1 . In a study from Washington State University, researchers have uncovered a significant correlation between the closeness of older adults to green and blue spaces and their mental and physical well-being. The study offers convincing evidence that even small increases in access to nature can remarkably improve the health outcomes of older adults.
A mere 10% increase in forest space within a person’s living environment is linked to a noticeable decrease in serious psychological conditions. This type of suffering includes mental health challenges that need treatment and block normal social, occupational, or educational functioning. Similarly, the new study proves that enhancing green spaces, water bodies, or trail lengths by 10% appears to lower the likelihood of older individuals reporting their overall health as poor.
The researchers analyzed health survey data from over 42,000 people aged 65 and above living in urban areas of Washington state, spanning (跨越) the years 2011 to 2019. The experts related the health outcomes of these individuals to various measures quantifying their access to nature within their living areas.
Initially presented at the American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting in April 2023, the research focused only on the link between psychological depression and closeness to natural spaces. The final study expanded to include additional metrics (指标) such as green space percentage and trail length, also taking into account demographic variables (人口统计变量) like race and education.
“Our findings suggest that abatement of our urban green and blue spaces due to rapid urbanization may not just have an environmental impact but could have a public health impact as well,” said Adithya Vegaraju, first author of the study.
Vegaraju said this research is among the first in the U. S. to specifically investigate the relationship between access to nature and health in the older population.
1. What does the author intend to stress in the second paragraph?| A．Access to nature can improve the elders’ mental health. |
| B．Older individuals are more likely to get close to nature. |
| C．Green space is an ideal place for educational functioning. |
| D．A person’s social interaction is linked to more green space. |
| A．By changing old people’s living habits. | B．By tracking and recording the aged people. |
| C．By comparing various measures in the study. | D．By analyzing the participants’ related data. |
| A．Solution. | B．Impact. | C．Loss. | D．Power. |
| A．It needs further research. | B．It’s a pioneer research work. |
| C．It is beneficial to everyone. | D．It will be used in other fields. |
2 . A recent research suggests that artificial intelligence (AI) could hold the potential for predicting sudden cardiac (心脏的) death and assessing an individual’s risk to potentially prevent future deaths. This development may mark a novel step towards prevention and global health strategies.
Professor Xavier Jouven, lead author of the study, said, “Sudden cardiac death, a public health burden, represents 10% to 20% of overall deaths. Predicting it is difficult, and the usual approaches fail to identify high-risk people, particularly at an individual level. We proposed a new approach.”
The scientific team employed AI to analyze medical data obtained from registries and databases in Paris, France and Seattle. They examined records of 25,000 individuals who had experienced sudden cardiac arrest and compared them with data from 70,000 people from the general population. The matching process involved age, sex and residential area. Using AI, the scientists created about 25,000 personalized health models to evaluate the data and identify individuals at high risk of sudden cardiac death. Additionally, they established a risk file for each participant in the study.
The AI analysis was able to identify people who had more than 90% of risk dying suddenly, and it can predict about more than one-fourth of all cases of sudden cardiac death. “We have been working for almost 30 years in the field of sudden cardiac death prediction. However, we did not expect to reach such a high level of accuracy,” said Jouven, who is the founder of the Paris Sudden Death Expertise Center.
Jouven added. “While doctors have efficient treatments, the use of AI is necessary to detect in a given subject a succession of medical information registered over the years. We hope that with a personalized list of risk factors, patients will be able to work with their clinicians to reduce those risk factors and ultimately decrease the potential for sudden cardiac death.”
1. What can be known about sudden cardiac death?| A．It is hard to predict and prevent. |
| B．Researchers still can do nothing about it. |
| C．It accounts for the highest percentage of all deaths. |
| D．Old approaches can effectively identify its high-risk people. |
| A．Its result. | B．Its process. | C．Its purpose. | D．Its participants. |
| A．Worried. | B．Amazed. | C．Annoyed. | D．Disappointed. |
| A．The Biggest AI Development in 2024 | B．Using AI to Stop Future Cardiac Attack |
| C．Improved Prediction of Death in Patients | D．Predicting Sudden Cardiac Death Using Al |
3 . Health is wealth.
A study published in 2019 concluded that consumption of more than 4 servings of extra-processed food was associated with a 62% increased danger for all-cause deaths. For each additional serving, all-cause deaths increased to 18%. These foods can cause chronic inflammation (慢性炎症), a normal bodily process that can contribute to heart disease, diabetes and even cancer.
Get your cholesterol (胆固醇) checked.
When checking your cholesterol, your test results will show your cholesterol levels in milligrams per decilitre. It’s crucial to get your cholesterol checked because your doctor will be able to advise you on how to maintain healthy levels.
Watch your blood pressure.
Get up and get moving.
Throw away any common misconceptions about exercising like that it has to be in a gym or a structured environment.
| A．Watch your body mass. |
| B．Make healthy food choices. |
| C．Frequency, intensity and time are what matter most. |
| D．Sleep restores us and has a huge effect on how we feel. |
| E．In turn it lowers your chances of getting heart disease and stroke. |
| F．Normal blood pressure is defined as blood pressure <120/80 mmHg. |
| G．This common saying holds a lot of weight because it has truth behind it. |
In Shanxi Province, there is a tradition of taking afternoon naps, which means people take a short rest in the middle of the day. You can see people of all ages, men or women
Taking an afternoon nap is a tradition that
Actually, the tradition of afternoon naps
So, if you ever visit Shanxi, don’t be
5 . A new study by researchers at the University of British Columbia (UBC) and the University of Victoria has shown that common levels of traffic pollution can damage human brain function in only a matter of hours.
“For many decades, scientists thought the brain may be protected from the harmful effects of air pollution,” said senior study author Dr. Chris Carlsten. “This study, which is the first of its kind in the world, provides fresh evidence supporting a connection between air pollution and cognition.”
For the study, the researchers briefly exposed 25 healthy adults to diesel exhaust (柴油废气) and filtered air at different times in a laboratory setting. Brain activity was measured before and after each exposure using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).
The researchers analyzed changes in the brain’s default mode network (DMN), a set of inter-connected brain regions that play an important role in memory and internal thought. The fMRI revealed that participants had decreased functional connectivity in widespread regions of the DMN after exposure to diesel exhaust, compared to filtered air.
“We know that altered functional connectivity in the DMN has been associated with reduced cognitive performance and symptoms of depression, so it’s concerning to see traffic pollution interrupting these same networks,” said Dr. Jodie Gawryluk, a psychology professor at the University of Victoria and the study’s first author. “While more research is needed to fully understand the functional impacts of these changes, it’s possible that they may impair (损害) people’s thinking or ability to work.”
Notably, the changes in the brain were temporary and participants’ connectivity returned to normal after the exposure. Dr. Carlsten assumed that the effects could be long lasting where exposure is continuous. He said that people should be mindful of the air they’re breathing and take appropriate steps to minimize their exposure to potentially harmful air pollutants like car exhaust.
1. How does traffic pollution affect people according to the study?| A．Exhausting their body. | B．Decreasing their income. |
| C．Endangering their safety. | D．Harming their brain function. |
| A．Growth. | B．Sport. | C．Memory. | D．Behaviour. |
| A．Avoid being exposed to the polluted air constantly. |
| B．Be mindful of the air quality in a new city. |
| C．Measure the brain activity in laboratories. |
| D．Stay inside a house as often as possible. |
| A．A Role Of Brain Will Be Ruined |
| B．Traffic Pollution May Impair Brain Function |
| C．A Famous UK University Did A Vital Study |
| D．A Source Of Pollution Has Drawn People’s Attention |
6 . Mental health is a critical aspect of overall well-being, yet it is often ignored in our fast- paced society.
Studies have shown that a person with good mental health lives longer and has a higher quality of life. The effects of positive mental health on the body are plenty, including reducing the risk of diseases and improving overall physical well-being.
Our mental state has a significant impact on relationships. People with good mental health are more likely to be kind and understanding.
Mental health is as essential as physical health in maintaining a fulfilling life. If we run into trouble, don’t keep it to yourself.
| A．Turn to friends or families. |
| B．They strongly connect with others. |
| C．Physical health has been a problem. |
| D．So ways to keep positive must be found. |
| E．And a clear mind can help make smart choices. |
| F．The mind actually needs as much care as the body. |
| G．Mental health is vital for keeping emotional balance. |
7 . Parkinson’s is a progressive brain disease which leads to shaky hands and slow movement, and there is no cure. Tai Chi, a traditional Chinese martial art that combines (结合) slow, gentle movements with deep breathing and relaxation, may be an effective means of reducing the suffering. Recently, the researchers say that those who practised the martial art twice a week had fewer complications (并发症) and better quality of life than those who didn’t. Experts say the findings back up previous studies on the benefits of exercise for those with Parkinson’s.
The study, from Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, monitored the health of hundreds of Parkinson’s patients for up to five years. One group of 147 people practised regular Tai Chi while another group of 187 did not. The researchers found that the disease progressed more slowly in the Tai Chi group on measurements of symptoms (症状), movement and balance. This group also saw fewer falls, less back pain and dizziness, with memory and concentration problems also lower than in the other group. At the same time, sleep and quality of life continuously improved.
Prof. Alastair Noyce, professor in neurology and neuroepidemiology at Queen Mary University of London, called it “an important study”—the positive effects on aspects of motor (运动的) and non-motor functions are impressive — but said there were limitations in its design, and more tests were needed.
“We already recommend Tai Chi, as well as other forms of exercise, but understanding which forms of exercise are most beneficial is an important goal to improve the long-term management of patients,” he said.
1. Why was the study conducted?| A．To find a cure for Parkinson’s disease. |
| B．To improve the sleep quality of Parkinson’s patients. |
| C．To remove the misunderstanding of the previous studies. |
| D．To research the benefits of Tai Chi for those with Parkinson’s. |
| A．Concentration problem was lower in the Tai Chi group. |
| B．The disease progressed more slowly in the Tai Chi group. |
| C．Patients in the non-Tai Chi group continuously fell down. |
| D．Back pain and dizziness were relieved in the Tai Chi group. |
| A．Tai Chi should be given more preference. |
| B．Finding the most beneficial exercise is of importance. |
| C．It is unnecessary to do more related studies. |
| D．Improve the long-term management of patients is impossible. |
| A．Confused. | B．Doubtful. | C．Positive. | D．Worried. |
8 . When I saw the documentary ADHD (多动症): Not Just for Kids, I was in tears after 20 minutes — the stories being told sounded much like my own. I’m in my 40s, I had read everything there was in health and science and I had no idea that the symptoms (症状) I had experienced all of my life were anything but normal. How had I missed this? I called the doctor to get assessed. I must have sounded desperate on the phone; they took me right away.
Later, I researched everything I could about ADHD. It became clear that my misunderstanding and ignorance about the disorder had misled me. A million thoughts, a million regrets. Finally, I told myself I couldn’t change the past, but I could share the fact that ADHD can look much different from the super active child practicing back flips (后空翻) off of a chair.
As for me, things went another way around: I was a young girl, quietly sitting at my school desk, pretending to listen to the teacher. Meanwhile, I was watching and drawing the bird that landed in the tree outside. And I was rereading entire chapters of my textbooks and taking extensive notes because I couldn’t remember what I had just read because I was thinking of the bird I had seen earlier.
Later in life, I’d sit at the kitchen table, staring out the window. There’s no telling how long it will take. Thoughts rush in from yesterday, today and tomorrow. I need to make dinner, take the dog for a walk, the kids will be home soon... But I can’t move. I know that I should, but I can’t. Afterward, I berate myself, unable to understand why I didn’t get up, why I wasted so much precious time, so much of my life doing nothing, it seems.
Since being treated, I have an inner calmness that is new to me. Medication doesn’t organize my day; it doesn’t remind me to pick up the kids or walk the dog. However, it allows me to move when I’ve been staring out the window for too long.
1. What did the author learn from the documentary?| A．She might have been an ADHD patient. |
| B．She was wrongly assessed by many doctors. |
| C．She had never experienced any symptom of ADHD. |
| D．She was a very problematic child during school years. |
| A．To offer possible causes of ADHD. |
| B．To make it clear how ADHD develops |
| C．To show ADHD has more than one form. |
| D．To describe ADHD symptoms in children. |
| A．adjust. | B．blame. | C．push. | D．challenge. |
| A．She has learned some basic life skills. |
| B．She has allowed herself more free time. |
| C．She has become motivated to take action. |
| D．She has developed more patience with her kids. |
9 . A recent analysis from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine highlights the benefits of replacing animal products with plant-based foods. This analysis, which amplifies a previous study by the same committee, further emphasizes the significant impact of plant-based diets on weight loss, cholesterol (胆固醇) and fat intake in overweight adults.
The most significant finding is that both healthy and unhealthy plant-based foods contribute to weight loss when they replace animal products in the diet. This conclusion is significant because it underlines the potential of a plant-based diet, regardless of the specific type of plant-based foods consumed, in managing weight and improving overall health.
This analysis is a secondary examination of a prior study that involved 244 overweight adults. The participants were divided into two groups. The first group followed a low-fat vegan (素食的) diet, and the second made no changes to their diet. Obviously, the study set no restrictions on calorie intake, and the researchers did not give participants specific instructions on diet quality.
The study authors used two different indexes (指标) to assess: the healthful plant-based diet index (hPDI), and the unhealthful plant-based diet index (uPDI). The hPDI emphasizes fruits, vegetables, grains, and beans, while the uPDI includes more refined grains and fruit juices. Higher scores on the indexes correlate with greater consumption of plant-based foods and reduced consumption of animal products.
The results revealed that after 16 weeks, participants on the vegan diet showed increased scores in both indexes. This increase significantly correlated with participants losing an average of about 13 pounds, mainly from reduced fat mass. The second group showed no change in their index scores.
Overall, the analysis provides strong evidence that eating plant-based foods is effective for weight management and health improvement.
1. What does the underlined word “amplifies” mean in paragraph 1?| A．Abuse. | B．Expand. | C．Launch. | D．Classify. |
| A．The causes of putting on weights. | B．The key insight on plant-based foods. |
| C．The significance of managing weights. | D．The specific types of plant-based foods. |
| A．By improving participants’ diet quality. |
| B．By following participants’ daily routines. |
| C．By monitoring participants’ calorie intake. |
| D．By comparing participants’ indexes scores. |
| A．Being on diet is the key to losing weight. |
| B．All plant products are beneficial to health. |
| C．Plant-based foods show promising results. |
| D．Animal products have no effect on weight. |
10 . College is a time of transition (过渡) for young adults. It may be the first time students have the freedom to determine how to spend their time, but this freedom comes with competing interests from learning, social events and even sleep.
A multi-institutional team of researchers conducted the first study to evaluate how the nightly sleeping time in the early term affects first-year college students’ end-of-term grade point average (GPA). The study evaluated more than 600 first-year students across five studies at three universities. The students wore wrist devices like smartwatch to monitor and record their sleep patterns. The researchers found that students in the study sleep on average 6.5 hours a night.
More surprisingly, the researchers found that students who receive less than 6 hours of sleep experienced a pronounced decline in academic performance. In addition, each hour of sleep lost corresponded to a 0.07 decrease in end-of-term GPA.
“Animal studies have shown how critical sleep is for learning and memory,” said Creswell, the William S. Dietrich Ⅱ Professor in Psychology. “Here we show how this work translates to humans. The less nightly sleep a first-year college student gets at the beginning of the school term predicts lower GPA at the end of the term, some five to nine weeks later. Lack of sleep may be hurting students’ ability to learn in their college classrooms.”
“Once you start dipping below 6 hours, you are starting to accumulate (积累) massive sleep debt that can damage a student’s health and study habits, hurting the whole system,” said Creswell. “Most surprising to me was that no matter what we did to make the effect go away, it lasted.”
“A popular belief among college students is to value studying more or partying more over nightly sleep,” said Creswell. “Our work here suggests that there are potentially real costs to reducing your nightly sleep on your ability to learn and achieve in college. There’s real value in planning for the importance of nightly sleep.”
1. How did the researchers get their data?| A．By doing various experiments. |
| B．By conducting a questionnaire survey. |
| C．By recording the subjects’ sleep. |
| D．By referring to a previous study. |
| A．Rising. | B．Putting. | C．Adjusting. | D．Dropping. |
| A．Schedule nightly sleep wisely. | B．Focus on learning and academy. |
| C．Pay off accumulated sleep debt. | D．Value studying more over partying. |
| A．Students are severely in need of sleep |
| B．Nightly sleep is key to students success |
| C．Lacking sleep can damage a student’s health |
| D．College students arrange time unreasonably |
