1 . 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. |
2 . We love to stare into our smart devices. We gaze for hours at ourcomputers, smartphones, tablets and televisions.
Blue light is a type of electromagnetic radiation (电磁辐射) with a very short wavelength that produces a high amount of energy. While it’s true that light can damage your eyes under certain circumstances, there’s no scientific evidence suggesting that blue light is harmful to our eyes.
| A．The answer is eyestrain. |
| B．Is all this staring bad for us? |
| C．Do blue light-blocking glasses work? |
| D．People have come to realize this in recent years. |
| E．Interested in buying a pair of blue-light gasses for yourself? |
| F．So if eyestrain is the real issue, blue light-blocking gasses are probably useless. |
| G．But many people sill think it is, which is why blue light-blocking glasses are so popular. |
1. 陈述现象；
2. 说明健康睡眠的重要性；
3. 提出倡议。
注意：1. 词数100左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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4 . Whether we are sitting down or standing up, still or moving, body posture influences our mood. Several studies have shown this link between physical posture and mood. Others have shown a relationship between our mood and our cognitive (认知的) performance, including memory, reasoning, learning, and the speed of reaction and processing of information.
So a logical question arises. Can body posture influence our cognitive performance?
Previously, a New Zealand team (University of Auckland) carried out an experiment on posture when we walk, especially in the street. The team had found a very clear influence of our posture on our mood and confidence. It appears that walking with a hunched back, bowed head and motionless arms have a negative influence on our mental state.
Indeed, the researchers found that the simple act of straightening up, standing up straight, with your head held high, and gazing forward gives us a serious boost of confidence. Not only does our spontaneous posture have a psychological effect, but by correcting it, it is possible to bring about improvement in the long term.
In this other study, this time carried out by an Austrian team (Friedrich Alexander University in Erlangen-Nuremberg), researchers observed the same phenomenon, this time in a sitting position. Young adults were invited to participate in tests presented as intended to assess their ability to concentrate. In fact, the researchers had them sit in different postures — from upright to very slumped (消沉) — in order to note their influences on mood and cognition.
A first observation indicates that “sitting upright” is associated with a better overall mood. It is also found to have a positive influence on the speed of processing information and completing tasks, although the test pass rate does not vary significantly with posture.
Finally, and surprisingly enough, blood pressure is a little more favorable in an upright position. To further complete the list of benefits of sitting upright, we will add that it is widely recommended for protecting the back in case of work that requires sitting for a long time.
1. Why does the writer mention the studies at the beginning?| A．To introduce what cognitive performance is. |
| B．To emphasize the importance of body posture. |
| C．To prove the results of those studies are wrong. |
| D．To raise a new question to be studied and solved. |
| A．Straightened. | B．Bent. | C．Loose. | D．Solid. |
| A．Posture influences our mental state. | B．Straightening up has a negative effect. |
| C．Gazing upward builds up confidence. | D．Walking posture is especially important. |
| A．It has mental and physical benefits. | B．It helps improve the test pass rate. |
| C．It requires sitting for a long time. | D．It increases the blood pressure. |
5 . Find it hard to get started? Try these suggestions to help you rise and shine — and be effective from morning till night.
● Get up earlier
Sleeping in can be a hard habit to break. Actually, it involves two things — going to bed earlier and getting up earlier. Start off by going to bed 15 minutes before your usual turn-in time and setting your alarm the same number of minutes earlier the next day.
● Have a good stretch in bed
Before you even open your eyes, stretch every extremity (四肢) for 15 seconds. Lift your arm and begin by stretching each finger, next your hand, and then your arm.
●
The fewer choices you have to make, the better. Before going to bed, decide what you’re going to wear, work out which route you’ll take to work and what you’ll pack in your bag.
● Consult your morning calendar
Hang a large whiteboard in your kitchen. On it, write down all you need to know for that particular day, from doctor appointments to what you’re doing with your friends. Check it carefully while you sip your first cup of coffee or tea.
● Get moving
| A．Plan ahead |
| B．Move on to your toes, feet and legs |
| C．It will help you to structure your day |
| D．Spend less time choosing things when packing |
| E．Morning exercise can get you refreshed quickly |
| F．If you’re a night owl, an early morning jog might sound like punishment |
| G．Gradually reset your sleep cycle until you get to your desired wake-up time |
6 . Nail biting is a common habit. A lot of people tend to bite their finger nails when nervous and anxious. It is a good way to reduce their stress. However, nail biting affects 30 percent of adults, 45 percent of teens and 30 percent of children. It can invite bacteria to enter the body and the blood, increasing your chances of catching a cold or the flu, according to the Mayo Clinic. Not to mention that it can ruin your smile.
The most common virus hiding under your nails is staphylococcus, which can enter the body through breaks in your skin after you bite your nails. If that is not enough a warning, just imagine parasites, hanging out in your nail tissue as you open mouth and put in your finger. So next time the anxiety comes in, try taking five deep breaths instead.
According to the Center for Disease Control, there are more than 200 cold viruses floating around at any given time. You may get one because of exposure to the sick. However, you can reduce your chances of catching a virus by keeping your hands away from your mouth. Viruses that cause the cold are active on your skin as well, so often wash your hands with soap and water, and avoid nail biting by chewing gum.
Nail biting can also damage the teeth. Check with your dentist whether having a mouth guard can help you to stop biting your nails or at least reduce some of the damage it can cause. She may be able to suggest some other ways to help you give up the habit for good.
1. Who is most likely to be affected by nail biting?| A．The 16-year-old Bob. | B．The second grader Gene. |
| C．The seven-month-old Jane. | D．The mother of five children, Kate. |
| A．You should be careful of the nail. | B．Nail biting harms your health a lot. |
| C．Deep breaths are useful to keep calm. | D．People lack warnings about biting nails. |
| A．Avoiding chewing gum. | B．Washing your face often. |
| C．Going to a dentist often. | D．Staying away from the sick. |
| A．Nail Biting Is a Common Habit | B．Nail Biting Can Reduce Stress Well |
| C．Nail Biting Ruins Your Health and Smile | D．Nail Biting Should Be Checked with a Dentist |
7 . Recently, scientific research suggests that mental health disorders affect up to 35 percent of top athletes at some stage of their careers. This can range from tiredness and eating disorders to depression and anxiety. The causes can be highly varied, with studies pointing to a range of contributing factors from poor sleep to selection pressures and early retirement due to injury.
American Simone Biles is widely considered to be the greatest gymnast (体操运动员) in the United States. When the Tokyo Olmpics began, she was expected to win five gold medals. But on July 27th, she pulled out of the team final. She made the choice after having trouble landing her vault (跳跃) in the competition’s first round. Later she said her mind was not in the right place to let her safely perform the difficult moves she is known for. In other words, her mind was not letting her body do what it needed to do. Cameras caught her telling her trainers during the team final, “I just don’t trust myself.”
Biles is not the only Olympian in recent months to talk about the pressure and mental effects of competing at the highest level. Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka lost in the second round of Olympic competition. She said she felt extreme pressure to win for Japan, where the Olympics are taking place.
Few coaches and officials in sports have an expert understanding of mental health and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) also recognizes that there is a great need for practical assessment tools that can be used by medical professionals and anyone looking after athletes to protect athletes’ mental health.
“Mental health issues should be discussed more openly in sport, because athletes are always concerned about selection, and they want to appear as strong as possible,” Scientific Director Dr Richard Budgett says. “But in the end this may have negative effects, so we need to recognize the symptoms so that athletes can get proper management and help when they need it.”
1. What is the scientific research about?| A．Athletes’ living habits. |
| B．Athletes’ mental health. |
| C．Causes of athletes’ injuries. |
| D．Ways to reduce athletes’ pressure. |
| A．She was in a bad state of mind. |
| B．She was badly hurt in the first round. |
| C．She was not good at the difficult moves. |
| D．She did not live up to her trainers’ requirements. |
| A．Recognizing the symptoms. |
| B．Discussing the issues privately. |
| C．Adopting suitable evaluation tools. |
| D．Offering professional training to coaches. |
| A．To introduce two outstanding athletes. |
| B．To warn athletes about the danger of anxiety. |
| C．To draw people’s attention to athletes’ menial health. |
| D．To explain the importance of hard training to success. |
8 . Dr. Faisal Zawawi, an Otolaryngologist and member of the McGill Auditory Sciences Laboratory, notes that when a person is exposed to loud noises it can cause short-term hearing loss but that under normal circumstances the body typically is able to repair the loss of hearing within 72 hours. However, Zawawi warns that if symptoms are not reversed (倒转) in the first 72 hours the damage could become permanent. Due to findings in previous studies about it, Zawawi says that the team of researchers has suspected that something may stop this repair process; therefore, the team set out to determine if caffeine could be a contributing cause to hearing loss. According to the Medical Daily, the researchers tested what they suspected on female guinea pigs(FGP) (豚鼠).
To perform the test, 24 female guinea pigs were split into three equal groups with each group exposed in different levels to caffeine, and loud noises. The researchers found that the guinea pigs subjected to only sound had their full hearing recovered by day eight. However, the guinea pigs that were subjected to both caffeine and loud noise never fully regained their hearing. Therefore，the researchers concluded that caffeine is a likely contributing cause to permanent hearing loss.
“This research confirms that while a cup of coffee may seem appealing after a long night at a loud concert, drinking caffeine produces more of a risk than benefit when it comes to a person's hearing. Although further research is required to understand the effect on humans, the results are promising," says Zawawi. If the research proves successful, the removal of caffeine from your diet following noise exposure could prevent permanent hearing loss as the body will be more able to repair itself naturally.
1. What caused the team to do the research?| A．Caffeine loving people suffering hearing loss. |
| B．The results about hearing loss found before. |
| C．The finding that FGPs are sensitive to noise. |
| D．The fact that many people drink coffee. |
| A．Drinking coffee daily results in it. |
| B．Drink less coffee while suffering it. |
| C．Generally people can recover from it in 3 days. |
| D．The continuous noise exposure surely causes it. |
| A．Coffee can stop it from recovering. |
| B．Coffee Can lead to quick hearing loss. |
| C．Hearing loss after noise exposure is normal. |
| D．Loud noise causes people to lose it forever. |
| A．It's controversial. | B．It's unnecessary to carry it on. |
| C．It's not predictable. | D．It's almost successful. |
9 . A study has found that middle-aged and older adults who live in greener neighborhoods have a decreased risk of developing metabolic syndrome (代谢综合征) such as obesity, hypertension (高血压) and high blood sugar.
The study, published in Environmental Pollution, was conducted by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal). It differed from previous studies on the health benefits of green spaces in that it examined all of the symptoms of metabolic syndrome together collectively rather than as individual components. Having metabolic syndrome increases a person’s risk for heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
The study from ISGlobal examined data from clinical examinations of over 6,000 British adults who were between 45 and 69 years old when the study began. The data was derived from four examinations participants went through between 1997 and 2013 that included blood analyses, blood pressure and measurements of weight. “These findings suggest that long-term exposure to green spaces can play an important role in preventing metabolic syndrome as a whole,” according to a press release published by ISGlobal.
The correlation between nearness to green spaces and better health could be associated with the expanded opportunities for physical recreation and lower exposure to air pollution, according to Carmen de Keijzer, ISGlobal researcher and principal author of the study.
Female subjects were more likely than males to exhibit the study’s association between living in greener neighborhoods and having fewer metabolic symptoms. “Women tend to spend more time in their residential neighborhood, which could explain this gender difference,” de Keijzer said. “We need greener cities if we want healthier cities.” de Keijzer added.
1. What do we know about the study from the first two paragraphs?| A．Young people were not included in the study. |
| B．Symptoms were examined one by one. |
| C．It was a joint effort of several institutes. |
| D．It was the first of its kind in decades. |
| A．Departed. | B．Arrived. |
| C．Gained. | D．Demanded. |
| A．Because they differ in gender. |
| B．Because they live in greener cities. |
| C．Because they live in healthier cities. |
| D．Because they stay more in where they live. |
| A．Greener Neighborhoods, Fewer Metabolic Symptoms. |
| B．Women Having Fewer Metabolic Symptoms. |
| C．Metabolic Syndrome Increasing Heart Disease. |
| D．Living in Greener and Healthier Cities. |
10 . Science can’t explain the power of pets, but many studies have shown that the company of pets can help lower blood pressure (血压) and raise chances of recovering from a heart attack, reduce loneliness and spread all-round good cheer.
Any owner will tell you how much joy a pet brings. For some, an animal provides more comfort than a husband/wife. A 2002study by Karen Allen of the State University of New York measured stress (紧张) levels and blood pressure in people — half of them pet owners — while they performed 5minutes of mental arithmetic (算术) or held a hand in ice water. Subjects completed the tasks alone, with a husband/wife, a close friend or with a pet. People with pets did it best. Those tested with their animal friends had smaller change in blood pressure and returned most quickly to baseline heart rates. With pets in the room, people also made fewer math mistakes than when doing in front of other companions. It seems people feel more relaxed (放松) around pets, says Allen, who thinks it may be because pets don’t judge.
A study reported last fall suggests that having a pet dog not only raises your spirits but may also have an effect on your eating habits. Researchers at Northwestern Memorial Hospital spent a year studying 36 fat people and their equally fat dogs on diet-and-exercise programs; a separate group of 56 people without pets were put on a diet program. On average, people lost about 11 pounds, or 5% of their body weight. Their dogs did even better, losing an average of 12 pounds, more than 15% of their body weight. Dog owners didn’t lose any more weight than those without dogs but, say researchers, got more exercise overall — mostly with their dogs — and found it worth doing.
1. What does the text mainly discuss?| A．What pets bring to their owners? |
| B．How pets help people calm down? |
| C．People’s opinions of keeping pets. |
| D．Pet’s value in medical research. |
| A．he has a pet companion |
| B．he has less stress of work |
| C．he often does mental arithmetic |
| D．he is taken care of by his family |
| A．They have lower blood pressure. |
| B．They become more patient. |
| C．They are less nervous. |
| D．They are in higher spirits. |
| A．people with dogs did more exercise |
| B．dogs lost the same weight as people did |
| C．dogs liked exercise much more than people did |
| D．people without dogs found the program unhelpful |
