Question

    More than half the planet’s population now live in cities, with limited access to the natural world. For Europe and Latin America, the figure is more than 70%. 1.

Gardening in particular is an opportunity for everyone to have such kind of experience, even if they live in built-up areas. It is typically seen as moderate (适度的) intensity exercise equal to playing doubles tennis or walking at a speed of 3.5mph, so it has similar fitness benefits.

2.Home and gardens have long been important for family food production, but gardening can also encourage people to eat more healthily and act as an educational resource on nutritious food. In fact, children who take part in gardening and grow their own food have a greater preference for, and increased consumption of, fruit and vegetables.

3.Research has shown that gardeners generally have greater life satisfaction, raised self-esteem and fewer feelings of depression and anger than non-gardeners.

This last point suggests that the mental benefits of gardening may be more than just a side-effect of the physical exercise involved, 4.People with strong social networks have an increased life expectancy, less stress and fewer visits to the doctor. In addition, spending time outdoors in a natural environment helps us to feel less stressed, reduce the symptoms of depression, and improve our concentration and attention.

All this evidence shows there’s a strong relationship between gardening and health, but we only know for sure that there is connection, not "cause and effect". 5.We also need to directly examine the immediate effects of gardening on people who have never previously taken part or are suffering from mental and physical ill health.

A. Gardening is also linked to better diets.

B. But more than this, it can promote people’s mental health.

C. One possible reason is that gardening can involve social interaction.

D. A good eating is supposed to include a balance of several food groups.

E. Yet contact with nature has varieties of benefits for both physical and mental health.

F. This means gardening alone is not necessarily a direct cause of any improvements in health.

G. Remaining socially active can also inspire seniors to build confidence and live a healthy life.

Answer

1.E

2.A

3.B

4.C

5.F

【解析】

这是一篇说明文。文章主要讲述了园艺给我们带来的好处，它能使人身心健康，有健康的饮食，并且可以通过园艺增加社会互动的机会。至于园艺是否单方可以达到这些效果，还需调查研究。

1.根据后文More than half the planet’s population now live in cities, with limited access to the natural world.可知，地球上超过一半的人都生活在城市里，接触自然世界的机会有限。E. Yet contact with nature has varieties of benefits for both physical and mental health.然而，与大自然接触对身心健康都有各种好处。符合文意，前后句构成明显的转折关系，故选E项。

2.根据后文Home and gardens have long been important for family food production, but gardening can also encourage people to eat more healthily and act as an educational resource on nutritious food.可知，长期以来，家庭和花园对家庭食品生产一直很重要，但园艺也可以鼓励人们吃得更健康，并作为营养食品方面的教育资源。A. Gardening is also linked to better diets.园艺也与更好的饮食联系在一起。符合文意，后文是选项的具体说明——园艺和饮食的关系，故选A项。

3.根据后文Research has shown that gardeners generally have greater life satisfaction, raised self-esteem and fewer feelings of depression and anger than non-gardeners.可知，研究表明，与非园丁相比，园丁通常有更高的生活满意度、更高的自尊和更少的抑郁和愤怒感。B. But more than this, it can promote people’s mental health.但更重要的是，它可以促进人们的心理健康。符合文意，前后两部分话题一致，都讲述园艺有益于人的心理健康，故选B项。

4.根据前文 This last point suggests that the mental benefits of gardening may be more than just a side-effect of the physical exercise involved.可知，最后一点表明，园艺的精神益处可能不仅仅是体育锻炼带来的作用。C. One possible reason is that gardening can involve social interaction.一个可能的原因是园艺可能涉及到社会互动。符合文意，前后两部分都讲述了园艺对人的好处，且构成了明显的递进关系，故选C项。

5.根据后文We also need to directly examine the immediate effects of gardening on people who have never previously taken part or are suffering from mental and physical ill health.可知，我们还需要直接检查园艺对从未参加过或身体健康不佳的人的直接影响。F. This means gardening alone is not necessarily a direct cause of any improvements in health.这意味着单靠园艺并不一定是改善健康状况的直接原因。符合文意，前后部分构成明显的因果关系——因为园艺不一定可以改善健康，所以需要进一步的研究和观察，故选F项。