Question

Two new studies suggest that modern running shoes could increase the risk of injuries（损伤）to runners.

One study involved sixty-eight healthy young women and men who ran at least twenty-four kilometers a week. The runners were watched on a running machine. Sometimes they wore running shoes. Other times they ran barefoot（赤脚）.

Researchers from the University of Virginia and the University of Colorado did the study. They found that running shoes create more stress that could hurt knees, hips and ankle joints than running barefoot. They watched that the effect was even greater than the effect reported earlier for walking in high heels（高跟鞋）. The study appeared in an official scientific magazine.

The other study appeared in the journal Nature. It compared runners in the United States and Kenya. The researchers were from Harvard University, Moi University in Kenya and the University of Glasgow. They 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 feel relaxed when landing and avoid hitting their heel hard.

Harvard’s Daniel Lieberman led the study. He 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.

The study was partly supported by Vibram, which makes a kind of footwear that it says is like running barefoot. The findings have gotten a lot of attention. But the researchers say there are many problems. So they have tried to explain their findings on a Harvard Website.

1.Why do running shoes increase the risk of injuries to runners?

A.Runners usually land on the front of the foot first.

B.They’re much bigger and heavier than high heels.

C.They have a big effect on the way the runners run.

D.Runners always run in small size running shoes.

2.What can we learn from the passage?

A.No one will run with running shoes in the future.

B.High heels’ design is better than running shoes’.

C.Runners won’t be injured if they run barefoot.

D.Most running shoes are designed improperly.

3.What is the writer’s main purpose in writing this passage?

A.To explain why people like running with running shoes.

B.To show running without shoes is of benefit to runners.

C.To encourage all the runners to try to run barefoot now.

D.To help people know the feelings of running with shoes.

Answer

1.C

2.D

3.B

【解析】

短文大意：本文介绍了两项新的研究，结果显示，穿跑鞋对运动员的伤害会很大，而赤脚跑步能够减轻对膝盖、脚踝等的伤害，对跑步者有好处。

1.细节理解题。根据“running shoes create more stress that could hurt knees, hips and ankle joints than running barefoot. They watched that the effect was even greater than the effect reported earlier for walking in high heels跑鞋比赤脚跑步产生的压力更大，可能会伤害膝盖、臀部和踝关节。他们观察到，这种效果甚至比之前报道的穿高跟鞋走路的效果还要大”，结合下文的三组实验，可知不同的跑步方式风险也不一样，穿鞋跑步的人通常先脚跟着地可能会伤害到膝盖、臀部和踝关节，所以They have a big effect on the way the runners run（它们对跑步者的跑步方式有很大的影响）符合题意，故选C。

2.细节理解题。A. 将来没有人会穿跑鞋跑步；根据“But the researchers do not suggest that runners immediately start running barefoot”可知说法错误。B. 高跟鞋“设计比跑鞋好”；根据“They watched that the effect was even greater than the effect reported earlier for walking in high heels”可知说法错误。C. 跑步者赤脚跑步不会受伤；根据“And there can be risks, like running when your feet are too cold to feel if you get injured”可知说法错误。D. 大多数跑鞋设计不当；根据“the way most running shoes are designed may explain why those who wear them land on their heels”可知说法正确。综合以上分析，故选D。

3.文章主旨题。根据开头“modern running shoes could increase the risk of injuries to runners现代跑鞋可能会增加跑步者受伤的风险”和最后“But the researchers do not suggest that runners immediately start running barefoot但是研究人员并不建议跑步者立即赤脚跑步”，结合文中的分组实验，可知赤脚跑步对跑步者有好处，To show running without shoes is of benefit to runners符合题意，故选B。