单选题

The Health Benefits of Knitting

【A】About 15 years ago, I was invited to join a knitting group. I agreed to give it a try.

【B】My mother had taught me to knit at 15, and I knitted in class throughout college and for a few years thereafter. Then decades passed without my touching a knitting needle. But within two Mondays in the group, I was hooked, not only on knitting but also on crocheting (钩织), and I was on my way to becoming a highly productive crafter.

【C】I have made countless baby blankets, sweaters, vests, shawls, scarves, hats, mittens, caps for newborns. I take a knitting project with me everywhere, especially when I have to sit still and listen. As I had discovered in college, when my hands are busy, my mind stays focused on the here and now.

【D】It seems, too, that I’m part of a national renewal of interest in needle and other handicrafts (手工艺). The Craft Yarn Council reports that a third of women ages 25 to 35 now knit or crochet. Even men and schoolchildren are swelling the ranks, among them my friend’s three grandsons. Last April, the council created a “Stitch Away Stress” campaign in honor of National Stress Awareness Month. Dr. Herbert Benson, a pioneer in mind/body medicine and author of The Relaxation Response, says that the repetitive action of needlework can induce a relaxed state like that associated with meditation (沉思) and yoga. Once you get beyond the initial learning curve, knitting and crocheting can lower heart rate and blood pressure.

【E】But unlike meditation, craft activities result in tangible and often useful products that can enhance self-esteem. I keep photos of my singular accomplishments on my cellphone to boost my spirits when needed.

【F】Since the 1990s, the council has surveyed hundreds of thousands of knitters and crocheters, who routinely list stress relief and creative fulfillment as the activities’ main benefits. Among them is the father of a prematurely born daughter who reported that during the baby’s five weeks in the intensive care unit, “learning how to knit infant hats gave me a sense of purpose during a time that I felt very helpless. It’s a hobby that I’ve stuck with, and it continues to help me cope with stress at work, provide a sense of order in hectic (忙乱的) days, and allows my brain time to solve problems.”

【G】A recent email from the yarn (纺纱) company Red Heart titled ＂Health Benefits of Crocheting and Knitting＂ prompted me to explore what else might be known about the health value of activities like knitting. My research revealed that the rewards go well beyond replacing stress and anxiety with the satisfaction of creation.

【H】For example, Karen Hayes, a life coach in Toronto, conducts knitting therapy programs, including Knit to Quit to help smokers give up the habit, and Knit to Heal for people coping with health crises, like a cancer diagnosis or a family member’s serious illness. Schools and prisons with craft programs report that they have a calming effect and enhance social skills. And having to follow instructions on complex craft projects can improve children’s math skills.

【I】Some people find that craftwork helps them control their weight. Just as it is challenging to smoke while knitting, when hands are holding needles and hooks, there’s less snacking and mindless eating out of boredom.

【J】I’ve found that my handiwork with yarn has helped my arthritic (患关节炎的) fingers remain more dexterous (灵巧的) as I age. A woman encouraged to try knitting and crocheting after developing an autoimmune disease that caused a lot of hand pain reported on the Craft Yarn Council site that her hands are now less stiff and painful.

【K】A 2009 University of British Columbia study of 38 women with an eating disorder who were taught to knit found that learning the craft led to significant improvements. Seventy-four percent of the women said the activity lessened theor fears and kept them from thinking about their problem.

【L】Betsan Corkhill, a wellness coach in Bath, England, and author of the book Knit for Health & Wellness, established a website, Stitchlinks, to explore the value of what she calls therapeutic knitting. Among her respondents, 54 percent of those who were clinically depressed said that knitting made them feel happy or very happy. In a study of 60 self-selected people with persistent pain, Ms. Corkhill and colleagues reported that knitting enabled them to redirect their focus, reducing their awareness of pain. She suggested that the brain can process just so much at once and that activities like knitting and crocheting make it harder for the brain to register pain signals. Perhaps most exciting is research that suggests that crafts like knitting and crocheting may help to keep off a decline in brain function with age. In a 2011 study, researchers led by Dr. Yonas Geda at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester interviewed a random (随机的) sample of 1,321 people ages 70 to 89, most of whom were cognitively (在认知方面) normal, about the cognitive activities they engaged in late in life. The study, published in The Journal of Neuropsychiatry & Clinical Neurosciences, found that those who engaged in crafts like knitting and crocheting had a diminished chance of developing mild cognitive disorder and memory loss.

【M】Although it is possible that only people who are cognitively healthy would pursue such activities, those who read newspapers or magazines or played music did not show similar benefits. The researchers speculate that craft activities promote the development of nerve pathways in the brain that help to maintain cognitive health.

【N】In support of that suggestion, a 2014 study by Denise C. Park of the University of Texas at Dallas and colleagues demonstrated that learning to knit or do digtial photography enhanced memory function in older adults. Those who engaged in activities that were not intellectually challenging, either in a social group or alone, did not show such improvements.

【O】Given that sustained social contacts have been shown to support health and a long life, those wishing to maximize the health value of crafts might consider joining a group of like-minded folks. I for one try not to miss a single weekly meeting of my knitting group.

The products of knitting can increase one’s sense of self-respect.

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解析：

36. When the author was a college student, she found that knitting helped her concentrate.

C) As I discovered in college, when my hands are busy, my mind stays focused on the here and now.

解析：首先在题目中锁定定位词college student和concentrate，然后带着定位词回原文找，从而定位到C段最后一句，题目是对该句的同义改写，题目中的knitting对应原文的when my hands are busy；concentrate对应focused on。

37. Knitting can help people stay away from tobacco.

H) For example, Karen Hayes, a life coach in Toronto, conducts knitting therapy programs, including Knit to Quit to help smokers give up the habit, and Knit to Heal for people coping with health crises, like a cancer diagnosis or serious illness of a family member.

解析：首先在题目中锁定定位词tobacco，然后带着定位词回原文找，从而定位到H段首句。

定位句提到Karen Hayes开设的手工编织治愈课程旨在帮助人们戒烟。题目中的stay away from和原文中的give up对应。

38. Even men and children are now joining the army of knitters.

D) Even men and schoolchildren are swelling the ranks, among them and my friend’s three small grandsons.

解析：首先在题目中锁定定位词men and children和the army of knitters，然后带着定位词回原文找，从而定位到D段第3句。定位句提到甚至男性和学龄儿童也在不断壮大这只队伍。题目中的men and children和原文中的men and schoolchildren对应，joining the army of knitters和swelling the ranks相对应。

39. Being a member of a crafts group enhances one’s health and prolongs one’s life.

O) Given that sustained social contacts have been shown to support health and a long life, those wishing to maximize the health value of crafts might consider joining a group of like-minded folks.

解析：首先在题目中锁定定位词enhances one’s health and prolongs one’s life，然后带着定位词回原文找，从而定位到O段首句。定位句提到由于保持社交活动已被证实有益健康和有助长寿，那些希望将生活价值最大化的人也许可以考虑加入志同道合的兴趣小组。题目中Being a member of a crafts group和原文中的joining a group of like-minded folks对应，enhances one’s health and prolongs one’s life和support health and a long life相对应。

40. Knitting diverts people’s attention from their pain.

L) In a study of 60 self-selected people with persistent pain, Ms. Corkhill and colleagues reported that knitting enabled them to redirect their focus, reducing their awareness of pain.

解析：首先在题目中锁定定位词diverts people’s attention和pain，然后带着定位词回原文找，从而定位到L段第3句。定位句提到一项涉及60位患有持续性疼痛的自愿受访者的研究中，Corkhill和她的同事们都认为编织能够转移她们的注意力，减少他们对痛楚的感知。题目中的diverts people’s attention from their pain和原文中的redirect their focus, reducing their awareness of pain相对应。

41. The author learnt to knit as a teenager, but it was not until she was much older that she became keenly interested.

B) My mother had taught me to knit at 15, and I knitted in class throughout college and for a few years thereafter. Then decades passed without my touching a knitting needle. But within two Monday in the group, I was hooked, not only in knitting but also on crocheting.

解析：首先在题目中锁定定位词teenager和keenly interested，然后带着定位词回原文找，从而定位到B段首句到第4句。定位句提到作者15岁时就学会了手工编织，但毕业之后的几十年就再也没有碰过针线了，然后在参加了编织小组之后，作者又迷上了手工编织。题目中的learnt to knit as a teenager和原文中的taught me to knit at 15相对应，became keenly interested和hooked对应。

42. When people are knitting, they tend to eat fewer snacks.

I) Just as it’s challenging to smoke while knitting, when hands are holding needles and hooks, there’s less snacking and mindless eating out of boredom.

解析：首先在题目中锁定定位词snacks，然后带着定位词回原文找，从而定位到I段第2句。定位句后半句提到当手上拿着针和钩时，人们就不会因为无聊而吃零食了。题目中的knitting和原文中的hands are holding needles and hooks对应，eat fewer snacks和less snacking对应。

43. Survey findings show that knitting can help people relive stress.

F) Since the 1990s, the council has surveyed hundreds of thousands of knitters and crocheters, who routinely list stress relief and creative fulfillment as the activities’ main benefits.

解析：首先在题目中锁定定位词teenager和keenly interested，然后带着定位词回原文找，从而定位到F段首句。定位句提到调查表明，数以千计的手工编织者和钩织者都把释压和带来创作成就感列为这项活动的好处。题目中的Survey findings和原文的has surveyed对应，relive stress和stress relief对应。

44. According to a study, knitters and crocheters are less likely to suffer mild cognitive damage.

L) The study, published in the Journal of Neuropsychiatry & Clinical Neurosciences, found that those who engaged in crafts like knitting and crocheting had a diminished chance of developing mild cognitive disorder and memory loss.

解析：首先在题目中锁定定位词mild cognitive damage，然后带着定位词回原文找，从而定位到L段最后一句。定位句提到研究报告表明，参与类似于编织之类的手工劳动的人患轻微认知障碍和记忆力衰退的可能性会降低。题目中的less likely to suffer mild cognitive damage和原文中的a diminished chance of developing mild cognitive disorder and memory loss相对应。

45. The products of knitting can increase one’s sense of self-respect.

E) But unlike meditation, craft activities result in tangible and often useful products that can enhance self-stem.

解析：首先在题目中锁定定位词sense of self-respect，然后带着定位词回原文找，从而定位到E段首句。定位句提到手工活动通常可以产出有用的实物，同时能够增强人的自尊心。题目中的products of knitting和原文的tangible and often useful products相对应，increase one’s sense of self-respect和enhance self-stem相一致。

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