Researchers have just offered evidence in a study that says obesity appears to spread through social ties, much like a virus. When one person gains weight, their close friends often follow, but the finding might also offer hope.
If friends help make obesity acceptable, then might also be influential in losing the fat. The researchers note that support groups are already an effective tool in dealing with other socially influenced problems, like alcoholism.
The findings appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine, The researchers used information collected from 12,000 people. It was collected between 1971 and 2003 as part of the Framingham Heart Study.
The information was highly detailed. There was even contact information for close friends of the people in the study.
The researchers examined more than 40,000 social ties. They found that a person’s chances of becoming severely overweight increased by 57% if a friend had become obese.
Nicholas Christakis of Harvard Medical School was a lead investigator in the study. He says there is a direct causal relationship between a person getting fat and being followed in weight gain by a friend.
The study found that the sex of the friends was also an influence. In same-sex friendships, a person had a 70% increased risk of becoming obese. Men had a 44% increased risk of becoming obese after weight gain in brothers. In sisters, it was 67%. Between husbands and wives, it was a little less than 40%.
The researchers also considered the effect of where people lived in relation to each other. James Fowler of the University of California, San Diego, was the other lead investigator. He says a friend who lives a few hundred kilometers away has as much influence as one in the same neighborhood. He says the study demonstrates the need to consider that a major part of people’s health is tied to their social connections.
Both investigators say their research shows that obesity is not just a private medical issue, but a public health problem.
1.What does the underlined sentence in Para2.mean?
A. Obesity has a negative influence on a close friend.
B. Friends might also play a part in losing weight.
C. One might have a positive influence on one’s friend.
D. Friends usually don’t follow each other to lose weight.
2.Who is mostly likely to gain weight?
A. A man who has a fat brother.
B. A husband who has a fat wife.
C. A wife who has a fat husband.
D. A woman who a fat female friend.
3.Which of the following statements doesn’t the passage agree with?
A. You are sure to lose weight if you have a skinny friend.
B. If one gains weight, one’s friends are likely to get fat.
C. A person’s health is closely linked with his /her social relationship.
D. Even if the friend lives far away, the influence still remains.
4.The reason why the study involves both family members and friends is that _____.
A. researchers fail to find a more different sample
B. researchers have different ideas for family members and friends
C. researchers can meet these people regularly
D. researchers can compare the results
Anyone for rocket salad? The Chinese are now growing huge vegetables from seeds they sent into space.
If you are the type who worries about the air miles travelled by fruits and vegetables, these beauties aren’t for you. It's because they have travelled a little further than most.
The seeds from which they grew were fired into space, where they orbited the earth for two weeks. Once they returned they were grown in hothouses, producing the monster kinds seen here.
China, which is behind these space fruits and vegetables, says they could be the answer to the world's food crisis.
The 21-pound tomatoes, nine-inch chillies, 15-stone pumpkins and large watermelons growing at the Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences’ hothouses can feed many more than their smaller cousins, and may have more nutrients, the scientists say.
Researcher Lo Zhigang said, "Traditional agricultural development has taken us as far as we can go and demand for food from a growing population is endless. Space seeds offer the opportunity to grow fruits and vegetables bigger and faster. "
He admitted he and his colleagues could not explain why time in orbit caused the seeds to change genetic structure. But they guessed exposure to the cosmic（宇宙的）radiation that attacked the spacecraft in orbit, as well as the near zero gravity conditions, microgravity, could play a part.
"We don't think there's any threat to human health because the genes themselves do not change; just their order changes," he said. "With genetically-modified（GM）crops you have seen environmental problems because they have added genes that can damage other organisms. But with space seeds they don't gain genes; they can only lose them. "
He also claimed the Vitamin C content in some space vegetables was nearly three times higher than in common vegetables, while levels of zinc are also increased.
Western scientists are doubtful. NASA researchers who have experimented with seeds in space say there is not enough benefit to show the cost is reasonable.
1.What do the underlined words "these beauties" in Paragraph 2 probably refer to ______?
A. Beautiful views along the air routes.
B. Travelling experiences in space.
C. Seeds fired into space.
D. Giant vegetables.
2.We can infer from Lo’s words in Paragraph 6 that _______.
A. our conventional agriculture has developed too slowly.
B. we are asking too much from nature
C. space seeds may help meet our demand for food
D. we'll grow crops in space in the future
3.Why the seeds changed their genetic structure _______.
A. remains to be proved
B. is discovered by Lo Zhigang
C. has something to do with the conditions in hothouses
D. is due to the radiation that attacked them directly
4.What can be inferred from the last paragraph?
A. Western scientists’ doubt is unreasonable.
B. Western scientists don’t believe that Chinese scientists have succeeded in the experiment.
C. Western scientists have proved space seeds to be of no benefit.
D. Western scientists think the cost of space seeds outweighs the benefits
Doomed beauties such as Cleopata and Manilyn Monore were far from alone in their misery. Very attractive people tend to form partnerships that are less stable and satisfying than those enjoyed by plain Janes.
According to the research by Dr John Blain of the University of Southern California, relationships between people whose professions largely depend on their appearance, such as models or actors, tend to end much faster than those between lawyers, doctors and students.
Blaine said the beautiful felt different from children. They are treated as special, which may create both arrogance(傲慢) and insecurity. All too often, beauty can be used as an alternative to education. Often they are pushed out of their class or town, told to go off and make their fortune in Hollywood or London and, when the majority fails, they have few talents to make a living.
Blaine added that beautiful people score poorly on the “big five”--- the key factors American experts consider when helping distressed couples. These are neuroticism(神经过敏)，including anger and anxiety; extroversion(性格外向) ；openness to new experiences; agreeableness; and conscientiousness, or sticking by agreements they have made. Attractive people often see no reason to try to change until their looks start to fade.
Krista Sutherlanf ,of the University of California Los Angeles, said partnerships that appeared to be perfect from the outside, such as the former “dram teams” of Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise or Hugh Grant and Elizabeth Hurley, where backgrounds and aspirations(抱负) are often shared, did not necessarily lead to happiness.
1.What does the underline sentence “Doomed beauties such as Cleopata and Manilyn Monore were far from alone in their misery.” mean?
A. Beautiful women always felt lonely.
B. Beautiful women were always alone.
C. Many beautiful women didn’t end up with a happy life.
D. Beautiful women always lived a happy life.
2.The underlined phrase “plain Janes” in the passage refers to “________”.
A. ordinary-looking women
B. women called Jane
C. common people
D. attractive women
3.We can infer in the passage that_____________.
A. Hugh Grant and Elizabeth Hurley were a couple.
B. Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise were very satisfied with their life.
C. when they fail in Hollywood, the beautiful have little trouble in making a living.
D. the marriage of the beautiful often lasts long.
4.Which of the following is the best title?
A. Five Key Factors Affecting the Partnership.
B. Beauties Are Doomed to Fail in Love.
C. Beautiful Or Common?
D. The Beauties Are Different.
When it comes to romance（浪漫）, women prefer someone who is humorous while men choose those who catch their eye, according to an international survey.
The survey, done in 16 countries by Canadian romance publisher Harlequin Enterprises, asked men and women on six continents about personality they liked or disliked and how they went about trying to meet Mr. or Ms Right.
The survey showed differences between countries in the way people tried to impress the opposite sex.
Australians and British men frequently admitted drinking too much, while about half of German and Italian men said they had lied about their finances. Spaniards(people in Spain) were the most likely to use sex to catch someone’s attention.
Eighty percent of Brazilian and Mexican men said they had lied about their marriage or romance as did 70 percent of German women, the survey said.
When it came to meeting that special someone, a majority of respondents(被告) preferred to rely on friends for introductions. The Internet was not a popular hunting ground except in Portugal, where about half the surveyed men and women would like to find people online.
There was a gap between the two sexes in Spain and France. Thirty percent of Spanish men, but no Spanish women, looked for love online. In France, 40 percent of men but only 10 percent of women attended parties, bars and clubs to meet someone, but they did have one thing in common: both sexes regarded looks as more important than their counterparts（相对应的人） in other countries.
When it came to that first meeting, a majority of men surveyed said beauty was more important than brains, while women put a sense of humor at the top of their list.
Physical attraction was the most important for men in France, Brazil, Greece, Japan and Britain. And while 40 percent of Portuguese men regarded intelligence over looks in a first meeting, no Australian men did so.
In the United States and Canada, humor was considered the most important personality by men and women, getting 63 and 73 percent of the vote respectively.
1.Appearance is the most important for men in the following countries except in ___________.
A. Britain B. Japan C. France D. Spain
2.According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?
A. Portuguese enjoy looking for love online best.
B. Humor is considered the most important personality by both Americans and
Australians.
C. Brazilian and Mexican men like to lie about their finances.
D. Few people preferred to rely on friends for introductions.
3.Which is NOT mentioned as the standard of looking for love in the passage?
A. Humor. B. Generosity. C. Beauty. D. Intelligence.
4.The purpose of the writer is to tell us _________________ when choosing the opposite sex.
A. the differences between men and women in different counties
B. women prefers humor while men prefers beauty
C. not all men prefer beauty to brains
D. love is more important than anything else
While researchers have long shown that tall people earn more than their shorter counterparts, it's not only social discrimination that accounts for this inequality -- tall people are just smarter than their height-challenged peers, a new study finds.
"As early as age three -- before schooling has had a chance to play a role -- and throughout childhood, taller children perform significantly better on cognitive tests," wrote Anne Case and Christina Paxson of Princeton University in a paper published by the National Bureau of Economic Research.
The findings were based primarily on two British studies that followed children born in 1958 and 1970, respectively, through adulthood and a U.S. study on height and occupational choice.
Other studies have pointed to low self-esteem, better health that accompanies greater height, and social discrimination as culprits(罪犯) for lower pay for shorter people.
But researchers Case and Paxson believe the height advantage in the job world is more than just a question of image.
"As adults, taller individuals are more likely to select into higher paying occupations that require more advanced verbal and numerical skills and greater intelligence, for which they earn handsome returns," they wrote.
For both men and women in the United States and the United Kingdom, a height advantage of four inches equated with a 10 percent increase in wages on average.
But the researchers said the differences in performance crop up long before the tall people enter the job force. Prenatal care(产前护理) and the time between birth and the age of 3 are critical periods for determining future cognitive ability and height.
"Prenatal care and prenatal nutrition are just incredibly important, even more so than we already knew," Case said in an interview.
Since the study's data only included populations in the United Kingdom and the United States, the findings could not be applied to other regions, Case said.
And how tall are the researchers?
They are both about 5 feet 8 inches tall, well above the average height of 5 feet 4 inches for American women.
1.What can be learnt from the study of Anne Case and Christina Paxson is that ______.
A. the reason for lower pay for shorter people is social discrimination
B. taller children perform significantly better on cognitive test
C. tall people earn more than shorter counterparts
D. prenatal care and prenatal nutrition are less important than we
already knew
2.Which period is the most important for determining future cognitive ability and height?
A. between age 3 and schooling
B. between birth and the age of 3
C. the whole childhood
D. between 1958 and 1970
3.The underlined phrase “crop up” in the Eighth Paragraph is closest in meaning to ______.
A. get in B. rise up C. come up D. stand up
4.The best title for this passage would be _______.
A. Tall people earn more than shorter counterparts
B. A study on height and occupational choice
C. The difference between tall people and short people
D. Taller people are smarter
阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从各题后给的A，B，C，D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
In a national spelling contest in America， an 11-year-old girl was asked to spell a certain word. But with her 1voice the judges were not sure if she spelled the word with the letter A or E. They talked it over and 2decided to simply ask her what she had said. By now，the girl knew she had 3the word. But instead of lying，she told the truth that she had said the 4letter. So she lost the contest.
As the girl walked off the 5，the entire audience stood to their feet clapping to applaud her 6.
Later，dozens of newspaper reporters wrote about this 11-year-old girl's honesty，even when it 7her the contest. But the fact is that she 8the biggest contest that day: the contest of her 9.
Probably the biggest test of our character and honesty is what we would do if we knew we would never get 10.This young girl could easily have 11and nobody would have known it but herself. But that's just it: She would know she did wrong. It's been said, "If you 12, you make yourself cheap." This young girl was strong and smart enough to prize her own 13and character more than the prize from a spelling 14. Her respect for herself was more important than any 15others might give her for winning a contest. She knew she would have to live with herself and the 16she made in that moment will have long-lasting influence.
It's so true that the choices you make today 17what you are tomorrow. Our children will 18our behavior much more than our advice. So if we want them to 19to be honest，we must show them the way by being honest ourselves. Remember，our kids are 20what we do and how we live even when we don't think they see or know.
1.A. high B. sweet C. tough D. soft
2.A. finally B. kindly C. secretly D. totally
3.A. forgotten B. mispronounced C. misspelled D. lost
4.A. correct B. wrong C. different D. same
5.A. stage B. studio C. test D. classroom
6.A. bravery B. honesty C. courage D. cleverness
7.A. cancelled B. cost C. offered D. wasted
8.A. achieved B. broke C. won D. defeated
9.A. reputation B. knowledge C. 1ife D. character
10.A. paid B. awarded C. caught D. reported
11.A. escaped B. 1ied C. changed D. answered
12.A. accept B. fight C. cheat D. insist
13.A. conscience B. feeling C. diligence D. modesty
14.A. contest B. champion C. judger D. expert
15.A. sense B. pride C. respect D. awareness
16.A. plan B. conclusion C. discovery D. choice
17.A. make B. change C. keep D. create
18.A. give B. take C. follow D. set
19.A. grow up B. bring up C. take up D. come up
20.A. recording B. inspecting C. correcting D. watching
