萎靡驼背的姿态真的对我们有害吗？

Is slouching really that bad for us?

常速 | 五级（中等） | 340词 | 2min13s

刘立军供稿

Part I. QUESTIONS

Listen to the passage and choose the best answer to each question you hear.

Q1. What does Meghan Markowski say poor posture can lead to?

A. Weight gain and muscle loss.

B. Neck pain and back problems.

C. Poor eyesight and hearing loss.

D. Difficulty concentrating on tasks.

Q2. What did Diane Slater and her colleagues conclude about slouching?

A. It is the main cause of chronic diseases.

B. It has been proven to damage the spine.

C. There is no strong evidence that it aggravates back pain.

D. It should be completely avoided at all times.

Q3. What did the 2014 study by Johannes Michalak find?

A. Slouching improves memory for positive words.

B. Upright sitting increases physical strength.

C. Slumped posture affects emotional recall.

D. Good posture eliminates negative emotions.

Q4. What can be inferred from the discussion about static posture?

A. Moving regularly helps reduce the risk of back pain.

B. Sitting for long periods strengthens the spine.

C. Slouching is more harmful than standing.

D. People should avoid all types of sitting.

Q5. What is the main idea of the passage?

A. Slouching is the proven main cause of chronic back pain.

B. People should always sit upright to stay healthy.

C. Perfect posture is essential for emotional stability.

D. Posture may matter less than movement in maintaining back health.

Part II. TRANSCRIPT

Is slouching really that bad for us?

We hear family members and teachers telling us to “sit up straight” and “stand tall”, but do they say that because an erect posture is more aesthetically pleasing, or is it the key to a pain-free back? It’s commonly believed that ‘slump’ sitting or ‘slouch’ standing damages our spines. But is slouching really that bad?

erect adj. 挺直的

slump v. 瘫坐下

slouch v. 无精打采地站(或坐、走)；低头垂肩地站(或坐、走)

spine n. 脊柱；脊椎

(Q1) Meghan Markowski, physiotherapist at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women’s Hospital, says that poor posture can lead to neck pain and back problems. She also links it to other problems like poor balance, headaches, and breathing difficulties. Meghan says we should aim for an upright spine position and avoid flexing and arching our backs. But if you’re a sloucher, there may be some good news coming from the last two decades of research.

physiotherapist n. 物理治疗师

flex v. 弯曲（关节或肌肉）

In an article called “Sit Up Straight: Time to Re-evaluate”, (Q2) physiotherapist Diane Slater and colleagues review the current research and conclude that there is no strong evidence that slouching aggravates back pain, or even that a perfect posture exists. Instead, they argue that differences in our spinal curvatures are a fact of life, and that our backs are stronger than we think.

aggravate v. 使（病情、问题等）恶化；加剧

curvature n. 弯曲，曲度

So, we’re not sure that slouching causes back pain, but have you ever felt like slouching puts you in a worse mood? (Q3) A 2014 study by Johannes Michalak and colleagues found that depressed participants in a slumped seated position remembered more negative words than positive, but this improved once they sat upright. That means that the way we sit might make us feel more negative. Should we sit up straight and stand tall then?

(Q4) Something both sides seem to agree on is that we should avoid staying in one static posture throughout the day – we should change positions and stretch. (Q5) The human spine is designed to be on the move, and a sedentary lifestyle can increase the risk of back pain. If you’re unable to do this, slouching in front of your computer all day may cause you discomfort, but the evidence tells us it’s not actually damaging your spine.

static adj. 静止的；静态的

sedentary adj. 久坐的；需要久坐的

Part III. KEY

Q1. B.【解析】细节题。题目出处为：“Meghan Markowski, physiotherapist at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women’s Hospital, says that poor posture can lead to neck pain and back problems.” 意为：“哈佛大学附属布莱根妇女医院的物理治疗师梅根·马尔科夫斯基表示，不良姿势可能导致颈部疼痛和背部问题。”该句明确指出不良姿势带来的健康后果，因此正确答案为B。

Q2. C.【解析】细节题。题目出处为：“…physiotherapist Diane Slater and colleagues review the current research and conclude that there is no strong evidence that slouching aggravates back pain, or even that a perfect posture exists.” 意为：“物理治疗师黛安·斯莱特及其同事回顾当前研究并得出结论：没有有力证据表明萎靡驼背的姿态会加重背痛，甚至没有证据表明存在完美姿势。”该句直接给出研究结论，因此答案为C。

Q3. C.【解析】细节题。题目出处为：“A 2014 study by Johannes Michalak and colleagues found that depressed participants in a slumped seated position remembered more negative words than positive, but this improved once they sat upright.” 意为：“约翰内斯·米哈拉克及同事在2014年的研究发现，抑郁参与者在萎靡驼背的坐姿下记住的负面词比正面词更多，但当他们坐直后情况有所改善。”这说明含不良姿势影响情绪记忆，因此正确答案为C。

Q4. A.【解析】推理题。题目出处为：“Something both sides seem to agree on is that we should avoid staying in one static posture throughout the day – we should change positions and stretch. The human spine is designed to be on the move, and a sedentary lifestyle can increase the risk of back pain.” 意为：“双方似乎都同意，我们应避免整天一动不动——而是应改变姿势并伸展身体。人体脊柱本就是为了活动而设计，久坐的生活方式会增加背痛风险。” 由此可推断，规律性活动有助于减少背痛风险，因此答案为A。

Q5. D.【解析】主旨题。题目出处为：“The human spine is designed to be on the move, and a sedentary lifestyle can increase the risk of back pain. If you’re unable to do this, slouching in front of your computer all day may cause you discomfort, but the evidence tells us it’s not actually damaging your spine.” 意为：“人体脊柱本就是为了活动而设计，久坐会增加背痛风险。如果你做不到在这一点，一整天在电脑前萎靡驼背的姿态就可能会让你不舒服，但证据显示，这并不会真正损害你的脊椎。”全文核心观点即：姿势不是唯一重要因素，规律活动比保持“完美姿势”更关键，因此正确答案为D。

（本文图片来源于摄图网，版权归摄图网所有)