2. The eyewitness gave an a________ of the traffic accident.

1. The s________ of this play is laid in Ireland.

12. Can all the diet foods make people lose weight?

____________________________________.

答案与提示

11. How do customers buy food from co-ops?

_________________________________________.

10. Convenience foods are popular with people who ___________________________________.

9. The disadvantages of convenience foods are _______________________________________.

8. What do you want to do to keep yourself healthier?

C

Healthy Diets

Instead of buying only fresh foods, Americans nowadays buy many more convenience foods. There are foods which are already partly or completely prepared. Many of them are frozen, such as frozen dinner, heat-and-serve French fries, and frozen pizzas. There are also many canned (put in a can) convenience foods, such as ready-made spaghetti (意大利细条实心面), soups, stews (炖熟菜肴), and vegetables.

Convenience foods save time and trouble. They are popular with people who are busy or who don’t like to cook or wash dishes. But they often cost more than fresh, unprepared foods and may contain artificial additives (a chemical added to the food). Also, many people feel they don’t taste as good as home cooked foods.

Health food and Co-ops

In the 1960s, a “back-to-the-earth” movement was started by young people in the United States. The movement was a reaction against the harmful effects of technology. From the movement came a new understanding of food and health. Many people now prefer natural and organic (chemical-free) foods to the prepared foods sold in health food stores and in food co-ops, which are small stores and where customers help manage the store. In co-ops, food is usually not packaged. Customers bring their own bags and jars and scoop (汲取) their food out of boxes or baskets.

The Diet Craze (节食热)

　　　 These days Americans are more and more concerned with their weight. Perhaps as many as 70 million Americans are on weight dollar business. American supermarkets sell a variety of diet foods such as diet soft drinks, diet candy, and diet salad dressings. Dieters also spend money on diet pills, exercise machines, and jogging suits (健美服). Each year dozens of new diets are popularized. They have such names as the Miracle Diet (a supernatural even), the Nine Day Wonder Diet, and the Easy 24 Hour Diet. There is even one called the Ice Cream Diet, which advises the dieter to eat only ice cream for lunch and dinner. For dieters who cannot lose weight on their own, there are many well-organized diet groups, which offer help and encouragement.

7. What do you think is your normal body weight?

6. In your opinion, which is a better way, diet or exercise?