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Two new studies suggest that modern running shoes could increase the risk of injuries to runners．
One study involved sixty-eight healthy young women and men who ran at least twenty-four kilometers a week．The runners were observed on a treadmill machine（跑步机）．Sometimes they wore running shoes．Other times they ran barefoot．
Researchers found that running shoes create more stress that could damage knees，hips and ankle joints than running barefoot．They observed that the effect was even greater than the effect reported earlier for walking in high heels．
The other study compared runners in the United States and Kenya．The researchers divided the runners into three groups．One group had always run shoeless．Another group had always run with shoes．And the third group had changed to shoeless running．
Runners who wear shoes usually come down heel first．That puts great force on the back of the foot．But the study found that barefoot
runners generally land on the front or middle of their foot．That way they ease into their landing and avoid striking their heels．
Daniel Lieberman says the way most running shoes are designed may explain why those who wear them land on their heels．The heel of the shoe is bigger and heavier than other parts of the shoe，so it would seem more likely to come down first．Also，the heel generally has thick material under it to soften landings．
But the researchers do not suggest that runners immediately start running barefoot．They say it takes some training．And there can be risks，like running when your feet are too cold to feel if you get injured．
1.What’s the main idea of the passage?
A. Running in shoes is partly good to runners.
B. Two new discoveries encourage people to run in high heels.
C. Walking in high heels could cause less serious effects than running barefoot.
D. Two new studies prove running without shoes is beneficial to runners in most cases.
2. From the fifth paragraph we can infer that__________.
A. running barefoot is faster than running in shoes.
B. the landing point is very important in r
unning.
C. running shoeless can give people a real exercise.
D. different running ways cause different injuries.
3.Why do people who run in shoes land on their heels?
A. Because the shoes put great force on the back of the foot.
B. Because the design of running shoes is unreasonable.
C. Because people who often run get used to landing on their heels.
D. Because the running people want to run faster.
4.What’s the writer’s attitude towards the use of the modern running shoes?
A. Positive. B. Persuasive.
C. Objective. D. Supportive.
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A new study shows the world’s fastest land animal could be running towards extinction.
The Zoological Society of London (ZSL), Panthera, and Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) led the study. It estimates that only 7,100 cheetahs（猎豹）remain worldwide, mainly found in Africa. But according to the study, cheetahs have been forced out of 91% of their native range. Cheetahs found in Asia are among the hardest hit. Fewer than 50 are left in a small part of Iran.
Many factors are to blame for the decline in cheetah numbers, including habitat loss and the illegal trade. Prey（猎物）loss is also a problem. Humans cause it by overhunting animals that cheetahs prey on. Cheetahs are carnivores and prey mainly on smaller mammals, for example gazelles.
Because cheetahs usually roam over large areas in search of food, 77% of their habitat remains outside of government-protected areas. This means cheetahs are in constant danger of hunters and traders. In Zimbabwe, Africa, alone, the cheetah population has dropped from 1,200 to only about 170 in 16 years. This decline represents a loss of 85% of the country’s cheetahs.
Dr. Kim Young—Overton, Panthera’s Cheetah Program Director, thinks protected habitats alone are not enough to save cheetahs. Cheetahs in reserves also face dangers such as loss of prey and illegal trade.
Dr. Sarah Durant, the study’s lead author, believes that the information it contains will lead to a better understanding of cheetahs as well as a better approach to helping them survive. Durant says local and national officials must team up in order to save cheetahs. But first, the International Union for Conservation of Nature must classify the animals as endangered. Currently, cheetahs are classified as weak on the IUCN’s Red List of Threatened Species. The change would focus more attention on cheetahs and help protect them for extinction. After all, in the fight to save cheetahs, it's a race against time.
1.What is the present situation of cheetahs according to the study?
A. They are in danger.
B. They live freely worldwide.
C. They are protected well in Africa.
D. They mainly live in their native range.
2.What does the underlined word “carnivores” refer to?
A. Animals kept at home.
B. Animals living in zoos.
C. Animals feeding on meat.
D. Animals killed in the wild.
3.What results in the decline of the cheetah population according to the text?
A. The loss of their reserves.
B. Their appearance in unpreserved areas.
C. The decreasing government protection.
D. Their increasing natural enemies.
4.What does Dr. Sarah Durant think of the study of cheetahs?
A. It shows ways of wildlife protection.
B. It implies people’s role in saving animals.
C. It stresses the importance of cheetahs in our life.
D. It informs people of cheetahs’ existing state.
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Studying abroad seems to be a global trend these days. A study suggests that more than two thirds of the students studying abroad 1. (influence) by movies in choosing their universities since the past decade. American movies such as A Beautiful Mind set in Princeton, The Social Network in Harvard, and The Graduate in Berkeley, California are playing 2. important part in attracting foreign students to America. The global 3. (succeed) of the Harry Potter films is considered as a factor in 4. (encourage) overseas students to come to England. Universities in New Zealand have benefited from The Lord of the Rings’ effect since it was first released.
Films can also be 5. (help) to get through difficult situations. In 2009 there was a sharp decline in Indian students choosing Australian universities 6. some reasons. So Prateek Chakravorty, a Bollywood director, 7. graduated from University of Technol
ogy Sydney, made From Sydney With Love about two Indian students falling in love with some of the 8. (building) of Sydney University. By 2014, the number of Indian students in Australia was rising again.
When universities are competing 9. (fierce) for the attention of overseas students, the cinema screen can be a recognized way 10. ( attract ) overseas students. Will you choose universities because of movies?
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Studying abroad seems to be a global trend these days. A study suggests that more than two thirds of the students studying abroad 1. (influence) by movies in choosing their universities since the past decade. American movies such as A Beautiful Mind set in Princeton, The Social Network in Harvard, and The Graduate in Berkeley, California are playing 2. important part in attracting foreign students to America. The global 3. (succeed) of the Harry Potter films is considered as a factor in 4. (encourage) overseas students to come to England. Universities in New Zealand have benefited from The Lord of the Rings’ effect since it was first released.
Films can also be 5. (help) to get through difficult situations. In 2009 there was a sharp decline in Indian students choosing Australian universities 6. some reasons. So Prateek Chakravorty, a Bollywood director, 7. graduated from University of Technology Sydney, made From Sydney With Love about two Indian students falling in love with some of the 8. (building) of Sydney University. By 2014, the number of Indian students in Australia was rising again.
When universities are competing 9. (fierce) for the attention of overseas students, the cinema screen can be a recognized way 10. ( attract ) overseas students. Will you choose universities because of movies?
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A recent study suggested that taking a bottle of water into the exam hall could help students improve their grades.
According to the study those who brought drinks, 1. (especial) water, with them when sitting their exams performed up to 10 percent better than those who did not.
Comparing their exam results with their normal schoolwork grades, scientists then found that all those who 2. (bring) drinks with them got better grades 3. between 2 and 10 percent.
It is unclear 4. drinking water improves exam results. But scientists say having enough water in our bodies and not feeling thirsty could have a 5. （help）effect on our brains. Drinking water may also cut 6. on anxiety, 7. has a bad effect on exam performances.
Whatever the explanation, it is obvious that students should try hard to keep enough water in their bodies during exams. So next time, 8. you are going to have a big exam, try 9. (bring) a bottle of water with you. Who knows — it 10. help you pass the exam!
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We know that reading is good for children. Now, a new study suggests that just being around books has its benefits. A team of researchers in Australia finds that growing up with a large library at home improves literacy (读写能力)，number-sense, and even technological skills in later life. It appeared in the journal Social Science Research.
The researchers were exploring the advantages of scholarly culture. They were interested in a curious observation that some call the “radiation effect”. “Radiation effect is a situation where children grow up around books, but they don't read books. But somehow books benefit them, even though they don't read them as much as their parents wish them to.” Joanna Sikora, a sociologist in Australia. Joana and her colleagues analysed data collected between 2011 and 2015 by the Organization for Economic Development. The survey assessed the literacy, numeracy(计算能力), and technological competency of more than 160 ,000 adults from 31 countries. And it included a question about how many books participants had in their homes during adolescence. “What we were able to make clear was that people growing up around books had better literacy, numeracy and digital problem-solving skills than people who had fewer books growing up but had similar education levels, similar jobs, and even similar adult habits in terms of reading or working at various numeracy-improving activities.”
In fact, teens who only made it through high school but were raised in a bookish environment did as well in adulthood as college graduates who grew up in a house without books. Now, how might mere exposure lead to intellectual improvement? “If we grow up in a house, in a home where parents enjoy books，where books are given as birthday presents and valued, this is something that becomes a part of our identity and gives us this lifelong urge to always come close to books and read more than we would.”
So keep shelves piled with books. Your kids will not only be grateful, they’ll be more likely to be able to spell grateful correctly as well.
1.What's “radiation effect” according to the passage?
A.The terrible effect of radiation on the persons and things.
B.The good influence of bookish environment on adolescents.
C.The beneficial effect of reading books on adolescents.
D.The bad effect of the environment without books on adolescents.
2.How does the exposure to books improve intellect?
A.Books bring a sense of identity and eagerness to read more.
B.Books helps to provide a chance to come close to the society.
C.Books are always given to adolescents as valuable presents.
D.Books will offer the teens an urge to make great achievements.
3.What's the author's attitude towards bookish environment?
A.opposed. B.neutral.
C.unclear. D.supportive.
4.What may the author probably be from?
A.A travel brochure. B.A biology textbook.
C.A science magazine. D.A history discovery.
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Conventional wisdom says that hardship can make us old before our time. In fact, a new study suggests that violence not only leaves long-term scars on children’s bodies, but also changes their DNA, causing changes that are equal to seven to ten years of premature aging.
Scientists measured this by studying the ends of children’s chromosomes (染色体), called telomeres (端粒), says Idan Shalev, lead author of a study published in Molecular Psychiatry.
Telomeres are special DNA sequences (序列) which prevent the DNA in chromosomes from separating. They get shorter each time a cell divides, until a cell cannot divide any more and dies.
Several factors have been found to shorten telomeres, including smoking, radiation and psychological stresses such as being treated badly when young and taking care of a chronically ill person.
In this study, researchers examined whether exposure to violence could make children’s telomeres shorten faster than normal. They interviewed the mothers of 236 children at ages 5, 7 and 10, asking whether the youngsters had been exposed to domestic violence between the mother and her partner; physical maltreatment by an adult; or bullying. Researchers measured the children’s telomeres-in cells obtained by wiping the insides of their cheeks-at ages 5 and 10.
Telomeres shortened faster in kids exposed to two or more types of violence, says Shalev. Unless that pattern changes, the study suggests, these kids could be expected to develop diseases of aging, such as heart attacks or memory loss, seven to 10 years earlier than their peers.
Shalev says there is hope for these kids. His study found that, in rare cases, telomeres can lengthen. Better nutrition, exercise and stress reduction three things that may be able to lengthen telomeres, he says.
The study confirms a small but growing number of studies suggesting that early childhood a adversity imprints itself in our chromosomes, says Charles Nelson, a professor of pediatrics and neuroscience at Harvard Medical School.
1.The new study found that .
A. hardship can change a child’s memory
B. violence can speed up a child’s aging
C. violence leaves scars on a child’s mind
D. hardship has an effect on a child’s mind
2.What does the underlined word “they” in Paragraph 3 refer to?
A. Telomeres. B. Children.
C. Chromosomes. D. DNA sequences.
3.What can be inferred from the text?
A. Violence can cause quick cell death in children’s body.
B. Telomeres can help prevent chromosomes from separating.
C. Children who have shorter telomeres have heart attacks later.
D. Being treated badly will make a child’s telomeres shorten faster.
4.What is the best title for the text?
A. Violence and Telomeres
B. The Function of Telomeres
C. Violence Makes Children Aging
D. DNA Influences Children’s Growth
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A new study suggests that the more teenagers watch television, the more likely they are to develop depression as young adults .
The researchers used a national long-term survey of adolescent（青少年的）health to investigate （调查）the relationship between media use and depression. They based their findings on more than four thousand adolescents who were not depressed when the survey began in 2000.
As part of the survey, the young people were asked how many hours of television or videos they watched daily. They were also asked how often they played computer games and listened to the radio. Media use totaled an average of five and one-half hours a day. More than two hours of that was spent watching TV.
Seven years later, in 2007, more than seven percent of the young people had signs of depression. The average age at that time was twenty-one.
The researchers say they did not find any such relationship with the use of other media such as movies, video games or radio, etc. But the study did find that every extra hour of television meant an eight percent increase in the chances of developing signs of depression. Young men were more likely than young women to develop depression given the same amount of media use.
The study didn't explore if watching TV causes depression. But one possibility is that it was taking time away from activities that could help prevent depression.
Last December, the journal Social Indicators Research published a study of activities that help lead to happy lives. Sociologists from the University of Maryland found that people who describe themselves as happy spend less time watching television than unhappy people. The study found that happy people are more likely to be socially active, to read, to attend religious services and to vote.
1.The best title for this passage should be____________.
A. Teens, Television and Depression
B. Men Develop Depression Easier than Women
C. Media Use is Harmful to Adolescents
D. Take Great Care of Teenager's Depression
2.The result of the research seems to prove______________.
A. teenagers are more likely to develop depression than adults
B. other media uses do no harm to adolescents
C. TV probably causes teenagers to grow up with depression
D. those who watch no TV will not develop depression
3.We can learn from the survey that of all the media use
A. computer games are teenagers' favourite
B. most teenagers prefer to listen to the radio
C. teenagers enjoy watching TV very much
D. newspaper is not included in the survey
4.We can conclude that a teenager should _____
A. play more video games instead of watching TV
B. be active in taking part in outdoor activities
C. be more active in watching educational TV programmes
D. attend religious services and care for politics
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A new study suggests that the more teenagers watch television,_______ develop depression(֢) as young adults.
A. the more likely they are to B. the more likely they are
C. they are the more likely to D. the more likely are they
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Birds enjoy a relatively slow rate of extinction but a new study suggests that rate might be severely underestimated(低估). Even worse, if human actions continue, bird extinction rates could skyrocket and 12 percent of the known bird species(物种) could be dying out by the end of the century.
Presently there are 10,000 known bird species — most identified after 1850 — and an estimated 130 of those have become extinct since 1500, setting the extinction rate at about one species every four years.
But according to Stuart Pimm of Duke University, this rate fails to take into account three key points: The continual identification of extinct bird species from fossil remains; numerous "missing" species not yet declared extinct; and the fact that present extinction rates were not calculated using the proper baseline date for when the species was first described.
Taking these points into consideration, the extinction rate is closer to one bird species per year, says Pimm, the leading author of the study. And the rate could be three times as high as that if not for recent bird preservation efforts.
In previous centuries, bird extinctions took place mainly on islands as Polynesian peoples expanded into the Pacific or Europeans took over the Americas, wiping out birds along the way.
In recent years, scientists are seeing an increased number of extinctions on continents, again because of human activities. Habitat destruction, introduction of invasive species, and climate change combine to harm many bird species. Before human influence, the estimated rate of bird extinctions would have been only one species per hundred years, researchers estimate.
Bird extinction rates are slower than for most animals, mainly because humans do more harm to other species and people take special efforts to protect birds. Still, if the present trends continue, the researchers estimate that the bird extinction rate will continue to climb to as many as 10 species per year,
1.The underlined word "skyrocket" in the first paragraph means
A. fly high
B. appear soon
C. increase quickly
D. change regularly
2.According to Pimm, the extinction rate of birds is____________.
A. one species per hundred years
B. one species every year
C. three species per year
D. ten species every year
3.What can we infer from the fifth and sixth paragraphs?
A. Humans have started destroying bird habitat in recent years.
B. Humans are doing more harm to animals than to birds.
C. Humans have made no effort to protect birds.
D. Humans are responsible for the bird extinctions.
4.What might be the best title for the passage?
A. Humans' Fighting against Bird Extinction
B. Humans' Responsibilities for Bird Protection
C. Bird Extinction Rates Far Worse Than Realized
D. Bird Extinction Occurring on Islands and Continents
runners generally land on the front or middle of their foot．That way they ease into their landing and avoid striking their heels．
unning.
ogy Sydney, made From Sydney With Love about two Indian students falling in love with some of the