New science offers an easy way to offset all the sitting
只要四秒鐘 一種彌補久坐缺點的 簡易運動法
Sitting around doing nothing used to seem like one of the safest activities possible. Then a few years ago scientists discovered that sitting all day causes a cascade of harmful metabolic changes that together increase your odds of meeting an early end. Even regular workouts didn't counteract the ill effects of having your butt in a chair all workday. Suddenly, sitting became public health enemy number one.
New research offers a hopeful answer, finding that tiny bursts of intense activity are enough to protect your body from the worst effects of your couch-bound lifestyle.
Could 20 seconds an hour of activity lengthen your life?
[A] study was conducted by scientists at the University of Texas at Austin and published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. [The scientists] closely observed eight young, healthy volunteers as they sat around. On the first day of the experiment they simply lounged for six hours. On the second day they got up from their lazing each hour and engaged in five rounds of four seconds of intense exercise on a specialized exercise bike.
Info Cloud
Just like riding a bike 一次學習，終身受用的益處。
Welcome to Info Cloud, friends. I'm a little nervous. I will need to give a short speech in Spanish at the local university I teach at next Monday.
Why in Spanish? How did you get roped into giving a speech in Spanish in Asia?
Well, I teach English at the university once a week. I bumped into the head of the Spanish Department last week, and we chatted. I told him I took Spanish classes in high school.
So he invited you to give a talk?
Yes, to the incoming freshman class. But I haven't used Spanish in years.
Don't worry. It will come back to you because it's like riding a bike, once you learn, you never forget.
I sure hope so, but I'm not so sure. But that is a useful idiom.
"Just like riding a bike" means once you have learned or done something, you never forget. Like riding a bike, once you learned to ride a bike, you can get on a bike many years later and still be able to ride it.
I sure hope I still remember all those words in Spanish I learned years ago. I hope giving my speech will be just like riding a bike.
我們都知道學習是永無止境的，不過有些事情一旦學會了，就很難忘記。英文有一句很有趣的用語: just like riding a bike，就是在形容這種一次學習，終身受用的益處。Just like riding a bike 字面上是就像騎腳踏車一樣，這是用來表達一旦學會了，你一輩子都不會忘記。例如，Sarah 小時候練過鋼琴，長大之後再次彈奏，還是可以彈得很好，你可以說: It’s just like riding a bike!
Language Lab
offset v. 抵銷、彌補
to cancel or reduce the effect of (something) : to create an equal balance between two things
- The hilltop shabby interior was offset by the magnificent view.
山頂餐廳的壯麗景觀彌補了簡陋室內裝潢的不足。
- The appliance’s durability has offset its expensive price tag.
這個家庭電器的耐久性抵銷了它昂貴的價錢。
- You just had a two-hour workout and you want to offset that with a pizza dinner?
你去吃披薩大餐會把你運動兩個小時的成果都抵銷掉。
cascade n. 瀑布群裡的小瀑布
/kæˈskeɪd/
a small, steep waterfall
- The cascades might not look dangerous, but it is slippery around there, so be careful.
小瀑布群看起來不危險，但是那裡周遭非常濕滑，要小心。
cascade n. 一連串的東西或是狀況
a large amount of something that flows or hangs down
- No one knew there was a garden behind the wall because a cascade of ivy has covered up everything.
沒有人知道牆後面，因為如瀑布般的常春藤把一切都遮蓋起來。
cascade v. 像瀑布流水那樣落下
to flow or hang down in large amounts
- The bag of rice got knocked over, and rice cascaded off the kitchen counter.
那包米被打翻，結果米就像瀑布一樣從廚房檯面下流下來。
lounge n. 等候室、休息廳
a room with comfortable furniture for relaxing: such as a : a comfortable room where people can spend time while they are waiting in an airport or other public place
- Our guests are waiting for us in the lounge.
我們的客人在休息廳等我們。
lounge v. 很悠哉地做事或懶散地靠著、躺著
to sit or lie in a relaxed way
- I was planning to go out and clean the yard, but I ended up lounging in the house.
我本來打算出去清理院子，結果最後還是懶懶地待在屋內。
lounge v. 悠閒地度過時光
to spend time resting or relaxing
- Ivan just lounged through the whole weekend.
Ivan 整個周末就很悠閒地度過。
specialized adj. 專門的 (專門為某一種狀況特別設計的)
made or used for one particular purpose, job, place, etc.
- After Mr. Swanson had a stroke, his family had to get him a specialized wheelchair.
Swanson 先生中風後，他的家人給他找到一台專門為中風患者設計的輪椅。
specialized adj. 受過特別訓練而成為專科的
- Kenny is a personal trainer who works with cancer patients; his specialized skills have helped a lot of people.
Kenny 是一位服務癌症病患的私人教練，他的專科技術幫了許多人。
specialized adj. 跟專科有關的
- It’s impossible to teach all these specialized terms in one afternoon.
要在一個下午教這些所有的專科術語是不可能的。
