According to the World Health Organization, around one in 20 adults experiences depression, and the condition poses a significant burden on public health worldwide. The factors that influence the beginning of depression are complicated and include a mixture of biological and lifestyle factors. To better understand the relationship between these factors and depression, the researchers turned to the UK Biobank, a database containing genetic, lifestyle and health information about its participants.

By examining data from almost 290,000 people — of whom 13,000 had depression — followed over a nine-year period, the team was able to identify seven healthy lifestyle factors linked with a lower risk of depression. These were: moderate alcohol consumption, healthy diet, regular physical activity, healthy sleep, never smoking, low-to-moderate sedentary behaviour (久坐行为) and frequent social connection.

Of all these factors, having a good night’s sleep — between seven and nine hours a night — made the biggest difference, reducing the risk of depression by 22%. Frequent social connection, which in general reduced the risk of depression by 18%, was the most protective against recurrent depressive disorder. Moderate alcohol consumption decreased the risk of depression by 11%, healthy diet by 6%, regular physical activity by 14%, never smoking by 20%, and low-to-moderate sedentary behaviour by 13%. In people at high, medium, and low genetic risk for depression, the team further found that a healthy lifestyle can cut the risk of depression. This research underlines the importance of living a healthy lifestyle for preventing depression, regardless of a person’s genetic risk.

Professor Barbara Sahakian, from the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Cambridge, said: “Although our DNA can increase our risk of depression, we’ve shown that a healthy lifestyle is potentially more important. Some of these lifestyle factors are things we have a degree control over, so trying to find ways to improve them — making sure we have a good night’s sleep and getting out to see friends, for example — could make a real difference to people’s lives.”

1.How does the author lead into the topic?

A By raising questions.

B By making comparisons.

C By providing facts.

D By giving examples.

解析：选C。C推理判断题。根据第一段内容，尤其是“around one in 20 adults experiences depression”可知，文章开头先给出了这样的事实，然后引到抑郁相关的话题。故选C。

2.What can we know about the study?

A The researchers monitored their changes for nine years.

B Around 29 thousand people participated in the study.

C It aimed to analyze the connection between exercise and depression.

D It revealed that a healthy lifestyle was of great benefit to depression.

解析：选D。D细节理解题。根据第二段的“the team was able to identify seven healthy lifestyle factors linked with a lower risk of depression”可知，研究人员发现七种健康的生活方式与降低抑郁症风险相关。故选D。

3.What’s the finding of the study?

A Sleep plays the most important part in reducing depression.

B Frequent social connection can prevent serious depression.

C A healthy diet does better than never smoking in lightening mood.

D Genetic risks have nothing to do with preventing depression.

解析：选A。A细节理解题。根据第三段第一句的“Of all these factors, having a good night’s sleep — between seven and nine hours a night — made the biggest difference”可知，在所有因素中，好的睡眠对降低抑郁的风险影响最大。故选A。

4.What might Professor Barbara Sahakian agree with?

A DNA does not actually increase our risk of depression.

B We can fully control our lifestyle if we want.

C A healthy lifestyle is crucial in preventing depression.

D Meeting friends can always make a difference to our life.

解析：选C。C细节理解题。根据最后一段Barbara Sahakian教授说的话可知，虽然DNA会增加我们患抑郁症的风险，但健康的生活方式在预防抑郁症方面较之更重要。故选C。