In the early 1960s Wilt Chamberlain was one of only three players in the National Basketball Association (NBA)listed at over seven feet. If he had played last season, however, he would have been one of 42. The bodies playing major professional sports have changed dramatically over the years, and managers have been more than willing to adjust team uniforms to fit the growing numbers of bigger, longer frames.
The trend in sports, though, may be obscuring an unrecognized reality: Americans have generally stopped growing. Though typically about two inches taller now than 140 years ago, today's people-especially those born to families who have lived in the U. S. for many generations-apparently reached their limit in the early 1960s. And they aren't likely to get any taller. "In the general population today, at this genetic, environmental level, we've pretty much gone as far as we can go," says anthropologist William Cameron Chum-lea of Wright State University. In the case of NBA players, their increase in height appears to result from the increasingly common practice of recruiting players from all over the world.
Growth, which rarely continues beyond the age of 20, demands calories and nutrients-notably, protein--to feed expanding tissues. At the start of the 20th century, under-nutrition and childhood infections got in the way. But as diet and health improved, children and adolescents have, on average, increased in height by about an inch and a half every 20 years, a pattern known as the secular trend in height. Yet according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, average height--5 '9" for men, 5'4" for women--hasn't really changed since 1960.
Genetic maximums can change, but don't expect this to happen soon. Claire C. Gordon, senior anthropologist at the Army Research Center in Natick, Mass ensures that 90 percent of the uniforms and workstations fit recruits without alteration. She says that, unlike those for basketball, the length of military uniforms has not changed for some time. And if you need to predict human height in the near future to design a piece of equipment, Gordon says that by and large, "you could use today's data and feel fairly confident."
1.Wilt Chamberlain is cited as an example to_________.
A.illustrate the change of height of NBA players.
B.show the popularity of NBA players in the U.S..
C.compare different generations of NBA players.
D.assess the achievements of famous NBA players.
2.Which of the following plays a key role in body growth according to the text?
A.Genetic modification. B.Living standards.
C.Natural environment. D.Daily exercise.
3.We learn from the last paragraph that in the near future__________.
A.the garment industry will reconsider the uniform size.
B.the design of military uniforms will remain unchanged.
C.genetic testing will be employed in selecting sportsmen.
D.the existing data of human height will still be applicable.
4.The text intends to tell us that__________.
A.the change of human height follows a cyclic pattern.
B.human height is becoming even more predictable.
C.Americans have reached their genetic growth limit.
D.the genetic pattern of Americans has altered.
A trip to the theater, museum or art gallery could help you live longer. And the more often you get that culture, the better the results are, a new study suggests.
Researchers from University College London (UCL) did the research on more than 6,000 adults in England age 50 years and older. How often an individual engaged in art activities was measured at the start of the study in 2004 to 2005. Participants were then followed up for an average of 12 years, during which time deaths were recorded using data from the UK’s National Health Service (NHS). They found that people who engaged in the arts more frequency had a 31% lower risk of dying early when compared to those who didn’t. Even going to the theater or museum once or twice a year was linked with a 14% lower risk.
The study looked at a range of economic, health and social factors to try and explain why there is a link between “arts engagement and living longer. Part of the reason, the study said, comes down to social and economic differences among those who go and don’t go to museums, exhibitions and art galleries. Wealth, they found, explained about 9% of the association. Cognitive (认知的) differences and mental health also played a role. Things like free time and occupational status made no difference, said Fancourt.
Engaging with the arts can act as a buffer against stress and build creativity that allows people to adapt to changing circumstances. It also helps people access emotional support and information that helps people age more successfully. “We also thought that a greater sense of purpose could play a role,” she said. “It can have wide ranging benefits and support healthier lives lived longer.”
A world health organization last year found that both receptive participation, like visiting a museum, and active participation, like singing in a choir, had health benefits. An editorial that accompanied the paper said that everyone should have the chance to take part in cultural activities and said the study added weight to growing concerns about the decline in arts subjects in schools and universities.
1.What was the right step of the experiment?
A.Following the participants for 12 years.
B.Recording the participants’ death time.
C.Comparing the frequency of art activities.
D.Dividing the participants into two groups.
2.What has nothing to do with the relationship between “arts engagement and living longer”?
A.Wealth. B.Cognition.
C.Occupation. D.Mental health.
3.What does the underlined word “buffer” in Paragraph 4 mean?
A.Relief. B.Barrier.
C.Defence. D.Battle.
The freezing Northeast hasn’t been a terribly fun place to spend time this winter, so when the chance came for a weekend to Sarasota, Florid, my bags were packed before you could say “sunshine”. I left for the land of warmth and vitamin C(维生素C), thinking of beaches and orange trees. When we touched down to blue skies and warm air, I sent up a small prayer of gratefulness. Swimming pools, wine tasting, and pink sunsets (at normal evening hours, not 4 in the afternoon) filled the weekend, but the best part—particularly to my taste, dulled by months or cold-weather root vegetables—was a 7 a.m. adventure to the Sarasota farmers’ market that proved to be more than worth the early wake-up call.
The market, which was founded in 1979, sets up its tents every Saturday from 7:00 am to l p.m, rain or shine, along North Lemon and State streets. Baskets of perfect red strawberries, the red-painted sides of the Java Dawg coffee truck; and most of all, the tomatoes: amazing, large, soft and round red tomatoes.
Disappointed by many a broken, vine-ripened(蔓上成熟的) promise, I’ve refused to buy winter tomatoes for years. No matter how attractive they look in the store, once I get them home they’re unfailingly dry, hard, and tasteless. But I homed in, with uncertainty, on one particular table at the Brown’s Grove Farm’s stand, full of fresh and soft tomatoes the size of my fist. These were the real deal—and at that moment, I realized that the best part of Sarasota in winter was going to be eating things that back home in New York I wouldn’t be experiencing again for months.
Delighted as I was by the tomatoes in sight, my happiness deepened when I learned that Brown’s Grove Farm is one of the suppliers for Jack Dusty, a newly opened restaurant at the Sarasota Ritz Carlton, where—luckily for me—I was planning to have dinner that very night. Without even seeing the menu, I knew I’d be ordering every tomato on it.
1.What did the author think of her winter life in New York?
A.Exciting. B.Boring.
C.Relaxing. D.Annoying.
2.What made the author’s getting up early worthwhile?
A.Having a swim. B.Breathing in fresh sir.
C.Walking in the morning sun. D.Visiting a local farmer’s market.
3.What can we learn about tomatoes sold in New York in winter?
A.They are soft. B.They look nice.
C.They taste great. D.They are juicy.
假设你是红星中学高三学生李华。请根据以下四幅图的先后顺序，写一篇英文周记，记述你与同学参与“红十字急救培训”活动的全过程。
注意：词数不少于60。
提示词：救护员证first aider certificate
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假如你是红星中学高三学生李华，你的美国朋友Jim写了一封信，告诉你他开发了一个App，这个软件可以用来共享衣服，想要征集大家的看法。请你给Jim回信，内容包括：
1. 你的态度;
2. 理由。
注意：1．词数不少于50；
2．开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数。
Dear Jim,
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Yours,
Li Hua
How Smartphone Adds to Your Weight
Using a smartphone at mealtimes can lead to an expanding waistline. Researchers have found that men and women consumed 15% more calories when looking at their phones while eating. 1. The groundbreaking study suggests that staring at a phone screen may distract (分心) dinners from how much food and what they are actually eating.
“It may prevent the correct understanding of the brain over the amount of food ingested,” said researchers who filmed 62 volunteers eating alone.
The volunteers, aged 18 to 28, were divided in to three groups and invited to help themselves to a choice of food — ranging from healthy options to soft drinks and chocolate — until they were satisfied. 2. On average, the volunteers ate 535 calories without the distraction of a smartphone but 591 when using a mobile. Those in the sample who were classed as overweight ate 616 calories while using their phones. When in possession of their mobiles, the volunteers also consumed 10 percent more fatty foods. 3.
“Smartphone use during a meal increased calorie and fat intake,” said Márcio Gilberto Zangeronimoa, a lead author of the study — carried out at the Federal University of Lavras in Brazil and University Medical Center Utrecht in the Netherlands. He added: “Tablets and smartphones have become the main ‘distracters’ during meals, even early in childhood. 4.A distracter prevents the brain correctly understanding the amount of food accepted.”5. A more detailed analysis can be found in the journal.
A.They also eat more fatty food.
B.They also ate more when reading a magazine.
C.Distracted or hurried eating can add to weight gain.
D.The study is published in Physiology And Behavior.
E.It is important to pay attention to how this may impact food intakes.
F.Hunger isn’t the only thing that influences how much we eat during the day.
G.They were recorded eating with no distractions, using a smartphone or reading a magazine.
