In recent years, there has been a steady attack on salt from the doctors: salt is bad for you—regardless of your health. Politicians also got aboard. “There is a direct relationship,” US Congressman Neal Smith said, “between the amount of sodium(钠) a person consumes and heart disease, circulatory(循环的) disorders, stroke and even early death.”
Frightening, if true! But many doctors and medical researchers are now beginning to feel the salt scare has gone too far. “All these remarks and cry about salt is unnecessary,” Dr. Dustan insists. “For most of us it probably does not make much difference how much salt we eat.” Dustan’s most recent short-term study of 150 people showed that those with normal blood pressure experienced no change at all when placed on an extremely low-salt diet, or later when salt was reintroduced. Of the hypertensive(高血压的) patients, however, half of those on the low-salt diet did experience a drop in blood pressure, which returned to previous level when salt was reintroduced.
“An adequate to somewhat excessive(过度的) salt intake has probably saved many more lives than it has cost in the general population,” said Dr. John H Laragh. “So an opinion that the whole population should avoid salt makes no sense.”
Medical experts agree that everyone should practice reasonable “moderation”(节制) in salt consumption. For the average person, a moderate amount might run from four to ten grams a day, or roughly 1/2 to 1/3 teaspoons. One to two grams of salt would come from the natural sodium in food. The rest would be added in processing, preparation or at the table.
“Na is not your enemy,” says Comek’s Dr. Laragh. “Salt is the No.1 natural component of all human tissue, and the idea that you do not need it is wrong. Unless your doctor has proven that you have a salt-related health problem, there is no reason to give it up.”Why is salt attacked by doctors and politicians?
| A．It’s unnecessary. |
| B．It does no good to human health. |
| C．It is hated by most people. |
| D．It will always lead to heart disease and circulatory disorders. |
From Dr. Dustan’s study in Paragraph 2 we can infer that _____.
| A．a low-salt diet may be good to some patients |
| B．the amount of salt intake has nothing to do with one’s blood pressure |
| C．the reduction of salt intake can completely cure a hypertensive patient |
| D．an extremely low-salt diet makes no difference to anyone |
In the 3rd paragraph, Dr. Laragh implied that _____.
| A．people should not be afraid of taking much excessive salt |
| B．doctors should not advise people to avoid salt |
| C．an adequate to somewhat excessive salt intake is suggested to ill people |
| D．excessive salt intake has killed some patients in the general population |
What is the experts’ advice for average people on salt consumption?
| A．They should increase salt intake through sodium pills. |
| B．They should avoid salt as often as possible. |
| C．They should consume 1/2 to 1/3 teaspoons of salt a day. |
| D．They needn’t care about how much salt they consume. |
What is the main idea of the passage?
| A．The salt scare is not reasonable. |
| B．The cause of hypertension is disclosed. |
| C．The moderate use of salt is recommended. |
| D．Salt consumption is to be avoided. |
Doctors recognize obesity as a health problem．So why is it so hard for them to talk to their patients about it?
The results of two surveys, one of primary care physicians and the other of patients, found that while most doctors want to help patients lose weight and think it is their responsibility to do so, they often don’t know what to say．
So while doctors may tell patients they are overweight, the conversation often ends there, said Christine C．Ferguson, director of the Stop Obesity Alliance．Without being told about options for diabetes, she said, “Doctors don’t feel they have good information to give．They felt they didn’t have adequate tools to deal with this problem.”
The lack of dialogue hurts patients, too．The patient survey, of over 1,000 adults, found that most overweight patients don’t even know that they’re too heavy．Only 39 percent of overweight people surveyed had ever been told by a health care provider that they were overweight.
Of those who were told they were overweight, 90 percent were also told by their doctors to lose weight, the survey found．In fact most have tried to lose weight and may have been successful in the past — and many are still trying, the survey found．And many understand that losing even a small amount of weight can have a positive impact on their health and reduce their risk of developing obesity-related diseases such as hypertension and diabetes.
Dr．William Bestermann Jr., from Holston Medical Group, said the dialogue had to be an ongoing one and could not be dropped after just one mention of the problem．“If you’re to help your patients successfully, you have to talk to them at actually every visit about their progress, and find something to encourage them about and coach them,” he said.
He acknowledged that many doctors find it hard to be optimistic．
“Part of this is that it’s commonly believed, even by doctors, that overweight people are weak-willed and just don’t have any willpower and are self-indulgent and all that business,” he said．“If you think that way, you’re not going to spend time having a productive conversation.”
61．What is most probably Stop Obesity Alliance, as in Paragraph 3?
A．An organization of doctors specializing in obesity.
B．An organization of patients suffering from obesity.
C．A research group that conducts special surveys about overweight people.
D．A research group dealing with doctor-patient relationship.
62．How many of the patients surveyed have been advised by their doctors to lose weight?
A．About 350. B．About 390. C．About 900. D．1000.
63．What can be inferred about obesity patients in Paragraph 5 ?
A．They are not as hopeless as doctors think they are.
B．Most of them have tried hard to lose weight, but in vain.
C．Without their doctors’ constant coaching, there is little chance of their succeeding in losing weight.
D．Most of them have just given up their hope of becoming less heavy.
64．According to the passage, which factor contributes to the lack of dialogue between doctors and patients?
A．Most doctors just never think of warning their patients about their weight problem.
B．Many doctors find it difficult to persuade overweight people to lose weight.
C．Most patients are too weak-willed to do anything about their weight.
D．Many patients tend not to trust their doctors about their weight problem.
65．Which of the following is the best title of the passage?
A．Obesity in the U.S.
B．Trouble of overweight Americans
C．Talk more, help better
D．Doctors or patients — who to bear more blame?
PART THREE READING COMPREHENSION
Directions: Read the following three passages．Each passage is followed by several questions or unfinished statements．For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D．Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage.
Short reader-submitted stories -- for the woman you should think of today!
Compiled by Amy Zerello
Great Minds Reminded of Mom
After a long, exhausting day, a friend of mine, Allen, headed home．On the road, he passed an elderly woman who was standing by a car with a flat tire．If that were 
his mother, he thought, he would want someone to help her．With a tired sigh, he turned around and drove back．
Just as he reached the poor woman, a truck pulled up and a burly man got out．"Kind of reminds you of your mom, too?" the man asked as the two of them pitched in together to change the tire for her．
Contributed by Katherine L．Houge
Your Biggest Fan
While waiting in a bookstore for a guest author to sign her latest book, I leafed through some of the Civil War novels she had written．The woman in line behind me commented, "Those are the best books I've ever read．I couldn't put them down."
Before I could reply, the author, frowning, looked over and said, "Oh come on, Mom!"
-- Contributed by Marilyn Kopp
Head of the Household
My husband, Jeff, and I came across several problems while assembling our new computer system, so we called the help desk．The man on the phone started to talk to Jeff in computer jargon(行业术语), which confused us even more．
"Sir," my husband politely said, "please explain what I should do as if I were a four-year-old."
"Okay," the computer technician replied．"Sweetie, could you please put your mommy on the phone?"
-- Contributed by Lena Worth
How does it feel to tickle your mom’s funny bone?
Now send your own funny story to us! You could earn up to $300!
56．Who w
ould the burly man be in the first joke?
A．Another kind helper. B．The old lady’s son.
C．Allen’s friend. D．A policeman.
57．What was the guest author’s mom trying to do in the second story?
A．Push hard to get her daughter’s signature．
B．Promote her daughter’s books by pretending to be a fan.
C．Show her pride in her daughter’s achievement.
D．Persuade Marilyn Kopp to buy her daughter’s book.
58．The computer technician on the phone in the third story ________.
A．actually could find no way to solve Jeff’s problems
B．teased Jeff about his poor knowledge of computer jargon
C．wanted to talk to Lena instead
D．believed that Jeff’s mom would know more computer jargon
59．What is the main purpose of the jokes?
A．To make fun of moms. B．To honor moms.
C．To educate moms. D．To amuse moms．
60．The passage is most possibly found ________.
A．in a storybook B．in a commercial ad
C．in a magazine D．in a student’s text book
The January fashion show, called FutureFashion, exemplified how far green design has come．Organized by the New York-based nonprofit Earth Pledge, the show inspired many top designers to work with sustainable fabrics for the first time．Several have since made pledges to include organic fabrics in their lines.
The designers who undertake green fashion still face many challenges．Scott Hahn, cofounder with Gregory of Rogan and Loomstate, which uses all-organic cotton, says high-quality sustainable materials can still be tough to find．“Most designers with existing labels are finding there aren’t comparable fabrics that can just replace what you’re doing and what your customers are used to,” he says．For example, organic cotton and non-organic cotton are virtually indistinguishable once put into a dress．But some popular synthetics, like stretch nylon, still have few eco-friendly equivalents.
Those who do make the switch are finding they have more support．Last year the influential trade show Designers & Agents stopped charging its participation fee for young green entrepreneurs（企业家） who attend its two springtime shows in Los Angeles and New York and gave special recognition to designers whose collections are at least 25% sustainable．It now counts more than 50 green designers, up from fewer than a dozen two years ago．This week Wa
l-Mart is set to announce a major initiative aimed at helping cotton farmers go organic: it will buy transitional cotton at higher prices, thus helping to expand the supply of a key sustainable material．“Mainstream is about to occur,” says Hahn.
Some analysts are less sure．Among consumers, only 18% are even aware that ecofashion exists, up from 6% four years ago．Natalie Hormilla, a fashion writer, is an example of the unconverted consumer．When asked if she owned any sustainable clothes, she replied: “Not that I’m aware of.” Like most consumers, she finds little time to shop, and when she does, she’s on the hunt for “cute stuff that isn’t too expensive.” By her own admission, green just isn’t yet on her mind．But—thanks to the combined efforts of designers, retailers and suppliers—one day it will be.
67．What is said about FutureFashion?
A．It inspired many leading designers to start going green.
B．It showed that designers using organic fabrics would go far.
C．It served as an example of how fashion shows should be organized.
D．It convinced the public that fashionable clothes should be made durable.
68．According to Scott Hahn, one big challenge to designers who will go organic is that .
A．much more time is needed to finish a dress using sustainable materials
B．they have to create new brands for clothes made of organic materials
C．customers have difficulty telling organic from non-organic materials
D．quality organic replacements for synthetics are not readily available
69．What is Natalie Hormilla’s attitude toward ecofashion?
A．She is doubtful of its practical value. B．She doesn’t think it is sustainable.
C．She doesn’t seem to care about it. D．She is very much opposed to the idea.
70．What does the author think of green fashion?
A．Green products will soon go mainstream．
B．It has a very promising future.
C．Consumers have the final say.
D．It will appeal more to young people.
Wugging, or web use giving, describes the act of giving to charity at no cost to the user．By using Everyclick.com, which is being added to a number of university computers across the UK, students can raise money every time they search, but it won’t cost them a penny.
Research shows that students are extremely passionate about supporting charity — 88% of full time students have used the Internet to give to charity．This age group is often the least likely to have their own income．19% of 22 to 24 year olds have short-term debts of more than £5,000．With rising personal debt levels in this age group, due to university tuition fees or personal loans and a lack of long-term savings, traditional methods of donating to charity are often not appealing or possible.
Beth Truman, a 21-year-old recent university graduate, has used Everyclick.com to donate to her chosen charity, the RSPCA, for two years and has seen the “wugging” movement grow in popularity with students．“When you’re at university you become more socially aware, but it’s sometimes hard to give to others when you have little money yourself,” says Beth．“Wugging is great for people in this age group as it allows them to use the technology on a daily basis to give to charity, without costing them a single penny.”
Wugging is perfect for people who want to be more socially aware and supportive but don’t feel they have the means to do so．Students using the web can raise money for causes they care about without costing them anything in terms of time or money, and charities get a valuable source of funding．
Everyclick.com works like any other search engine, allowing users to search for information, news and images but users can decide which of the UK’s 170,000 charities they would like to support through their clicks．Everyclick.com then makes monthly payments to every registered charity．Launched in June 2005, Everyclick.com is now the eighth largest search engine and one of the busiest charity websites in the UK.
63．According to the passage, “wugging” is actually ______.
A．a website B．a charity-related action
C．a school organization D．a student movement
64．In the case of charity, Everyclick.com ______.
A．frees students from the financial worries
B．receives much money from students
C．offers valuable information to students
D．praises students for their money-raising
65．What does Beth Truman think of the “wugging” movement?
A．It makes Everyclick.com popular in the UK．
B．It becomes easy to do charity because of it.
C．It results in students’ more social awareness．
D．It helps students to save money.
66．What would be the best title
for this passage?
A．“Wugging”, a new popular term on the Internet.
B．British people show strong interest in charity.
C．More Britain charities benefit from the Internet.
D．Students raise money for charity by “wugging”.
One evening I went out and left my 17-year-old son in charge of his 8-year-old brother and 4-year-old sister．On this occasion, the work was made less troublesome by the presence of his girlfriend．I left with complete confidence that the older children would do a wonderful job of babysitting the younger children and the younger children would do a wonderful job of accompanying the older ones．Later, I discovered that complete confidence was the last thing I should have left home with.
I had decided to return home earlier than planned so that my son and his girlfriend could go out．I called home with this happy news．But instead of hearing his cheerful, grateful voice on the other end of the line, all I heard was the sound of a telephone ringing.
It was, I should point out, after 10 p.m., when the two younger children should have been in bed, and when the two older children should have been answering the phone．“I’ll give him a lesson,” I said．I decided they must be outside．Why they might be outside at 10:30 on a wintry night I had no idea, but it was the only explanation I could come up with.
Finally, in desperation, I called his girlfriend’s house．After what seemed like countless rings, his girlfriend answered．“Yes,” she said brightly, “He’s right here.”
He came on the phone．I was not my usual calm, rational self．After all, one of
the rules of survival for modern parents is that you can’t trust modern teenagers．“Where are the children?” I said．He said they were with him．They had done nothing wrong．My son had taken the younger children over to his girlfriend’s house just for ice cream and cake．This was too good to be believed．Well, it turns out that I shouldn’t have believed it．It was only part of the truth.
The following Saturday evening we were at my parents’ home, celebrating my birthday．My oldest son gave me the children’s gifts．Mounted and framed were a series of lovely color photographs of my children, dressed in their best clothes, and wearing their most wonderful expressions. They are pictures to treasure a lifetime, all taken by the father of my son’s girlfriend.
59．The author went out and left her eldest son in charge of the younger children because _____ _.
A．she knew that his girlfriend was a good baby-sitter
B．she believed he could take good care of the younger ones with the help of his girlfriend
C．the older children have always loved the younger ones
D．she could not find a baby-sitter on that winter night
60．Shortly after the author left home one evening, she discovered that ______.
A．her son had brought his girlfriend home
B．her son had left home with his girlfriend
C．she shouldn’t have completely trusted her son
D．she should have taken the children along with her
61．The sentence “It was only part of the truth.” （Para．5） implies that the children not only enjoyed ice-cream but also ______.
A．had a birthday party B．framed some photographs
C．had their pictures taken D．showed off their best clothes
62．Which of the following possible titles best expresses the main idea of this passage?
A．An Evening Out B．Modern Teenagers
C．Mother and Children D．A Precious Birthday Gift