一项重要研究的结果显示，每天走七千步可能就足以提高人的脑力并帮助预防多种疾病。不少人常把每天走一万步作为保持健康的基准，但比起一万步， 7000 步似乎是一个更容易实现的目标。

If you've got a phone or a fitness tracker, you're probably checking your steps each day. Reach 10,000 and you feel smug. Why? Well, we've been told it's the number to aim for – the threshold for health gains.

如果你拥有一部手机或者一个健身追踪器，你就很可能每天都会查看你的行走步数。一旦达到一万步你可能就会沾沾自喜。这是为什么呢？因为我们常常听说应该以每天走一万步为目标，它是令人更加健康的门槛。

But a review of previous studies in medical journal The Lancet, involving data on 160,000 adults worldwide, suggests a target of 7,000 steps brings plenty of health benefits, too, including reducing the risk of heart disease, dementia, depression, cancer and falls. The research found that even modest step counts of 4,000 per day were linked to better health, compared with very low activity of 2,000 a day.

但一篇研究综述刚刚被发表在了医学杂志《柳叶刀》上，这项研究囊括了全球 16 万名成人的健康数据，研究结果显示每天步行 7000 步也能为健康带来许多益处，包括降低患心脏病、痴呆、抑郁、癌症和意外跌倒的风险。研究发现，即使每天仅走上 4000 步，和活动量非常小的 2000 步相比，也能改善健康状况。

For most health conditions, the benefits tended to level off beyond 7,000 steps, although there were additional advantages to walking further for the heart. The review can't prove that daily steps alone reduce the risk of disease. Some of the findings were based on only a small number of studies, but they say encouraging people to track their steps is a practical way to improve their health. And adding a step count target into official exercise guidance could be useful for everyone.

对于大多数健康问题来说，每天步行带来的益处似乎在 7000 步以后就逐渐趋平，不再有明显的变化，不过再多走一些对心脏健康还有其它好处。这篇综述未能证明仅靠每天步行就能降低患病风险。虽然一些结论仅基于少量研究，但研究人员表示鼓励人们追踪每天所走的步数是改善健康的一种切实可行的方法；并且，在官方锻炼指南中加入行走步数作为目标可能对所有人都有益。

词汇表

fitness tracker 健身追踪器
smug 沾沾自喜的，自鸣得意的
threshold 门槛，界限
gains 获益，得利
target 目标
modest 适度的
level off 趋平，保持稳定
track 追踪
step count 步数记录

听力练习

一、听第一遍音频，回答问题。

1. Walking 7,000 steps a day is…
a. the most beneficial for optimum health.
b. as good as walking 10,000 a day for reducing most health risks.
c. the average number most British people do a day.

二、用一分钟阅读下列问题，然后听第二遍音频并回答问题。

1. People tend to believe 7,000 daily steps is the best for health gains.
a. True
b. False
c. No given

2. What is 4,000 steps a day good for?
a. reducing the risk of illnesses like dementia
b. good general health
c. advantages to heart health specifically

3. All studies looked at in the review involved large data sets.
a. True
b. False
c. Not given

4. In what practical way can people improve their health?
a. track their steps
b. follow the official step count guidance
c. walk both inside and outside

三、听第三遍音频，将句子补充完整。（提示：可以反复听，直到听清楚每一个词）

1. Well, we've been told it's the number ________________ – the threshold for health gains.

2. The review ________________ daily steps alone reduce the risk of disease.

答案

一、听第一遍音频，回答问题。

1. b. For most health conditions, the benefits tended to level off beyond 7,000 steps.

二、用一分钟阅读下列问题，然后听第二遍音频并回答问题。

1. b. False. Reach 10,000 and you feel smug. Why? Well, we've been told it's the number to aim for – the threshold for health gains.

2. b. The research found that even modest step counts of 4,000 per day were linked to better health.

3. c. Not given. The size of the data sets is not mentioned. The small number in this line refers to studies, not data sets. Some of the findings were based on only a small number of studies.

4. a. …they say encouraging people to track their steps is a practical way to improve their health.

三、听第三遍音频，将句子补充完整。（提示：可以反复听，直到听清楚每一个词）

1. Well, we've been told it's the number to aim for – the threshold for health gains.

2. The review can't prove that daily steps alone reduce the risk of disease.