题干

Just five minutes of exercise a day outdoors can improve mental health, according to a study.
Researchers from the University of Essex, UK have found that as little as five minutes of a “green activity” such as walking, gardening, cycling or farming could help to improve mood and increase self-esteem (自信).
Many studies have shown that outdoor exercise can reduce the risk of mental illness and improve a sense of well-being, but the new study, led by Jules Pretty and Jo Barton, was the first to determine how much time needed to be spent on green exercise for the benefits to show.
Barton and Pretty looked at data from 1,252 people of different ages, genders (性别) and mental health status (情况) taken from 10 studies in Britain.
They analyzed their different outdoor activities including walking, gardening, cycling, fishing, boating, horse-riding and farming in locations such as a park, garden or nature trail (路径).
They found that the mental health changes were seen after just five minutes. With longer periods of time exercising in a green environment, the positive effects were more apparent.
Looking at men and women of different ages, the researchers found the health changes were particularly strong in the young and the mentally ill.
Green and blue
A bigger effect was seen with exercise in an area that also contained water – such as a lake or river.
“This is because historically we are drawn to water to survive and it is in our genetic (遗传的) make-up to be at one with nature,” the researchers wrote in their report.
Pretty said those who were generally inactive, or stressed, or with mental illness would probably benefit the most from “green exercise”.
“Employers, for example, could encourage staff in stressful workplaces to take a short walk at lunchtime in the nearest park to improve mental health.”
He also said exercise programs outdoors could benefit youth offenders.
【小题1】How is the study this article refers to different from other studies?
A.It determined the exact amount of time needed.
B.It took longer to finish the research.
C.It involved more people.
D.It was led by just two researchers.
【小题2】What can we conclude from the findings of the study?
A.Gardeners and farmers do not need “green exercise”.
B.Just five minutes of “green exercise” daily can help improve mental health.
C.Walking in a park with a lake will weaken the effect.
D.“Green exercise” is not suitable for the mentally ill.
【小题3】According to Pretty, _______ would probably benefit the most from “green exercise”.
A.stressed, inactive people
B.office worker
C.youth offenders
D.women and children
【小题4】What is the main problem discussed in this article?
A.Physical well-being.B.Mental illness.
C.Outdoor exercise.D.Harmony with nature.
上一题 下一题 0.99难度 阅读理解 更新时间:2014-12-15 03:48:13

答案(点此获取答案解析)

同类题1

   People are interested in eating raw foods or whole foods partly because eating these types of food reduces the risk of acid accumulation(酸堆积)in our body.

Raw and whole foods are usually digested more efficiently than cooked and processed foods. When we cook foods, we destroy the natural enzymes(酶)that are part of the food in its raw form. These enzymes were intended by nature to help us digest the food. When we consume food without these natural enzymes, our bodies either digest the food improperly or allow too many nutrients to be absorbed into the bloodstream. In both cases, the result is obesity. When too many nutrients are absorbed at once, the body grows fat.

Processed foods contain chemical elements, which might confuse the appetite system that tells us when we’ve had enough to eat; as a result, people often overeat. Processed foods also upset the digestive cycle. The body will either identify these foods as allergens and then store them safely away from the organs as fat, or the remains of undigested food will become acidic and enter the bloodstream as acid waste, which will stick to the blood vessel walls(血管壁)and block the passage of vital oxygen and nutrients heading for the body’s cells. The body’s metabolism(新陈代谢)becomes inactive, and the result is weight gain and obesity.

To stop this vicious circle in its tracks, people need to consume food and supplements that will balance the acid already accumulated in body. Eating the right types of raw and whole foods can help. It’s also important to restore our enzyme balance. We need to identify and avoid the foods that cause acid accumulation and consume the foods that increase enzyme production. If we truly want to change and help our body heal itself, we need to take an active approach.

【小题1】We can learn from the 2nd paragraph that __________.
A.it is essential for us to digest some fat
B.cooked and processed foods are healthier
C.foods with natural enzymes help us keep fit
D.absorbing many nutrients is beneficial to our health
【小题2】Processed foods will probably __________.
A.stop body’s metabolismB.be difficult to digest
C.destroy body’s cellsD.lead to obesity
【小题3】The underlined word “ vicious ” in the last paragraph probably means __________.
A.harmfulB.violent
C.progressiveD.positive
【小题4】To change and help our body heal itself, we need to __________.
A.consume enough acid foods
B.identify enzyme production
C.avoid restoring our enzyme balance
D.eat the right types of raw and whole foods

同类题3

   When it's five o'clock,people leave their office.The length of the workday,for many workers,is defined by time. They leave when the clock tells them they're done.

These days,the time is everywhere: not just on clocks or watches,but on cell-phones and computers.That may be a bad thing,particularly at work.New research shows on that clock-based work schedules hinder morale and creativity.
Clock-timers organize their day by blocks of minutes and hours.For example: a meeting from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m., research from 10 a.m.to noon,etc.On the other hand,task-timers have a list of things they want to accomplish.They work down the list,each task starts when the previous task is completed.It is said that all of us employ a mix of both these types of planning.

What,then,are the effects of thinking about time in these different ways? Does one make us more productive? Better at the tasks at hand? Happier? In experiments conducted by Tamar Avnet and Anne-Laure Sellier,they had participints organize different activities-from project planning,holiday shopping,to yoga-by time or to-do list to measure how they performed under "clock time" vs "task time".They found clock timers to be more efficient but less happy because they felt little control over their lives.Task timers are happier and more creative,but less productive. They tend to enjoy the moment when something good is happening,and seize opportunities that come up.

The researchers argue that task-based organizing tends to be undervalued and under-supported in the business culture.Smart companies,they believe,will try to bake more task-based planning into their strategies.

This might be a small change to the way we view work and the office,but the researchers argue that it challenges a widespread characteristic of the economy: work organized by clock time.While most people will still probably need,and be,to some extent,clock-timers,task-based timing should be used when performing a job that requires more creativity.It'll make those tasks easier,and the task-doers will be happier.
【小题1】What does the author think of time displayed everywhere?
A.It makes everybody aware of time.
B.It is a convenience for work and life.
C.It may have a negative effect on creative work.
D.It clearly indicates the fast pace of modern life.
【小题2】What did Tamar Avnet and Anne-Laure Sellier find in their experiments about clock-timers ?
A.They seize opportunities as they come up.
B.They always get their work done in time.
C.They have more control over their lives.
D.They tend to be more productive.
【小题3】What do the researchers say about today's business culture?
A.It does not support the strategies adopted by smart companies.
B.It does not attach enough importance to task-based practice.
C.It places more emphasis on work efficiency than on workers’ lives.
D.It aims to bring employees' potential and creativity into full play.
【小题4】What do the researchers suggest?
A.Task-based timing is preferred for doing creative work.
B.It is important to keep a balance between work and life.
C.Performing creative jobs tends to make workers happier.
D.A scientific standard should be adopted in job evaluation.

同类题4

   Andrew Carnegie once said,"No man can become rich without himself enriching others. The man who dies rich dies disgraced." Many successful businessmen think about sharing and giving back to their community at some point in their lives,and take part in philanthropy(慈善行为).Some say it is out of generosity,and others believe that it is for tax reasons. One way or another,the money spent for charitable purposes is needed and has some type of impact on someone's life. The following businessmen believe that sharing is caring. They have donated(捐赠)a combined amount of $ 106.8 billion according to research firm Wealth-X.

German Dietmar Hopp co-founded SAP AG,the famous software company. Through his foundation called Dietmar-Hopp-Stiftung,he donated a total of $1 billion to support local education,sports,and health causes in his hometown in Germany. He is worth $ 6.3 billion.

Pierre Omidyar,the French-born Iranian- American businessman is the founder of eBay. In 1998,he started the Omidyar Foundation with his wife. The organization donates to several areas,food,technology and energy etc. In 2015,Omidyar reportedly donated $ 270 million worth of his eBay shares to undisclosed(未公开的)charity. So far,he has given away $ 1 billion or so.

The chairman and CEO of the computer manufacturer,Dell,likes to support education,social and human services,the arts and culture,and community development causes. According to Wealth-X,his lifetime donations are about $ 1.1 billion. His foundation promised to donate $ 25 million to build a 211-bed hospital in Austin,Texas.

James Simons is the chairman of Renaissance Technologies, a very successful firm that owns $ 65billion. With his wife Marilyn, he opened the Simons Foundation, which primarily supports educational causes. They have also opened two other organizations in memory of their two sons who died in 1996 and in 2003: the Paul Simons Foundation and the Nick Simons Foundation. Altogether, the Simons couple have made $ 1.2 billion worth of donations.

【小题1】What does the first paragraph imply?
A.All rich businessmen will donate some money to charity.
B.Only by making donations to society can you become rich.
C.Making donations makes a big difference to other people.
D.All successful people make donations out of generosity.
【小题2】Who contributed to charity secretly?
A.James Simons.B.Dietmar Hopp.
C.Pierre Omidyar.D.Dell.
【小题3】What's the purpose of writing this passage?
A.To introduce some outstanding famous people.
B.To make some comments on philanthropy.
C.To offer some suggestions on how to donate.
D.To encourage people to take part in philanthropy.
【小题4】Why is Andrew Carnegie mentioned in the first paragraph?
A.To praise him for his generosity.
B.To introduce the topic.
C.To keep readers informed about him.
D.To make readers think about ways of life.

同类题5

Here is an astonishing and significant fact: Mental work alone can’t make us tire. It sounds absurd. But a years ago, scientists tried to find out how long the human brain could labor without reaching a stage of fatigue (疲劳). To the amazement of these scientists, they discovered that blood passing through the brain, when it is active, shows no fatigue at all! If we took a drop of blood from a day laborer, we would find it full of fatigue toxins(毒素) and fatigue products. But if we took blood from the brain of an Albert Einstein, it would show no fatigue toxins at the end of the day.
So far as the brain is concerned, it can work as well and swiftly at the end of eight or even twelve hours of effort as at the beginning. The brain is totally tireless. So what makes us tired?
Some scientists declare that most of our fatigue comes from our mental and emotional(情绪的) attitudes. One of England’s most outstanding scientists, J.A. Hadfield, says, “The greater part of the fatigue from which we suffer is of mental origin. In fact, fatigue of purely physical origin is rare.” Dr. Brill, a famous American scientist, goes even further. He declares, “One hundred percent of the fatigue of sitting worker in good health is due to emotional problems.”
What kinds of emotions make sitting workers tired? Joy? Satisfaction? No! A feeling of being bored, anger, anxiety, tenseness, worry, a feeling of not being appreciated---those are the emotions that tire sitting workers. Hard work by itself seldom causes fatigue. We get tired because our emotions produce nervousness in the body.
【小题1】What surprised the scientists a few years ago?
A.Fatigue toxins could hardly be found in a laborer’s blood.
B.Albert Einstein didn’t feel worn after a day’s work.
C.The brain could work for many hours without fatigue.
D.A mental worker’s blood was filled with fatigue toxins.
【小题2】According to the author, which of the following can make sitting workers tired?
A.Challenging mental work.B.Unpleasant emotions.
C.Endless tasks.D.Physical labor.
【小题3】What’s the author’s attitude towards the scientists’ idea?
A.He agrees with them.B.He doubts them.
C.He argues against them.D.He hesitates to accept them.
【小题4】We can infer from the passage that in order to stay energetic, sitting workers need to ___________.
A.have some good food.B.enjoy their work
C.exercise regularlyD.discover fatigue toxins