We know that sugary sodas aren’t good for our bodies. Now it turns out that they may not be good for our minds, either. A new study of more than 260,000 people has found a link between sweetened soft-drinks and depression, and diet sodas may be making matters worse.

Americans drink far more sodas than people in other countries— as much as 170 liters per person per year. But the impact of this study isn’t limited to the United States. “Sweetened drinks, coffee and tea are commonly consumed worldwide and have important physical consequences. And they may have important mental-health consequences as well,” study author Dr Honglei Chen said in a statement.

The study studied 263,925 people between the ages of 50 and 71. Researchers followed their consumption of drinks like soda, tea coffee, and other soft drinks from 1995 to 1996 and then. 10 years later, asked them if they had been diagnosed with depression since the year 2000. More than 11,3000 of them had.

Participants who drank more than four servings of sodas per day were 30 percent more likely to develop depression than participants who did not drink sodas at all. People who stuck with fruit punch(鸡尾酒), had a 38 percent higher risk than people who didn’t drink sweetened drinks. And all that extra sugar isn’t the actual problem. Researchers say that the artificial sweetener aspartame may be to blame.

The study found a link but could not surely determine whether sodas and other sweet soft drinks cause depression. Still, the results “are consistent with a small but growing body of evidence suggesting that artificially sweetened beverages may be linked to poor health outcomes.”

But there’s a bright side for those who can’t live without their daily sodas. Adults who drank coffee had a 10 percent lower risk of depression compared to people who didn’t drink any coffee, according to the study. “Our research suggests that cutting out or down on sweetened diet drinks or replacing them with unsweetened coffee may naturally help lower your depression risk,” said Chen.

1.What has the new study of more than 260,000 people found?

A. Sugary sodas aren’t good for the physical health of old people.

B. Americans have a special tooth for sweet foods.

C. Sweetened soft-drinks may increase the risk of depression.

D. Sweetened soft-drinks have important physical consequences.

2.What do we know about the process of the study?

A. About twenty-six thousand people participated in it.

B. The oldest participants were below 80 when the study was over.

C. Most of the participants had depression when the study was over.

D. The study lasted more than ten years from the beginning to the end.

3.We infer that the underlined word “aspartame” in Paragraph 4 refers to something that _____.

A. can reduce the harm of sweetened drinks

B. is used to reduce the risk of depression

C. is mainly used to make fruit punch

D. is used to make something .sweet

4.It is implied in the passage that ______.

A. more research is needed to confirm the new findings

B. the new findings aren’t consistent with any previous findings

C. cutting one’s sodas intake will surely reduce one’s depression

D. the new findings won’t have an impact on people’s drinking habits

5.What should you drink in order to reduce the risk of depression?

A.Sodas.

B.Unsweetened coffee.

C.Sugary coffee.

D.Fruit punch.

We know that sugary sodas aren’t good for our bodies. Now it turns out that they may not be good for our minds, either. A new study of more than 260,000 people has found a link between sweetened soft-drinks and depression, and diet sodas may be making matters worse.

Americans drink far more sodas than people in other countries— as much as 170 liters per person per year. But the impact of this study isn’t limited to the United States. “Sweetened drinks, coffee and tea are commonly consumed worldwide and have important physical consequences. And they may have important mental-health consequences as well,” study author Dr Honglei Chen said in a statement.

The study studied 263,925 people between the ages of 50 and 71. Researchers followed their consumption of drinks like soda, tea coffee, and other soft drinks from 1995 to 1996 and then. 10 years later, asked them if they had been diagnosed with depression since the year 2000. More than 11,3000 of them had.

Participants who drank more than four servings of sodas per day were 30 percent more likely to develop depression than participants who did not drink sodas at all. People who stuck with fruit punch(鸡尾酒), had a 38 percent higher risk than people who didn’t drink sweetened drinks. And all that extra sugar isn’t the actual problem. Researchers say that the artificial sweetener aspartame may be to blame.

The study found a link but could not surely determine whether sodas and other sweet soft drinks cause depression. Still, the results “are consistent with a small but growing body of evidence suggesting that artificially sweetened beverages may be linked to poor health outcomes.”

But there’s a bright side for those who can’t live without their daily sodas. Adults who drank coffee had a 10 percent lower risk of depression compared to people who didn’t drink any coffee, according to the study. “Our research suggests that cutting out or down on sweetened diet drinks or replacing them with unsweetened coffee may naturally help lower your depression risk,” said Chen.

1.What has the new study of more than 260,000 people found?

A. Sugary sodas aren’t good for the physical health of old people.

B. Americans have a special tooth for sweet foods.

C. Sweetened soft-drinks may increase the risk of depression.

D. Sweetened soft-drinks have important physical consequences.

2.What do we know about the process of the study?

A. About twenty-six thousand people participated in it.

B. The oldest participants were below 80 when the study was over.

C. Most of the participants had depression when the study was over.

D. The study lasted more than ten years from the beginning to the end.

3.We infer that the underlined word “aspartame” in Paragraph 4 refers to something that _____.

A. can reduce the harm of sweetened drinks

B. is used to reduce the risk of depression

C. is mainly used to make fruit punch

D. is used to make something .sweet

4.It is implied in the passage that ______.

A. more research is needed to confirm the new findings

B. the new findings aren’t consistent with any previous findings

C. cutting one’s sodas intake will surely reduce one’s depression

D. the new findings won’t have an impact on people’s drinking habits

5.What should you drink in order to reduce the risk of depression?

A. Sodas.

B: Unsweetened coffee.

C. Sugary coffee.

D. Fruit punch.

The main course served in American meals is usually meat, fish, or poultry, but rarely is more than one of these served as a first course.

Most Americans eat breakfast and lunch quickly unless it is social, business, or family occasion. The evening meal, however, is usually longer and a time for the family to gather together. Rushing through daytime meals is part of the fast pace in America. Another reason for rushing through day-time meals is that many people eat breakfast and lunch in restaurants that are usually crowded with people waiting for a place so that they, too, can be served and return to work at the proper time. So each one hurries to make room for the next person. As with busy people everywhere there is a real difference between a meal that is eaten in a hurry and one that can be enjoyed with friends during one’s leisure.

1.  In America, salads are very popular and are served especially ________________.

A. in the winter

B. in the summer

C. at lunch

D. at dinner

2. When dining out, you can ask for________________.

A. tea or coffee

B. wine or beer

C. whatever you want

D. whatever is being served

3. When eating in a private home, it is considered good manners to ________________.

A. take whatever is being served

B. take whatever you want

C. ask for something different

D. ask the hostess to choose for you

4. At one meal, the first main course is often ________________.

A. meat, fish or poultry

B. either meat or fish

C. meat, fish and poultry but no seafood

D. none of the meat, fish and poultry

5. Which one of the following is NOT a reason why most Americans rush through daytime meals?

A. It is their pace of life.

B. Their time is limited.

C. They do not like the mild tasting food.

D. They should make room for other people.

In general, American food is mild tasting; most Americans do not season their food to any great degree. Salads are very popular and are served all year, especially in the summer. Waiters tend to assume that everyone drinks coffee, but simply tell them if they want something else. If a waiter says “Now or later?” he means “Do you want coffee with your meal or after it?” Many, but certainly not all, Americans drink coffee or tea with their meals. Either way is perfectly acceptable. When dining out, you can ask for tea, milk, coke, wine or beer if you prefer. Restaurants can only serve beer, wine or other alcoholic drinks if they have a license, that is, permission from the local government to serve alcoholic drinks. Normally, when eating in a private home, it is considered good manners to take whatever is served and not to ask for something different, unless the hostess gives you a choice.

The main course served in American meals is usually meat, fish, or poultry, but rarely is more than one of these served as a first course.

Most Americans eat breakfast and lunch quickly unless it is social, business, or family occasion. The evening meal, however, is usually longer and a time for the family to gather together. Rushing through daytime meals is part of the fast pace in America. Another reason for rushing through day-time meals is that many people eat breakfast and lunch in restaurants that are usually crowded with people waiting for a place so that they, too, can be served and return to work at the proper time. So each one hurries to make room for the next person. As with busy people everywhere there is a real difference between a meal that is eaten in a hurry and one that can be enjoyed with friends during one’s leisure.

1.  In America, salads are very popular and are served especially ________________.

A. in the winter

B. in the summer

C. at lunch

D. at dinner

2. When dining out, you can ask for________________.

A. tea or coffee

B. wine or beer

C. whatever you want

D. whatever is being served

3. When eating in a private home, it is considered good manners to ________________.

A. take whatever is being served

B. take whatever you want

C. ask for something different

D. ask the hostess to choose for you

4. At one meal, the first main course is often ________________.

A. meat, fish or poultry

B. either meat or fish

C. meat, fish and poultry but no seafood

D. none of the meat, fish and poultry

5. Which one of the following is NOT a reason why most Americans rush through daytime meals?

A. It is their pace of life.

B. Their time is limited.

C. They do not like the mild tasting food.

D. They should make room for other people.