Evidence suggests regular exercise can help tackle cancer, and a new study finds that cancer-fighting biological changes can be started in the body after just 10 minutes of intense cycling. This burst of activity is enough to release beneficial substances into the blood. These substances speed up genetic repair and dial down genes related to cancer growth. This results in a shift in blood chemistry, started by exercise, that potentially slows the growth and spread of cancer. This might be something we can use to create new treatments — in this case, for colon (结肠) cancer.

“What’s remarkable is that exercise doesn’t just benefit healthy tissues, it sends powerful signals through the blood that can directly influence thousands of genes in cancer cells,” says clinical exercise physiologist Sam Orange, from Newcastle University in the UK. “It’s an exciting insight because it opens the door to find ways that mimic or increase the biological effects of exercise, potentially improving cancer treatment and, crucially, patient outcomes.”

Thirty overweight or very overweight volunteers who were 50-78 years old were asked to join the study. After a quick warm-up, they completed an intense cycling exercise on a fixed bike lasting about 10 minutes. Using blood samples collected before and after the exercise, the researchers identified how the mixture of substances changed. These samples were then applied to lab-grown colon cancer cells, revealing some potential anti-cancer effects.

While exercise has previously been shown to be an effective way to slow colon cancer and help prevent it from coming back after surgery, this study provides a detailed look at the biological pathways involved, which in turn opens the door to exploring new treatments.

There are limitations here: The effects of the blood samples were tested only in lab-grown cancer cells, not people, and only the short-term effects of a single session of exercise were measured. However, there are enough encouraging signs here to suggest that short but very active sessions of exercise — or drugs that somehow cause the same effects in the body — could be a promising new way of slowing colon cancer.

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1.1.What does the underlined phrase “dial down” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?

A Lower the activity of.

B Speed up the growth of.

C Change the structure of.

D Control the existence of.

解析：选A。A词义猜测题。原文第一段指出，运动释放的物质可以“speed up genetic repair and dial down genes related to cancer growth”。根据并列逻辑，“speed up”（加速）为正向作用，则“dial down”应与之协同，表示对癌症基因的“抑制或减弱”。A项“降低……的活动性”最符合语境。B项“加速”与文意相反；C项“改变结构”和D项“控制存在”均未在上下文中体现。故选A。

2.2.What is Sam Orange’s attitude towards the new insight?

A He is doubtful about its value.

B He feels hopeful about its potential.

C He remains neutral to the finding.

D He is surprised at the discovery.

解析：选B。B观点态度题。根据第二段Sam Orange的直接引语，他将这一发现称为“an exciting insight”，并强调它“opens the door to find ways... potentially improving cancer treatment and patient outcomes”。这些措辞（exciting, opens the door, potentially improving）明确表达了一种积极、期待的态度，因此B项“对其潜力感到充满希望”正确。A项“怀疑其价值”与原文基调相反；C项“保持中立”未体现其明确赞誉；D项“感到惊讶”虽可能成立，但原文未强调“惊讶”，且未涵盖其核心的“ hopeful”态度。故选B。

3.3.What is the key evidence for the study’s findings?

A Surveys of patients’ habits.

B Changes in blood composition.

C Interviews with experts.

D Tests on animals’ behavior.

解析：选B。B细节理解题。第三段详细描述了实验方法：通过分析运动前后志愿者血液样本中物质混合物（mixture of substances）的变化，并将其作用于实验室培养的癌细胞，从而得出研究结论。因此，核心证据是“血液成分的变化”。A项“患者习惯调查”、C项“专家访谈”和D项“动物行为测试”均未在文中提及。故选B。

4.4.What is the main purpose of the article?

A To promote a specific exercise plan.

B To question previous cancer studies.

C To introduce a possible new therapy.

D To explain all cancer prevention methods.

解析：选C。C写作意图题。全文围绕一项新研究展开，阐述了短时高强度运动可引发抗癌生理变化，并指出这一发现为开发新疗法（包括可能模拟该效果的药物）提供了新方向。因此，作者主要目的是介绍一种有潜力的新疗法途径。C项准确概括。A项“推广具体运动计划”并非商业或指导目的；B项“质疑先前研究”在文中未体现，原文仅作对比；D项“解释所有癌症预防方法”范围绝对且夸大。故选C。