Deborah Cohen is a senior natural scientist at the Rand Corp and the author of the book A Big Fat Crisis: The Hidden Forces Behind the Obesity Epidemic and How We Can End It. According to the book, there are lots of misunderstandings of obesity.

1.If you’re obese, blame your genes.

Obesity rates have increased. Yet, between 1980 and 2000, the number of Americans who are obese has doubled—too quickly for genetic factors to be responsible.

At restaurants, a dollar puts more calories on our plates than ever before, because restaurant meals usually have more calories than what we prepare at home, so people who eat out more frequently have higher rates of obesity than those who eat out less.

2.If you’re obese, you lack self-control.

Research shows that if we are faced with too much information, we have a tendency to make poor dietary choices. Our world has become so rich in temptation that we can be led to consume too much in ways we can’t understand. Even the most vigilant (警觉的) people may not be up to the task of controlling themselves.

3.Lack of access to fresh fruits and vegetables is responsible for obesity.

Although the US Department of Agriculture estimates that fewer than 5 percent of Americans live in the “food deserts”, about 65 percent of the nation’s population is overweight or obese. For most of us, obesity is not related to access to more fresh fruits and vegetables, but to the choices we make in supermarkets.

4.The problem is not that we eat too much, but that we don’t exercise.

Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” campaign is based on the idea that if kids exercise more, childhood obesity rates will decrease. But there was no significant decrease in physical activity levels as obesity rates climbed in the 1980s and 1990s. In fact, although a drop in work-related physical activity may account for up to 100 fewer calories burned, leisure physical activity appears to have increased. The problem is that we eat too much.

1.The author mentioned Deborah Cohen’s book in Paragraph 1 to _______.

A. introduce the topic

B. advise readers to buy books

C. introduce the author of the book

D. advertise the book

2.What is the relationship between obesity and the place where you eat?

A. The less you eat out, the higher rates of obesity you have.

B. The less you eat at home, the lower rates of obesity you have.

C. The more you eat out, the higher rates of obesity you have.

D. The more you eat at home, the higher rates of obesity you have.

3.What’s the best title of this passage?

A. Four misunderstandings of obesity

B. Four rules to help you avoid obesity

C. Obesity leads to a big fat crisis

D. Lacking self-control leads to obesity

Grandparents Answer a Call

As a third-generation native of Brownsville, Texas, Mildred Garza never planned to move away. Even when her daughter and son asked her to move to San Antonio to help with their children, she politely refused. Only after a year of friendly discussion did Ms. Garza finally say yes. That was four years ago. Today all three generations regard the move as a success, giving them a closer relationship than they would have had in separate cities.

No statistics show the number of grandparents like Garza who are moving closer to adult children and grandchildren. Yet there is evidence suggesting that the trend is growing. Even President Obama’s mother-in-law, Marian Robinson, has agreed to leave Chicago and move into the White House to help care for her granddaughters. According to a study by grandparents. Com, 83 percent of the people said Mrs. Robinson ’s decision will influence grandparents in the American family. Two-thirds believe more families will follow the example of Obama’s family.

“In the 1960s we were all a little wild and couldn’t get away from home far enough for fast enough to prove we could do it on our own,” says Christine Crosby, publisher of Grand, a magazine for grandparents.“We now realize how important family is and how important it is”to be near them, especially when you’re raising children.”

Moving is not for everyone. Almost every grandparent wants to be with his or her grandchildren and is willing to make sacrifices, but sometimes it is wiser to say no and visit frequently instead. Having your grandchildren far away is hard, especially knowing your adult child is struggling, but giving up the life you know may be harder.

1.Why was Garza’s move a success?

A. It strengthened her family ties.

B. It improved her living conditions.

C. It enabled her to make more friends.

D. It helped her know more new places.

2.What was the reaction of the public to Mrs. Robinson’s decision?

A. 17% expressed their support for it.

B. Few people responded sympathetically.

C. 83% believed it had a bad influence.

D. The majority thought it was a trend.

3.What did Crosby say about people in the 1960s?

A. They were unsure of themselves.

B. They were eager to raise more children.

C. They wanted to live away from their parents.

D. They had little respect for their grandparents.

4.What does the author suggest the grandparents do in the last paragraph?

A. Make decisions in the best interests of their own.

B. Ask their children to pay more visits to them.

C. Sacrifice for their struggling children.

D. Get to know themselves better.

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