1 . The benefits of regular exercise are well documented but there’s a new bonus to add to the ever-growing list. New researchers found that middle-aged women who were physically fit could be nearly 90 percent less likely to develop dementia in later life, and as they did, it came on a decade later than less sporty women.
Lead researcher Dr. Helena Horder, of the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, said : "These findings are exciting because it’s possible that improving people's cardiovascular （心血管的）fitness in middle age could delay or even prevent them from developing dementia. "
For the study, 191 women with an average age of 50 took a bicycle exercise test until they were exhausted to measure their peak （最大值的） cardiovascular capacity. The average peak workload was measured at 103 watts.
A total of 40 women met the criteria for a high fitness level, or 120 watts or higher. A total of 92 women were in the medium fitness category; and 59 women were in the low fitness category, defined as a peak workload of 80 watts or less, or having their exercise tests stopped because of high blood pressure, chest pain or other cardiovascular problems.
These women were then tested for dementia six times over the following four decades. During that time, 44 of the women developed dementia. Five percent of the highly fit women developed dementia, compared to 25 percent of the women with medium fitness and 32 percent of the women with low fitness.
"However, this study does not show cause and effect between cardiovascular fitness and dementia, it only shows an association. More research is needed to see if improved fitness could have a positive effect on the risk of dementia and also to look at when during a lifetime a high fitness level is most important. " She also admitted that a relatively small number of women were studied, all of whom were form Sweden, so the results might not be applicable to other groups.
1. What is on the ever-growing list mentioned in the first paragraph?| A．Positive effects of doing exercises. |
| B．Exercises suitable for the middle-aged. |
| C．Experimental studies on diseases. |
| D．Advantages of sporty woman over man |
| A．To predict their maximum heart rate. |
| B．To assess their cardiovascular capacity |
| C．To change their habits of working out |
| D．To detect their potential health problems |
| A．It aimed to find a cure for dementia. |
| B．Data collection was a lengthy process. |
| C．Some participants withdrew from it. |
| D．The results were far from satisfactory. |
| A．More Women Are Exercising to Prevent Dementia |
| B．Middle-Aged Women Need to Do More Exercise |
| C．Fit Women Are Less Likely to Develop Dementia |
| D．Biking Improves Women's Cardiovascular Fitness |
2 . Races
Virtual(虚拟的）races-but the running is real! Here are some of the best online races.
RAINBOWS VIRTUAL 5K
This is a fun run designed to be completed in any way that is proper for you-whether you run or walk in the garden,dance and walk fast along with your dog. All the organisers ask is that you complete 5K—in one go or over several days of your choice.
￡20,rainbows.co,uk/events/rainbows-virtual-5k
MILTON KEYNES MARATHON WEEKEND VIRTUAL 5K
Part of the yearly September Milton Keynes running festival, this year you can complete the 5Kvirtually. Complete it in your own time—in the garden or on an exercise machine if need be. You can also complete it in smaller runs.
From ￡18,mkmarathon. com/virtual-race
10K GARDEN CHALLENGE
A virtual race you can complete in your garden or at a local open space or park. Put on your shoes and complete 10K as speedily as you can. The event helps raise money for mental(精神的)health,with 15% of the entry fee being given to Bath Mind.By the way,the medal(奖牌)is environment-friendly.
￡15,womensrunning.co. uk/ neus/ keep-motivated-with-our-womens-runing-virtual-challenges
ROCK 'N' ROLL VIRTUAL
Sign up with the virtual running club and compete in weekly events alongside runners from around the world. Challenges include running an 8K and 15K in one weekend or running a l5Kwithin a 30-hour time window. Running challenges are all free to enter, but you can buy merchandise(商品）and medals if you want to add to your wall.
Free to join,buy your medals from ￡20,runrocknrollvr.com
1. If Mary wants to run just for fun,she will most likely visit________.| A．womensrunning.co.uk/news /keep-motivated-with-our-womens-running-virtual-challenges |
| B．rainbows.co.uk/events/rainbows-virtual-5k |
| C．mkmarathon.com/virtual-race |
| D．runrocknrollvr.com |
| A．10K GARDEN CHALLENGE. |
| B．RAINBOWS VIRTUAL 5K. |
| C．ROCK ' N' ROLL VIRTUAL. |
| D．MILTON KEYNES MARATHON WEEKEND VIRTUAL 5K. |
| A．It is held once a year. |
| B．It welcomes local runners only. |
| C．It offers different choices to people. |
| D．It requires people to pay the entry fee. |
1）积极的心态；
2）均衡的食谱；
3）定期体育运动；
4）最关键的在于坚持。
注意：1)词数100左右；开头语和结束语已为你写好，不计入总词数。
2)可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
参考词汇：塑造身材 shape a figure 定期的 regular
Dear Tom,
How nice to hear from you!
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Yours,
Jerry
A train operator from Britain has made travelling more
A little exercise is better than none
Exercise is good for us. It reduces the risk of dying from all causes, including cancer and heart disease. This is according to the World Health Organisation. But many people who work on weekdays have little time for exercise.
So, they might try to do something to increase their heart rates over the weekend go for a long run, take a bike ride, hike in the mountains or do a strenuous chore around the house, such as raking leaves , shoveling snow or digging a garden.
We sometimes call people who exercise only on Saturdays and Sundays “weekend warriors (战士)”. But is it healthy to avoid exercise during the workweek and then try to fit it all in during the weekend?
A new study suggests that, yes, it is healthy: Even weekend warriors may reduce their risk of cancer and cardiovascular (心血管的) disease.
Australian researchers at the University of Sydney conducted the study. It took place over a nine-year period.
During that time, the researchers looked at the self-reported exercise habits and health examinations of more than 63,000 adults in England and Scotland. Then they connected that information to mortality—or, death—records.
The researchers found that people who exercised only one or two days a week improved their chances of living longer than people who did not exercise at all. Even those who are very overweight—or, obese—could extend their lives by exercising a couple of days per week. Exercises included playing sports and taking a brisk walk.
First, let’s look at cancer. When compared to those who did not exercise at all , weekend warriors had an 18 percent lower risk of dying from cancer.
As for cardiovascular disease, weekend warriors had a 40 percent lower risk of cardiovascular disease than inactive people, or so-called “couch potatoes”. Couch potatoes are people who don’t exercise. They simply sit all day like potatoes.
In other words, their health improves even if they don’t meet the suggested weekly amount of physical activity. However, to be in the best health, Stamatakis says, more exercise is better.
The WHO suggests that the average adult get at least 150 minutes of moderate (中等的) to intense activity per week. For the best results, the organisation suggests 75 minutes per week of vigorous (高强度的) physical activity.
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6 . The Biggest Stadiums in the World
People have been pouring into stadiums since the days of ancient Greece. In around 80 A.D., the Romans built the Colosseum, which remains the world’s best known stadium and continues to inform contemporary design. Rome’s Colosseum was 157 feet tall and had 80 entrances, seating 50,000 people. However, that was small fry compared with the city’s Circus Maximus, which accommodated around 250,000 people.
These days, safety regulations-not to mention the modern sports fan’s desire for a good view and comfortable seat — tend to keep stadium capacities (容量) slightly lower. Even soccer fans tend to have a seat each; gone are the days of thousands standing to watch the match.
For the biggest stadiums in the world, we have used data supplied by the World Atlas list so far, which ranks them by their stated permanent capacity, as well as updated information from official stadium websites.
All these stadiums are still functional, still open and still hosting the biggest events in world sport.
·Rungrado 1st of May Stadium, Pyongyang D.P.R. Korea. Capacity: 150,000. Opened: May 1,1989.
·Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, Michigan, U. S. Capacity: 107,601. Opened: October 1, 1927.
·Beaver Stadium, State College, Pennsylvania, U. S. Capacity: 106,572. Opened: September 17, 1960.
·Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio, U. S. Capacity: 104,944. Opened: October 7,1922.
·Kyle Field, College Station, Texas, U. S. Capacity: 102,512. Opened: September 24, 1927.
1. How many people could the Circus Maximus hold?| A．104,944. | B．107,601. | C．About 150,000. | D．About 250,000. |
| A．Michigan Stadium. | B．Beaver Stadium. | C．Ohio Stadium. | D．Kyle Field. |
| A．They host big games. | B．They have become tourist attractions. |
| C．They were built by Americans. | D．They are favored by architects. |
