Race walking shares many fitness benefits with running, research shows, while most likely contributing to fewer injuries. It does, however, have its own problem.
竞走与跑步在健身方面有许多相似的好处，研究显示，尽管它很可能导致更少的伤害。然而，这项运动也有它自己的问题。

Race walkers are conditioned athletes. The longest track and field event at the Summer Olympics is the 50-kilometer race walk, which is about five miles longer than the marathon. But the sport’s rules require that a race walker’s knees stay straight through most of the leg swing and one foot remain in contact (接触) with the ground at all times. It’s this strange form that makes race walking such an attractive activity, however, says Jaclyn Norberg, an assistant professor of exercise science at Salem State University in Salem, Mass.
竞走运动员是经过训练的运动员。夏季奥运会中最长的田径项目是50公里竞走，这比马拉松大约长五英里。但是这项运动的规则要求竞走者的膝盖在大部分腿部摆动过程中保持伸直，且一只脚始终与地面接触。正是这种奇怪的形式使得竞走成为一种吸引人的活动，然而，Salem州立大学运动科学助理教授Jaclyn Norberg说。

Like running, race walking is physically demanding, she says, According to most calculations, race walkers moving at a pace of six miles per hour would burn about 800 calories(卡路里) per hour, which is approximately twice as many as they would burn walking, although fewer than running, which would probably burn about 1,000 or more calories per hour.
她说，像跑步一样，竞走也是一项身体要求很高的运动。根据大多数计算，以每小时六英里的速度竞走的人将燃烧大约800卡路里的热量，这大约是他们步行时燃烧热量的两倍，尽管比跑步少，跑步可能会燃烧大约1000或更多的卡路里每小时。

However, race walking does not pound the body as much as running does, Dr. Norberg says. According to her research, runners hit the ground with as much as four times their body weight per step, while race walkers, who do not leave the ground, create only about 1.4 times their body weight with each step.
然而，Norberg博士说，竞走不像跑步那样对身体造成冲击。根据她的研究，跑步者每一步落地时的冲击力是他们体重的四倍，而竞走者，他们不会离开地面，每一步只产生大约1.4倍体重的冲击力。

As a result, she says, some of the injuries associated with running, such as runner’s knee, are uncommon among race walkers. But the sport’s strange form does place considerable stress on the ankles and hips, so people with a history of such injuries might want to be cautious in adopting the sport. In fact, anyone wishing to try race walking should probably first consult a coach or experienced racer to learn proper technique, she says. It takes some practice.
因此，她说，一些与跑步相关的伤病，如跑者膝，竞走者中并不常见。但这项运动的奇怪形式确实对脚踝和髋关节造成相当大的压力，所以有这类伤病史的人在尝试这项运动时可能需要谨慎。事实上，任何想尝试竞走的人都应该先咨询教练或有经验的竞走者学习正确的技巧，她说。这需要一些练习。

1. Why are race walkers conditioned athletes?
   A. They must run long distances.
   B. They are qualified for the marathon.
   C. They have to follow special rules.
   D. They are good at swinging their legs.
   答案：C

2. What advantage does race walking have over running?
   A. It’s more popular at the Olympics.
   B. It’s less challenging physically.
   C. It’s more effective in body building.
   D. It’s less likely to cause knee injuries.
   答案：D

30 What is Dr. Norberg’s suggestion for someone trying race walking?
A. Getting experts’ opinions.
B. Having a medical checkup.
C. Hiring an experienced coach.
D. Doing regular exercises.
答案：A

1. Which word best describes the author’s attitude to race walking?
   A. Skeptical.
   B. Objective.
   C. Tolerant
   D. Conservative.
   答案：B