Deborah Cohen is a senior natural scientist at the Rand Corp and the author of the book A Big Fat Crisis: The Hidden Forces Behind the Obesity Epidemic and How We Can End It. According to the book, there are lots of misunderstandings of obesity.
1. If you’re obese, blame your genes.
Obesity rates have increased. Yet, between 1980 and 2000, the number of Americans who are obese has doubled—too quickly for genetic factors to be responsible.
At restaurants, a dollar puts more calories on our plates than ever before, because restaurant meals usually have more calories than what we prepare at home, so people who eat out more frequently have higher rates of obesity than those who eat out less.
2. If you’re obese, you lack self-control.
Research shows that if we are faced with too much information, we have a tendency to make poor dietary choices. Our world has become so rich in temptation that we can be led to consume too much in ways we can’t understand. Even the most vigilant(警觉的) people may not be up to the task of controlling themselves.
3. Lack of access to fresh fruits and vegetables is responsible for obesity.
Although the US Department of Agriculture estimates that fewer than 5 percent of Americans live in the “food deserts”, about 65 percent of the nation’s population is overweight or obese. For most of us, obesity is not related to access to more fresh fruits and vegetables, but to the choices we make in supermarkets.
4. The problem is not that we eat too much, but that we don’t exercise.
Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” campaign is based on the idea that if kids exercise more, childhood obesity rates will decrease. But there was no significant decrease in physical activity levels as obesity rates climbed in the 1980s and 1990s. In fact, although a drop in work-related physical activity may account for up to 100 fewer calories burned, leisure physical activity appears to have increased. The problem is that we eat too much.The author mentioned Deborah Cohen’s book in Paragraph 1 to _______.
| A．introduce the topic |
| B．draw readers’ attention |
| C．introduce the author of the book |
| D．advertise the book |
What is the relationship between obesity and the place where you eat?
| A．The less you eat out, the higher rates of obesity you have. |
| B．The less you eat at home, the lower rates of obesity you have. |
| C．The more you eat out, the higher rates of obesity you have. |
| D．The more you eat at home, the higher rates of obesity you have. |
What’s the best title of this passage?
| A．Four misunderstandings of obesity. |
| B．Four rules to help you avoid obesity. |
| C．Obesity leads to a big fat crisis. |
| D．Lacking self-control leads to obesity. |
A major new development in system of work in Britain is taking place. Flexible working hours, or “Flextime”, are catching on fast, and trend is continuing. In 1973, over 500 organizations had adopted the idea, and by 1974, this number had risen to over 200,000.
Flexible working hours were invented in Germany in the late 1960’s, but reached Britain only in 1972. The system allows workers to start and finish work whenever they want, with only two requirements. These are, firstly, that all workers must present for certain “key” times in the day, and secondly, that all workers must work an agreed total number of hours per week.
The system had proved a total success wherever it has been tried. A survey of 700 workers on flexible hours showed three main advantages: a better balance between working and private life, avoidance of the need to travel during rush hours and the ability to finish a certain task before leaving.
From the employer’s point of view, the system tends to increase productivity, reduce labour turnover and give workers a greater sense of duty. At first, “Flexible” was mainly confined to white-collar workers, but it is now being applied to manual workers too.According to “Flextime” system, workers need not _________.
| A．work at the same time | B．work all the weekdays |
| C．work hard | D．ask for leave when being absent |
“Key” time is a period when _________.
| A．visitors come to the plants |
| B．all workers must be at work |
| C．employers go round in the workshop |
| D．rush hours are over |
No matter where it is used, this system has proved _________.
| A．entirely effective | B．totally correct |
| C．a complete failure | D．quite difficult |
One of the great advantages of “Flextime” for workers is that they _________.
| A．have a great sense of duty | B．can avoid busy traffic |
| C．can get higher pay | D．can avoid working hard |
根据短文内容，从下框A~F选项中选出能概括每段主题的最佳选项。选项中有一项为多余项。
| A. A sense of humour is not an inborn ability. B. A sense of humour can be developed in our life. C. A sense of humour helps us from several aspects. D. A sense of humour means more than telling jokes. E. A sense of humour can be expressed in many ways. F. A sense of humour helps people to better enjoy life. |
As awareness of the benefits of humour increases, most of us want to get all the laughs we can. It seems that almost every day there is another new discovery about the power of humour to help us physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Every system of the body responds to laughter in some important or positive way.
Many people mistakenly believe that we are born with a sense of humour. They think that when it comes to a sense of humour. “Either you have got it or you don’t.” This is
false! What is true, however, is that the ability to laugh and smile is actually something we are born with. For example, we laugh when we are tickled under the arm, even without thinking about how to react.The parts of the brain and central nervous system that control laughing and smiling are mature at birth in human infants, but that is not the same thing as having a sense of humour. (After all, when a baby laughs in his small bed we don’t rush over and say, “That kid has a great sense of humour!”) Your sense of humour is something you can develop over a lifetime. Don’t be nervous before others and try to laugh at yourself-then you will make them laugh too.
Humour includes a lot more than laughing and joke telling. Many people worry needlessly that they do not have a good sense of humour because they are not good joke tellers. More than jokes, a sense of humour requires being willing and able to see the funny side of life’s situations as they happen. In fact, one of the best definitions（定义）of a sense of humour is “the ability to see the nonserious element in a situation.”
There may be a thousand different ways to express your sense of humour, but joke telling is only one of those ways. As more is discovered about how humour benefits our life, more people will be able to see and enjoy the humour when they are in a difficult situation. Life depends on air, food and water, but it is made easier to live with a good sense of humour.
GU Zhaodi, 60, had taken water for granted for years. In fact, no one in the beautiful lake city of Wuxi, Jiangsu Province had bothered to spare a thought on water.
But all that changed dramatically overnight last month when taps in the city ran dry. Due to a blue-green algae(藻类) outbreak in Taihu Lake, China’s third largest freshwater lake and the source of drinking water for 4 million Wuxi residents(居民),water from the city’s taps became dark and smelly.
“I can’t believe there is no water for drinking, let alone cooking and washing,”said Ｇu.
The lake was blanketed with the algae, giving off a strong smell of rotting meat. A stone thrown into it took a long time to sink. Experts said that algae usually boom because of hot water and rich chemicals like phosphor(磷)in the water.
“High temperature and a lack of rain in the past few months helped the growth of algae,”said Zhang Lijun, an official from the State Environment Protection Administration. “However, pollution from human activity should be most blamed for the disaster.”
Taihu Lake is surrounded by many small factories, whichsprang up in the 1980s.Inthe 1990s,many foreign-funded(外资的) companies joined in. The industries prospered(繁荣)，Wuxi has grown into one of the wealthiest cities in East China.
But that came at the price of pollution. The lake was treated like a waste dump(垃圾堆)，with factories emptying industrial waste and untreated sewage(污水)into it.
Although, after the government's effort, life in the city has gone back to normal, the one-week crisis（危机）rang a bell for the government and local people.“It's time to rebuild the beauty of nature, or our lives will be at risk,”said Gu.
“A safe environment comes first. Economic growth will be nothing without fresh water to drink and clean air to breathe.” said China Daily.The following can not help the blue green algae grow______
| A．high water temperature | B．rich chemicals in the water |
| C．a lack of rain | D．plentiful water and sunshine |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．The one-week disaster has made the local people realize the importance of building a beautiful city. |
| B．It is human activity rather than the algae that is to blame for the water pollution. |
| C．Only when the environment is safe and friendly can man live a better and healthier life. |
| D．Environment should be taken into consideration first if a city plans to develop its economic. |
According to the passage ,Taihu Lake________
| A．is the third largest lake in China. |
| B．is surrounded by many foreign-funded factories and companies. |
| C．used to be a waste dump. |
| D．suffered from industrial waste，untreated sewage and algae. |
The underlined phrase “sprang up” in the sixth paragraph means______
| A．develop quickly | B．produce goods quickly |
| C．come to life | D．grow up |
When a rather dirty, poorly dressed person kneels at your feet and puts out his hands to beg for a few coins, do you hurry on, not knowing what to do, or do you feel sad and hurriedly hand over some money? What should our attitude to beggars be? There can be no question that the world is full of terribly sad stories. It must be terrible to have no idea where our next meal is going to come from. It seems cruel not to give some money to beggars.
Certainly, most of the world’s great religions (宗教) order us to be open-hearted and share what we have with those less fortunate than ourselves. But has the world changed? Maybe what was morally (道德方面) right in the old days, when one knew exactly who in the village had suffered misfortune and needed help, is no longer the best idea. Quite a few people will not give to beggars. Let us look at their arguments.
First, some believe that many city beggars dress up on purpose to look pitiable and actually make a good living from begging. Giving to beggars only encourages this sort of evil (恶行). Secondly, there is the worry that the money you give will be spent on beer, wine or drugs. Thirdly, there is the opinion that there is no real excuse for begging. One might be poor, but that is no reason for losing one’s sense of pride and self-dependence.
Related to this is the opinion that the problem should be dealt with by the government rather than ordinary people. Some people think beggars should go to the local government department and receive help.
It is hard to come to any final conclusion; there are various cases and we must deal with them differently. A few coins can save a life in some situations, and even if the money is wasted, that does not take sway the moral goodness of the giver.What is mainly discussed in the passage?
| A．Moral deeds of people. |
| B．Religious activities of the church. |
| C．Moral goodness of the giver. |
| D．Arguments on giving to beggars. |
What can we infer from the sentence “But has the world changed?” in the second paragraph?
| A．People no longer know who suffers misfortune in the village. |
| B．Some people will not do what was morally right in the past. |
| C．We don’t meet with those who need help any more. |
| D．Now it is the government’s duty to help the beggars. |
Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?
| A．Some people dress up to pretend to be beggars. |
| B．Some beggars want money to help their children go to school. |
| C．Some beggars use the money to buy drugs. |
| D．Some beggars have no excuse for begging. |
In the last paragraph, the writer thinks that it is hard to come to any final conclusion, because .
| A．the cases can be so different |
| B．there are so many beggars |
| C．there is so much money wasted |
| D．there are so many different arguments |
Every day we go to school and listen to teachers, and the teacher will ask us some questions. Sometimes, the classmates will ask your opinions of the work of the class. When you are telling others in the class what you have found out about these topics, remember that they must be able to hear what you are saying. You are not taking part in a family conversation or having a chat with friends --- you are in a situation where a large group of people will remain silent, waiting to hear what you have to say. You must speak so that they can hear you loudly enough and clearly enough but without trying to shout or appearing to force yourself.
Remember, too, that it is the same if you are called to an interview whether it is with a professor of your school or a government official who might meet you. The person you are seeing will try to put you at your ease in ordinary conversation but the situation is somewhat different from that of an ordinary conversation. You must take special care that you can be heard.When you speak to the class, you should speak __________.
| A．as loudly as possible | B．in a low voice | C．loudly | D．forcefully |
The situation in the class is _________ that in your house.
| A．not very different from | B．sometimes the same as |
| C．sometimes not the same as | D．not the same as |
If you are having a conversation with an official, the most important thing for you is _____________.
| A．to show your ability | B．to be very gentle |
| C．to make sure that you can be heard | D．to put the official at ease |
The main idea of this passage is __________.
| A．that we must use different ways at different situations |
| B．that we must speak loudly |
| C．that we must keep silent at any time |
| D．that we must talk with the class |
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