任艷萍

一項新的研究表明，簡單的運動有助于改善輕度認知功能障礙患者的認知功能，幫助其緩解記憶力衰退。

主題語境：運動 篇幅：339詞 建議用時：7分鐘

1 Recently a new study suggested thateven a simple exercise program might helpelders with light memory problems. Doctorshave for a long time advised patients to dophysical activity to help keep their brainshealthy. But the US governmentsupportedresearch marks the longest study of whetherexercise makes any difference once memory starts to decline.

2 Researchers found around 300 inactive older adults with memory changes calledmild cognitive impairment （MCI）. In the research， the participants were divided into twogroups and half of them did aerobic exercises （有氧運動）， while the rest did stretchingand balance movements that raise their heart rates a little. After a year， testing of mentalactivity indicated neither group had worsened， said lead researcher Laura Baker of WakeForest School of Medicine. By comparison， similar MCI patients in another longtermstudyof brain health—but without exercise—suffered from cognitive decline over a year.

3 Maria Carrillo is the Alzheimers Association chief scientific officer. She said earlierresearch has found regular physical activity of any kind may reduce damaging inflammation（炎癥） and increase blood flow to the brain. She added that the new study is particularlyinteresting because the COVID 19 pandemic began halfway through the study. That meantthe study participants became socially isolated. Social isolation has long been known to?increase peoples risk of memory problems.

4 It is a struggling time for dementia （癡呆） research. Doctors are not sure about prescribing（開處方） a highpricednew drug called Aduhelm. The drug is supposed to be thefirst to slow down the progression of dementia—but it is not yet clear if it really helps patients.Researchers reported another drug that works similarly failed in an important study. Thereis growing urgency to find whether exercise might offer at least some protection. Baker willlead an even larger study of older adults to see if adding exercise to other steps such as ahealthy diet， brain games and social activities may reduce the risk of dementia.

Reading Check

Detail

1. What does the new study mainly focus on？

A. Ways to slow down the aging process.

B. Effective medicines for elders with MCI.

C. The causes of declining memory in older adults.

D. The influence of workout on elders memory.

Detail

2. In which aspect were the two groups different in terms of research design？

A. The diet plan.

B. The workout form.

C. The professional background.

D. The previous physical condition.

Inference

3. What did Maria Carrillo think of the new study？

A. It is meaningful.

B. It is impractical.

C. It is controversial.

D. It is timeconsuming.

Detail

4. What will Baker do next according to the text？

A. Find out how to lower the price of Aduhelm.

B. Develop a new drug to help patients with brain diseases.

C. Organize a wide variety of social activities for older people.

D. Conduct further research on how to reduce the risk of dementia.

Ⅰ. Useful expressions

physical activity 身體活動

heart rate 心率

suffer from 遭受

social isolation 社會隔離

be supposed to 應該

growing urgency 日益緊迫

such as 例如；諸如

a healthy diet 健康飲食

Ⅱ. Difficult sentence

In the research， the participants were divided into two groups and half of them didaerobic exercises， while the rest did stretching and balance movements that raise theirheart rates a? little. 在研究中，參與者被分為兩組，其中一半人進行有氧運動，其余的則進行一些可以稍微提高心率的伸展和平衡運動。

【點石成金】本句是一個復合句，while為并列連詞，意為“然而；而”，表前后意義上的對比或轉折，while 后的分句中含有that 引導的限制性定語從句，修飾先行詞movements.