Dieters are often advised to stop drinking alcohol to avoid the extra calories lurking in a glass of wine or a favorite cocktail．But new research suggests that women who regularly consume moderate(适度的)amounts of alcohol are less likely to gain weight than nondrinkers and are at lower risk for obesity(fatness)．
The findings, reported this week in the Archives of Internal Medicine, are based on a study of 19,220 United States women aged 30 to 40 who fall into the “normal weight” based on their body mass index．Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston tracked the women’s drinking habits over 13 years．About 60 percent of the women were light or regular drinkers, while about 40 percent reported drinking no alcohol．
Over the course of the study, 41 percent of the women became overweight．Although alcohol is packed with calories, the nondrinkers in the study actually gained more weight over time：nine pounds, on average, compared with an average gain of about three pounds among regular moderate drinkers．The risk of becoming overweight was almost 30 percent lower for women who consumed one or two alcohol drinks a day, compared with nondrinkers．
The findings are certain to be confusing for women who continue to receive conflicting messages about the health benefits and risks of alcohol．Although moderate drinking is associated with better heart health, regular drinking also increases breast cancer risk．
The trend toward less weight gain among drinkers doesn’t appear to hold true for men．A 2003 study of British men showed that regular drinkers gained more weight than nondrinkers．Studies suggest that drinking alcohol has different effects on eating habits among men and women．Men typically add alcohol to their daily caloric intake, whereas women are more likely to substitute(替代)alcohol for food．In addition, there may be differences in how men and women metabolize(代谢)alcohol．Metabolic studies show that after men drink alcohol, they experience little if any metabolic change．But alcohol appears to slightly speed up a woman’s metabolism．
The findings don’t mean women should rush to drink alcohol to lose weight．Other research shows that once a person is already overweight, her alcohol metabolism is more efficient, and so an overweight woman may gain more weight from alcohol than a lean(瘦的)woman．The data do, however, suggest that for many women facing weight problems, the extra calories are probably not coming from alcoholic drinks．
(1)
According to the study, which of the following regular drinker is less likely to gain weight than nondrinkers?
[ ]
A．
B．
C．
D．
(2)
That men regular drinkers gained more weight than women regular drinkers is due to the following except _________．
[ ]
A．
women are more likely to substitute alcohol for food．
B．
men drink alcohol much faster than women．
C．
men and women metabolize alcohol differently．
D．
men have different effects on eating habits with women．
(3)
The underlined word “whereas” may probably mean _________．
[ ]
A．
so
B．
in order that
C．
but
D．
and then
(4)
What can a dieter probably do before reading this passage?
Isaac Murphy, son of a slave and perhaps the greatest horse rider in American history, rides Buchanan to win his first Kentucky Derby．He becomes the first rider ever to win the race three times．
May 9, 1754
Benjamin Franklin’s Pennsylvania Gazette produces perhaps the first American political cartoon(漫画), showing a snake cut in pieces with the words “Join or Die” printed under the picture．
May 11, 1934
The first great dust storm of the Great Plains Dust Bowl, the result of years of drought(干旱), blows topsoil all the way to New York City and Washington, D．C．
May 19, 1994
Jacqueline Lee Bouvier Kennedy Onassis, former first lady and one of the most famous people of the 1960s died of cancer in New York City at the age of 64．
May 24, 1844
Samuel F．B Morse taps out the first message, “What hath God wrought, ” over the experimental long-distance telegraph line which runs from Washington, D．C．, to Baltimore, Md．
(1)
We know from the text that Buchanan is ________．
[ ]
A．
Isaac’s father
B．
a winning horse
C．
a slave taking care of horses
D．
the first racing horse in Kentucky
(2)
What is the title of the first American political cartoon?
[ ]
A．
Join or Die
B．
Pennsylvania Gazette
C．
What Hath God Wrought
D．
Kentucky Derby
(3)
In which year did the former first lady Jacqueline die?
[ ]
A．
1934．
B．
1960．
C．
1964．
D．
1994．
(4)
Which of the following places has to do with the first telegram in history?
[ ]
A．
Washington, D．C．
B．
New York City．
C．
Kentucky．
D．
Pennsylvania．
阅读理解
The world economy has run into a brick wall．Despite countless warnings in recent years about the need to address a potential hunger crisis in poor countries and an energy crisis worldwide, world leaders failed to think ahead．The result is a global food crisis．Wheat, corn and rice prices have more than doubled in the past two years．And oil prices have increased more than three times since the start of 2004．These food-price increases, combined with increasing energy costs, will slow if not stop economic growth in many parts of the world and will even affect political stability．Practical solutions to these problems do exist, but we'll have to start thinking ahead and acting globally．
Here are three steps to ease the current food crisis and avoid the potential for a global crisis．The first is to promote the dramatic success of Malawi, a country in southern Africa, which three years ago established a special fund to help its farmers get fertilizer and seeds with high productivity．Malawi's harvest doubled after just one year．An international fund based on the Malawi model would cost a mere ＄10 per person annually in the rich world, or ＄10 billion altogether
Second, the U．S．and Europe should abandon their policies of paying partly for the change of food into biofuels．The U．S．government gives farmers a taxpayer-financed payment of 51 cents per gallon of ethanol(乙醇)changed from corn．There may be a case for biofuels produced on lands that do not produce foods －tree crops, grasses and wood products－but there's no case for the government to pay to put the world's dinner into the gas tank．
Third, we urgently need to weather-proof die world's crops as soon and as effectively as possible．For a poor farmer, sometimes something as simple as a farm pond－which collects rainwater to be used in dry weather－can make the difference between a good harvest and a bad one．The world has already committed to establishing a Climate Adaptation Find to help poor regions climate-proof vital economic activities such as food production and health care but has not yet acted upon the promise．
(1)
An international fund based on the Malawi model would ________．
[ ]
A．
cost each of the developed countries ＄10 billion per year
B．
aim to double the harvest in southern African countries in a year
C．
decrease the food prices as well as the energy prices
D．
give poor farmers access to fertilizer and highly productive seeds
(2)
With the second step, the author expresses the idea that ________．
[ ]
A．
it is not wise to change food crops into gas
B．
it is misleading to put tree crops into the gas tank
C．
we should get alternative forms of fuel in any way
D．
biofuels should be developed on a large scale
(3)
Which of the following is true according to the passage?
[ ]
A．
A rain-collecting pond is simple safeguard against dry weather.
B．
A Climate Adaptation Fund has been established to help poor.
C．
The world has made a serious promise to build farm ponds.
D．
It makes a great difference whether we develop wood products or not.
(4)
In the passage, the author calls on us to ________．
[ ]
A．
slow down but not to stop economic growth
B．
develop tree crops, grasses and wood products
C．
achieve economic growth and political stability
D．
act now so as to relieve the global food shortage
阅读理解
Once upon a time the colors of the world started to quarrel．Green said,“Clearly I am the most important．I am the sign of life and hope．I was chosen for grass, trees and leaves．Without me, all animals would 1 ．”
Blue interrupted,“You only think about the 2 , but consider the sky and the sea． 3 the water that is the basis of life and drawn up by the clouds from the deep sea．Without my peace, you would all be 4 ．”
Yellow chuckled(笑道),“You are all so serious．I bring laughter, fun, and 5 into the world．”
Orange started next to blow her trumpet,“I am the color of health and strength．I may be 6 , but I am precious for I serve the needs of human life．When I fill the sky 7 , my beauty is so striking that no one gives another 8 to any of you．”
Red could stand it 9 and he shouted out,“I am the ruler of all of you．I am the color of danger and of bravery．I am willing to 10 truth．I am also the color of passion and of love．”
Then came Purple and Indigo(深蓝)…．
The colors went on boasting, each convinced of his or her own 11 ．Their quarreling became louder and louder．Suddenly there was a startling flash of bright lightening thunder．Rain started to pour down 12 ．The colors crouched(蜷缩)down 13 , drawing close to one another for comfort．
In the midst of the clamor(叫嚷), rain began to speak,“You foolish colors, fighting 14 yourselves, each trying to dominate 15 ．Don't you know that you were each made for a special purpose, 16 ?Join hands with 17 and come to me．”
Doing as they were told, the colors 18 and joined hands．They formed a colorful rainbow．From then on, whenever a good rain 19 the world, a rainbow appears in the sky．They remember to 20 one another．
