VOA慢速英语:Does Physical Activity Lead to Higher Grades?

Recently we told you about a finding that more years of school could help students get higher scores on intelligence tests. That was the finding of a study of teenage males in Norway. Now, other research shows that physical activity may help students do better in their classes.
最近，我们告诉了你关于上学时间更长能够帮助学生在智力测验中获得较高分数的一项发现，这是针对挪威青年男子的一项研究发现。现在，其他的研究表明，体育活动可能帮助学生在课堂上表现得更好。

The research comes as educators in some countries are reducing time for activities like physical education. They are using the time instead for academic subjects like math and reading.
这项研究的出现，恰逢一些国家的教育工作者在减少体育课之类的活动时间的时期。他们把这些时间用像数学、阅读一类的科目取而代之。

Researchers at VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam reviewed the results of fourteen studies. Twelve were from the United States, one from Canada and one from South Africa.
阿姆斯特丹自由大学医学中心的研究人员审核了14项研究结果。12项来自美国，一项来自加拿大，一项来自南非。

The studies appeared between nineteen ninety-seven and two thousand nine. They included more than fifty-five thousand children, ages six to eighteen.
这些研究发表于1997年至2009年间，他们涉及超过5.5万名年龄在6到18岁的儿童。

Researcher Amika Singh says the studies showed a link between physical activity and scores on subjects such as math, English and reading.
研究人员Amika Singh称，这些研究表明体育活动和数学、英语和阅读一类学科分数之间的联系。

AMIKA SINGH: "Based on the results of our study we can conclude that being physically active is beneficial for academic performance."
AMIKA SINGH：“根据我们的研究结果，我们可以得出结论，体育活动有利于学习成绩。”

Ms. Singh offers some possible explanations.
Singh女士提供了一些可能的解释。

AMIKA SINGH: "There are, first, physiological explanations, like more blood flow, and so more oxygen to the brain. Being physically active means there are more hormones produced like endorphins. And endorphins make your stress level lower and your mood improved, which means you also perform better."
AMIKA SINGH：“首先，生理方面的解释，例如更多的血液流动，因此会给大脑提供更多的氧气。进行体育活动意味着产生更多像内啡肽之类的激素。内啡肽使得你压力水平降低，改善你的心情，这意味着你也有更好的表现。”

Also, students involved in organized sports learn rules and how to follow them. This could improve their classroom behavior and help them keep their mind on their work.
此外，参加有组织的体育活动的学生能够从中学到规则以及如何遵守规则。这能够提高他们的课堂表现，帮助他们专心学习。

The study leaves some questions unanswered, however. Ms. Singh says it is not possible to say whether the amount or kind of activity affected the level of academic improvement. This is because of differences among the studies.
但这项研究留下一些疑点。Singh女士说，无法确定是运动量还是活动类型影响到学术水平的提高。这是因为研究之间存在差异。

Also, they were mostly observational studies. An observational study is where researchers do not do controlled comparisons. They only describe what they observe. So they might observe a link that students who are more active often have better grades. But that does not necessarily mean being active was the cause of those higher grades.
此外，他们大多是观察性研究。一项观察性研究是指研究人员不作对照比较，他们只描述了他们的所见所闻。因此，他们可能观察到体育活动更多的学生成绩更好。但是，这并不一定意味着进行体育活动是成绩更好的原因。
 

The researchers said they found only two high-quality studies. They called for more high-quality studies to confirm their findings. They also pointed out that "outcomes for other parts of the world may be quite different."
研究人员称，他们发现只有两个高质量的研究。他们呼吁进行更多高质量研究，以证实他们的发现。他们还指出，“世界上其它地区的结果可能是完全不同的。”

Still, the general finding was that physically active kids are more likely to do better in school. Ms. Singh says schools should consider that finding before they cut physical education programs. Her Amike Singh's paper on "Physical Activity and Performance at School" is published in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine.
尽管如此，总的结论是，喜欢体育活动的孩子更容易在学校表现得更好。Singh女士说，学校应该在削减体育课之前，考虑一下这一发现。她的“体育活动和在校表现”论文发表在《儿科和青少年医学档案》上。