1 . For people suffering from depression, there’s an all-natural treatment they should use—getting more exercise. It could help fight depression, even if people have a genetic (遗传的) risk, new research shows.
For the study, researchers collected information from nearly 8,000 people and found those with related genes were more likely to have depression over the next two years after examining them. But that was less likely for people who were more active at the study’s start, even if they had a family history of depression. Higher levels of physical activity helped protect even those with the highest genetic risk of depression.
Both high-intensity (高强度) exercise and low-intensity activities were associated with a reduced risk of depression. Adding four hours of exercise a week could lower the risk of a new episode (一段经历) of depression by 17%, according to the study. “Our findings strongly suggest that, when it comes to depression, being physically active has the potential to remove the added risk of future episodes in individuals who are genetically risky,” said lead author Karmel Choi. “On average, about 35 additional minutes of physical activity each day may help people to reduce their risk and protect against future depression episodes.”
Depression is a common mental illness globally, with more than 264 million people affected. “Depression is so ubiquitous, and that underlines the need for effective approaches that can impact as many people as possible,” Choi said. And mental health and primary care providers can use the findings to advise patients that there’s something meaningful they can do to lower their risk of depression.
1. How did the researchers reach their conclusion?A.By analyzing a mass of data. | B.By conducting genetic research. |
C.By comparing various levels of activity. | D.By tracking the subjects for many years. |
A.Physical activity betters medical treatment. |
B.Exercise is able to decrease and prevent it. |
C.Different levels of exercise intensity matter the same. |
D.Exercising 35 minutes daily is the most effective treatment. |
A.Harmful. | B.Unusual. | C.Common. | D.Complex. |
A.To discuss a disease of depression. | B.To explain a phenomenon of depression. |
C.To analyze a genetic risk of depression. | D.To introduce a method to lower the risk of depression. |
2 . It’s really a challenge for people to find consistent motivation to exercise regularly. Wishing not to hit gyms, you can invent tons of excuses. However, out of most people’s expectation, a certain amount of physical exercise every week can stop your IQ from declining.
IQ, to a large degree, is determined by genes. It has long been established that genes account for about 70 percent of IQ. And environmental factors, like diet, quality of education and brain stimulation, affect the other 30 percent.
IQ can be put into two types — “fluid” and “crystallized” intelligence. The former refers to the ability to reason and think flexibly, while the latter refers to the build-up of knowledge, facts, and skills that are acquired throughout life. The two have a dynamic relationship: fluid IQ decides how much information you can take in and how fast you can take it in, which means a higher fluid IQ contributes to your crystallized IQ. They keep growing until your early twenties, when they both reach the peak. Unfortunately, this will not keep the same for the rest of your life. Fluid intelligence declines rapidly with age.
What causes this decline? It all comes down to your cardiovascular (心血管的) system. It calls for a large amount of oxygen for the brain to function well. The less exercise you have as you get old, the less oxygen your heart provides to supply your brain. Exercise also promotes the release of certain chemicals that are critical to the brain’s health, bringing about better concentration and memory.
Taking proper physical exercise can help to prevent IQ from declining as you get older. Why not choose to hit the gym for the sake of IQ intelligence?
1. How is the second paragraph mainly developed?A.By making comparisons. | B.By listing the numbers and data. |
C.By explaining the reasons. | D.By giving examples. |
A.Crystallized intelligence develops more slowly than Fluid intelligence. |
B.Fluid intelligence is more important than Crystallized intelligence. |
C.A lower fluid intelligence is not good for Crystallized intelligence. |
D.Fluid intelligence and crystallized intelligence increase with age. |
A.A mental disorder. | B.A bad mood. |
C.A lack of flexibility. | D.A weak heart. |
A.To persuade people to exercise. |
B.To inform people of IQ intelligence. |
C.To criticize those who are lazy. |
D.To advertise for gyms. |
3 . Following its recent success in hosting the 19th Asian Games, Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang province, celebrated the opening of a related grand sporting event, the 4th Asian Para Games, with an emotohally engaging opening ceremony on Sunday night.
The ceremony, themed “Hearts Meet, Dreams Shine”, was held at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center Stadium. also known as the “Big Lotus”.
While the opening ceremony on Sept 23 of the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou showcased to the world the host city’s rich cultural heritage, picturesque scenery and technological prowess (造诣), the opening ceremony of the Asian Para Games focused more on the softer side of Hangzhou and its people.
The ceremony featured the osmanthus (桂花), the city flower of Hangzhou, as the key element to convey the “sunny, harmonious, persevering and sharing” spirit of the Para Games.
Following an opening show featuring a first-person narration by a partially sighted young girl who welcomed guests from a long distance while the osmanthus is in full blossom, spectators cheered as Vice-Premier Ding Xuexiang declared the opening of the sporting gala.
Twenty-two massive bunches of golden osmanthus, which represent the 22 sports featured in the event, served as the centerpiece of the ceremony.
With the help of technology, the bouquets took on different configurations —sometimes as water, sometimes as arched bridges —before eventually turning into a giant crown hung in the air, welcoming the athletes as they entered the stadium.
Majid Rashed, the president of the Asian Paralympic Committee, expressed appreciation for the Chinese host’s thorough organization. “The huge efforts of the Chinese government and the organizing committee in making these Games a success, is helping us to get closer to achieving our vision of creating an inclusive Asia through sport,” said Rashed, who thanked the organizing committee for its “tireless efforts, which will make these the best ever Asian Para Games, I’m sure”.
In the next six days, the Para Games will see 3,100 athletes from 44 countries and regions compete in 564 medal events in 22 sports.
1. What is special about the opening ceremony of Asian Para Games?A.The host city’s inner spirit. |
B.The host city’s pretty scenery. |
C.The host city’s abundant cultural tradition. |
D.The host city’s advanced skills of technology. |
A.forms | B.styles | C.equipment | D.modes |
A.The host city is ill-prepared. |
B.Success of the event is just down to Hang Zhou. |
C.The host city gains only minimal recognition for its efforts. |
D.What the host city does contributes a lot to an inclusive Asia. |
A.The grand opening ceremony was held at HangZhou involved with advanced technology. |
B.sports taking center stage during holiday inspired by HangZhou Asian Games. |
C.The 19th Asian Games and the 4th Asian Para Games were a huge success. |
D.The 4th Asian Para Games are fully prepared and win wide recognition. |
4 . Formula One Lenovo Chinese Grand Prix 2024
From April 19 to 21, the much-anticipated 2024 Formula One Lenovo Chinese Grand Prix will come alive with the roar of engines at the Shanghai International Circuit. Details about tickets for the event are as follows.
Ticket Price:
[Grandstand] [Session] [Price (RMB)]
A Platinum 3 Day Ticket 3880
• A High 3 Day/Fri./Sat./Sun. Ticket 2880/490/890/2490
• A Low 3 Day/Fri./Sat./Sun. Ticket 2280/390/690/1990
• H/K 3 Day/Fri./Sat./Sun. Ticket 1480/290/590/1290
• C/F/J/L 3 Day Ticket 480
Ticketing Instructions:
• This event adopts electronic tickets with one ticket per person. Children require a full-priced ticket, and children under the age of three are not allowed entry.
• For each session of this event, a maximum of 4 tickets per mobile phone number and 1 ticket per ID card number can be purchased. When purchasing tickets, buyers must provide the audience’s real name, a valid personal ID, and a valid mobile phone number. After a successful purchase, ticket purchasers should retain e-ticket seat information appropriately.
• Ticket refunds can be requested without fees from the date of purchase until 24: 00 on February 29, 2024. From 00:00 on March 1, 2024, to 24: 00 on April 15, 2024, refunds will invite a 10% handling fee. No refunds will be accepted from 00: 00 on April 16, 2024. Returned within 7 working days.
• This event implements real-name verification with ID card and facial recognition for entry.
• The schedule and arrangement of the competition may be subject to changes, and please stay tuned to Formula One Lenovo Chinese Grand Prix official WeChat and Weibo for the latest information.
1. What should be offered to buy a ticket?A.The audience’s nickname. | B.The audience’s e-ticket seat information. |
C.The audience’s WeChat number. | D.The audience’s available phone number. |
A.59 yuan. | B.531 yuan. | C.1, 062 yuan. | D.1, 180 yuan. |
A.It will last 7 days. | B.It will be exciting and noisy. |
C.It doesn’t limit the audience’s age. | D.It will never be postponed or cancelled. |
5 . Businesses are finding more uses for virtual reality (VR) as the technology develops.
VR is no longer only for gaming or enjoyment. An American company called Blue Goji is using VR to improve one’s health by making exercise more fun.
Blue Goji has offices in Austin, the capital of Texas. The company showed its workout machine called the Infinity treadmill (跑步机) at the South by Southwest festival. A person using the treadmill wears a virtual reality headset when exercising. Before starting, the user is connected to a belt to prevent falls. Then, the user plays a VR game while running on the machine. The game can transport the user into the virtual world, where he or she can be racing against virtual people.
The cost of the hardware and the computer software program is $12,000. That means much for most people. But Kyra Constam of Blue Goji says the virtual reality treadmill is ideal for places where people go to exercise, like high-end gyms or recreation centers.
Recently, Leonardo Mattiazzi tested the Infinity treadmill. Mattiazzi said he had a strong feeling to actually get running and do something that pushed his limits. He said the experience was more interesting than running inside the gym without actually going anywhere.
Constam noted that a lot of VR experiences cause motion sickness (晕动病) because people are in motion during the game, but not moving in real life. But when the user is moving on the treadmill and in the game, the chances of motion sickness are reduced. She said there is generally a learning curve for VR. The first time users feel lost, but the more you do it, the more you get used to it.
After carefully studying the users experiences, Blue Goji plans to begin selling the Infinity treadmill to the public.
1. What are users most likely to do after running on the Infinity treadmill?A.Make more new friends. | B.Gain more useful skills. |
C.Be fonder of exercising. | D.Prefer playing computer games. |
A.Users can not run on it. | B.It is too expensive for most people. |
C.Users can race against anyone. | D.It can be bought in high-end gyms. |
A.Satisfied | B.Disappointed. |
C.Doubtful. | D.Indifferent. |
A.To promote a new company. |
B.To call on people to take more exercise. |
C.To introduce a new application of virtual reality. |
D.To discuss the relationship between life and modern technology. |
6 . Scientists from Georgia Tech have developed a new robot named ESTHER (Experimental Sport Tennis Wheelchair Robot), which can move around the court and even return human serves.
The team believes the robot could serve as a training partner (搭档) for professional players in the future, lowering the pressure of training with another human.
The robot is the brainchild of Georgia Tech’s Matthew Gombolay, professor of robotics in the School of Interactive Computing. He wanted to develop a better training challenge than a ball feeder that stays in one place, one that would act like an always on-call partner or even team up with someone in doubles matches. The result is ESTHER, an adapted wheelchair tennis chair that can race to balls at ten metres per second and probably outplay a human.
Mr Gombolay explains: “The wheelchair has the ability to rapidly move around the court and get into position (恰当位置) to hit a ground stroke (击落地球). ESTHER can move up to two metres after a ball is struck to hit a successful return, which is comparable to the longest distance moved by human players for 80 per cent of shots (击球).”
The robot was named in homage to well-known wheelchair tennis player Esther Vergeer, who held the world No. 1 position in women’s wheelchair tennis for almost 13 years straight.
The team placed a network of cameras around a tennis court and used computer vision algorithms (视觉算法) to help ESTHER recognise an incoming tennis ball. Using cameras from different positions, they could know where the ball is in the air and feed this information to ESTHER. The team reached a breakthrough when they successfully and continually programmed ESTHER to track the tennis ball coming toward it and to hit a return.
ESTHER will now be developed to act as a highly-skilled tennis player.
1. What is ESTHER able to do?A.Return a shot. | B.Clean up a court. | C.Push a wheelchair. | D.Control a ball feeder. |
A.In search of. | B.In honour of. | C.As a result of. | D.With the help of. |
A.They improve its vision. | B.They direct it to the ball. |
C.They help it stay in position. | D.They picture unexpected things in the air. |
A.Athletes in wheelchairs | B.An all-purpose robot at home |
C.Rules are changing for tennis courts | D.A robot moves around the tennis court |
7 . Competing in the Mongol Derby
Standing at the finishing line, 70-year-old Bob Long spent a while reflecting on the achievement he’d just made. Behind him was the wild, endless Mongolian grassland extending into the distance. This American had just become the oldest person to ever complete and win the Mongol Derby, the world’s longest horse race.
Long, a rider all his life, entered the race after being inspired by All the Wild Horses, a movie based on the exhausting event.
Fearing that he wouldn’t be able to complete it, he set about preparing his mind and body for this “hardest, toughest, most demanding thing you can do on a horse”, an annual 1,000-kilometer race that was recognized as the world’s longest horse race by The Guinness Book of Records in 2011. He confirmed his belief that preparation can surpass (超过;胜过) youth, as some of the other riders were less prepared.
Although Long had been riding horses for many years, the hardship and uncertainty of the task pushed him to his limit and forced him to depend entirely on his own will. The race organizers had provided an extensive support network to keep an eye on the participants from afar. Despite that, the physical pressure of riding such a long distance made simple things like squatting (蹲) down at the end of the day almost impossible.
Along the vast race course there were unpredictable circumstances beyond Long’s control, however well prepared he’d been. Weather was one of them, which could switch from heavy rain to burning sun unexpectedly.
Above all else, the biggest obstacle was the state of mind. Without a living soul in sight, Long was desperate for interaction, guidance, and comfort. This feeling of loneliness accounted for his hope that one of his fellow competitors would catch up.
Regardless of the hardship, Long felt a sort of spiritual adventure while traveling through the wilderness. He was provided with some memorable moments while connecting with nature. He also grew to love the country and the communities along the route.
Still holding the passion for riding, Long never dismisses the idea of competing in another Mongol Derby.
1. What distinguished Bob Long from other competitors in the Mongol Derby?A.He rode the whole race course alone. |
B.He completed the toughest part of the course. |
C.He was the oldest participant of the horse race. |
D.He was most likely to enter the competition again. |
A.His strong willpower. | B.His thorough preparation. |
C.His passion for nature. | D.An extensive support provided by the organizers. |
A.The changeable weather. |
B.The psychological condition in the course. |
C.The difficulty in finding the competitors. |
D.The physical demand of riding a long distance. |
A.An introduction to the Mongol Derby. |
B.A review of a film based on the longest horse race. |
C.The experience of the Mongol Derby’s oldest winner. |
D.The preparations before a long and difficult horse race. |
8 . 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. |
9 . Cyclocross is cross-country bicycle racing. Racers spend only part of a race on their bikes because only part of the two-mile race is smooth. Other parts of the race have the challenge of obstacles (障碍). When racers reach them, they can ride over them, or pick up their bikes and run.
To be a top racer, you must dismount without slowing down at all. To do this, swing your right leg over the bike seat. At the same time, move the bike away from your body. This makes room for your right foot to hit the ground next to your left foot. As your right foot nears the ground, take your left foot away from the bike. Put both feet on the ground and start running!
As soon as you are running, you have to decide what to do with your bike. You may shoulder it or lift it. It’s important to practice both skills. Sometimes you need to run fast and jump over some obstacles. As your feet hit the ground, you reach down and catch the bottom of your bike. Lift up carefully and keep the bike on your right shoulder while you run. Sometimes you may lift your bike. You catch the top of your bike. Then you lift the bike high enough to get over the obstacles and carefully put the bike on the ground.
After you have carried your bike across an obstacle, you will need to remount. As soon as your bike is on the ground, push off with your left leg, swing your right leg over the bike seat, and move into riding position. Remounting can be the hardest skill of cyclocross. You can learn by watching someone who remounts well.
Cyclocross is a great way to stay active and have fun. However, it can be dangerous. Make sure that you are well prepared. Then, you will just need to go!
1. What can we learn about cyclocross from the text?A.It’s a cross-city bike race. | B.It’s a challenging bike race. |
C.It’s a no-obstacle bike race. | D.It’s a dangerous running race. |
A.Get off a bike. | B.Pick up a bike. | C.Get back on a bike. | D.Practice riding a bike. |
A.To take care of the bike. | B.To jump over obstacles. |
C.To make room for others. | D.To hit the ground harder. |
A.The popularity of cyclocross racing. | B.The history of cyclocross racing. |
C.The records of cyclocross racing. | D.The skills of cyclocross racing. |
10 . During the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, there was a lot of talk about the environmental efforts taken. Athletes slept on beds made from recycled cardboard. The medals were produced out of old appliances such as smartphones and laptops. Over 90% of Japanese cities, towns and villages participated in the two-year effort to collect recycled materials to produce 5000 medals. Eighty tons of small electrical devices were collected to make this project successful.
With the 2024 Olympics Games underway in Paris, new environmental efforts are coming into play. Observers will sit on chairs made of plastic recycled from local bins. This decision was made due to a lack of unused raw materials to make new seats, so the eco-construction firm Le Pave turned to make the seats out of waste. Around 11,000 seats will be made from recycled materials.
The plastic collection for Paris 2024 has been carried out in the region’s schools, and over five million coloured bottle caps have been recovered Moreover, 80% of the 100 tons of recycled plastic needed to make the seats come from the yellow bins collections. This is all part of the Paris 2024 “zero waste” strategy to limit single-use plastic usage and encourage a circular economy.
The Olympic Games organizers are planning to make the Paris 2024 Games the greenest Olympic Games yet. They seek to apply a carbon-neutral approach that will lessen the climate impact of the Games by predicting, avoiding, reducing and balancing emissions (排放) and encouraging others to get involved. The Summer Games have released 3.6 million tons of carbon emissions in previous years. The Paris 2024 Games has set a carbon budget of 1.5 million tons which includes the emissions from construction, transportation and operations of the Games.
These plans are ambitious but are achievable. If Paris 2024 successfully reduces emissions and promotes a circular economy, it might set the standard for future Olympic and Paralympic Games, despite where they are held.
1. What were the 2020 Olympics medals made from?A.Raw metal. | B.Reused plastic. |
C.Used electronic devices. | D.Recycled cardboard. |
A.To stop carbon emissions. |
B.To make seats for athletes. |
C.To restrict single-use plastic usage. |
D.To collect coloured bottle caps. |
A.Decrease of carbon emissions. |
B.Limitation to single-use plastics. |
C.Promotion of recycling in school. |
D.Encouragement of a circular economy. |
A.Uncaring. | B.Negative. | C.Unclear. | D.Favorable. |