Eggs and Easter have almost become synonymous(同义的)．But what is so special in an egg?
Myths(神话)coming down to us from a very distant past have shown man's relationship with the egg to be a very deep seated one．This is caught in old Latin proverb(谚语)：Omnevivum ex ovo, which means“all life comes from an egg”．Not just the Latin saying, eggs are just laid well over all corners of the world．There are reports of myths of the whole universe created out of an egg．Thus, it is not unusual that in almost all ancient cultures eggs had been held as an emblem(象征)of life．
Easter bunnies have become the most favorite Easter symbol(象征)．It's universal and attractive to children．And, most important of all, it relates to Easter historically．However, one fact has got to be made clear．It is the hare(野兔)，and not the rabbit, that should be treated as the true symbol of Easter．Though both of them belong to the same family and have most of things in common, there are some differences．If you go by the history, since the ancient times the hare has been a symbol for the moon．Not the rabbit．
Who doesn't love to have the nice white lily(百合)as part of the Easter gift?
In fact, the lovely white trumpet(喇叭)lily has been enjoying a great favor in being included as a principal item for church decoration for quite some time．A perfect gift of nature to beautify our Easter．Isn't it?
A simple DNA test may predict whether someone is more likely to lose weight on a low fat or a low carbohydrate diet, say US researchers．The results from the small preliminary study of 101 women showed those on the best diet for their genes lost two to three times more weight than the rest．The results are being presented at an American Heart Association conference．Experts said the findings tied in with previous studies, but further work should be carried out．
The new field of "nutrigenomics(营养基因学)" looks at how food interacts with genes．It has long been known that people react to certain nutrients differently according to their genetic makeup．Lactose intolerance(乳糖不耐症), for example, is more common among Asians and Africans than of people of North European descent．This study looked at how well people with different genes got along with different weight-loss diets．
The researchers, from Stanford University, analysed data from 101 white women who provided DNA from their cheek cells．The women had different diets for a year．The diets were very low carbohydrate, low carbohydrate/high protein, and low or very low fat．The researchers divided the group into three genotypes which they described as low carbohydrate diet responsive, low fat diet responsive and a balanced diet responsive genotype．They found that those on a diet which matched their genotype lost 2-3 times more weight over 12 months compared with those on the "wrong" diet．
The researchers said their findings were preliminary, and need much more information before they could be used commercially．
British experts pointed out that the study had looked at a very small number of people and did not make clear what genes were involved．Prof．Christine Williams, from the University of Reading, said："This is a very interesting study - though very small．" She said it would be useful to get a better understanding of what genes were involved．"It fits pretty well with some of our own studies which show that certain genotypes are more responsive than others to certain types of fats, eg diets high in omega-3 fatty acids," she added．
(1)
Which of the following is right according to the passage?
[ ]
A．
The study between DNA and losing weight can be used commercially
B．
Asians and Africans can lose weight easily because of their DNA
C．
Wrong diet can make you become two times fatter
D．
Studies show that certain genotypes can be responsive to some fats
(2)
What’s the meanging of the underlined word in the first paragraph?
[ ]
A．
primary
B．
evident
C．
fantastic
D．
actual
(3)
According to Prof Christine Williams, _________．
[ ]
A．
Genes involed with fat have been well understood by the researchers
B．
People who have diets matching their genotypes can lose weight fast
C．
The study of DNA is small but progressive
D．
Diets high in omega-3 fatty acids are not good for fat people
(4)
How do the researchers carry on their research?
[ ]
A．
101 women were chosen to have special diets for a year
B．
Women were divided into three genotypes to have different diets
C．
Women and men were made to exercise in different types
D．
women were surveyed after they have different diets
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