Section A: Banked Cloze
Directions: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the passage through carefully before making your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.
By now, it is generally accepted that regular exercise comes with an assortment of health benefits for people who maintain the habit over time. But is it (26) ______ too late to start?
New research looked at people who increased their exercise levels after their 40s beyond levels they had when they were younger and those individuals showed declines in their risk of early (27) ______ which were similar to those of people who exercised consistently throughout their lives. This was a (28) ______ of 32% to 35% compared to people who did not exercise. Those who began exercising in middle age also saw reductions in their incidence of (29) ______ diseases, such as heart disease and cancer, which were similar to the steady exercisers.
So why bother exercising consistently throughout your life? The authors of the study (30) ______ that some might interpret the study's findings to mean that they can delay starting an exercise program, but this would be a mistake. There are other benefits, both mental and physical, to staying consistently active that we should not (31) ______. These real health benefits include better (32) ______ functioning and lowered risk of gaining weight. The latter is (33) ______ important given the global obesity epidemic. In addition, experts assert that starting younger is better because, if you make a habit of exercising when you are young, you are more likely to keep up those (34) ______ later in life. It is ideal, then, for people to start exercising when they are children or (35) ______, and it is good to maintain an active lifestyle at all times regardless of your age. However, this study does indicate that, if you have not been active, you can still benefit if you start becoming active in your 40s and 50s.
Answers & Explanations (答案与解析)
Section A: Banked Cloze 逐题解析
26. H (ever)。解析：空格在 `is it` 和 `too late` 之间，用来加强疑问句的语气。句意：“但开始锻炼到底/究竟会不会太晚？”选项 `ever`（曾经，到底）常用于疑问句加强语气，如 "Is it ever possible?"，符合此处语境。
27. J (mortality)。解析：空格在形容词 `early` 之后，且由介词 `of` 引导，需要填入名词。句意：“这些个体在早期______风险上的下降……”。选项 `mortality`（死亡率）与 `early` 搭配构成 `early mortality`（早逝/早死），是医学和健康类文章的常见固定搭配。
28. G (drop)。解析：空格在不定冠词 `a` 和介词短语 `of 32% to 35%` 之间，需要填入单数可数名词。前文提到风险的 `declines`（下降），此句进一步解释下降的幅度。选项 `drop`（下降，跌落）完美呼应前文的 decline。
29. C (chronic)。解析：空格修饰名词 `diseases`，需要填入形容词。后文举例 "such as heart disease and cancer"（如心脏病和癌症）。心脏病和癌症属于典型的“慢性”疾病。选项 `chronic`（慢性的）最符合语意。
30. E (concede)。解析：空格作定语从句 `The authors of the study ______ that...` 的谓语，需要填入动词原形/复数形式。句意：“该研究的作者们______，一些人可能会将研究结果理解为可以推迟锻炼”。结合后文 "but this would be a mistake"（但这将是一个错误），说明作者在这里做出了一个“让步/承认”。选项 `concede`（承认，让步）逻辑极为严密。
31. F (disregard)。解析：空格在情态动词 `should not` 之后，需要填入动词原形。句意：“持续保持活跃还有其他好处……我们不应该______”。选项 `disregard`（忽视，漠视）符合语境。
32. D (cognitive)。解析：空格修饰名词/动名词 `functioning`，需要填入形容词。前文提到好处是 "both mental and physical"（身心两方面）。选项 `cognitive`（认知的）属于 mental 范畴，`cognitive functioning`（认知功能）是心理学常见搭配。
33. K (particularly)。解析：空格修饰形容词 `important`，需要填入副词。句意：“鉴于全球肥胖的流行，后者（降低体重增加的风险）______重要”。选项 `particularly`（特别，尤其）用于强调。
34. L (patterns)。解析：空格在指示代词 `those` 之后，需要填入复数名词。前文说 "make a habit of exercising"（养成锻炼的习惯），后文说晚年也要保持。选项 `patterns`（模式，规律）指代前文提到的年轻时养成的锻炼规律和习惯。
35. A (adolescents)。解析：空格由 `or` 连接，与 `children` 并列，需要填入表示人群的复数名词。句意：“人们在儿童或______时期开始锻炼是最理想的”。选项 `adolescents`（青少年）与儿童构成了年龄段的自然递进，最契合句意。
【核心搭配与高分句型】
come with an assortment of...：伴随着各种各样的...（comes with an assortment of health benefits）
early mortality：早逝，过早死亡（risk of early mortality）
incidence of chronic diseases：慢性病发病率（reductions in their incidence of chronic diseases）
interpret... to mean that...：将...理解/解释为...（interpret the study's findings to mean that...）
keep up：保持，继续（keep up those patterns later in life）
【长难句解析】
"New research looked at people who increased their exercise levels after their 40s beyond levels they had when they were younger and those individuals showed declines in their risk of early mortality which were similar to those of people who exercised consistently throughout their lives."
（新研究观察了那些在40多岁后锻炼水平提高到甚至超过年轻时水平的人，这些个体显示出早亡风险的下降，这与那些一生都坚持锻炼的人的下降幅度相似。）
此句极长，包含了 `who` 引导的定语从句修饰 people，`which` 引导的定语从句修饰 declines，以及多重比较结构，展现了极强的学术行文逻辑。
（新研究观察了那些在40多岁后锻炼水平提高到甚至超过年轻时水平的人，这些个体显示出早亡风险的下降，这与那些一生都坚持锻炼的人的下降幅度相似。）
此句极长，包含了 `who` 引导的定语从句修饰 people，`which` 引导的定语从句修饰 declines，以及多重比较结构，展现了极强的学术行文逻辑。