Passage Four
　　Questions 36 to 40 are based on the following passage.
　　The fitness movement that began in the late 1960s and early 1970s centered around aerobic exercise (有氧操). Millions of individuals became engaged in a variety of aerobic activities, and literally thousands of health spas developed around the country to capitalize (獲利) on this emerging interest in fitness, particularly aerobic dancing for females. A number of fitness spas existed prior to this aerobic fitness movement, even a national chain with spas in most major cities. However, their focus was not on aerobics, but rather on weight-training programs designed to develop muscular mass, strength, and endurance in their primarily male enthusiasts. These fitness spas did not seem to benefit financially form the aerobic fitness movement to better health, since medical opinion suggested that weight-training programs offered few, if any, health benefits. In recent years, however, weight training has again become increasingly popular for males and for females. Many current programs focus not only on developing muscular strength and endurance but on aerobic fitness as well.
　　Historically, most physical-fitness tests have usually included measures of muscular strength and endurance, not for health-related reasons, but primarily because such fitness components have been related to performance in athletics. However, in recent years, evidence has shown that training programs designed primarily to improve muscular strength and endurance might also offer some health benefits as well. The American College of Sports Medicine now recommends that weight training be part of a total fitness program for healthy Americans. Increased participation in such training is one of the specific physical activity and fitness objectives of Healthy People 2000: National Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Objectives.
　　36. The word “spas” (Line 3, Para. 1) most probably refers to ________.
　　A) sports activities
　　B) places for physical exercise
　　C) recreation centers
　　D) athletic training programs（B）
　　37. Early fitness spas were intended mainly for ________.
　　A) the promotion of aerobic exercise
　　B) endurance and muscular development
　　C) the improvement of women’s figures
　　D) better performance in aerobic dancing（B）
　　38. What was the attitude of doctors towards weight training in health improvement?
　　A) Positive.
　　B) Indifferent.
　　C) Negative.
　　D) Cautious.（C）
　　39. People were given physical fitness tests in order to find out ________.
　　A) how ell they could do in athletics
　　B) what their health condition was like
　　C) what kind of fitness center was suitable for them
　　D) whether they were fit for aerobic exercise（A）
　　40. Recent studies have suggested that weight training ________.
　　A) has become an essential part of people’s life
　　B) may well affect the health of the trainees
　　C) will attract more people in the days to come
　　D) contributes to health improvement as well（D）
　　這兩段材料主要講的是weight training對健康是否有益，從文中來看，這個詞組是指增長肌肉、力量和耐力的訓練，可以譯作健身鍛煉。
　　段講的是歷史上對健身鍛煉的認識：對健康益處甚微。這一段首先從六七十年代的有氧操講起，稱健身運動的潮流始于六七十年代，而當時的運動是以有氧操為核心的（centered around aerobic exercise）。這一潮流的興起也使很多健康俱樂部收益頗豐。而后，作者開始介紹健身鍛煉，稱在有氧操潮流興起前就已經存在一定數量的健身俱樂部了，不過這些俱樂部提供的主要服務是健身鍛煉，用來發展人的力量和耐力，主要吸引男性健身者（designed to develop muscular mass, strength, and endurance in their primarily male enthusiasts）。這些俱樂部在健身潮流中并沒有獲得很好的經濟收益，原因就是醫學觀點認為，這種身體鍛煉不會給健康帶來多少益處(weight-training programs offered few, if any, health benefits)。以上就是歷史上對健身鍛煉的認識。段末，作者提到了如今在健身鍛煉俱樂部的經營項目上發生的變化：健身鍛煉重新流行起來，不僅吸引男性，也開始吸引女性；不僅有力量和耐力訓練，還增加了有氧操項目。下文開始解釋這種變化的原因。
　　作者還是從過去講起，稱以前的身體健康測試通常都要包括肌肉力量和耐力項目，原因是這些因素與體育競技成績相關，而并沒有把它們和健康聯系起來(not for health-related reasons, but primarily because such fitness components have been related to performance in athletics)。這句話的意思實際上是說那時的人們認為肌肉力量、耐力鍛煉與健康并無太大聯系。如今有證據表明，這些力量和耐力訓練同樣能夠給健康帶來益處(training programs designed primarily to improve muscular strength and endurance might also offer some health benefits)。這一觀點就是上文所述變化的原因。
　　36. B
　　題目問單詞spas可能是指什么。
　　A，體育運動。
　　B，鍛煉身體的地方。
　　C，娛樂中心。
　　D，體育訓練項目。
　　Millions of individuals became engaged in a variety of aerobic activities, and literally thousands of health spas developed around the country to capitalize (獲利) on this emerging interest in fitness，前半句意思是上百萬人投入到有氧操運動中，而后是上千健康spas在全國內發展開來，企圖在這場健身熱潮中獲利。句子中需要注意的是 capitalize一詞，它是獲利的意思。四個答案中，能夠獲利的只有B和C，可以首先排除A和D。那么這里到底是鍛煉身體的場所還是娛樂中心呢？文章的主題是健身鍛煉，而不是娛樂，因此可以排除C。本題選B。
　　37. B
　　題目問早期的健身場所主要是用來……
　　A，發展有氧操。
　　B，發展耐力和肌肉。
　　C，改善女性形體。
　　D，提高有氧舞的水平。
　　注意文章中的這一句：A number of fitness spas existed prior to this aerobic fitness movement, even a national chain with spas in most major cities，這里的prior to是“先于……”的意思，那么主語指的就是“在有氧健身風潮開始之前就已經存在的健身場所”，這也就是本題所說的早期的健身場所。此后的一句their focus was not on aerobics, but rather on weight-training programs designed to develop muscular mass, strength, and endurance in their primarily male enthusiasts，這里的their指代的就是早期健身場所了。Not on aerobics，重點不在有氧操上（排除了A）；develop muscular mass, strength, and endurance，發展肌肉、力量和耐力（與B一致）。本題選B。
　　38. C
　　題目問醫生們對weight training在促進健康中的作用抱以何種態度。
　　A，積極的。
　　B，漠不關心的。
　　C，消極的。
　　D，謹慎的。
　　本題的關鍵是對These fitness spas did not seem to benefit financially form the aerobic fitness movement to better health, since medical opinion suggested that weight-training programs offered few, if any, health benefits一句的理解。這句話由前面的主句和since引導的從句組成。主句的意思是“這些健身場所似乎沒有從這場追求健康的有氧操風潮中受益”， 從句由since引出了原因：醫學觀點認為，健身鍛煉項目不會給健康帶來多少益處。Few是帶有否定意義的詞，表示很少，幾乎沒有。If any，“如果還有益處的話”，也對存在益處的疑問。由此可見，醫學觀點（也就是醫生的觀點）對weight training的態度應該是非常消極的，可以選擇C。這里不應選擇D，因為cautious指在諸多積極因素中存在一定的消極因素，應謹慎對待，不應過分積極。這與文意不符。
　　39. A
　　題目問人們接受身體健康測試是為了知道……
　　A，他們的運動能力如何。
　　B，他們的健康狀況如何。
　　C，什么樣的健身中心適合自己。
　　D，他們是否適合有氧練習。
　　文章提到身體健康測試是在第二段句話，本題考查的對象就是這句話。Historically, most physical-fitness tests have usually included measures of muscular strength and endurance, not for health-related reasons, but primarily because such fitness components have been related to performance in athletics，這個句子的基本結構是主句+not for（原因）+but（原因）。主句陳述了多數健康測試通常包含肌肉力量和耐力項目這個事實，從句給出了原因——首先澄清其原因與健康無關 （not health-related），而后指出主要原因（primarily because）：這些健康因素（指肌肉力量和耐力項目）與運動水平相關。
　　從這句話可以看出，人們參加健康測試與健康無關，可以排除B，而C和D都沒提到。A所說的how well they could do in athletics與文中的performance in athletics意思是一樣的，應該選A。
　　40. D
　　題目問近來的研究表明，健身鍛煉……
　　A，已經成為人們生活的必備部分。
　　B，可能給訓練者的健康帶來好的影響。
　　C，在今天會吸引更多的人前來。
　　D，同樣會促成健康的改善。
　　注意第二段中間部分提到了in recent years，此后的部分應該是對近來狀況的描述，答案也在這里。Evidence has shown that training programs designed primarily to improve muscular strength and endurance might also offer some health benefits as well，句子主體結構是Evidence has shown that（這里的evidence與題目中的study相互呼應），關鍵看that引導的賓語從句的內容。首先要看清從句的結構，主語是training programs，“designed primarily to improve muscular strength and endurance”是對主語的描述，指主要為發展力量和耐力而設計的訓練項目；謂語might also offer，賓語是some health benefits（健康益處）。從這一句可知，近來的研究表明健身鍛煉也可以帶來健康益處，這與D的說法一致，應該選D。

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