英语听力—环球英语 809 Running Without Shoes

　　Voice 1
Welcome to Spotlight¹. I'm Joshua Leo
Voice 2
And I'm Liz Waid. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 1
Every April, people from all over the world gather in Boston, a city in the United² States. They gather for a foot race called the Boston Marathon⁴. A marathon is a little more than 42 kilometres long. More than 25,000 people ran the race in 2008, and that number grows each year. Running in this race is a goal for many people around the world.
Voice 2
Most people who run in the Boston Marathon are serious about their sport. They wear shoes that cost a lot of money. People who run long distances buy new shoes every three or four months. They might pay more than four hundred dollars in a year, just for shoes!
Voice 1
But are these shoes necessary? Do shoes actually protect runners? Today's Spotlight is on people who run without shoes - barefoot runners.
Running shoes are a big business. Scientists and designers⁵ develop the shoes. They will spend years developing⁶ one design. The shoes are soft. They are designed to prevent injury. They also help people run fast.
Voice 2
But some people say that you do not need any of that. Every year, some people run the Boston Marathon without shoes. Ted³ McDonald is one of them. Ted has run without shoes for seven years. And he tries to get more people to run without shoes. Ted believes that running without shoes is better for his body. He also thinks that barefoot running makes him run faster. Ted talked to The Christian⁷ Science Monitor, a news magazine, about barefoot running. He said,
Voice 3
"Barefoot running made me use good running form. It made me run gently. Heavy feet are not permitted⁸."
Voice 1
And Ted is not alone in this thought. More and more people are trying to run without shoes. The thinking is that running shoes block out the feeling of the running surface. When runners cannot feel the running surface, they often develop a bad running form. They hit the ground too hard with their feet. Barefoot runners can feel the ground. This means⁹ that barefoot runners do not hit their feet as hard on the running surface. Ted and other barefoot runners believe that they do not get as many injuries.
Voice 2
Barefoot running is a very old idea. Long ago, people used the skins of animals to cover their feet in cold weather. In warm weather they worked and hunted with feet that were not covered. People have run without shoes for centuries. Recently, Spotlight looked at a native group from Mexico, the Tarahumara. This group continues to run in this traditional way.
Voice 1
Scientists have studied the feet of very old skeletons¹⁰. One area they look at is the skeleton's toes. People who wear shoes have a thick bone in the big toe. People who do not wear shoes have thick bones in the middle toes. These bones have gotten thicker as a result of the pressure from walking and running. Wearing shoes puts pressure on different parts of the foot and toes. Toe bones teach scientists that humans have been wearing shoes for forty thousand [40,000] years. Scientist know that humans did not wear shoes for a million years. For most of history, people ran with bare feet!
Voice 2
Today it is strange to see people running in bare feet. But, in 1960 in Rome, a young man questioned that idea. He was from Ethiopia. His name was Abebe Bikila. Abebe was in Rome to compete in the Olympic Games. His event was the marathon.
Voice 1
Abebe came to the starting line in bare feet. Some people laughed at him. They wondered where his shoes were. This did not worry Abebe. When the starting gun went off, Abebe ran. He ran fast. He came in first and earned a gold medal. He also set a world record. John Kelley ran the marathon in Rome, too. He was behind Abebe. He told Runners World magazine about the race. He said,
Voice 4
"We had to run on huge, round cobblestones. These stones were set into the road to cover it. They were very hard. I remember that I was afraid of stepping too hard. I still cannot imagine how Abebe did it."
Voice 1
Daniel Lieberman is a teacher at Harvard University. Lieberman studies biology. Lieberman went to Kenya to study people who always run barefoot. He learned¹¹ that barefoot runners land on the front part of the foot - the ball of the foot. Lieberman told Science Daily magazine,
Voice 5
"Our feet were made for running. Humans have been running barefoot for millions of years."
Voice 2
If you try running with running shoes and then barefoot, you can feel the change. Barefoot runners land on the front of the foot. Landing¹² on the front of the foot lets the foot to spring back up. Having spring in the foot is easier on the runner's body. Barefoot runners use different parts of their feet and legs when they run. Their bodies grow strong in different places.
Voice 1
Runners who wear shoes land on the back of the foot. The back of the foot hits the ground hard. There is no spring. This is hard on the runner's body. Lieberman's studies show that thirty percent of runners get injured¹³ every year. He thinks that running without shoes could cause fewer injuries.
Voice 2
Some doctors worry about barefoot running. They worry about stones and glass on the road. They worry that people who usually wear shoes will hurt their feet if they start going barefoot. Ted McDonald agrees. He knows that people should make a slow change. People who have worn¹⁴ shoes their whole lives are not ready to go without. He thinks that people should start simply - by taking off their shoes in their house. They should spend some time letting their feet and legs work in a new way. This will help prevent injury.
Voice 1
Daniel Lieberman also thinks that people should make a slow change. He suggests that people do foot exercises to make the foot stronger. He also suggests that people only run a short distance on a safe surface when they try barefoot running. It takes time to build up thick skin on the bottom of the feet. Thick skin is important when running on a hard surface without shoes. New barefoot runners need shoes when they run on covered roads. And runners should always watch for glass and stones.
Voice 1
Barefoot running is something new for runners to try. It might help some runners who have a lot of injuries. But as many runners agree, running is always good exercise, with or without shoes on the feet.
 

1 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

2 united   

adj.和谐的；团结的；联合的，统一的

参考例句：

• The whole nation is closely united.全国人民紧密团结。
• The two men were united by community of interests.共同的利益使两个人结合在一起。

3 ted   

vt.翻晒，撒，撒开

参考例句：

• The invaders gut ted the village.侵略者把村中财物洗劫一空。
• She often teds the corn when it's sunny.天好的时候她就翻晒玉米。

4 marathon   

n.长距离赛跑；需要耐力的比赛；(M-)马拉松

参考例句：

• I'm hoping to be in the marathon next year.我希望明年能参加马拉松赛。
• The meeting was a bit of a marathon.这次会议有点马拉松赛的味道。

5 designers   

n.设计师( designer的名词复数 )；图案设计师；打样师；制图员

参考例句：

• Have you seen that article about young fashion designers? 你见到了关于年轻时装设计师的那篇文章没有？
• Every moment of the fashion industry's misery is richly deserved by the designers and magazine poltroons who perpetuate this absurd creation. 时装工业每一个痛苦的时刻都是完全应该被时装设计师们…和那些使这种荒诞创造永久化的杂志懦夫领受。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 developing   

adj.发展中的

参考例句：

• Transport has always been the key to developing trade.运输一直是发展贸易的关键。
• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。

7 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

8 permitted   

允许( permit的过去式和过去分词 )； 许可； 许用

参考例句：

• Radios are not permitted in the library. 图书馆内不许使用收音机。
• Entrance is permitted only on production of a ticket. 出示门票才可进入。

9 means   

n.方法，手段，折中点，物质财富

参考例句：

• That man used artful means to find out secrets.那人使用狡猾的手段获取机密。
• We must get it done by some means or other.我们总得想办法把它干完。

10 skeletons   

n.（建筑物等的）骨架( skeleton的名词复数 )；骨骼；梗概；骨瘦如柴的人（或动物）

参考例句：

• Only skeletons of buildings remained. 只剩下了建筑物的框架。 来自辞典例句
• It looks like six skeletons in front of that stone door! 在这石头门前看上去就象有六副骨骼！ 来自辞典例句

11 learned   

adj.有学问的，博学的；learn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He went into a rage when he learned about it.他听到这事后勃然大怒。
• In this little village,he passed for a learned man.在这个小村子里，他被视为有学问的人。

12 landing   

n.登陆；着陆；楼梯平台

参考例句：

• Owing to engine trouble,the plane had to make a forced landing.由于发动机出了毛病，飞机不得不进行迫降。
• When are we landing?我们什么时候着陆？

13 injured   

adj.受伤的

参考例句：

• Our best defender is injured and won't be able to play today.我们最佳的防守员受伤了，今天不能参加比赛。
• The injured men have been dug out of the snow.受伤人员从雪中被挖了出来。

14 worn   

adj.用旧的，疲倦的；vbl.wear的过去分词

参考例句：

• The child's trousers have worn through at the knees.孩子裤子的膝盖处磨破了。
• My shoes are worn out.我的鞋子穿坏了。