Question

    A study showed that fat was socially catching among friends. People were actually making one another gain and, sometimes, lose weight. The finding has been proved in other populations. So how does friends’ body weight affect each other? One way is imitation (模仿). Brain scans show that when you watch someone else eat or run, your brain activity is the same as if you were eating or running yourself, causing you to do the same things.

People in experiments seated next to heavy eaters would eat more than those seated next to light eaters. Social examples also play a role: If your friend gains weight, you might become less willing to go to the gym because your friend’s example showed you that weight gain isn’t the end of the world. She’s heavier but still the same person you know and love. And now that 66 percent of the American population is overweight, that’s a pretty well-fixed social example.

Happily, this effect could be turned up side down if people worked to create an opposite social example—weight loss can affect each other just as easily as weight gain if you form the fat-fighting habits, starting a running club including friends of friends so that you’re making close friends with more exercisers. You can also make healthier food choices and eat with greater self-control. If you give up the fries and eat more vegetables, your friends are more likely to make the same choices.

If you’re thinking those sound like a lot of work, maybe it would just be easier to ditch friends who gain weight to stop them from affecting you. People who kept away from a fat friend didn’t lose weight, possibly because the cost of losing a friend stopped weight-loss efforts.

1.What will people in the experiments do if they eat with heavy eaters?

A. Hate them. B. Leave them.

C. Follow them. D. Lose weight.

2.How might people respond to their fat friends according to the text?

A. Go to the gym with them often.

B. Think nothing of becoming fat.

C. Warn them the danger.

D. Like them better.

3.What can you do to make good use of the discovery?

A. Set a good example for your friends.

B. Make up your mind to make more friends.

C. Set up health club as a business.

D. Drink more water.

4.What does the underlined word “ditch” in the last paragraph mean?

A. Depend on. B. Relieve in.

C. Watch over. D. Give up.

Answer

1.C

2.B

3.A

4.D

【解析】

本文为说明文。一项研究表明，肥胖会在朋友间传染。人们实际上是在互相增重，有时还在减肥。这一发现已在其他人群中得到证实。

1.推理判断题。根据第二段中的People in experiments seated next to heavy eaters would eat more than those seated next to light eaters.（在实验中，坐在重食者旁边的人会比坐在轻食者旁边的人吃得更多）可推知，在实验中，如果人们和食量大的人一起吃饭，他们也会跟着吃。故C选项正确。

2.细节理解题。根据第三段中的If your friend gains weight, you might become less willing to go to the gym because your friend’s example showed you that weight gain isn’t the end of the world. She’s heavier but still the same person you know and love.（如果你的朋友体重增加了，你可能就不太愿意去健身房了，因为你朋友的榜样告诉你，体重增加并不是世界末日。她更胖了，但仍然是你认识和爱的那个人）可知，对于长胖了的朋友，人们认为变胖没有什么大不了的。故B选项正确。

3.细节理解题。根据倒数第二段中的If you give up the fries and eat more vegetables, your friends are more likely to make the same choices.（如果你放弃薯条而多吃蔬菜，你的朋友更有可能做出同样的选择）可知，根据这项发现，你可以为你的朋友树立一个好榜样。故A选项正确。

4.词义猜测题。根据最后一段中的People who kept away from a fat friend didn’t lose weight, possibly because the cost of losing a friend stopped weight-loss efforts.（远离肥胖朋友的人并没有减肥，可能是因为失去朋友的代价让减肥的努力停止了）可知，划线词所在句句意为“如果你认为这些听起来需要做很多工作，那么也许甩掉那些体重增加的朋友会更容易些，这样他们就不会影响你了。” 由此可知，划线词ditch意为“甩掉，丢弃”。A. Depend on依靠；B. Relieve in缓解；C. Watch over监视；D. Give up放弃。故D选项正确。