When doctors urge overweight kids to pick up more activities，reading probably isn’t what they have in mind. Yet a new study by fatness researchers at Duke University finds that the simple act of reading—depending on the choice of material—can cause weight loss in teenage girls.
The study’s experimental group included 31 fat girls aged 9 to 13，who took part in the Healthy Lifestyles Program at Duke Children’s Hospital. The girls read a novel called Lake Rescue，whose protagonist (主人公) is an overweight teenager who struggles with low selfesteem，feelings of loneliness and teasing because of her size. A group of 33 girls read a different book called Charlotte in Paris，which did not have an overweight character，and another group of 17 girls read neither book.
At the end of the sixmonth experiment，all the girls who read books had lost weight，but the girls who read Lake Rescue lost more. They lowered their body mass index (BMI) by 0.71，compared with 0.33 in the Charlotte group，an average 0.05 increase among the nonreaders.
The idea behind the study，says Dr Sarah Armstrong，director of Healthy Lifestyles，was to find a way to encourage the girls without adopting the restrictive and often authoritative voice of so many other nutrition and diet programs. Lake Rescue was the perfect instrument，says Armstrong；it presents a likable character to whom the girls could relate and whom they could learn from. As the book progresses，its protagonist learns to make healthier lifestyle choices and finds an adviser to help keep her on track. Armstrong says，“She learns that she can become healthier，and the ‘I can do it’ feeling resonates (产生共鸣) with the teenage girls.”
小题1:What’s the main idea of the passage?| A．There are different ways to help overweight kids lose weight. | | B．Lifestyle is important for kids. | | C．Lake Rescue is the perfect weightlosing instrument. | | D．Reading can help kids lose weight. |
小题2:How many girls took part in the experiment? 小题3:What does the underlined word “She” in the last paragraph refer to?| A．Armstrong. | B．The protagonist in Lake Rescue. | | C．A character in Charlotte in Paris. | D．A girl in the first group. |
小题4:According to the passage we can know that ________.| A．overweight girls are living unhappily | | B．reading is the best way to lose weight | | C．different reading materials play different roles in losing weight | | D．people will become fat if they don’t read |
小题5:In which part of a newspaper can we read the above passage?| A．Education. | B．Entertainment. | C．Health. | D．Advertisement. |
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小题1:D
小题2:D
小题3:B
小题4:C
小题5:C |
试题分析：这篇文章主要讲了阅读与减肥的关系。通过实验证明，不同的阅读材料在减肥中扮演着不同的角色。
小题1:根据Yet a new study by fatness researchers at Duke University finds that the simple act of reading—depending on the choice of material—can cause weight loss in teenage girls.故选D。
小题2:共有三组参加实验，人数分别是：31,33,17，把三组人数加起来. 故选D。
小题3:根据T As the book progresses，its protagonist learns to make healthier lifestyle choices and finds an adviser to help keep her on track.故选B。
小题4:根据At the end of the sixmonth experiment，all the girls who read books had lost weight，but the girls who read Lake Rescue lost more. They lowered their body mass index (BMI) by 0.71，compared with 0.33 in the Charlotte group，an average 0.05 increase among the nonreaders.故选C。
小题5:这篇文章主要是关于阅读与减肥的关系，所以这样的文章最可能出现在报纸的健康版块，故选C。
点评：要想答好题目，重在理解全文意思。这篇文章非常简单，先看问题，再带着问题读短文，找出各段落的主旨句，理解全文内容，总结全文中心，然后再回到问题上来，很容易选出正确答案。 |
核心考点
试题【When doctors urge overweight kids to pick up more activities，reading probably is】；主要考察你对
题材分类等知识点的理解。
[详细]举一反三
Hundreds of secondary schools are using a controversial reward scheme which “bribes” (贿赂)pupils with iPods and DVD players to turn up in classes and do homework.
Almost one million schoolchildren have been issued with supermarket-style reward cards which allow them to collect good-behavior “points” and cash them in for prizes.
Schools taking part in the “Vivo Miles” scheme are spending several thousand pounds a year in an attempt to cut truancy (逃学) and promote achievements. The prizes are ultimately funded by the taxpayer, through school budgets. Nearly 500 secondary schools, one in six, have decided to take part in the scheme, which is intended to replace old-style rewards such as stickers and golden stars.
But the extent of rewards being offered in schools brought a warning that a generation of children is growing up expecting to be rewarded at every stage. Many youngsters are collecting points for ordinary achievements such as remembering to bring their PE kit and wearing the correct uniform.
Under the scheme, teachers award Vivo points—worth 1 penny each—according to the school’s policy. Schools typically spend￡4 to￡6 on prizes per pupil each year, although some commit considerably more. Most pupils accumulate between 400 and 600 Vivos a year. Vivo Miles insists it is “pretty rare” for a pupil to accumulate enough points to buy an iPod, which requires 3,100 Vivos.
But Chris McGovern, chairman of the Campaign for Real Education, said the scheme amounted to “bribery”. “It misleads children into thinking anything which requires effort has to have a special reward,” he said. “This ‘all must have prizes’ view is damaging to children in the long-term.” The scheme amounted to an “admission of failure” by schools. He said. “It shows a school has failed to convince children education is important.”
小题1:The “Vivo Miles” scheme is aimed at ______________.| A．increasing the income of the school | | B．encouraging students to perform well at school | | C．inviting more students to attend the school nearby | | D．encouraging parents to donate to the school |
小题2:The underlined word “controversial” in the first paragraph can be replaced by __________.| A．arguable | B．practical | C．strange | D．mature |
小题3:Those who oppose the “Vivo Miles” scheme think ______________.| A．it helps control the problem of truancy | | B．it teaches children the importance of saving | | C．it will mislead children about efforts and rewards | | D．it’s not easy to get more than 600 Vivos a year |
小题4:What’s the writer’s attitude towards the scheme?| A．Supportive. | B．Opposed. | C．Unconcerned. | D．Objective. |
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If you have ever been rock climbing, you will know that it is not a very easy sport. In fact, you probably felt quite defeated when you first tried to do any serious climbing. Indoor and outdoor rock climbing are both extremely demanding and require practice to get good at. It is one of the most physically and mentally demanding sports.
There are three basic types of rock climbing. Top roping is the most common type and the climber need to climb with a partner. The second type, which is very similar to top roping, is called lead climbing. In both of the types, the climber can sit off the wall and rest on the rope. The third type is called bouldering. Bouldering is a type of free climbing without any ropes. This is the most demanding of all climbing types. The climber must be able to complete the climbing without taking a rest on the rope.
Believe it or not, climbing is said to be about 75% legs and only 25% arms. To climb efficiently and successfully, a person needs to have a wonderful technique. One of the major rules of rock climbing is to always have three points touching the wall, whether it is both feet and one hand, or one foot and both hands, as it is much easier to have your weight cases will not do the climbing; they only hold you into the wall so that your legs are actually pushing you upward. Also, the closer you are to the wall, the easier it is to climb.
Rock climbing may sound a bit too extreme for the everyday person, but it is really an amazing workout. Once you get into the sport, and learn how to position your body and rest your weight, then you can begin to deal with some difficult problems. The great thing about rock climbing is that it is mentally challenging as well. You are constantly analyzing the way your body moves and how to do certain moves on the wall. For anyone who wants to get into shape, rock climbing is a fun and effective way to exercise muscles.
小题1:What does the author think of rock climbing?| A．It is an easy sport. | B．It is challenging. | | C．It is quite dangerous. | D．It is extremely difficult. |
小题2:From the text we know that _____________.| A．indoor rock climbing is much easier than outdoor rock climbing | | B．while rock climbing, people depend mainly on their arms | | C．ordinary people can practise rock climbing | | D．during climbing, the climber can always stop for a rest |
小题3:While climbing, it is much easier for a rock climber if he __________.| A．takes a rope | B．has a partner | | C．has three points touching the wall | D．uses feet more often |
小题4:__________ will make rock climbing easier.| A．Keeping the body closer to the wall | | B．Resting more often on the arms | | C．Resting more often on the feet | | D．Pushing forward without thinking of the problems |
小题5:By rock climbing, one can _______.| A．get more weight and stronger muscles | | B．get both physical and mental exercises | | C．have a terrible experience that will last long | | D．probably feel quite defeated |
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On August 26, 1999, New York City was struck by a terrible rainstorm. The rain caused the streets to 36 and the subway system almost came to a stop.
Unfortunately, this happened during the morning rush hour. Many people who were going to work were 37 to go home. Some battled to 38 a taxi or to get on a bus. Still others faced the 39 bravely, walking miles to get to work.
I 40 to be one of people on the way to work that morning. I went from subway line to subway line only to find that most 41 had stopped. After making my way 42 crowds of people, I finally found a subway line that was 43. Unfortunately, there were so many people waiting to 44 the subway that I could not even get down the stairs to the 45 . So I took the train going in the opposite direction, and then switched back to the downtown train.
Finally, after what seemed like forever, the train 46 my stop. Then I had to walk several blocks in the increasingly heavy rain. When I finally got to my office, I was 47 through, exhausted and 48 .
My co-workers and I spent most of the day drying off. When it was 5:00 pm, I was ready to go home. I was about to turn off my computer 49 I received an email from Garth, my Director:
I would like to thank all of you who made the effort and 50 went to work. It is always reassuring(令人欣慰), at times like these, when employees so clearly show their 51 to their jobs. Thank you.
Garth’s email was short, but I learned more from that 52 message than I ever did from a textbook. The email taught me that a few words of 53 can make a big difference. The rainstorm and the traffic 54 had made me tired and upset. But Garth’s words immediately 55 me and put a smile back on my face.
| 小题1: | | A．confusion | B．flood | C．sink | D．crash |
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| 小题2: | | A．forced | B．refused | C．approached | D．gathered |
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| 小题3: | | A．order | B．pay | C．call | D．search |
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| 小题4: | | A．climate | B．scenery | C．storm | D．burden |
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| 小题5: | | A．occurred | B．promised | C．deserved | D．happened |
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| 小题6: | | A．practice | B．travel | C．process | D．service |
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| 小题8: | | A．running | B．cycling | C．turning | D．rushing |
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| 小题9: | | A．get off | B．take off | C．take on | D．get on |
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| 小题10: | | A．street | B．ground | C．floor | D．platform |
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| 小题11: | | A．paused | B．crossed | C．reached | D．parked |
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| 小题13: | | A．ashamed | B．discouraged | C．surprised | D．helpless |
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| 小题14: | | A．while | B．when | C．where | D．after |
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| 小题15: | | A．hardly | B．definitely | C．absolutely | D．finally |
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| 小题16: | | A．devotion | B．permission | C．concern | D．reaction |
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| 小题17: | | A．exact | B．urgent | C．brief | D．humorous |
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| 小题18: | | A．promise | B．appreciation | C．admiration | D．guidance |
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| 小题19: | | A．troubles | B．signals | C．rules | D．signs |
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| 小题20: | | A．corrected | B．supported | C．amazed | D．refreshed |
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At least 10 million hectares of cultivated（耕作）land in China are polluted, which makes a grave threat to the country’s food safety, the Xinhua News Agency reported on Friday.
The polluted land，which is mostly in economically developed areas，accounts for one-tenth of the country’s total arable（可耕种的）land，according to an incomplete survey by the State Environmental Protection Administration，China’s top environment watchdog.
Pollution on cultivated land threatens the environment，food safety and the sustainable development of agriculture，the administration said.
Because of continual，too much use of chemical fertilizer, pesticide and agricultural plastic sheeting, as well as irrigation using polluted water, a large amount of contaminants（污染物）remain in the cultivated land.
The contaminants affect the soil’s ecological structure and function，leading to decreased soil productivity, lower crop yield（产量），and lower quality of agricultural products-
It also leads to worse water quality in rural areas.
Less than 9 per cent of drinkable water passed checks for bacteria in243 rural water supply stations across the county.
Another survey, which took samples of drinking water and groundwater an 69 small towns。 in Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei Province of North，China, showed that more than half of the water contains too much nitrate（硝酸盐），which may cause diabetes（糖尿病）and damage the kidney.
The administration estimated at least 1 90 million farmers are drinking water that contains harmful substances.
Many villagers drink unfiltered water taken from shallow water wells or water cellars， which are reported to have poor sanitary conditions·
小题1:The author writes the passage to . | A．1et the readers examine their mistakes | | B．present the readers a new idea | | C．come up with a solution to ending farmland pollution | | D．inform the readers of the importance of fighting farmland pollution |
小题2:The underlined word “grave” in Paragraph 1 probably means| A．serious | B．certain | C．big | D．terrible |
小题3:Pollution on cultivated land leads to the following outcomes EXCEPT . | A．a threat to China’s food safety | | B．worse water quality in rural areas | | C．a variety of diseases | | D．the sustainable development of agriculture |
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Zoo elephants don’t live as long as those in the wild, according to a study sure to cause debate about keeping the giant animals on display. Researchers compared the life spans of elephants in European zoos with those living in Amboseli National Park in Kenya and others working on a timber enterprise in Buma. Animals in the wild or in natural working conditions had life expectancies twice than or more of their relatives in zoos.
Animal care activists have urged in recent years to discourage keeping elephants in zoos, largely because of the lack of space and small numbers of animals that can be kept in a group.
The researchers found that the median life span for African elephants in European zoos was 16.9 years, compared with 56 years for elephants who died of natural causes in Kenya’s Amboseli Park. Adding in those elephants killed by people in Africa lowered the median life expectancy there to 35.9 years. For the more endangered Asian elephants, the median life span in European zoos was 18.9 years, compared with 41.7 years for those working in the Burma Timber Enterprise. Median means half died younger than that age and half lived longer.
There is some good news, though. The life expectancies of zoo elephants have improved in recent years, suggesting an improvement in their care and raising, but “Protecting elephants in Africa and Asia is far more successful than protecting them in Western zoos.”
There are about 1,200 elephants in zoos, half in Europe, researchers concentrated on female elephants, which make up 80 percent of the zoo population. One amazing thing was that Asian elephants born in zoos had shorter life spans that those brought to the zoos from the wild.
Zoos usually lack large areas that elephants are used to in the wild, and that zoo animals often are alone or with one or two other unrelated animals, while in the wild they tend to live in related groups of 8 to 12 animals. In Asian elephants, baby death rates are two to three times higher in zoos than in the Burmese logging camps, and then, in adulthood, zoo-born animals die young. People are not sure why.
小题1:What is argued about in this passage?| A．Zoo elephants don’t live as long as those in the wild. | | B．Elephants should not be on display. | | C．Asian elephants are in danger. | | D．Asia is far more successful in protecting elephants in zoos. |
小题2:What does the underlined word “median” mean according to the passage?| A．Average | B．Longest. | C．Shortest. | D．Ordinary. |
小题3:Which of the following is Not the disadvantage of keeping elephants in zoos?| A．Limited number of relatives. | B．Lack of space. | | C．Shorter life expectancy. | D．Less attention. |
小题4:Who are expected to pay more attention to the issue addressed?| A．Zoologists. | B．Animal care activists. | | C．Zoo visitors. | D．The public. |
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