We’ve all seen them:perfectly toned famous people on late-night television telling us that we too can develop rock-hard abdominal muscles(腹肌).It’s easy! Just pay $149.99 for the Torso Track or $149.75 for the Ad-Doer and watch those unwanted inches leave your waist.Americans spend tens of millions of dollars on various products to firm up their fat around the waist.And did they work? Not necessarily.Independent studies have concluded that most of these products-no matter who approved them or how expensive they are-shape your midsection no better than old-fashioned stomach crunches(仰卧起坐).Some can even cause injury-like the $518.99 Body Shaper-Q8SP, which left electrical burns on some researchers at the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse.Others, like the popular Ab-Doer, typically burn less energy than a gentle walk, according to a study to be published in September by the American Council on Exercise.
The fact is that many Americans don’t have the biological makeup to develop an obvious abdominal muscles.They are either unable to get the necessary muscle mass or they can’t lose enough fat to make a difference.Even if the underlying muscles are well developed, all it takes to hide it is one-sixteenth of an inch of fat.That’s enough to exclude most healthy women as well as plenty of guys who do crunches every day.
So what works best? In its new study, the exercise experts researched on the results of the popular Ab-Doer.A lengthy TV advertisement promises that just 10 minutes a day performing such movements as “Body Boogies” and “Good Mornings” will “help form those muscles the fun and easy way without diets.” Steven Loy, professor at California State University, Northridge, tested the promise by measuring the electrical activity produced by the abdominal muscles during three Ab-Doer movements.He and his colleagues then compared the results with those produced during traditional exercises.They determined that the muscles were no more active, and in some cases less so, when exercisers were using the Ab-Doer.
Taking a broader approach, researchers at San Diego State University compared 13 abdominal exercises for their ability to develop the central abdominal muscles.They concluded, in a report published in May, that the most effective exercises kept turning the body and worked the muscles the entire time.Among the winners:the bicycle movements-so called because it looks as if you are riding a bike while lying flat on the floor-and exercises performed on the “Captain’s Chair”, a product typically found in gyms that helps hold the body in the air while you raise your legs up toward your chest.Researchers suggested that a varied routine of the different exercises could deliver the best results.
(1)
Which of the following is the most effective in building abdominal muscles?
[ ]
A.
Torso Track.
B.
Ab-Doer.
C.
Captain’s Chair.
D.
Body Shaper-Q8SP.
(2)
According to the author, it’s difficult for many Americans to get visible firm abdominal muscles mainly because _______.
[ ]
A.
they do not put in enough efforts
B.
injuries interrupt their exercise frequently
C.
they change their exercise routine regularly
D.
how big their muscles will be is determined by birth
(3)
The author convinces the readers by ________.
[ ]
A.
describing successful cases
B.
offering professional suggestions
C.
presenting findings of researches
D.
comparing advertisements of products
(4)
What’s the main purpose of this passage?
[ ]
A.
To research and develop in order to create the perfect stomach and exercise machine.
B.
To promote proven exercise techniques and to advise against false advertisements.
C.
To indicate that diet and exercises are necessary factors for a fit midsection.
D.
To sponsor rich healthy lifestyle based on advanced product research.
阅读理解
When you donate blood, a small amount is usually taken in advance to test your blood type.If you are O+, the O is your ABO type and the+is your Rh type.It is possible to be A,B,AB, or O as well as Rh+or Rh-.
The ABO system was discovered by Karl Landsteiner in the early 1900s.He was awarded the Nobel Prize for his achievements.There are four basic types of blood in the ABO system:A,B,AB and O.Everybody is born with one of these four types of blood.We get blood type, just like hair color and height from parents.Because of the substances(物质)contained in each type, the four groups must be transfused carefully.If two different blood types are mixed together, it may put a person into an extremely dangerous situation.Basically, A and B cannot be mixed.A and B cannot receive AB, but AB may receive A or B.In an emergency, type O blood can be given because it is most likely to be accepted by all blood types,so it is often called the universal donor.However,there is still a risk.For the opposite reason,AB is sometimes called the universal receiver.However,because there can be so many reactions in transfusions,patients usually receive only salt until their blood can be matched as exactly as possible in the blood bank of the hospital.
There is a relationship between your blood type and your nationality.Among the Europeans, about 45 percent have type O while 42 percent have type A.The rarest is type AB.Other races have different percentage.For example, some American Indian groups have nearly 100 percent type out of 100 donors in the world.
(1)
Which of the following shown the correct relationships in blood transfusions?
[ ]
A.
B.
C.
D.
(2)
The underlined word “transfuse” most probably means ________.
[ ]
A.
to put the blood into a container
B.
to move the blood from one place to another
C.
to put the blood of one person into the body of another
D.
to give power to another person
(3)
The text mainly tells us ________.
[ ]
A.
about the basic types of human blood
B.
what kind of blood is the most common
C.
about Karl Landsteiner who won the Nobel Prize
D.
the relationship between blood type and nationality