1 . People who get a good workout almost daily can add nearly four years to their life spans, according to the first study to quantify the effect of physical activity this way.
The researchers looked at records of more than 5,000 middle-aged and elderly Americans and found that those who had moderate to high levels of activity lived1.3 to 3.7 years longer than those who got little exercise, with men and women benefiting about equally.
“This shows that physical activity really does make a difference — not only for how long you live but for how long you live a healthy life.” said Oscar H. Franco of the Erasmus M.C. University Medical Center in Rotterdam. “Being more physically active can give you more time.”
Previous studies have found that being physically active has a host of health benefits. It reduces the risk of being overweight and of developing many illnesses, improves overall quality of life, and lowers the death rate. But the new study is the first to directly calculate the effect on how long people live.
People who engaged in moderate activity — the equivalent of walking for 30minutes a day for five days a week — lived about 1.3 to 1.5 years longer than those who were less active. Those who took on more intense exercise—the equivalent of running half an hour a day five days every week—extended their lives by about3.5 to 3.7 years, the researchers found.
The findings show that even for people who are already middle-aged, exercising more can add years to their lives, Franco said.
Other experts said the study was consistent with the growing evidence that exercising on a regular basis is one of the most important things people can do for their health.
“At the end of the day, this is more evidence that the sitting lifestyle is the most damaging to health, longevity and chronic disease development,” said James O. Hill of the University of Colorado at Denver.
Hill and others said exercising regularly also enables people to live healthier lives, free from a host of chronic illnesses that can make it hard for people to enjoy their later years.
In addition, recent studies have also found that exercise has payoffs for the mind, too. It has been shown to improve overall well-being and reduce stress and depression.
“The benefits of physical activity extend well beyond the effects on longevity,” said Joann E. Manson of Harvard’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.
1. What would be the best title for this text?| A．A Daily Workout Add More Years to Life. | B．How A Daily Workout Is Good to Health. |
| C．Men Benefit More from A Daily Workout. | D．Middle-aged People Benefit from Workout. |
| A．It finds that men and women benefited about equally. |
| B．Being physically active has a host of health benefits. |
| C．It’s the first to calculate the effect on how long people live. |
| D．Being more physically active can give you more time to live. |
| A．describing successful cases. | B．presenting findings of research. |
| C．offering professional comments. | D．explaining a certain phenomenon (现象) . |
2 . A Good Night’s Sleep
Sleep plays a vital role in good health and well-being throughout your life. While you’re sleeping, your brain is forming new pathways to help you learn and remember information. Although we all know the importance of getting a good night’s sleep, not all of us know the best way of getting it. A sleep expert, Phil Atherton, gave some top tips for getting the most out of the night, which will leave you ready for action in the morning.
According to Phil Atherton, not eating a large meal before bedtime is important for getting a good night’s sleep. The time difference between eating and sleeping should be at least three hours. So you’d better avoid eating any food three hours before bed, as it will lower your blood sugar during sleep and help minimize damage from too much sugar floating around.
It’s also important to find ways to prepare your body for sleep. You can follow a routine like trying not to expose yourself to too much artificial light within 1 hour before bed, as your brain uses light to help set internal “body clock”. Although it might seem unnatural to schedule your sleep, the purpose is to send a signal to your body and mind that it’s time to sleep.
Another way to prepare your body for sleep is to get into a relaxed state by taking a bath or listening to soft music. Both of them will help to take the mind off the daytime pressures.
Having a suitable bed, especially a suitable mattress (床垫), is necessary for a good night’s sleep. Sleep is a personalized activity, and we all adopt different sleeping positions. Finding the mattress that suits you will reduce back pains that can result from a poor sleeping position. The bed should be four to six inches longer than its tallest user, allowing for space to move around.
The recent research is pretty clear that a good night’s sleep is a major component of good health. Since the start of the 21st century, studies have linked a lack of sleep to many diseases, such as diabetes and obesity. Taking action now will lead to long-term benefits for you and those around you.
1. What does the author intend to tell us in the passage?| A．When to start a sound sleep. | B．How to get a good night’s sleep. |
| C．What to do with sleep problems. | D．Why to form a good habit of sleeping. |
| A．Not eating food. | B．Taking a meal. |
| C．Not sleeping well. | D．Having a good sleep. |
| A．record your biological clock. | B．check your blood sugar. |
| C．relieve your pain in the back. | D．free yourself from stress. |
3 . In the dead of winter, we don’t typically think about spending time outdoors, but according to many physicians we should. The sun is our greatest source of a vitamin that is essential for good health — vitamin D.
This important nutrient (营养素) strengthens bones and teeth and is linked to the prevention of heart disease, cancer and many other life-threatening diseases.
The recommended daily requirement is 400-600 IU. In summer, people with dark brown eyes and darker skin convert sunlight from just 15 minutes outside without sunscreen into adequate amounts of vitamin D.
Even during winter, just a 10-minute walk midday can keep the body’s vitamin D at healthy levels. During brief winter walks, we receive the greatest benefits when we wear no sunscreen and expose as much skin to the sun as
possible.
Vitamin D can also be obtained from foods. Salmon is one of the best sources of the vitamin. Egg yolks, cheese, mushrooms and beef liver contain smaller quantities of it.
To attract consumers, food companies add vitamin D to some of their milk products. The practice of putting the vitamin into milk began in the 1930s. At that time, many children were suffering from rickets, an illness that is caused by a vitamin D deficiency (不足). It made the children’s bones soft and weak. Adding Vitamin D to milk helped to solve the problem, and it has been available ever since.
For people who still need more vitamin D, there is another option: take vitamin D supplements. These products are widely sold in stores. However, anyone considering taking supplements should consult a physician first.
1. What is the main purpose of this article?| A．To note risks associated with a nutrient. |
| B．To analyze a nutrient’s composition. |
| C．To introduce a valuable nutrient. |
| D．To explain how a nutrient was discovered |
| A．They aren’t able to meet their deadlines. |
| B．They often don’t dress warmly enough. |
| C．They generally tend to remain indoors. |
| D．They leave lots of work for others to do. |
| A．Washing it with harsh cleaners. |
| B．Scratching it to relieve an itch. |
| C．Allowing it to become extremely dry. |
| D．Covering it with protective lotion. |
| A．As a revolutionary drug. | B．As a health problem. |
| C．As an economical treatment. | D．As a mental disorder. |
As we know, sports activity can make people more energetic and
5 . As we age, even if we’re healthy, the heart just isn’t as efficient in processing oxygen as it used to be. In most people the first signs show up in their 50s or early 60s. And among people who don’t exercise, the changes can start even sooner.
“Think of a rubber band. In the beginning, it is flexible, but put it in a drawer for 20 years and it will become dry and easily broken,” says Dr. Ben Levine, a heart specialist at the University of Texas. That’s what happens to the heart. Fortunately for those in midlife, Levine is finding that even if you haven’t been an enthusiastic exerciser, getting in shape now may help improve your aging heart.
Levine and his research team selected volunteers aged between 45 and 64 who did not exercise much but were otherwise healthy. Participants were randomly divided into two groups. The first group participated in a program of non-aerobic exercise-balance training and weight training-three times a week. The second group did high-intensity aerobic (有氧的) exercise under the guidance of a trainer for four or more days a week. After two years, the second group saw remarkable improvements in heart health.
“We took these 50-year-old hearts and turned the clock back to 30-or 35-year-old hearts,” says Levine. “And the reason they got so much stronger and fitter was that their hearts could now fill a lot better and pump a lot more blood during exercise.” But the hearts of those who participated in less intense exercise didn’t change, he says.
“The sweet spot in life to start exercising, if you haven’t already, is in late middle age when the heart still has flexibility,” Levine says. “We put healthy 70-year-olds through a yearlong exercise training program, and nothing happened to them at all.”
Dr. Nieca Goldberg, a spokeswoman for the American Heart Association, says Levine’s findings are a great start. But the study was small and needs to be repeated with far larger groups of people to determine exactly which aspects of an exercise routine make the biggest difference.
1. What does Levine want to explain by mentioning the rubber band?| A．The right way of exercising. | B．The aging process of the heart. |
| C．The difficulty of keeping fit. | D．The causes of a heart attack. |
| A．Middle-aged hearts get younger with aerobic exercise. |
| B．High-intensity exercise is more suitable for the young. |
| C．It is never too late for people to start taking exercise. |
| D．The more exercise we do, the stronger our hearts get. |
| A．Making use of the findings. | B．Interviewing the study participants. |
| C．Conducting further research. | D．Clarifying the purpose of the study. |
6 . Your sleep position can determine a lot about your health, and can also affect your health in different ways.
It’s difficult to control what sleep position we naturally fall into, as our body will subconsciously fall into the most comfortable position. However, some positions are better for you than others, and some could actually hinder your health and wellbeing.
If you sleep on your side
More than 60 percent of people sleep on their side. This is mostly likely because it is one of the most comfortable sleep positions. Often our body naturally moves to this position, which is linked to when we were in the foetal (胎儿的) position.
Sleeping on your side offers a number of benefits to your body, from promoting healthy spine alignment, which can help to prevent back pain, to reducing heartburn and snoring. Side sleeping would be particularly beneficial for older people, those who snore or have sleep apnoea (呼吸暂停), those with back pain and pregnant women.
There are a few drawbacks to sleeping on your side, however. Those with shoulder pain and those who are worried about wrinkles should refrain from side sleeping.
If you sleep on your back
Lying on your back is the second most popular sleep position and offers just as many benefits as side sleeping.
When you’re sleeping on your back, your weight is evenly distributed, which helps prevent neck and back pain. Back sleeping would also be advised for those who want to keep their skin in good condition and those who suffer from neck and spinal pain.
However, back sleeping is the worst position if you snore or suffer from sleep apnoea. If you are a back sleeper, ensure you have a supportive pillow (枕头) which fits in the curve of your neck and supports your head and natural spinal curve.
If you sleep on your stomach
Sleeping on your stomach is the least common sleep position. There are more negatives to this position compared to positives.
The stomach offers the least amount of back support and can actually increase pressure on the spine which may cause pain once you wake up. Furthermore, those who sleep on their stomach will have their head facing one side, which may also cause a stiff neck upon waking.
Which sleep position is right for you?
Determining the right sleep position for yourself is personal preference. Regardless of which position you choose, make sure that you have a firm mattress and pillows. These will support the spine and neck, which is vital to prevent any pains in future.
1. According to the passage, sleeping on the side ________.| A．is the most comfortable sleep position | B．may cure people of their shoulder pain |
| C．reminds people of the foetal position | D．is good for those who snore |
| A．sleeping on their side | B．sleeping on their back |
| C．pressing their face into the pillow | D．having their head face one side |
| A．How to judge sleep quality. | B．How to evaluate one’s health. |
| C．How to develop good habits. | D．How to choose sleep positions. |
Running is very
Strengthening Your Core
If there’s one indication that someone is fit, it’s a tight and lean stomach. Men and women alike hope that eating right and putting in hard work at the gym will earn them a perfect six pack. Unfortunately, the opposite is also true. The rising popularity of fast food has led to an increase in obesity rates and waistlines around the globe. If someone is out of shape you will notice the extra kilograms around their midsection. In both cases, a person’s core muscles seem to tell a lot about their fitness and eating habits.
Many people associate the core with just the stomach area, but science actually defines it as our body without arms and legs. Although many people want a solid core to look good, the development of these muscles affects many areas of our lives. In athletics and general life for that matter, we all rely on our core muscles heavily to get things done. Studies have shown that athletes that build a powerful core foundation aren’t injured as much. Meanwhile, the benefits for ordinary people may be even greater. They use their core muscles for nearly every task they do. This includes picking things up, sitting in a chair, or tying our shoes. Our core muscles provide stability, so we can keep our balance and easily move in any direction. If we neglect them, life can become much more difficult.
As a result, we should always consider our core muscles when designing our workouts. However, if you’ve been inactive for years, performing thousands of repetitions will probably get you injured. Instead, start off slowly and gradually build up your numbers. An excellent exercise for both beginners and advanced exercisers is the plank. You simply get in an extended pushup position as if you have just finished a rep. Maintain this position, but place the weight on your forearms instead of your hand. Then, hold the position as long as you can. You should feel your core muscles working hard to help your hands and support the weight of your body. In the beginning you may only be able to hold it for a few seconds but keep at it. The Guinness World Record for abdominal planking is three hours and seven minutes!
1. What will earn people a perfect six pack?2. What does a solid core mean to athletes?
3. Please decide which part is false in the following statement, then underline it and explain why.
If you haven’t done exercises to build up your core for years, you should design your workouts with more repetitions to strengthen your core quickly.
4. How do you keep your body in good shape? Explain your ways in detail.
9 . Daily life has its satisfactions, such as the perfect reply to a friend’s text message, the first after-work drink, or the unexpected gift.
Somehow we have pushed this pleasure to the back of the queue. A third of American adults report sleeping less than the recommended seven hours. Many of us feel under-rested. For some, the problem is modern life: emails, to-do lists and screens.
Now there’s increasing evidence that a lack of sleep is associated with higher risk of depression, cancer, and other problems. Research published in the European Heart Journal reports that heart disease was lower among people who went to sleep between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m., no matter how long they slept.
But after the appearance and rise of sleeping aids, is sleep the next part of human experience that will become increasingly tracked, counted and compared? We sigh at LinkedIn users who claim to wake up at Sam and learn Mandarin while meditating. But when people overcommit to sleeping well, it can be counter-productive.
Espie says we each have a sleep pattern that we figure out through trial and error. Genetically, some humans are larks and some are owls; the larks may just have better cardiovascular health. For an owl to try to fight their natural schedule, and sleep earlier, wouldn’t necessarily help.
Basic sleeping advice is notably consistent, including keeping a regular pattern, cutting back on alcohol and caffeine and taking away all bedroom distractions. Instead of just loading sleep advice on individuals, we could integrate aspects of it into public health.
A good night’s sleep is a profound pleasure. As far as possible, it should also remain a simple one.
| A．Such research is all well and good. |
| B．The risk is that we ignore the problem. |
| C．Then there are those who can’t sleep when they try. |
| D．For other people, it’s the demands of work or family. |
| E．But does any of these really compare to the joy of going to sleep? |
| F．Schools could start later to coincide with children’s body rhythms. |
| G．Stressing ourselves out about a lack of sleep can worsen the problem. |
10 . Are you relatively skinny but growing a “beer belly”?
Then don’t be surprised at your next checkup if the nurse measures your waistline to determine your healthy weight. That’s because research is showing that a protruding (鼓出的) belly may be a sign of VAT — a dangerous form of fat around organs deep inside your body. “Studies confirm that visceral (内脏的) fat is a clear health risk,” said Dr. Tiffany Wiley, a senior expert at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. Unlike the fat just under your skin, visceral fat raises your risk for heart disease. Experts think that’s because visceral fat raises blood pressure and inflames (使发炎) tissues and organs.
However, you can’t assume you’re safe from visceral fat if your overall weight is healthy, experts stress. That’s because you can have dangerous visceral fat even if you’re not considered overweight — and not have any visceral fat even if you are overweight.
How do you know if your stomach is protruding into dangerous size? Do a check. Non-pregnant women with a waist size greater than 88 cm and men with a waist larger than 102 cm, are at higher risk according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If you’re Asian, it drops to 80 cm for women and 90 cm for men. But it is only a rough measure. “The only sure way to know is to check your visceral fat levels on a CT scan or MRI,” say experts.
According to the AHA committee, the most salutary physical activity to “shrink” belly is aerobic exercise. Aerobic means “with oxygen”, so aerobic exercise increases your breathing rate and promotes the circulation of oxygen through the blood. This type of exercise makes the heart work more effectively and improves its ability to move oxygen-carrying blood with every beat. Speed walking, jogging, stair climbing, cycling and swimming are all examples of aerobic exercise.
“However, more studies are needed to determine the best physical activity, food and other lifestyle changes to reduce heart disease risk,” Dr. Tiffany Wiley added.
1. What would a “beer belly” cause?| A．Enlarged organs inside the body. | B．Higher risk of heart disease. |
| C．Raised mental pressure. | D．Inflamed stomach. |
| A．A white man with a waist size of 120 cm. |
| B．A white woman with a waist size of 90 cm. |
| C．An Asian man with a waist size of 102 cm. |
| D．An Asian woman with a waist size of 75 cm. |
| A．Beneficial. | B．Difficult. | C．Enthusiastic. | D．Useless. |
| A．Doing aerobic exercise can remove visceral fat completely. |
| B．Heart ability improves when one does speed walking. |
| C．Further studies are needed to reduce heart disease risk. |
| D．Food and life style determine one’s body shape. |
