1 . Making day-to-day activities more intense for a few minutes — such as briefly stepping up the pace of a walk — could offer people who don’t exercise some of the health benefits that exercisers enjoy, according to a new study of roughly 25, 000 adults who reported no exercise in their free time.
Those who include three one- to two-minute bursts of intense activity per day saw a nearly a 40 percent drop in the risk of death from any cause compared with those without such activity. The risk of death from cancer also fell by nearly 40 percent, and the risk of death from cardiovascular (心血管的) disease dropped almost 50 percent, researchers report online December 8 in Nature Medicine.
“This study adds to other literature showing that even short amounts of activity are beneficial,” says Lisa Cadmus-Bertram, a physical activity epidemiologist (流行病学家) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “So many people are daunted by feeling that they don’t have the time, money, motivation, transportation, etc. togo to a gym regularly or work out for long periods of time,” she says. “The message we can take is that it is absolutely worth doing what you can.”
The researchers were looking for bursts of intense activity that met a definition determined in a laboratory study, like reaching at least 77 percent of maximum heart rate and at least 64 percent of maximum oxygen consumption. In real life, the signs that someone has reached the needed intensity level are “an increase in heart rate and feeling out of breath” in the first 15 to 30 seconds of an activity, Stamatakis says.
Regular daily activities offer several opportunities for these bursts, he says. “The simplest one is maximizing walking pace for a minute or two during any regular walk.” Other options, he says, include carrying grocery bags to the car or taking the stairs. “The largest population health gains will be realized by finding ways to get the least physically active people to move a little more.”
1. What was found about intense activity in the new study?A.It helped to lower the risk of death. |
B.It was more beneficial to exercisers. |
C.It relieved the pain of cancer patients. |
D.It cured people of cardiovascular disease. |
A.Inspired. |
B.Surprised. |
C.Discouraged. |
D.Confused. |
A.Working out every day. |
B.Taking stairs at an even pace. |
C.Keeping running at a high speed. |
D.Adding short bursts to a regular walk. |
A.The Simplest Daily Exercise Activities |
B.Brief Intense Activities Can Be Helpful |
C.The Guidance on Brief Intense Activities |
D.Regular Exercise Is Necessary for Everyone |
2 . Over the past decades, experts have done a considerable amount of research to explore different ways to encourage children’s learning. Especially, there has been a common focus on how physical activity, separated from the learning activities, can improve children’s learning. However, there has been less of a focus aimed the potential of integrating physical activity into the learning activities.
The main purpose of the Basket Mathematics study conducted at five Danish primary and elementary schools by researchers from the University of Copenhagen therefore was to develop a learning activity that integrates basketball and mathematics and examine how it might affect children’s motivation for mathematics.
756 children from 40 different classes at Copenhagen area schools participated in the project, where about half of them-once a week for six weeks-had Basketball Mathematics during gym class, while the other half played basketball without mathematics.
“During classes with Basketball Mathematics, the children had to collect numbers and perform calculations associated with various basketball exercises. An example could be counting how many times they could sink a basket from three meters away vs at a one-meter distance, and adding up the numbers. Both the math and basketball elements could be adjusted to suit the children’s levels, as well as being adjusted for whether it was addition, multiplication or some other operations that needed to be practiced,” explains Linn Damsgaard, a leading researcher.
The results showed that children’s motivation for math integrated with basketball was 16% higher compared to classroom math learning. Children also experienced a 14% increase in self-determination compared with classroom teaching. Meanwhile Basketball Mathematics improved their math confidence.
“We are planning to do research to examine whether the Basketball Mathematics model can strengthen performance in mathematics. Once we have the final results, we hope that they will inspire school teachers and principals to prioritize more physical activity and movement in such subjects. Eventually, we hope to succeed in putting these tools into school system and teacher education,” says Associate Professor Jacob Wienecke.
1. What is the purpose of paragraph 1?A.To show the advantage of the study. | B.To explain the reason for the study. |
C.To conduct a review of past research. | D.To introduce a way to raise math grades. |
A.All kids didn’t play basketball. | B.Kids were divided into 40 groups. |
C.It studied kids’math performance. | D.It tailored activities to different kids. |
A.More motivation for exercise. | B.More confidence in basketball. |
C.A gain in desire to learn math. | D.A rise in determination to learn. |
A.Make math learning easier. | B.Inspire students’ math confidence. |
C.Build physical activity into teaching. | D.Notice the benefits of physical exercise. |
3 . Why Play? Why Outside?
Play is important, even for adults. Here are some great reasons to get outside and play.
Being outdoors brings the senses to life. In fact, 75 percent of students surveyed by Weekly Reader said they felt better after spending time outside. “Hiking, exploring, and fishing help sharpen all of your senses,” says Betsy Keller, a professor of exercise and sports sciences. “Smell, sight... they’re all engaged when you’re outside.” Bonus!
Outdoor play eases your mind.
Are you stressed out? Having trouble concentrating?
Spending time outdoors brings you closer to the environment.
Hearing the leaves rustling underfoot and breathing in fresh air build awareness and appreciation of the environment, if you walk through the woods in search of cool birds and plants, you may find your mind expanding.
No woods nearby?
A.Playing outside helps your body |
B.Outdoor activities expand your senses |
C.You don’t need a huge park to enjoy nature’s benefits |
D.With your senses engaged, you’ll feel free and more creative |
E.So the next time you sit down to spend quality time with a TV |
F.Then take note of your senses after you’ve done something outside |
G.Too much time indoors —away from the natural world — may be a cause |
4 . The reasons skiers and snowboarders wear goggles or glasses might seem a little obvious, especially if you’ve ever hit the slopes yourself. Sunlight reflected off the snow can make it hard to see, and UV rays can even damage your eyesight. Special colored lenses also create contrast, so your whole path won’t look like one flat expanse of whiteness.
Olympic speed skaters, meanwhile, are racing inside on smooth ice.
According to NBC Olympics, glasses can increase visibility on indoor tracks, too.
That said, glasses aren’t a requirement.
A.How do they wear glasses? |
B.So why do they wear glasses? |
C.Some skiers are afraid of the sunlight. |
D.Some skaters’ lenses are tinted to help with that. |
E.You’ll occasionally see speed skaters with uncovered visages. |
F.Not to mention that eyewear shields your eyes from any snow you displace. |
G.But the biggest reason speed skaters opt for eyewear just might be their speed. |
5 . If you have watched the amazing Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, chances are that you have fallen in love with some winter sports and you’re already making sure your equipment is ready for them.
But there are still some other things to think about. Skiing and snowboarding are great winter sports that provide a total body workout.
A.Maybe you haven’t bought all the equipment. |
B.And that is when injuries are more likely to occur. |
C.Exercising in the cold decreases your body temperature. |
D.You should take advantage of this opportunity to have a rest. |
E.Probably, you have got your skis tuned and skates sharpened. |
F.All of them are areas that can be trained before the winter season. |
G.However, it can be hard on the body the first time you hit the slopes. |