Scientists fear rising energy bills may lead to an increase in obesity （肥胖） after discovering a link between poorly-heated homes and higher body -fat．
Researchers from the University of Stirling’s Behavioural Science Centre set out to explore claims that warm indoor temperatures have contributed to rising obesity levels in winter．Instead, the team found that people who live in well-heated homes are more likely to have low body mass index （体重指数） levels while those who keep their heating turned down or off tend to be heavier．
Dr Michael Daly, behavioral scientist and senior lecturer, said: "We set out to investigate the scientific claims that cooler indoor temperatures help us maintain a healthy weight by pushing our bodies to use up more energy. In fact, the research suggests people may eat less and burn more energy when in a warmer indoor environment．
The 13-year study, published in the journal Obesity, involved more than 100,000 adults across England．
Researchers found reduced weight levels among people living in homes heated to above 23°C（73F）, which involved about 15,000 of the households studied．
Dr Daly said: "As national gas bills continue to rise faster than the rate of inflation, this research suggests the obesity could worsen where heating is turned down below comfortable levels or off for long periods to cut costs．"
This is not just about people who live in well-heated homes being in the financial position to afford more expensive low-calorie foods, exercise classes and sporting activities, and therefore finding it easier to maintain a low BMI level．The study took age, sex, social class and other factors into account．
"The comfortable temperature of 20°C -23°C is where we feel comfortable in our clothes and are neither hot nor cold．At temperatures above this, we use more energy and we eat less because our appetite is affected．" The findings of the research can be described as ___ ．
| A．horrible | B．surprising |
| C．funny | D．encouraging |
According to the passage, with rising gas bills, people may turn down or off their heating to______.
| A．stay in shape | B．maintain a low BMI level |
| C．save money | D．avoid eating more |
Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?
| A．Obesity links to poorly-heated homes |
| B．Well-heated home's contribute to obesity |
| C．Obesity--- A weighty problem in England |
| D．Rising energy bills help maintain a healthy weight |
Kate Anderson became an accidental car thief when she went to pick up her daughter’s car near an Ohio University building last week. Anderson saw the nickelgray Toyota Camry and used her daughter’s key to unlock the car，start the engine and drive home.
When Charlie Vansant left class a short time later，he found only an empty parking spot. He first assumed the car had been towed，but when the police couldn’t find a record of it，they took a theft report.
The morning after Anderson took back the car，her daughter discovered the Camry in the driveway wasn’t hers. She found Vansant’s name on paperwork in the glove compartment and looked up his phone number on the Website for the university.
When she told Vansant the car was in her driveway，“It sounded real fishy at first，like maybe she wanted to hold the thing for ransom，”Vansant said!
He eventually went to the house with a police officer，where he was reunited with his car. According to a police report，the case was closed “because of the mistaken car identity.”Anderson wasn’t charged.
Vansant seemed to blame the car company more than the “thief”．“Her key fit not only my lock，but my ignition as well—so high-five for Toyota，I guess，”he said.
Toyota spokesman Bill Kwong said key technology wasn’t as sophisticated as two decades ago，and there were so many ways to cut a key，making it possible for such a mix-up to occur. He said the company now has a microchip embedded(嵌入)in the keys for 90 percent of its vehicles that allows them to start only with the correct key.We can learn from the story that Kate Anderson ____.
| A．was an experienced but unlucky thief |
| B．took Vansant’s car away by chance |
| C．could unlock any car with her special key |
| D．was accused of theft and put into prison |
When Charlie Vansant received the phone call，he ____.
| A．ran as fast as he could to the police station |
| B．felt someone was playing a joke on him |
| C．suspected he would be forced to pay for the car |
| D．went directly to Anderson and collected his car |
Who should be responsible for the accident?
| A．Toyota Camry. |
| B．Charlie Vansant. |
| C．Toyota Company. |
| D．The police. |
According to the passage，it can be learned that ____.
| A．the daughter is more honest than her mother |
| B．many thefts occurred because the same keys were used |
| C．Toyota Camry is a kind of car，which is easier to unlock |
| D．the car producers should pay more attention to car identity |
“Children who eat less salt and drink fewer sugar-sweetened soft drinks may significantly lower their risks of obesity,” researchers recently reported in the journal Hypertension.
“Sugar-sweetened soft drinks are a significant source of calorie intake in children,” said Feng J. He, a researcher at St George’s University of London, England. “It has been shown that sugar-sweetened soft drink consumption is related to obesity in young people.” They wanted to know whether there is a link between salt intake and sugar-sweetened soft drink consumption.
Dr He and colleagues analyzed data from a 1997 national survey of more than 2,000 people between 4 and 18 in Britain. “We found that children eating a lower-salt diet drank less fluid,” said He. “From our research, we estimated that 1 gram of salt cut from their daily diet would reduce fluid intake by 100 grams per day.”
The researchers also found that children eating a lower-salt diet drank fewer sugar-sweetened soft drinks. From their research, they predicted that reducing salt intake by 1 gram each day would reduce sugar-sweetened soft drink consumption by 27 grams per day, after. “If children aged 4 to 18 cut their salt intake by half, there would be a decrease of about two sugar-sweetened soft drinks per week per child, so each child would decrease calorie intake by almost 250 kilocalories per week,” Dr He said.
In previous studies, researchers found that a low-salt diet lowers blood pressure in children, and prevents the development of high blood pressure later in life. “Both high blood pressure and obesity increase the risk of having strokes and heart attacks,” Dr He said.
Dr He recommends that parents check labels and choose low-salt food products. “Small reductions in the salt content of 10 to 20 percent cannot be detected by the human salt taste receptors (感受器) and do not cause any technological or safety problems,” Dr He said.According to the passage, obesity is directly linked to ______.
| A．high-salt foods |
| B．sugar-sweetened soft drinks |
| C．high blood pressure |
| D．strokes and heart attacks |
Compared with previous studies, the recent one found that ______.
| A．a lower-salt diet may mean less sugar-sweetened soft drink consumption |
| B．a low-salt diet keeps children out of high blood pressure |
| C．children face the risk of having strokes and heart attacks |
| D．low-salt food products do not do harm to people’s health |
Which of the following statements would Dr He agree to?
| A．The less salt people eat, the healthier people become. |
| B．Children should reduce fluid intake in their daily life. |
| C．No high-salt food products will be available in shops. |
| D．A low-salt diet may prevent both high blood pressure and obesity. |
After reading the passage, who should take effective action?
| A．Children. | B．Parents. | C．Doctors. | D．Researchers. |
A baby ape born in the UK is settling into a new life in a German zoo after flying from Birmingham to Frankfurt – taking a seat in the business class.
The three-month-old male bonobo（倭黑猩猩）, who is going to live with a family of German apes, was considered too young and too weak to travel cargo(货物) class, a spokeswoman for the UK's Twycross Zoo told CNN.
Instead, the tiny ape named Bili checked in for the Lufthansa flight with special travel documents, including a fake passport in the name of "Bili the Bonobo" -- before taking a seat in the plane with a trainer from Frankfurt Zoo, who had flown over to be with him on his unusual journey.
"He was with his keeper all the way to make him feel more comfortable and relaxed, rather than being in a cage," said spokeswoman Kim Riley. "I just wish I'd been there to see the other passengers' faces.They muse have been amazed"
Bonobos are considered particularly intelligent primates(灵长类动物).Sharing 99.6 percent of our DNA, they are the human species' closest relation in the animal world.
Bili was rejected by his mother after falling ill shortly after his birth and has required extensive nursing and medical care.
Zookeepers in Frankfurt hope he can get along with an adult female bonobo which has been trained to raise babies with hands. The zoo's bonobo community will also play with Bili, helping him to master social skills. Bili will spend 30 days alone at the zoo before being introduced to his new family,” Riley said. What is this passage mainly about?
| A．A baby ape takes a flight to his new home in Germany |
| B．A baby ape needs much nursing and medical care |
| C．A baby ape left his mother shortly after his birth |
| D．A baby ape became ill shortly after his birth |
Why was the ape arranged to take a seat in the business class?
| A．Because he didn’t need a plane ticket in the business class |
| B．Because he needed nursing and care all the time |
| C．Because there was no seat left in the cargo class |
| D．Because he was too young and too weak to travel cargo class |
The underlined word “rejected”in paragraph 6 probably means“___”.
| A．looked after |
| B．given up |
| C．locked up |
| D．stared at |
What can we learn from the last paragraph?
| A．The ape will not be alone in his new home |
| B．The ape doesn’t want to get along well with others |
| C．The ape will be taught to raise babies with his hands |
| D．The ape will be sent to live with his new family immediately he arrives |
Surfing the Internet for fun will make you a better employee, according to an Australian study.
The University of Melbourne study shows that people who use the Internet for their own reasons at work are about 9 percent more productive than those who do not. Study author Brent Coker said, "Surfing the Internet at times helps increase an employee's attention."
"People need to relax for a bit to get back their attention," Coker said on the university's website."Having a short break, such as a quick surfing of the Internet, helps the mind to rest itself, leading to a higher total Internet attention for a day's work, and as a result, increases productivity (生产效率)," he said.
According to the study of 300 workers, 70 percent of people who use the Internet at work surf the Interne t for their own reasons during office hours. Among the most popular surfing activities are searching for information about products, reading online news, playing online games and watching videos. "Firms spend a lot of money on software to block their employees from watching videos, using social networking sites or shopping online," said Coker. "That's not always a good idea."
However, Coker said the study looked at people who surfed the Internet in moderation (适度), orwere on the Internet for less than 20 percent of their total time in the office. "Those who spend too muchtime surfing the Internet will have a lower productivity than those without." he said. What does the University of Melbourne study mainly show?
| A．People who surf the Internet are good employees. |
| B．Not everyone surfs the Internet for fun during office hours. |
| C．Surfing the Internet for fun during office hours increases productivity. |
| D．The Internet is becoming more and more important in people's life. |
According to Paragraph 3, Brent Coker would most probably agree that ______.
| A．the longer a person's mind rests, the better attention he will have |
| B．surfing the Internet is the best way to increase productivity |
| C．workers should have a long break during office hours |
| D．workers should let their minds rest now and then |
Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage as one of the most popular surfing activities?
| A．Watching videos. |
| B．Reading online news. |
| C．Reading online novels. |
| D．Playing online games. |
The underlined word "block" in Paragraph 4 means "______".
| A．prevent |
| B．organize |
| C．keep |
| D．separate |
What can we infer from the last paragraph?
| A．Spending too much time surfing the Internet reduces productivity. |
| B．Those who never surf the Internet have the lowest productivity. |
| C．Most people don't surf the Internet in moderation during office hours. |
| D．People should spend as little time as possible surfing the Internet. |
London is the capital of Britain.It is located in the southeast plain of England.The Thames River goes through this city.
The British have lived there for about 3,000 years.The Roman Empire intruded into(侵入)Britannia Island in 54BC.The Romans built the first wooden bridge over the Thames River.
London is a world-famous cultural city. There are many famous cultural sites.It is one of the world’s great tourist destinations.About eight million people visit London every year.
The largest museum is the British Museum, which was built in the 18th century.There are many ancient cultural relics of Britain and of other countries in the museum.The London Tower stands on the southeast of Tower Mountain.It was once a palace, and it is now an exhibition center.Westminster Hall is located on the west bank of the Thames River and wasd built in 750AD.It is the largest Gothic building of the world and was a palace in the past, too.
The Clock Tower, which is about 97 meters high, is located northeast of the parliament.The famous “Big Ben” weighs about 21tons and its big pendulum is about 305 kilograms.Hyde Park is one of the great parks in the world and it is in the west district of London.There is a free forum there and some people give speeches there every week.They can say almost anything, but they can’t attack the Queen or support violent revolution. Which of the following statements is WRONG?
| A．London lies in the southeasdt plain of England |
| B．The British first lived in London thousands of years ago |
| C．People can enjoy a walk along the Thames River in London |
| D．The Roman Empire intruded into Britannia Island over 2,100 years ago |
What are the last two paragraphs mainly about?
| A．Some famous cultural sites in London |
| B．Some famous museum in London |
| C．What makesd London famous all over the world |
| D．The place which travelers usually visit when in Britain |
If you are interested in the largest Gothic building of the world, you would go to visit ___.
| A．the British Museum |
| B．the London Tower |
| C．Westminster Hall |
| D．the Clock Tower |
We learn from the passage that ___.
| A．London reveives millions of visitors every month |
| B．only in the British Museum can you see ancient cultural relics of Britain |
| C．the famous “Big Ben”in the Clock Tower is about 97meters high |
| D．not everything can be talked about in the forum at Hyde Park |