全民运动太极拳，对老年人有这么大的好处！

Your keys aren’t in the spot you thought you left them? Can’t recall the title of a book? I’ve had lots of those moments. In our busy lives, distraction or tiredness may explain our forgetfulness. But instances of “brain freeze” make me realize I want to do everything in my power to keep my brain sharp. 

There’s plenty of evidence that exercise can help protect our bodies and brains. And as we age, daily movement doesn’t need to be super intense. In fact, a new study finds Tai chi, a slow-moving form of martial arts, can help slow cognitive (认知的) decline and protect against dementia (痴呆). 

The study included about 300 older adults, in their mid-70s on average, who had all reported that their memory was not as good as it used to be. As part of the study, all the participants took a 10-minute test to assess cognitive function. A normal score is 26-30. A person who scores between 18 and 25 is considered to have mild impairment (损伤), which means they don’t have dementia but they’re not as sharp as they used to be and may need to work harder to maintain everyday activities. The average score of participants at the start of the study was 25.

The study found that people who practiced Tai Ji Quan twice a week for about six months improved their scores by 1.5 points. This increase may not sound like a lot, but study author Dr. Elizabeth Eckstrom says “you’ve basically given yourself three extra years” of delaying decline.

A person with mild cognitive decline can expect to lose, on average, about a half point each year on the test, and once their score drops under 18, people experience quite a bit of impairment from memory loss and cognitive decline, Eckstrom explains. So, based on these results, “if you’re able to keep doing Tai chi two or three days a week on a routine basis, you’re going to get extra years before you hit that decline into dementia,” she says.

1.Which of the following is true about the writer?

A He/She doesn’t like reading.

B He/She is often forgetting things.

C He/She often leaves the keys at home.

D He/She always keeps everything in control.

解析：选B。B 细节理解题。根据第一段第三句“I’ve had lots of those moments.”可知，作者总是忘东忘西。故选B。

2.How was the participants’ health condition when the study started?

A They had dementia.

B They had a good memory.

C They had sharp brains.

D They had mild impairment.

解析：选D。D 推理判断题。根据第三段的“who had all reported that their memory was not as good as it used to be...”可知，这些参与者的记忆力不如以前好了；根据倒数第二句“A person who scores between 18 and 25 is considered to have mild impairment, which means they don’t have dementia but they’re not as sharp as they used to be...The average score of participants at the start of the study was 25.”得分在18到25分之间的人被认为有轻度损伤，这意味着他们没有痴呆症，但他们的思维不像以前那么敏捷……研究开始时，参与者的平均得分是25分。由此可知，研究开始时，参与者们的认知能力有轻度损伤。故选D。

3.How does Tai chi benefit people according to Elizabeth Eckstrom?

A To keep them from tiredness.

B To help them live longer.

C To delay their cognitive decline.

D To make them more focused.

解析：选C。C 推理判断题。根据第四段最后一句“but study author Dr. Elizabeth Eckstrom says ‘you’ve basically given yourself three extra years’ of delaying decline”你有额外的三年来延缓认知能力的下降，以及最后一段中的“you’re going to get extra years before you hit that decline into dementia”你在进入老年痴呆症之前，还会有多余的几年。由此可知，打太极拳能够延缓认知能力的下降。故选C。

4.In which part of a magazine can we read the text?

A Science& Tech.

B Culture & World.

C Art & Entertainment.

D Life & Health.

解析：选D。D 推理判断题。本文主要介绍了一项研究报告，70岁以上的老年人每周打太极拳两到三次，可以帮助他们延缓认知能力下降，属于“生活与健康”方面的内容。故选D。