HOUSTON (Reuters) — Houston tops a U.S. magazine’s annual fattest cities list for the fourth time in five years, with four other Texas cities in the top 25.
Fast food restaurants — Houston has twice the national average number — are partly to blame for the dishonor, Men’s Fitness editor-in-chief Neal Boulton said.
“Americans work long hours, don’t take vacations, and when they’re faced with the worst food choices, they indulge (沉溺于) in those,” he said.
High humidity, poor air quality and some of the nation’s longest commute (每天去上班的路程) times also helped Texas’ most populous city unseat Detroit, the 2003 heavy weight champion, the magazine said.
Houston Mayor Bill White, who has worked with a major food company to develop healthy food products and the city’s public schools to improve lunch menus, called the report “mostly ungrounded and nonsense.”
“On the other hand, it calls attention to real issues the mayor is trying to deal with,” his spokesman, Frank Michel, said.
The magazine said it looked at factors such as the number and types of restaurants, park space, air quality, weather and the number of health clubs.
Philadelphia, Detroit, Memphis, Tennessee, and Chicago followed Houston on the seventh edition of the fat list. Texas cities Dallas, San Antonio, Fort Worth and El Paso were in the top 14, which Boulton said was no surprise.
“It’s pure big indulgence, just living big, and that’s part of the culture,” said Boulton.
Seattle ranked as the fittest city. Austin and Arlington, a Dallas-Fort Worth suburb, were the only Texas cities on the fit list. Austin was 19th and Arlington 22nd out of 25.What decides the magazine’s annual fattest list?
| A．The size of fat population. | B．The number of fast food restaurants. |
| C．The economic growth rate of the state. | D．Things related to unhealthy ways of life. |
Which city topped 2003 fattest cities list?
| A．Houston. | B．Dallas. | C．Detroit. | D．Philadelphia. |
By saying “living big” (in Paragraph 9), Boulton means people _________.
| A．are growing fatter | B．are living wastefully |
C．eat too many fatty foods | D．are spending too much time working |
Which of the following is best supported by the text?
| A．Texas has the most fat cities in the U.S. |
| B．Bill White is happy with the newspaper report. |
| C．People in Texas are the most hardworking in the U.S. |
| D．Most school children in Houston have weight problems. |
Animals, including insects, don't have a "language" like ours. They do not 'talk' to each other in words and sentences. But if we watch them, we can see that they do have their ways of communicating with each other.
Can you see the rabbit's tail? When rabbits see this white tail moving up and down, they run away. They know that they are in danger. The rabbit has told them something without making a sound. It has given them a signal.
Many other animals use this kind of "language". When a cobra is angry, it raises its head and makes itself look powerful . This warns other animals. When a bee has found food, it goes back to its home. It cannot 'tell' the other bees where the food is by speaking to them, but it does a little dance. This tells the bees where the food is.
Some animals "say" things by making sounds. A dog barks, for example, when a stranger comes near. A cat purrs when it is pleased. Some birds make several different sounds, each with its own meaning. Sometimes we human beings speak in the same way. We make sounds like "Oh" or "Ah" when we are frightened or pleased or when we drop something on our toes.Which one is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．Animals have languages like human beings. |
| B．Bees communicate with each other by dancing. |
| C．Animals can use words. |
| D．Animals are brave. |
A rabbit uses its tail to ______.
| A．warn other rabbits when they are in danger |
| B．tell other rabbits where food is |
| C．make itself look powerful |
| D．help it to run fast |
When a cobra is angry, it ______.
| A．makes a loud noise | B．raises its head |
| C．moves up and down | D．does a little dance |
Several different sounds can be made by a _ _
| A．rabbit | B．bee | C．bird | D．fish |
From the passage, we know that _____ use words and sentences to express ideas and thoughts.
| A．all living things | B．all animals |
| C．some birds | D．human beings |
The new year has begun and some people may be looking to 2015 as the year they get a dog. A furry friend will bring a lot of fun and companionship to your family — especially for urban residents who always feel lonely living in the fast-paced society. But looking after a pet does require some responsibility from the pet owner if you want your new friend to be healthy and happy in your family.
The following is a checklist for people who are considering adopting an animal.
Where to find a dog
There are hundreds of pet shops in Shanghai, big and small, where you can find puppies at a cost ranging from a few hundred to tens of thousands of yuan. The pet shop will tell you some basic facts about dogs of a specific breed. But don't forget to ask about the vaccination status if you are buying a puppy, which needs three injections with an interval of three to four weeks between shots.
Another option is to ask your friends if they know anyone with a dog that has recently had puppies. This option is more reliable than buying a puppy from someone you don’t know, especially the street peddlers who might carry animals with diseases.
Another highly recommended option is to adopt one from an NGO dedicated to providing shelter and protecting stray animals. This is quite practical if you don't care about the dog's breed.
Vaccination (疫苗)
As a pet owner, there are some things you must do otherwise you may get into big trouble, and one of these is getting your dog vaccinated.
Dogs need regular shots to fight against canine parvovirus (犬细小病毒), rabies and other diseases or viruses.
To ensure the vaccines are not substandard, we strongly recommend you get your furry friend a shot from a qualified vet, which may cost a few hundred yuan each year.
Another advantage of using the vet as opposed to getting your dog vaccinated yourself, is that the vet will examine its condition to see whether it is suitable to get a shot now and take immediate action if it has an allergic reaction to the vaccine.
Because you are advised not to give your animal a bath for one week following its vaccination, you should clean your animal one or two days before the shot if you don’t want your dog to get too dirty.
Parasite (寄生虫) protection
As a pet owner, you need to be prepared to get rid of fleas (跳蚤), heartworm (犬心虫), roundworm (蛔虫）, intestinal worms and other parasites from your dog.
Dogs need regular flea and tick control and parasite protection, even if it does not show symptoms of being affected by the parasite. An adult dog needs to be fed with a tablet every six months to make sure it does not have any parasite.
You also need to take measures every three months to help expel fleas and ticks from your animal. You need to learn the signs of a flea bite: they may immediately cause a dog to feel extremely itchy. Within 30 minutes of a bite, they may develop a red bump. Secondary infections caused by scratching are also common.
Dog training
No dog is born with good manners. Pooping on the carpet, leaping enthusiastically onto guests, pulling so hard that it practically yanks your arm out of the socket when on walks — that’s all perfectly acceptable in the canine world. It's up to you to teach your dog to behave the way humans want it to.
Despite the adage（谚语；格言） about old dogs and new tricks, there are no age limits to teaching dogs. And whether you've got a brand-new puppy or an older dog, the first step is the same: learn how to be a good teacher.
Every dog is different and will respond better to a slightly different training style, but these general guidelines apply: stay consistent and patient, and reward your dog for getting it right.The underlined word “vet” means____________.
| A．a surgeon | B．a physician |
| C．a dentist | D．a doctor who treats animals |
According to the article, how many aspects should a pet owner pay attention to?
| A．Two | B．Three | C．Four | D．Five |
Which of the following sentences is FALSE?
| A．A dog can bring much fun and companionship to your family — especially for urban residents who always feel lonely living in the fast-paced society. |
| B．As a pet owner, it is unnecessary for you to be prepared to get rid of fleas. |
| C．It's up to you to teach your dog to behave the way humans want it to. |
| D．After getting a dog, the first step for its owner is to be a good teacher. |
When it comes to friends, I desire those who will share my happiness, who possess wings of their own and who will fly with me. I seek friends whose qualities illuminate（照亮）me and train me up for love. It is for these people that I reserve the glowing hours, too good not to share.
When I was in the eighth grade, I had a friend. We were shy and “too serious” about our studies when it was becoming fashionable with our classmates to learn acceptable social behaviors. We said little at school, but she would come to my house and we would sit down with pencils and paper, and one of us would say: “Let’s start with a train whistle today.” We would sit quietly together and write separate poems or stories that grew out of a train whistle. Then we would read them aloud. At the end of that school year, we, too, were changing into social creatures and the stories and poems stopped.
When I lived for a time in London, I had a friend. He was in despair (失望) and I was in despair. But our friendship was based on the idea in each of us that we would be sorry later if we did not explore this great city because we had felt bad at the time. We met every Sunday for five weeks and found many excellent things. We walked until our despairs disappeared and then we parted. We gave London to each other.
For almost four years I have had a remarkable friend whose imagination illuminates mine. We write long letters in which we often discover our strangest selves. Each of us appears, sometimes in a funny way, in the other’s dreams. She and I agree that, at certain times, we seem to be parts of the same mind. In my most interesting moments, I often think: “Yes, I must tell….”We have never met.
It is such comforting companions I wish to keep. One bright hour with their kind is worth more to me than the lifetime services of a psychologist（心理学家），who will only fill up the healing（愈合的）silence necessary to those darkest moments in which I would rather be my own best friend.In the eighth grade, what the author did before developing proper social behavior was to ______.
| A．become serious about her study |
| B．go to her friend’s house regularly |
| C．learn from her classmates at school |
| D．share poems and stories with her friend |
In Paragraph 3, “We gave London to each other” probably means ______.
| A．our exploration of London was a memorable gift to both of us |
| B．we were unwilling to tear ourselves away from London |
| C．our unpleasant feeling about London disappeared |
| D．we parted with each other in London |
According to Paragraph 4, the author and her friend _______.
| A．call each other regularly |
| B．have similar personalities |
| C．enjoy writing to each other |
| D．dream of meeting each other |
What is the best title for the passage?
| A．Unforgettable Experiences |
| B．Remarkable Imagination |
| C．Lifelong Friendship |
| D．Noble Companions |
Do you enjoy reading poems? Rabindranath Tagore (泰戈尔) was an Indian writer and poet, who was the first non-European to win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913. Composed of 326 short verses, Stray Birds (飞鸟集) is a collection of short verses translated from Bengali into English by the poet himself, where Tagore spiritualizes nature into the experiences of human existence while demonstrating his love for nature and simplicity through poetic words.
Now read the following verses taken from Stray Birds (1916) and try to answer the questions.
•Man does not reveal himself in his history, he struggles up through it. (verse 52)
•The cloud stood humbly (谦逊的) in a corner of the sky.
The morning crowned it with splendor (光辉). (verse 100)
•Man is worse than an animal when he is an animal. (verse 248)
•Bees sip honey from flowers and hum their thanks when they leave.
The gaudy butterfly is sure that the flowers owe thanks to him. (verse 127)
•The stream of truth flows through its channels of mistakes. (verse 243)
•Let him only see the thorns who has eyes to see the rose. (verse 230)
•Set bird’s wings with gold and it will never again soar in the sky. (verse 231)
•Men are cruel, but Man is kind. (verse 219)
•Let me not put myself wrongly to my world and set it against me. (verse 206)
•Wrong cannot afford defeat but right can. (verse 68)
•“I give my whole water in joy,” sings the waterfall. “though little of it is enough for the thirsty.” (verse 69)
•The woodcutter’s axe(斧头) begged for its handle from the tree.
The tree gave it. (verse 71)
•Thank the flame for its light, but do not forget the lampholder standing in the shade with constancy of patience. (verse 64)Which of the verses sing praise for those who are ready to sacrifice (奉献) themselves without asking anything in return?
| A．verse 248 &69 | B．verse 71 & 100 | C．verse 69 & 71 | D．verse 100& 52 |
Which of the verse makes strong comparison and contrast between two opposite types of persons?
| A．verse 68 | B．verse 248 | C．verse 127 | D．verse 243 |
Which of the verses might be most suitable said to parents, telling them not to spoil their children with wealth?
| A．verse 231 | B．verse 71 | C．verse 127 | D．verse 100 |
STRANGERS parties go wild these days. The main idea of them is to never let the people know who their matches are until the last minute. These are some popular practices that are storming the world’s youth on this V-day.
Speed dating
It’s exactly what the name implies. Complete with a timer, a whistle and 50 willing singles, speed dating is not the traditional dinner and a movie type of first date. Singles pay US $35 for three minutes with more than two dozen future dates. They ask questions and try to get to know each other. At the sound of a whistle, they do the same thing all over again―25 times in all.
Lock and key party
Women are given a lock and men are given a key, upon arriving at the party. Each key and lock has several matches. One can hunt for his/her later-to-be sweetheart in various groups, and try out the key or lock. Each time a lock and key match the pair are entered into a ballot（票数） for top prizes!
Dinner in the dark
Waiters wearing night vision glasses guide the guests through the pitch-black dining room. They are seated at the table and familiarized with the wine glass and plate. Food is handled with the fingers. People will not see the food they are eating or the guests at their table until the dessert course. At that moment, dining partners will appear.
Message party
Have A Cocktail, Leave A Message! When you arrive, you get a tag with a number and a pad of post-it notes. If you see someone you like, write a message on the message board. But wait… You’ve got a message… Go and collect it! You can make new friends and win lots of gifts. The more messages you leave on the bulletin board, the more chances you have of winning prizes.What do you think the similarities of these parties are?
| A．All the parties have very strict rules for their members. |
| B．If you want to go to any of the parties, you have to buy a ticket. |
| C．All the parties are aimed at strangers who want to be lovers. |
| D．All the parties are suitable not only for the young but for the old. |
In which party does a participant have to be careful with the time?
| A．Speed dating. | B．Lock and key party. |
| C．Dinner in the dark. | D．Message party. |
If you go to the Dinner in the dark, ____________.
| A．you have to wear night vision glasses |
| B．you have to eat with your hands |
| C．guests eat all the courses in the darkness |
| D．your dining partners will help you choose the food |
How many of the parties offer gifts or prizes?
| A．1. | B．2. | C．3. | D．4. |