1 . Fast walkers may live longer than dawdlers (缓慢的人)— regardless of their weight, a new study suggests.
Researchers at Leicester University analyzed data on 474, 919 people with an average age of 52 in the UK Biobank between 2006 and 2016. They found women who walked briskly had a life expectancy of 86.7 to 87.8 years old, and men who kept up the pace had a life expectancy of 85.2 to 86.8. Slow walkers hadn’t much encouraging prospects (前景): women had a life expectancy of 72.4, and men of 64.8 years old, if they were more leisurely in their movements. According to the paper, published last week, that ratio held true even if the fast walkers were severely overweight. It does not necessarily mean fast walkers will live longer. Experts say it suggests walking speed could be a simple way for doctors to judge their patients’ general health alongside other tests.
It is hardly the first study holding up walking speed as a powerful evidence that appears to improve and determine our health.
In 2011, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) published a study by Stephanie Studenski, who found the same: walking speed was a reliable predictor of life expectancy.
In 2013, US researchers found walking pace was linked to lower heart disease risk and longer life expectancy. In 2018, a study from the University of Sydney found picking up your walking pace to even an “average speed” could cut your risk of premature death by a fifth.
And Tom Yates, the physical activity professor at Leicester who's behind the latest study, has been publishing findings on this connection for years.
In 2017, he analyzed the same UK Biobank data and found walking speed appeared to affect the risk of dying from heart disease — concluding that the slowest walkers were twice as likely to suffer a heart-related death compared to quick walkers.
1. What does the underlined word “briskly” in paragraph 2 probably mean?| A．Casually. | B．Quickly. | C．Actively. | D．Energetically. |
| A．Most fast walkers are overweight. |
| B．Fast walkers have a simple way of living. |
| C．Walking speed can help doctors know about their patients’ general health. |
| D．Doctors will surely have better ways to cure their patients of their illness. |
| A．Walking slowly is bad for people's health. |
| B．Walking speed can predict a person’s life expectancy. |
| C．People won't die early by increasing their walking pace. |
| D．Lower heart disease risk is determined partly by walking pace. |
| A．Fast Walkers May Have a Long Life Expectancy |
| B．Life Expectancy Is Determined by Exercise |
| C．Researchers Try to Improve Life Expectancy |
| D．The Public Doubt Researches on Walking Speed |
2 . You may be surprised to learn that one of the best steps you can take to protect your health is to step outside and spend some time in the grass, dirt and water. Our ancestors enjoyed the healing power of nature, and now scientists are starting to catch up. Researchers have documented how contact with nature can decrease mental tiredness, and enhance moods, concentration and problem-solving. Just having a view of nature has been shown to improve hospital patients’ recovery and reduce illness rates. Exposure to the open air, horseback riding, hiking, camping can be helpful for a variety of health conditions in adults and children. Much of this type of research is focusing on children, and in fact an entire movement has quickly developed to connect kids with the healing power of nature.
Obesity. Rates of childhood, adult obesity and related conditions including diabetes (糖尿病) and heart disease have grown greatly in recent years, partly because of reducing the time of outdoor activities. This problem can be partly addressed by increasing the time students spend learning about nature, both in and outside the classroom. Such lessons are often more engaging to students and often lead them to become more active outside.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (注意力缺失症). An exposure to ordinary natural settings in the course of common after-school and weekend activities may be widely effective in reducing attention shortness symptoms (症状) in children. Participation in green activities helps ADHD patients keep focused and complete tasks.
Stress. Access to nature, even houseplants, can help children deal with stress.
Depression and seasonal emotional disorder. Major depression requires medical treatment, but physical activity, especially those done outdoors, can help ease symptoms. Staying in the sunshine for just a few minutes can also help supply bone-building vitamin D. Experts say that simply walking in a city park can enjoy nature’s benefits.
1. According to the passage, which of the following is the most important for you to keep healthy?| A．Healthy diet. | B．Exercises. |
| C．Outdoor activities. | D．No smoking. |
| A．improve | B．add |
| C．destroy | D．control |
| A．People didn’t enjoy the healing power of nature until recent years. |
| B．Having a view of nature is the only way to improve health conditions. |
| C．Outdoors activities are good for people’s health. |
| D．Researchers have found out what causes people’s mental tiredness and illness. |
| A．helping people to control stress |
| B．helping children to increase the vitamin D level |
| C．helping people to reduce the symptoms of ADHD |
| D．helping scientists to believe the rates of adult obesity and the healing power of the open air |
| A．Contact with Nature | B．The Benefits of Nature to Health |
| C．Exposure to the Open Air | D．Some Health Conditions |
