Question

    Older women who walk a little over three kilometers each day might live longer than less active women of the same age, a new study suggests.

Many Americans hoping to stay healthy set a daily goal of 10, 000 steps, or about eight kilometers. They often have this goal because they are wearing electronic devices which set that target, note researchers in the United States. Their findings appeared recently in the publication JAMA Internal Medicine.

But it is not clear how much intensity(强度)or speed matter when counting the health benefits of every step, the researchers write. They add that 10,000 steps per day might not be the right goal for everyone.

For the study, researchers observed 17,000 women, all in their early 70s. They asked the women to wear accelerometers for at least four days. Accelerometers are small devices that measure the number of steps and the intensity of movement. The researchers followed up with the women much later, around 4. 3 years later, on average. Since the beginning of the study, 504 women had died. Compared to women who took no more than 2, 718 steps daily, the women who took at least 4,363 steps per day were 41 percent less likely to die.

“Even a modest amount of steps is associated with lower death rates, "said I-Min Lee, the lead writer of a report on the study. "The rate of stepping did not matter in these older women: it was the number of steps that mattered.

The study had a few limitations. For example, the researchers only measured women’s movements once, at the start of the study period. It is possible that the women’s behaviors changed over time. Still, the results are "good news for older adults who may have difficulty walking at faster paces, "said Keith Diaz, a researcher at Columbia University. He was not involved in the study.

“Any walking is better than nothing, " Diaz said by email. "With even small amounts of walking, your risk of death will be sharply reduced "For those who have difficulty walking, other research shows that any form of aerobic activity provides health benefits," he added. "Swimming, bicycling or any form of activity that is continuous in nature will provide health benefits.

1.What conclusion can we come to from the text?

A.People who walk about 10,000 steps can live longer.

B.10,000 steps per day might be the right goal for people.

C.The more steps one walks per day, the longer life he may live.

D.The number of steps is important for a long life among older women.

2.How is paragraph 4 mainly developed?

A.By giving examples. B.By comparison.

C.By listing statistics. D.By explaining reasons.

3.What can be leaned from what Diaz said?

A.People who walk fast will get more health benefits.

B.If people have a habit of walking, the risk of death will be reduced.

C.People with walking difficulty can not benefit from activities

D.Activities such as swimming and bicycling are not as beneficial as walking.

4.Where is the text most likely from?

A.A medical journal. B.A news report.

C.A magazine about fashion. D.A traveler brochure.

Answer

1.D

2.C

3.B

4.A

【解析】

这是一篇说明文。文章通过一个研究向大家说明了，对于老人，走了多少步很重要，每天走4363步的人比每天走不多于2718步的人死亡概率降低41%。虽然研究也存在一些缺陷，但是可以说明只要走路就是对身体有益的。

1.主旨大意题。根据全文，尤其第5段的内容“The rate of stepping did not matter in these older women: it was the number of steps that mattered.”可知，每天走的步数对身体健康很重要。并且第二段明确指出10000步这个目标不是适用于每个人的。所以选项AB都不正确。选项C（走的越多越长寿）描述太偏激，也不正确。故选D。

2.推理判断题。根据第四段内容看出，该段主要通过列举一系列数字来说明一项研究结果。A. By giving examples 举例；B. By comparison 对比；C. By listing statistics列数据；D. By explaining reasons 解释原因。故选C。

3.细节理解题。根据最后两段，尤其最后一段Keith Diaz所说的话“Any walking is better than nothing”与“With even small amounts of walking, your risk of death will be sharply reduced”能看出，即使每天走的数量不多，也会极大地减少死亡风险，故选B。

4.推理判断题。文章是关于健康的一项研究报道，应出现在医学杂志上。A. medical journal医学杂志；B. A news report.新闻报道；C. A magazine about fashion.时尚杂志；D. A traveler brochure.旅行手册。故选A。