy hormones in our brain. |
A.Doubtful. | B.Negative. |
C.Uncertain | D.Approving. |
A.Adapt to. | B.Give up. |
C.Focus on. | D.Put off. |
A.By making comparisons. |
B.By presenting research findings. |
C.By offering suggestions. |
D.By conducting some experiments. |
2 . Tai chi, a traditional, slow-moving form of Chinese physical exercise, is known to increase flexibility and improve balance. New research has been conducted to determine whether tai chi has an influence on lowering blood pressure in people with prehypertension (高血压前期).
In the study, Chinese scientists put 342 adults with prehypertension into two groups. The average age of people taking part in the study was 49. About half the participants (参与者) took part in aerobic exercise, including jogging, climbing stairs and cycling. The other half was trained to practice tai chi. Both groups got hour-long exercises four times a week.
Nearly 22% of the people who practiced tai chi saw their blood pressure fall to be normal, compared with nearly 16% of people in the aerobic exercise group. And fewer patients in the tai chi group went on to develop high blood pressure than patients in the aerobic exercise group.
So what is it about tai chi that helps lower blood pressure? “The practice tends to get more of a response from the parasympathetic (副交感的) nervous system, which is the network of nerves that relaxes your body after periods of stress or danger,” says Ruth Taylor-Piliae, a professor at the University of Arizona’s College of Nursing.
“I think the beauty of tai chi is that you don’t have to have a special gym membership, you don’t have to have special clothing,” Taylor-Piliae says. “Once you learn tai chi, you can do it anytime and anyplace. And it does provide a calming and relaxing effect.”
Evidence suggests it can also help protect against cognitive fall and even improve memory. But you have to practice it continually to get the most benefit.
1. What is the function of paragraph 1?A.To offer some examples. | B.To explain a definition. |
C.To introduce the topic. | D.To give people suggestions. |
A.They were divided into two groups. | B.They suffered from heart disease. |
C.They were 49 years old. | D.They got exercises five times a week. |
A.It can make people calm down. |
B.It requires training and specialized equipment. |
C.It has no influence on the parasympathetic nervous system. |
D.It is suitable for individuals with aerobic exercise experience. |
A.A Traditional Sport | B.The Benefits of Aerobic Exercise |
C.Exploring Chinese Physical Exercise | D.Managing Blood Pressure with Tai Chi |
3 . Starting a daily running routine needs determination. Looking back on my old running routine, it wasn’t so much the passion that affected my sticking to a regular schedule — but it was the environment. There had to be no rain pouring down, there had to be not many people on the basketball court and the ambient (周围的) temperature had to be just right. Or maybe I was just making an excuse for myself not to get up at 5 in the morning?
I was quite successful at doing so when I was 15 and when it was summer. When I was overweight, I ate more snacks than the actual full meals in a day, and I hardly got off the sofa. One summer day, I decided that it was time to put a stop to the idea that I was just the fat kid. I didn’t want to put in that box anymore. There was a tipping point (临界点) where inspiration happened, and discipline (自律) just took over from there. I needed to make sure that I ran 10 laps of the park a day — this was the contract (契约) I made with myself that summer. And if I achieved that, I knew I’d be closer to my goal of being just a kid with normal weight.
Ten laps, six days a week — sometimes no breakfast, hardly a bite at dinner, one snack a day—this lasted two months. I’d lost over 30 pounds that summer, which was roughly a quarter of my body weight. Some days, I didn’t have the motivation. But the contract I made with myself kept reminding me — if I’d break it, would I even bother making future self-contracts anymore? There were sleepy days, and there were days when I should have rested my trembling knees, but discipline won over them all.
1. What do we know about the author’s past running routine?A.It was made by the author’s parents. | B.It mainly depended on the environment. |
C.It referred to many people at site. | D.It failed in the end. |
A.The author didn’t live a healthy lifestyle. |
B.Summer is a season for people to be fat. |
C.Good eating habits could make one put on weight. |
D.Getting up late made him a fat kid. |
A.He felt looked down upon when he was fat. |
B.He couldn’t find a right word to describe his size. |
C.He made up his mind to achieve his goal of losing weight. |
D.He was too fat to find the right size of clothes or shoes. |
A.My Running Routine Was Affected by the Environment. |
B.It Was Unpleasant to Be Overweight. |
C.I Made a Contract on Running. |
D.Discipline Helps Achieve My Goal. |
4 . Attention! We need to put a stop to parents doing harm to youth sports. It has gotten out of hand.
A recent study showed 26 million American children took part in non-school sports. By the age of 13, about 18.2 million quit.
No wonder kids are quitting. Many parents show no sportsmanship. They often shout happily at an injury if the injured player is on the other team. My brother Mario Widdowson got hit in the face during a soccer game. The parents from the other team were shouting gladly at his pain. All of the players were down on one knee waiting for Mario to get up, out of respect and it was the right thing to do. The kids did much better than these parents.
There are different types of parents. In the book “Parenting with Love and Logic” the authors describe two different types of parents. The first is helicopter parents, who don’t allow their kid to succeed or fail on their own. The other type is lawnmower parents, who clear anything in their child’s path to make life as easy as possible.
I have observed helicopter parents. When my brother was playing club soccer, one of his teammate’s parents shouted at their son. “Shoot the ball”. It was from about half field. He did it and the coach stopped him from playing and asked him to leave the field.
The parents are trying to coach their kids. The players on the field follow blindly and many mistakes happen. It’s not good for kids’ confidence. What is the purpose of youth sports anyway?
Problems happen in youth sports all over the United States. Parents need to behave themselves. Then the number of students who quit at the age of 13 will drop greatly.
1. What does the author want to show by using numbers in Paragraph 2?A.American kids are sports lovers. |
B.Parents can’t behave themselves. |
C.Most kids give up sports half-way. |
D.Non-school sports are popular among teens. |
A.They lent a helping hand. | B.They cheered at his injury. |
C.They waited for him to get up. | D.They kept shouting at their kids. |
A.He made a mistake. |
B.He missed his goal. |
C.He turned to the coach again. |
D.He didn’t want to go on with the sport. |
A.Parents Should Respect Sports. | B.Non-school Sports Is Popular. |
C.Encouragement Is Important for Kids. | D.Kids Need to Love Sports. |
5 . What are the limits of the human body? Is there a point at which it is physically impossible to do something?
“One thing we’ve all learned in the last 30 years or so is that just about anything is humanly possible,” says Dr. Jack Wilmore, author of Physiology of Sport and Exercise. “As time goes by, I think you’ll see more records continue to fall in every sport. The talent pool is better than ever. With more and better athletes joining in and competing, records will fall and new ones will be set.”
Many believed it was physically impossible for a human to run a mile in under four minutes, but Roger Bannister proved that was wrong, with a three-minute, 59-second mile in 1954. Today, sub-four-minute miles are considered ordinary even in high school. And Bob Beamon amazed the whole world in the 1968 Olympics with his historic long jump of 8. 90 metres. In an event where a record is usually broken by me re inches, he broke the previous jump record by more than 21 inches, but even his record was broken in 1991.
One factor is now becoming more understood and paid more attention to: sports psychology (心理学). Getting inside the athlete’s head can be as effective as training and long workouts. According to Wilmore, the psychological factor of sports has become more and more valued. He thinks highly of most teams’ hiring (雇佣) professional sports psychologists to work for their players.
What’s more, everything in the sports field — training, nutrition (营养), injury treatment — is far better than it’s ever been. “Besides, children today are more likely to focus on one or two sports instead of competing in several as was common twenty-five years ago,” Wilmore says. “That means they start concentrating on a sport much earlier and put more effort into it, and thus they become much better at it.”
“There’s a lot we don’t know yet about the human body,” he adds. “And one of those things is can do.” the full range of human potential. It would be foolish to try and put limits on what the human body can do.”
1. What can we learn from Dr. Jack Wilmore’s words?A.Athletes will become the most popular people. |
B.It will be tougher for athletes to break former records. |
C.It is necessary for athletes to learn the limits of the body. |
D.Athletes will continue to surprise us with their achievements. |
A.To introduce two great athletes. |
B.To show some of the latest world records. |
C.To prove the limits of the body can be pushed. |
D.To explain what athletes can achieve under stress. |
A.Appreciative. | B.Unconcerned. | C.Doubtful. | D.Objective. |
A.They take part in far more sports. |
B.They are less likely to get injured in sports. |
C.They begin playing sports at a much earlier age. |
D.They become more skilful at one particular sport. |
6 . The 2024 “Chinese Bridge” Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreigners across the Globe—Calligraphy and Painting Challenge has been officially announced.
This competition invites painting, calligraphy, and Chinese language enthusiasts from all around the world to take part in this exciting event.
Participants are encouraged to submit their creative themes for the contest, with the theme selection process being determined through public nominations.
If you’re interested, feel free to submit the theme that you believe fits best with the requirements of the competition.
Here are the requirements:
Who Can Apply
The call for creative themes for the Calligraphy and Painting Challenge is open to any Chinese language enthusiasts worldwide, with no limit to age or nationality.
Submission Dates
Submissions will be accepted from June 15, 2024, to 12:00 PM on June 30, 2024(Beijing Time.)
Announcement Date
The selected theme for the Calligraphy and Painting Challenge will be announced on July 1, 2024, which also marks the official start date of the submission period for works under the selected theme.
Submission Methods
Participants can send their theme and related information to chinesebridge@chineseplus.net. “Chinese Bridge” also accepts direct messages on its official account on Facebook, Instagram, WeChat, and Weibo.
1. Who can be invited to the competition?A.Tom who is crazy about Spanish. |
B.Sandy who is creative in writing. |
C.Lucy whose nationality is Chinese. |
D.Bill who loves Chinese and calligraphy. |
A.June 12, 2024. | B.July 1, 2024. |
C.June 20, 2024. | D.July 15, 2024. |
A.To build a competition organization. |
B.To provide information about a competition. |
C.To announce the opening of a competition. |
D.To collect creative themes for a competition. |
7 . As is known to all, sports are necessary, but many people are worried about getting hurt in sports. The equipment(装备)you wear while taking part in sports and other activities is key to avoiding injuries(受伤).
Start with helmets(头盔). They’re important for sports and activities such as football, baseball, softball, biking, horseback riding, skateboarding, inline skating, skiing, and snow boarding—to name just a few.
Wear a mouthguard if you play a contact sport where head injury is a risk, such as football, basketball, volleyball and boxing.
And last but not least, the right footwear can keep you from tripping and falling. You know that sports like football, baseball, softball, and soccer require cleats(防滑鞋).
A.They don’t provide protection. |
B.Need to find the right helmet size for you? |
C.Eye protection is also a must for many sports. |
D.Helmets reduce the risk of head injuries by 75% - 85%. |
E.Mouthguards can protect your mouth, teeth, and tongue. |
F.The right kind of equipment is important, so is the right size. |
G.But you may not realize that sports like biking need special types of shoes, too. |
8 . Common Mistakes New Runners Make
Running is a great way to get in shape and just about everyone can do it. However, many make a number of common mistakes, which can interfere (妨碍) with training or lead to injury.
·Doing too much too soon
One of the biggest mistakes new runners make is doing too much too soon. Slowly easing into a training program will help reduce the risk of injury, so you can continue on with your new running routine
·
Beginners might think they need to run every day (or nearly every day) to meet their fitness or weight-loss goals, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Running is a high-impact activity which can be really hard on your body. So it’s important to give your body a rest between workouts.
·Not wearing the right equipment
•Running through pain
A.Not taking rest days |
B.If you’re just starting out |
C.Comparing yourself to others |
D.Running can be uncomfortable at times |
E.It’s important not to use the same muscles |
F.While it may be true that you don’t need expensive equipment to take up running |
G.Experts suggest increasing your running distance by no more than 10% each week |
9 . One of the reasons why so many people listen to music during exercise is that it has a number of benefits. The research around the positive influences of music during exercise was reviewed in a paper in the February 2020 issue of Psychological Bulletin.
Probably the biggest influence of music on exercise, based on these findings, is that listening to music during exercise can make you feel better about what you have done. Experiments find that people feel more positive about the exercise when they have listened to music than when they have not. The impact of music didn’t depend on the intensity of the exercise, and the effect appeared for both trained and untrained athletes.
Music also seems to reduce people’s feeling of how much they are exerting themselves. That is, at the same level of intensity of activity, listening to music can make you feel like you are exerting less effort than you would feel without music. Some studies have also shown that when athletes are free to set their own exertion level, they are willing to exercise more intensely with music than without. For some people (particularly when they are early in their training), music helps them focus on the music rather than on pain.
Music also appears to have a small effect on performance overall. Athletes perform better both during exercise and while engaging in their sport when there is music. In the studies analyzed, fast music, with a tempo greater than 120 beats-per-minute, was more effective than slow music. Interestingly, it doesn’t seem to matter whether the athlete chooses the music or whether it is chosen by someone else. So, the playlists selected by the teachers of an exercise class you’re taking may work even if you don’t love all of the songs.
The one place where music doesn’t seem to have much of an impact is on physiological functioning. The heart rate of an athlete is not consistently affected by music.
1. What is the main benefit of listening to music during exercise?A.Improving performance. |
B.Providing entertainment. |
C.Reducing the effort of training. |
D.Feeling better about the workout. |
A.Try hard. | B.Break down. | C.Growing up. | D.Come back. |
A.Soft music. | B.Calm music. | C.Gentle music. | D.Rapid-paced music. |
A.It consistently increases their heart rate. |
B.It consistently decreases their heart rate. |
C.It depends on the intensity of the exercise. |
D.It has no consistent influence on their heart rate. |
10 . Yoga has a well-deserved reputation for helping improve balance and flexibility and for inducing calm and relaxation. But as for weight loss, many people assume other types of exercise will benefit more. While you might not burn as many calories by practicing yoga as you would by running or doing some other high-intensity activities, yoga can still raise your heart rate and help build muscle.
● Reduce stress and reduce pounds. Yoga helps deal with stress.
● Move well and eat well.
●
Yoga is a very reasonable form of exercise, but you have to choose the right type. A 2021 study found no difference in weight loss totals for participants practicing a gentle, restorative yoga versus a more vigorous type of yoga.
A.Make weight loss last. |
B.Learn about cognitive skills. |
C.Studies show that high levels of cortisol can lead to an increase in fat. |
D.Several studies have confirmed that doing yoga does raise cortisol levels. |
E.Yoga helps break old dietary habits and related unconscious patterns of behavior. |
F.Actually, the best yoga is the practice that fits for you — the one you'll commit to. |
G.Here’s more about how yoga is a complete body and mind workout. |