题目内容
Since 1950, the amount of information about the nutrition of food has increased by nearly 900 percent. Besides this fact, obesity has risen by 214 percent and nearly two out of every three adults in America are overweight or obese. Being overweight is not only an appearance problem, and it also increases the risk of various diseases including diabetes, sleep disorder and cancer.
With so much nutritional knowledge easy to find, we cannot simply ignore our present obesity epidemic(流行病). We know that fruits and vegetables are rich in vitamin. Though we are overweight, many of us choose junk food over healthy food out of habits. One explanation for our strong desire for junk food is that we learn to connect junk food with positive feelings when we are young, and changing this attitude requires a huge amount of confidence and determination. Fortunately, new research published in May 2012 has shown a simple and accessible way to make healthier food choices- the one that doesn’t rely on great determination.
The research was based on two separate studies and it was carried out by T. Bettina Cornwell of the University of Oregon and Anna R. McAlister of Michigan State University. In the first study, 60 adults between the ages of 19 and 23 were questioned about the role of food and drinks. The survey tells us that adults prefer sweetened drinks with high-calorie, salty foods, to sweetened drinks with vegetables.
In the second study, 75 children between the ages of 3 and 5 were gathered for some experiments including drinks served with vegetables. The preschooler experiments were carried out under different situations and on different days. The researchers found that the children chose to take more green vegetables when they were served with water instead of a sweetened drink.
According to Cornwell, children learn to connect high calorie, sugary drinks such as cola, with high fat foods such as French fries, from a very early age. McAlister adds that early taste development appears to play an important role in food choices later in life. Meals served at home and meals offered at restaurants, set the stage for this idea and for the preference to choose junk food over healthy food, when beginning to take sweetened drinks.
“Our taste preferences are heavily influenced by regularly eating particular food and drinking particular drink,” states Cornwell. “If the drink on the table goes against both adults and children eating their vegetables, then perhaps it is time to change that drink… and to serve water with all meals. Restaurants could easily use water as free drink for children’s meals and charge extra money for other drinks.” Both McAlister and Cornwell are confident that serving water with meals could effectively reduce the nation’s obesity rates, diabetes rates and ever rising healthcare costs.
1.What may cause the risk of diseases according to the text?
A．Over nutrition. B．Obesity. C．Unbalance diets. D．Junk food.
2.What makes many of us choose junk food according to the author?
A．Positive feelings about food. B．High calorie of junk food.
C．Nice taste. D．Eating habits.
3.The underlined word “accessible” in Paragraph 2 means”_________”.
A．quick B．useful C．easy to change D．easy to get
4.From Paragraph5, we know that __________.
A．children may like sugary and high-calorie drinks even from an early age
B．early preference for food and drink may influence food choices later in life
C．easy preference for drinks should not be allowed in most of the restaurants
D．restaurants should provide the same food and drink as those at home
5.Which would be the best title for this text?
A．Stop children drinking sugary drinks
B．Drink water to eat more healthy
C．Change eating habits to lose weight
D．Eat healthy food at home
1.B
2.D
3.D
4.B
5.B
【解析】
试题分析：本文论述了现在有很多人是过于肥胖，它很有可能引起一些疾病的发生。经调查发现肥胖的发生跟人们的饮食习惯有很大的关系。文章最后指出为了吃的更加健康吃饭时应喝一些水。
1.细节理解题。根据Being overweight is not only an appearance problem, and it also increases the risk of various diseases including diabetes, sleep disorder and cancer.肥胖有可能导致一些疾病，故选B。
2.细节理解题。根据One explanation for our strong desire for junk food is that we learn to connect junk food with positive feelings when we are young, and changing this attitude requires a huge amount of confidence and determination.这是年轻时养成的习惯引起的，故选D。
3.细节理解题。根据to make healthier food choices- the one that doesn’t rely on great determination.故选D
4.细节理解题。根据hat early taste development appears to play an important role in food choices later in life. 早期的饮食可能对后来的生活有很大的影响，故选B。
5.标题归纳题。根据serving water with meals could effectively reduce the nation’s obesity rates, diabetes rates and ever rising healthcare costs.故选B。
考点：健康保健类短文阅读。
点评：文章标题是文章的点睛之笔。标题归纳题在英语阅读理解题中属深层理解题，它要求考生在通读全文的基础上，准确把握文章大意及作者的写作意图。一般说来，标题应该具有概括性、针对性、简洁性三个突出特点。其中概括性，是指标题应最大程度地覆盖全文，囊括文章的主要内容，体现文章的主题；针对性，是指标题的含义要直接指向文章的主要特点；而简洁性，则是指标题应言简意赅，能吸引读者的注意力，并唤起读者对文章的阅读兴趣等。
A recent study of ancient and modern elephants has come up with the unexpected conclusion that the African elephant is divided into two distinct (不同的) species
The discovery was made by researchers at York and Harvard universities when they were examining the genetic relationship between the ancient woolly mammoth and mastodon to modern elephants—the Asian elephant, African forest elephant and African savanna elephant
Once they obtained DNA sequences (序列) from two fossils (化石)，mammoths and mastodons the team compared them with DNA from modern elephants. They found to their amazement that modern forest and savanna elephants are as distinct from each other as Asian elephants and mammoths.
The scientists used detailed genetic analysis to prove that the African savanna elephants and the African forest elephants have been distinct species for several million years. The divergence of the two species took place around the time of the divergence of Asian elephants and woolly mammoths. This result amazed all the scientists.
There has long been debate in the scientific community that the two might be separate species but this is the most convincing scientific evidence so far that they are indeed different species.
Previously, many naturalists believed that African savanna elephants and African forest elephants were two populations of the same species despite the elephants’ significant size differences. The savanna elephant has an average shoulder height of 3.5metres while the forest elephant has an average shoulder height of 2.5metres. The savanna elephant weighs between six and seven tons, roughly double the weight of the forest elephant. But the fact that they look so different does not necessarily mean they are different species. However, the proof lay in the analysis of the DNA.
Alfred Roca, assistant professor in the department of Animal Sciences at the University of Minois, said, “We now have to treat the forest and savanna elephants as two different units for conservation purpose. Since 1950 all African elephants have been conserved as one species. Now that we know the forest and savanna elephants are two very distinct animals, the forest elephant should become a bigger priority (优先)for conservation purpose .”
【小题1】
One of the fossils studied by the researchers is that of ________.
| A．the Asian elephant | B．the forest elephant |
| C．the savanna elephant | D．the mastodon elephant |
The underlined word “divergence” in paragraph 4means “________”
| A．evolution | B．exhibition | C．separation | D．examination |
The researcher’s conclusion was based on a study of the African elephant’s ____________
| A．DNA | B．height | C．weight | D．population |
What were Alfred Roca’s words mainly about?
| A．The conversation of African elephants. |
| B．The purpose of studying African elephants |
| C．The way to divide African elephants into two units |
| D．The reason for the distinction of African elephants |
Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?
| A．Naturalist’s Belief about Elephants. | B．Amazing Experiment about Elephants |
| C．An Unexpected Finding about Elephants | D．A Long scientific Debate about Elephants |