1 . More scientists are exploring cellular senescence(衰老)—a state in which cells(细胞)no longer divide. Senescent cells, which build up in older bodies, have a link to age-related conditions such as dementia(痴呆) disease.
Scientists are exploring drugs that treat senescent cells. But the most promising tool against the bad effects of senescent cells, experts say, is exercise.
Today, LeBrasseur, who directs a center on aging at Mayo, says exercise is “the most promising tool that we have” for good health in late life, and its power spreads to our cells. Research suggests exercise prevents the buildup of senescent cells, helping the immune(免疫的)system clear them and fight the cell damage that can affect aging.
Last year, LeBrasseur led a study that provided the first sign in humans that exercise greatly affected senescence. It cut signs in the bloodstream of the effects of senescent cells in the body.
After a 12-week exercise program, researchers found that older adults had cut signs of senescence and improved body strength, physical ability and reported health. A recent study collects even more facts—in animals and humans—for exercise as a treatment to fight against senescence cells.
While such studies are not well-known outside scientific circles, many older adults connect exercise with youthfulness. Farmer Mike Gale, 81, put in a track and field throwing circle on his large farm in California. He and some of his friends throw the discus(铁饼) and use other exercise equipment. “I'd like to be competing in my 90s,” Gale says. “Why not?”
95-year-old Richard Soller says exercise keeps him fit enough to deal with what comes his way—including the discovery that his wife of 62 years had developed dementia. The two sometimes walk the streets of their neighborhood together, holding hands. “Do as much as you can,” he says. “That should be the goal for anyone to stay healthy.”
1. What do we know about LeBrasseur?| A．He discovered the cause of aging. | B．He developed drugs to treat aging. |
| C．He tested with animals and humans. | D．He firstly proved exercise stops aging. |
| A．Uncertain. | B．Confident. | C．Doubtful. | D．Anxious. |
| A．To support his or her ideas. | B．To encourage people to exercise. |
| C．To praise him for his true love. | D．To introduce activities for the old. |
| A．Aging Secret Comes to Light | B．Aging Diseases Seriously Affect Health |
| C．Exercise Is Best Tool Against Aging | D．Elderly People Can Also Live Active Life |
2 .
Enter to become a BBC young reporter Young people aged from 11—18 are invited to send stories about “Me and My World” as part of the BBC Young Reporter Competition. Here’s some information about it.
● The thing needed To take part, you don’t need to send us a finished report. Just provide your story idea. You can either write it down or record it as a video. ● The prize for winners With the help of BBC programme makers, winners will produce and share their reports on the BBC’s TV and radio channels and online. ● More information Visit our website at tinyurl.com/TWJ-BBCYoungreporter and send your story idea before June 30. |
| A．Tom aged 6. | B．Lucy aged 10. |
| C．Ben aged 16. | D．Amy aged 20. |
| A．the winners’ parents | B．BBC programme makers |
| C．the winners’ teachers | D．BBC interview directors |
| A．write songs about “Me and My World” | B．prepare a finished report on your own |
| C．read news reports on the BBC website | D．provide your story idea before June 30 |
3 . Sportsmen in the running races of the Olympics are great athletes, but even the slow runners of the running world — joggers in the park — have good health. A study out this week in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology finds that even 5 to 10 minutes a day of slow running is enough to extend life by several years, compared with not running at all.
The new study focused on a group of more than 55, 000 men and women aged 18 to 100. About a quarter of them were runners. Over 15 years, those who ran just 50 minutes a week or fewer at a slow speed were less likely to die from either cardiovascular (心血管的) disease or other causes, compared with those who didn’t run at all.
The study suggests relatively low efforts are necessary to benefit from jogging, but it can be better to exercise more often. “A little bit is good but a little more is probably better,” says Dr. Aaron Baggish. A 2013 study in Denmark suggested that the secret of maximum longevity is up to 2. 5 hours of running a week.
Although running can make you less likely to have cardiovascular disease, it doesn’t entirely take the risk away from you. “There is no question that the healthier you are and the more exercise you do, the longer you’ll live and the better your quality of life will be,” Dr. Baggish says. “But it doesn’t mean you’ll never get sick.”
“Many long-term runners do not run because they want to live longer,” Dr. Baggish notes. “They run because it makes them feel better every day.”
For these runners, the cost of feeling good can be injuries, so Dr. Baggish supports the value of what he calls “active rest.” His belief, not supported by any recent research, is that it’s a good idea to spend 25% of exercise time over the course of a year running at a slow speed or doing other activities like swimming or biking.
1. What does the new study mainly show us?| A．The best way to run. | B．The best time to run. |
| C．The importance of running. | D．The popularity of running. |
| A．It can result from running often. | B．It’s not completely preventable. |
| C．It’s not so serious as most people think. | D．It can be treated by some kind of exercise. |
| A．Staying active all the time. | B．Swimming more, run less. |
| C．Having a big rest after doing sports. | D．Taking a little light exercise. |
| A．Health. | B．Business. | C．Society. | D．Medicine. |
4 . Sports can help you keep fit and get in touch with nature. However, whether you are on the mountains, in the waves, or on the grassland, you should be aware that your sport of choice might have great influence on the environment.
Some sports are resource-hungry (消耗资源). Golf, as you may know, eats up not only large areas of countryside, but also tons of water. Besides, all sorts of chemicals and huge amounts of energy are used to keep its courses (球场) in good condition. This causes major environmental effects. For example, in the dry regions of Portugal and Spain, golf is often held responsible for serious water shortage in some local areas.
There are many environment-friendly sports. Power walking is one of them that you could take up today. You don’t need any special equipment except a good pair of shoes, and you don’t have to worry about resources and your purse. Simple and free, power walking can also keep you fit. If you walk regularly, it will be good for your heart and bones. Experts say that 20 minutes of power walking daily can make you feel less anxious, sleep well and have better weight control.
Whatever sport you take up, you can make it greener by using environment-friendly equipment and buying products made from recycled materials. But the final goal should be “green gyms”. They are better replacements (代替物) for traditional health clubs and modern sports centers. Members of green gyms play sports outdoors, in the countryside or other open spaces. There is no special requirement for you to start your membership. And best of all, it’s free.
1. Which of the following is the author most probably support?| A．Cycling around a lake. |
| B．Motor racing in the desert. |
| C．Playing basketball in a gym. |
| D．Swimming in a sports center. |
| A．It pollutes the environment with all sorts of chemicals. |
| B．It needs water and other energy to keep its courses green. |
| C．It is very popular in Portugal and Spain. |
| D．It causes water shortages around the world. |
| A．It is environmentally-friendly. |
| B．It improves our health. |
| C．It is simple and free. |
| D．It can make you put on weight. |
| A．Resource-hungry sports. |
| B．Outdoors sports. |
| C．Environment-friendly sports. |
| D．Indoors sports. |
| A．To show us some major outdoor sports. |
| B．To encourage us to go in for green sports. |
| C．To discuss the influence of some popular sports. |
| D．To introduce some environmentally-friendly sports. |
5 . Sports can help us a lot. Taking exercises can make us strong. In collective sports like basketball, volleyball or football, we will learn the importance of cooperation. And sports can also help us relax after work or study.
However, as the saying goes, “there are two sides of everything.” Sometimes we may hurt other players or ourselves if we are not careful enough when participating in sports activities. What’s more, too much or hard practice can be bad for our health.
Sports can make us healthy both physically and psychologically. It is also a good way for people to know each other and can improve friendship between people. So long as we are careful enough, sports can do us nothing but good.
1. Too much exercise can be ________ for us.| A．good | B．enough | C．bad | D．helpful |
| A．help people to know each other. | B．improve friendship between people. |
| C．do us nothing but good if we are careful. | D．All of the above. |
| A．Sports can help us relax after work or study. |
| B．Sports can only make us healthy physically. |
| C．Sometimes we may hurt other players or ourselves when participating in sports. |
| D．Basketball and volleyball are both collective sports. |
| A．take part in | B．be interested in |
| C．be fond of | D．take into |
| A．Sports and health | B．Everybody must do sports |
| C．Sports are nothing to people | D．No one likes sports |
6 . You’ve probably tried easy center-city Beijing rides if you enjoy riding. Now it’s time to level up your rides so they will take you out into the countryside and attractive mountains.
Death Valley
Approximate distance: 100 km loop (环线)
It may sound terrifying, but Beijing’s cyclists named this northern route “Death Valley” on account of the huge tomb it passes, not the number of on-road accidents it has seen. In reality, it’s the closest, mostly car-free loop to the city center and great for really stretching your legs.
Tuesdays/Thursday TTT
Approximate distance: 54 km loop
While it’s not particularly scenic, there are few traffic lights, and the roads are not too busy and have adequate bike lanes on each side, making it a relatively trouble-free ride. If you’d like to ride with a group, seek out early morning Beijing rider groups and join them on Tuesday and Thursday mornings at 5 a. m. or 6 a. m. depending on the season.
The Verse
Approximate distance: 120 km loop
It passes a cafe with good (although expensive) food, and even high-end accommodation, but the best part is their super welcoming attitude towards cyclists. It’s a hike that is well worth the effort, as you are rewarded with amazing views of the Great Wall upon arrival, and a ride back that is mostly downhill.
Tongzhou Grand Canal Forest Park
Approximate distance: 700 km loop
This park is the closest place for riders to enjoy the Grand Canal from Beijing. The Grand Canal is a true wonder in China, and one of the greatest civil engineering projects in history. The oldest parts of it date back to the 5th century BC. It will be a fun ride here.
1. How does the route Death Valley get its name?| A．It offers deadly loops for cars. | B．It is located in an isolated place. |
| C．It involves passing a large tomb. | D．It witnesses numerous accidents for cyclists. |
| A．Death Valley. | B．Tuesdays/Thursday TTT. |
| C．The Verse. | D．Tongzhou Grand Canal Forest Park. |
| A．A downhill ride. | B．Second-to-none cafes. |
| C．Adequate bike lanes. | D．A view of historical sites. |
7 . In this post, we’ll introduce some top robotics competitions open to high schoolers. Keep reading to learn more.
Botball Educational Robotics Program
Level: Regional and national competitions available
Grades: 9th, 10th. 11th, 12th
Over a period of about seven weeks, students learn to code(编程) and develop complex strategies to use artificial intelligence. This allows them to create an autonomous robot together that competes in an annual game challenging against other teams in competitions at various levels across the country.
FIRST: Robotics Competition
Level: Local, regional and national competitions available
Grades: 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th
Teams work together with professional teachers to design, assemble(装配), and test an industrial-sized robot .The robot then competes in a head-to-head field game against other teams.
Robo Games
Level: International
Grades: All ages and backgrounds
This self-claimed “Olympics of robots” and current largest open robot competition challenges participants in a wide variety of events to display various skills. Amateurs, professionals, young and old alike are invited to participate with the goal of winning prizes, expanding educational service, and recognizing robot-builders in the public eye.
Zero Robotics High School Tournament
Level: International, including the U.S. and member countries of the European Space Agency
Grades: 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th
This fascinating competition begins with robots called SPHERES inside the International Space Station. The first phase of the competition is entirely online, in which competitors code the SPHERES to meet a yearly challenge. Finalists compete in person, onboard the International Space Station, conducted live in microgravity by a real astronaut!
1. What do the first and second robotics competitions have in common?| A．Teamwork is a must in competitions. |
| B．They have the same goals and rules. |
| C．The robot is tested before competitions. |
| D．They are completely of the same level. |
| A．Bot ball Educational Robotics Program. | B．FIRST: Robotics Competition. |
| C．Robo Games. | D．Zero Robotics High School Tournament. |
| A．It is held by the European Space Agency. |
| B．It is a local robotics competition. |
| C．The whole competition is conducted online. |
| D．The final competition is held at the International Space Station. |
8 . It was the last time Susan Butcher ran the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in 1992. An hour into the race, Susan and her sled dog team sped down a hill and crashed into a fallen tree. Although hurt, Susan continued the difficult race.
The Iditarod Race started in 1925 when a doctor in Nome, Alaska was desperately in need of medicine to stop the spread of a deadly disease. Only a hospital had what he needed, but it was 700 mile-away! In January, it was too dangerous to send a boat and too stormy for his tiny airplane. The only hope was to use several sled dog teams following a trail, called the Iditarod Trail. They passed the medicine from one sled team to another. Wind and snow did not stop the men and their dogs. The medicine was delivered in record time. The race follows the route of the famous medicine run. Over 1, 000 miles long, it is considered the toughest race in the world.
Susan Butcher was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In her teens Susan was given a Siberian husky dog and became very interested in huskies as sled dogs. After reading about the Iditarod Race, Susan moved to Alaska. She got several jobs to earn money to buy herself a sled and a team of huskies. After years of hard work and training, Susan achieved her dream of racing on the Iditarod Trail.
In 1978, at the age of 24, Susan entered the race for the first time and became the first woman to finish in the top 20. In 1982 she came in second. In 1984 she was leading her team across a frozen waterway when they fell into the water. Her lead dog managed to pull Susan and the other dogs out of danger. Remarkably, she came in second.
In her fourth race, in 1985, a staring moose (驼鹿) attacked her dogs, killing two and injuring eleven. Susan had to leave the race. In 1986 Susan joined the race again. This time, she won. She won again in 1987. In 1988 she became the first person ever to win three Iditarod races in a row. Unbelievably, Susan won for the fourth time in 1990.
1. According to text, Susan Butcher entered the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race at least __________times.| A．six | B．seven | C．eight | D．nine |
| A．how the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race began |
| B．how the spread of a deadly disease was stopped |
| C．how tough the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race was |
| D．how Susan Butcher began to show interest in the race |
| A．continuously | B．eventually |
| C．finally | D．particularly |
| A．Snowstorm. | B．Lack of food. |
| C．Accidents. | D．Lack of experience. |
9 . As a hockey (冰球) parent, while watching my son play from Mite to Bantam, House League to Travel, I’ve learned that losing may be the best for kids.
In his third season in 2019, my son’s team never lost more than three straight games. It was a typically good youth hockey season. There was happiness, boasting, celebration, and pizza. He improved as a player, but did not much change as a person.
However, what happened the next year added its story to the legends of sporting incompetence. Not merely weak but prettily bad, this team lost 40 of their first 50 games, most of the defeats coming in the course of two losing streaks (连败). For a time, I worried that these failures would kill my child’s love of the game.
But that’s not what happened. As bad as it got, the losing was clarifying. It kicked out the kids who were in it less for the game than the glory, leaving behind those with a real passion for the sport. What started as a list of 17 of the team was cut down to 12. It was especially educational for the kids. It taught them a great truth of the world: For everyone good, there is someone better.
What’s more, the kids were learning the game in a way that only losing can teach. Each player got to play everywhere to learn and appreciate the role of every position on the ice. They kept an eye on their opponents too, studying the secret of their good performance. In an effort to break the streak, they went back to basics, accepting the wisdom of the hockey ancients: If playing like a team, they can defeat a collection of all-stars; If doing small and unappreciated tasks well, they can get the goal.
This new team had character and could never be counted out, no matter what the score was. They had learned the most important lesson: You can lose without being beaten. They advanced to the state tournament, and then made it all the way to the final, where the winner was decided in overtime (加时赛). When they narrowly lost that game and went into the handshake line, it was not as runners-up but as a team that had been made into winners in the only way that will stick — by losing.
1. What does the author think about the son’s team in the third season in 2019?| A．The team had a bad performance. |
| B．The team didn’t help with the players’ mental growth. |
| C．The team didn’t live up to the author’s expectations. |
| D．The team played typically well and won all the games. |
| A．The losing made the kids better understand hockey. |
| B．The losing helped the kids know the value of teamwork. |
| C．The losing encouraged the kids to find out their passions. |
| D．The losing separated true players from those playing for glory. |
| A．They kept their winning strategies a secret. |
| B．They valued teamwork and details in a game. |
| C．They had never been beaten despite the score. |
| D．They won the championship in the tournament. |
| A．To explore the benefits of losing. |
| B．To describe a team’s road to success. |
| C．To offer some suggestions on getting over losing. |
| D．To make a comparison between winning and losing. |
10 . On my 70th birthday, in September 2019, I decided to participate in 70 different sports before I turned 71. The motivation? Simply to have some fun. Athleticism, after all, does not end at some arbitrary (任意的) age.
Shortly after my 70th birthday, I took a crack at paddle-boarding. Family members were greatly entertained, watching me first try to get on the board, then stand on the board and finally fall into the water before trying all over again. Lesson learnt: Perseverance pays off. Eventually I stood, I balanced and I paddled. An early success.
Winter sports brought their own challenges. A pick-up game of hockey resulted in the odd collision. The quality of play was hardly inspirational, but it was certainly fun. Then came the attempt to teach myself the basics of figure skating. It left me falling flat on the ice, my elbow and knee aching. I refused to give up. If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again, which I called self-discipline.
However, the outbreak of COVID-19 shut down most of my city, which became a setback to my 70-at-70 goal. By then I had tried nearly 35 sports. Individual sports would have to be the order of the day: Running, jumping, walking. For track, I built my own high jump and hurdles. Athletics does not have to be complicated.
There were some health advantages, too, to all the exercise I was getting. Each activity triggered endorphins that brought an immediate high. Over the longer term came the realisation that dreams are important, regardless of how far-fetched or unrealistic they might seem. As youngsters we dream of playing in the big leagues or participating in the Olympics. As we age, our hopes and dreams change, but one should never let them disappear. We need something to look forward to; what’s better than to wake up each morning knowing there is a game to play?
1. What lesson did the author learn from paddle-boarding?| A．Having some fun. | B．Having perseverance. |
| C．Mastering any of the sports. | D．Being entertained. |
| A．Experience. | B．Barrier. | C．Breakthrough. | D．Option. |
| A．Taking a crack at paddle-boarding. | B．Playing in the big leagues. |
| C．Participating in the Olympics. | D．Having a game to play. |
| A．One can only get fun from sports. |
| B．One cannot dream big as they age. |
| C．One can be prevented from sports at any arbitrary age. |
| D．One can never lose hopes and dreams regardless of age. |
