Eating too much fatty food, exercising too little and smoking can raise your future risk of heart disease. But there is another factor that can cause your heart problems more immediately: the air you breathe.
Previous studies have linked high exposure (暴露）to environmental pollution to an increased risk of heart problem, but two analyses now show that poor air quality can lead to heart attack or stroke (中風(fēng)）within as little as a few hours after exposure. In one review of the research, scientists found that people exposed to high levels of pollutants (污染物）were up to 5% more likely to suffer a heart attack within days of exposure than those with lower exposure. A separate study of stroke patients showed that even air that the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considers to be of “moderate” (良好）quality and relatively safe for our health can raise the risk of stroke as much as 34% within 12 to 14 hours of exposure.
The authors of both studies stress that these risks are relatively small for healthy people and certainly modest compared with other risk factors such as smoking and high blood pressure. However, it is important to be aware of these dangers because everyone is exposed to air pollution regardless of lifestyle choices. So stricter regulation by the EPA of pollutants may not only improve environmental air quality but could also become necessary to protect public health.
小題1:The text mainly discusses the relationship between       .   

A．heart problems and air quality

B．heart problems and exercising

C．heart problems and smoking

D．heart problems and fatty food

小題2:The underlined word “modest” in Paragraph 3 most probably means   .

A．relatively high	B．extremely low
C．relatively low	D．extremely high

小題3:What can we learn from the text?  

A．Eating fatty food has immediate effects on your heart.

B．The EPA conducted many studies on air quality.

C．Moderate air quality is more harmful than smoking,

D．Stricter regulations on pollutants should be made.

小題4:The author’s purpose of writing the text is most likely to        .

A．inform

B．persuade

C．describe

D．entertain

Elderly adults who regularly drink green tea may stay more active and independent than their peers over time，according to a Japanese study that covered thousands of people．
Green tea contains antioxidant chemicals that may help ward off the cell damage that can lead to disease．Researchers have been studying green tea's effect on everything from cholesterol(膽固醇)to the risk of certain cancers，with mixed results so far．
For the new Japanese study，researchers decided to examine the question of whether green tea drinkers have a lower risk of frailty and disability as they grow older．
Tomata and his colleagues followed nearly 14，000 adults aged 65 or older for three years．
They found those who drank the most green tea were the least likely to develop “functional disability”，or problems with daily activities or basic needs，such as dressing or bathing．
Specifically，almost 13 percent of adults who drank less than a cup of green tea per day became functionally disabled，compared with just over 7 percent of people who drank at least five cups fl day．
The study did not prove that green tea alone kept people active as they grew older．
Green-tea lovers generally had healthier diets，including more fish，vegetables and fruit，as well as more education．lower smoking rates，fewer heart attacks and strokes，and greater mental sharpness．
They also tended to be more socially active and have more friends and family to rely on．
Although it's not clear how green tea might offer a buffer(緩沖劑)against disability，Tomata's team did note that one recent study found green tea extracts(提煉物)seem to increase leg muscle strength in older women．
While green tea and its extracts are considered safe in small amounts，they do contain caffeine and small amounts of vitamin K，which means it could block drugs that prevent blood thickened．
小題1:Which of the following can summarize the passage best?

A．Green tea makes you less active．

B．Green tea makes you less disabled．

C．Green tea makes you more friendly．

D．Green tea makes you more educated．

小題2:The underlined word“ward off”in Paragraph 2 probably means     .

A．form

B．a(chǎn)bsorb

C．remove

D．prevent

小題3:Tomata and his colleagues wanted to     .

A．prove whether the Japanese study is correct

B．know if green tea drinkers are independent

C．help nearly 14，000 adults aged 65 or older

D．study green tea's effect on cholesterol

小題4:Which of the following is NOT the advantage of green tea?

A．Reduce functional disability．

B．Keep old people active．

C．Make more friends．

D．Suffer fewer heart attacks．

小題5:It can be inferred from the last paragraph     .

A．green tea is safe to drink

B．green tea should be drunk properly

C．green tea is poisonous for old people

D．vitamin K is helpful to us

The findings come ___36___ a study of nearly 1,000 US people that looked at diet, calorie intake and body mass index (BMI) - a measure of obesity.___37___ is found that those who ate chocolate a few times a week were, on ___38___, slimmer than those ___39___ ate it occasionally. Even though chocolate is loaded with calories, it contains ingredients（材料）that may favour weight loss ___40___ than fat synthesis, scientists believe.___41___ boosting calorie intake, regular chocolate consumption was related to lower BMI in the study, ___42___ is published in Archives of Internal Medicine. The link remained even when other factors, like how ___43___ exercise individuals did, were taken into ___44___.And it appears it is how often you eat chocolate that is important, rather than how much of it you eat. The ___45___ found no link with quantity consumed.
___46___ to the researchers, there is only one chance in a hundred that their findings could be explained by chance alone. Lead author Dr Beatrice Golomb, from the University of California at San Diego, said: "Our findings appear to add to a body of information suggesting that the composition of calories, not just the number of them, matters for determining their ultimate impact on weight."This is not the first time scientists ___47___ that chocolate may be healthy for us. Other studies have claimed chocolate may be good for the heart. Consumption of certain types of chocolate has been linked to some favourable changes in blood pressure, insulin（胰島素）sensitivity and cholesterol（膽固醇）level. And chocolate, ___48___ dark chocolate, does contain antioxidants（抗氧化劑）which can help to mop up harmful free radicals - unstable chemicals that can damage our cells.
Dr Golomb and her team believe that antioxidant compounds, called catechins（兒茶素）, can improve lean muscle mass and reduce weight  ___49___ studies in rodents would suggest this might be so. Mice ___50___ for 15 days with epicatechin (present in dark chocolate) had improved exercise performance and observable changes to their muscle composition.They say clinical trials are now needed in humans to see ___51___ this is the case.
But before you reach ___52___ a chocolate bar, there are still lots of unanswered questions. And in the absence of conclusive evidence, experts advise caution.While there's no harm in allowing yourself a treat like ___53___ now and again, eating too much might be harmful because it often ___54___ a lot of sugar and fat too.And if you are looking to change your diet, you are ___55___ to benefit most from eating more fresh fruits and vegetables.

小題1:	A．to B．in C．from D．with

小題2:	A．As B．It C．Which D．What

小題3:	A．whole B．a(chǎn)verage C．general D．short

小題4:	A．who B．that C．which D．why

小題5:	A．other B．rather C．less D．more

小題6:	A．Though B．Even if C．when D．Despite

小題7:	A．that B．which C．where D．when

小題8:	A．much B．often C．long D．many

小題9:	A．thoughts B．mind C．a(chǎn)ccount D．effect

小題10:

A．news B．report C．study D．book

小題11:

A．According B．Based C．Reply D．Response

小題12:

A．had suggested B．suggested C．have suggested D．suggest

小題13:

A．specially B．particularly C．luckily D．unfortunately

小題14:

A．a(chǎn)t least B．a(chǎn)t most C．in fact D．by accident

小題15:

A．feeding B．fed C．to feed D．feed

小題16:

A．if B．what C．why D．that

小題17:

A．out B．for C．with D．into

小題18:

A．noodles B．chocolate C．rice D．nuts

小題19:

A．includes B．takes C．a(chǎn)bsorbs D．contains

小題20:

A．probable B．possible C．likely D．a(chǎn)bout

There is an English saying, “Laughter is the best medicine.” Until recently, few people took the saying seriously. Now however, doctors have begun to look into laughter and the effects it has on the human body. They have found that laughter really can improve people’s health.
Tests were carried out to study the effects of laughter on the body. People watched funny films while doctors checked their heart, blood pressure, breathing and muscles. It was found that laughter has similar effects to physical exercise. It increases blood pressure, makes the heart beat quicker and makes people breathe deeper; it also works several groups of muscles in the face, the stomach, and even the feet. If laughter exercises the body, it must be beneficial.
Other tests have shown that laughter appears to be able to reduce the effect of pain on the body. In one experiment doctors produced pain in groups of students who listened to different radio programmes. The group that tolerated (忍耐) the pain for the longest time was the group which listened to a funny programme. The reason why laughter can reduce pain seems to be that it helps to produce a kind of chemical in the brain which diminishes both stress and pain.
As a result of these discoveries, some doctors in the United States now hold laughter clinics, in which they help to improve their patients’ condition by encouraging them to laugh. They have found that even if their patients do not really feel like laughing, making them smile is enough to produce beneficial effects similar to those caused by laughter.
小題1:According to the passage, which of the following statements is WRONG?  

A．Laughter is good for health.

B．Laughter can make you become old quickly.

C．Laughter helps to reduce pain.

D．Laughter, just like physical exercise, is good for our body.

小題2:The underlined word “diminishes” in the third paragraph means “         ”.  

A．delays

B．prevents

C．increases

D．reduces

小題3:Why do doctors hold laughter clinics? 

A．Because they want to earn more money.

B．Because they think they will help the patients recover from illnesses.

C．Because they want to improve their patients’ health.

D．Because they want their patients to laugh more.

小題4:According to the author, we should __________ in our life. 

A．laugh as much as possible

B．watch more funny films

C．smile all the time

D．spend time in the laughter clinics

小題5:What would be the best title for this passage?  

A．Both laughter and physical exercise are good for health.

B．Laughter clinics can help patients improve their condition.

C．Laughter can reduce the effect of pain.

D．Laughter is the best medicine.

If your recurring(經(jīng)常性的)dreams are worrying you，you can rest assured and needn’t worry．Psychologists say in the vast majority of these cases，this is just the mind’s way of dealing with stress and conflicts，problems and concerns．It’s a good thing．
They call be surprisingly vivid and real，or fragmented and weird．They can be comforting or frightening．Our dreams can tell us a lot about what we are really thinking．Dreams give us an x-ray of our unconsciousness(潛意識(shí))．They tell us，particularly when we are at life’s passages or turning points．
Lisa Oppenheim had the same dream whenever she was about to move to a new home or a new city．It’s always just a feeling of needing to stay safe．Experts say disturbing dreams often occur around major life events．For Lisa，it was moving．For others，it can be marriage or divorce，the death of a loved one or pressure at work．
Doctor Siegel has studied the meaning of dream for nearly 30 years．He believes stressful or upsetting dreams can be a sign of what’s buried deep inside our minds．
He said．“Dreams are important to survival．They are crucial to the balance of our psyche(心靈)．They help us work out problems that we’re having every single day．They go to the cutting edge of what’s stressful，what’s bothering us and what we’re working out in our lives．Dreams can guide us and in order to find that guidance，to find that deep source of wisdom that’s in our dreams every night，we need to pay attention to our dreams．”
But many dreams are scary and horrible．How can we understand these nightmares? Doctor Siegel says they are reflecting especially intense emotion or unresolved conflict．The stronger the emotion in the dream，whether it’s pleasure or fear，the likelier the dream is to be important．
Knowing what your recurring dreams or nightmares mean can be liberating．Some nightmares can be a sign of serious psychological problems，such as post-dramatic stress disorder．If they are extremely disturbing or violent or the cause of severe anxiety，you should see a professional therapist(治療專(zhuān)家)．
小題1:By saying “Dreams give US an x-ray of our unconsciousness,”  the author means that dreams

A．do harm to our mind	B．show us our real mind
C．solve our stress in mind	D．give us a turning point in mind

小題2:People will have recurring dreams when they_______________．

A．1ive with great pressure or have great events

B．do the same things all their lives

C．move to a new home or a new city

D．a(chǎn)re comforted or frightened

小題3:Which of the following is true according to Doctor Siegel?

A．Dreams play a very important role in the world’s balance．

B．Dreams help us find out the problems we need to solve．

C．We should pay attention to every dream we have．

D．Only the dreams with pleasure are important to us．

小題4:How should we deal with the recurring nightmares?

A．We should remember them because they are important to us．

B．We can ignore them since they are just reflecting our emotions．

C．We need to take some sleeping pills to stop this serious problem．

D．We should see a psychological doctor if they are seriously disturbing

小題5:The purpose of the passage is_________________．

A．to introduce a variety of dreams

B．to offer some advice on avoiding nightmares

C．to compare recurring dreams with nightmares

D．to ease our anxiety on recurring dreams

In 2030, 42 percent of American adults will be obese, and about one-quarter of that group will be severely obese, a condition that shortens life and wastes large medical expenses, a new study predicts.
Obesity related ailments — diabetes, heart disease, kidney failure — consume at least 9 percent of health-care spending the United States. Some researchers believe the cost may be twice that estimate. Total health spending is about $2.6 trillion a year.
In 2030, 42 percent of people are projected to be obese, and 11 percent severely obese. Obesity is a body mass index , which suggests 85 kg for someone 1.67 meters tall. Severe obesity is 112 kg for someone that height.
Obesity is rising in higher-income men. Severe obesity is increasing in both sexes. It was 6.2 percent in women in 1999 and 8.1 percent in 2010. For men, it was 3.1 percent in 1999 and 4.4 percent in 2010.
It is believed that the obesity rate is closely related to the following factors: the price of gasoline, which discourages walking when it is low; access to the Internet (and other technologies), which encourages long periods of sitting still; and restaurants per 10,000 people, which increases eating out and weight gain when the number goes up.
Urgent measures must be taken to inspire people to exercise more and educate people about better eating habits before too many people will be suffering from being . obese.
小題1:The word “ailments” in the second paragraph is equal to _______.

A．Diabetes

B．Heart disease

C．Kidney failure

D．Diseases

小題2:If a man aged 35 is about 1.65 meters tall and weighs 65 kg, he is
probably _____ according to the passage.

A．Obese

B．Severely obese

C．Normal

D．Overweight

小題3:According to the passage, which of the following facts contributes to the obesity rate?

A．People are used to eating out in restaurants.

B．People do not have free access to the Internet.

C．The price of gasoline is going up steadily.

D．The number of higher-income women is on the increase.

Researchers have announced the result of two studies on the health effects of the drug aspirin．One study shows aspirin can sharply reduce the chance that a healthy, older man will suffer from a heart attack．
The study offered two new results from earlier findings, It said taking one aspirin pili every other day helped only healthy men over the age of fifty．It also said aspirin gave the greatest protection against heart attacks to men with low blood cholesterol（膽固醇）levels．
Earlier in the United States began a major aspirin study in the early 1980s．It included 22,000 healthy men doctors．Ail were between the ages of forty and eighty-four．More than 11,000 of the doctors took a harmless pill that contained no drug．The men did not know which kind of pill they were taking．
The doctors who took aspirin suffered 44% fewer heart attacks than those taking the harmless pill．139 men who took aspirin suffered from heart attacks．Ten of them died．239 men who did not take aspirin suffered from heart attacks．Twenty-six of them died．
The researchers said the doctors' study provides clear proof that taking aspirin can prevent a first heart attack in healthy, older men．They said, however, the result does not mean every man over the mage of fifty should take aspirin．They said aspirin couldn't help men who do not eat healthy foods, who smoke cigarettes and who are fat．The researchers said men who think they wou3d be helped by taking aspirin should talk with their doctors first．
小題1:We may learn that the new use of aspirin is ______．

A．to treat heart disease

B．to reduce the chance of a heart attack in old men

C．to protect old men

D．to reduce the blood cholesterol levels

小題2:Aspirin can help those who ______．

A．a(chǎn)re older and healthy

B．know how to keep fit

C．a(chǎn)re fat and smoke cigarettes

D．a(chǎn)re suffering from heart attack

小題3:At last the researchers advised us to take aspirin _____.

A．a(chǎn)s we like

B．with care

C．every day

D．if we are over fifty

小題4:From the experiment we can conclude that about ______ of people who suffered from heart attacks without aspirin died．

A．7%

B．19%

C．11%

D．44%

Why do men die earlier than women? The latest research makes it known that the reason could be that men’s hearts go into rapid decline（下降） when they reach middle age.
The largest study of the effects of ageing on the heart has found that women’s longevity may be linked to the fact that their hearts do not lose their pumping power with age.
“We have found that the power of the male heart falls by 20-25 percent between 18 and 70 years of age,” said the head of the study, David Goldspink of Liverpool John Moores University in the UK.
“Within the heart there are millions of cells that enable it to beat. Between the age of 20 and 70, one-third of those cells die and are not replaced in men,” said Goldspink. “This is part of the ageing process.”
What surprises scientists is that the female heart sees very little loss of these cells. A healthy 70-year-old woman’s heart could perform almost as well as a 20-year-old one’s. “This gender（ 性別） difference might just explain why women live longer than men,” said Goldspink. They studied more than 250 healthy men and women between the ages of 18 and 80, focusing on healthy persons to remove the confusing influence of disease. “The team has yet to find why ageing takes a greater loss on the male heart,” said Goldspink.
The good news is that men can improve the health of their heart with regular exercise. Goldspink stressed that women also need regular exercise to prevent their leg muscles becoming smaller and weaker as they age.
小題1:The underlined word “l(fā)ongevity” in the second paragraph probably refers to “________”.

A．health

B．a(chǎn)geing

C．long life

D．effect

小題2:The text mainly talks about ________.

A．men’s heart cells	B．women’s ageing process
C．the gender difference	D．hearts and long life

小題3:According to the text, the UK scientists have known that ________.

A．women have more cells than men when they are born

B．women can replace the cells that enable the heart to beat

C．the female heart loses few of the cells with age

D．women never lose their pumping power with age

小題4:If you want to live longer, you should ________.

A．exercise regularly to keep your heart healthy

B．find out the reason for ageing

C．enable your heart to beat much faster

D．prevent your cells from being lost

小題5:We can know from the passage that ________.

A．the reason why ageing takes a greater loss on the male heart has been found out

B．scientists are on the way to finding out why the male heart loses more of the cells

C．the team has done something to prevent the male from suffering the greater loss

D．women over 70 could lose more heart cells than those at the age of 20

How to eat healthfully can be especially complex for working women who often have neither the desire nor the time to cook for themselves (or for anyone else )．Registered dietitian Barbara Morrissey suggests that a few simple rules can help.
“Go for nutrient－dense foods，”she suggests，“foods that contain a multiple of nutrients.  For example，select whole wheat bread as a breakfast food，rather than coffee cake. Or drink orange juice rather than orange drink，which contains only a small percentage of real juice—the rest is largely colored sugar water. You just can't compare the value of these foods, the nutrient－dense ones are so superior，”she emphasizes.
Morrissey believes that variety is not only the spice of life，it's the foundation of a healthful diet. Diets which are based on one or two foods are not only almost impossible to keep up the strength，they can be very harmful, she says, because nutrients aren't supplied in enough amounts or balance.
According to Morrissey，trying to find a diet that can cure your illnesses，or make you superwoman is a fruitless search.“ As women，many of us are too concerned with staying thin，”she says，and “we believe that vitamins are some kind of magic cure to replace food.”
“We need carbohydrates，protein and fat－they are like the wood in the fireplace. The vitamins and minerals are like the match，the spark，for the fuel，”she explains.“ We need them all，but in a very different proportions（部分）. And if the fuel isn't there，the spark is useless.”
小題1:From the first paragraph we know that working women________.

A．think cooking is especially complicated

B．do not share the same views with registered dietitians

C．a(chǎn)re busy and not interested in cooking

D．a(chǎn)re likely to eat healthfully

小題2:Orange juice is different from orange drink because________.

A．it contains only a small percentage of real juice

B．it is natural，nutritious and prepared from real oranges

C．it is largely orange－colored sugar water

D．it produces nothing but calories

小題3:In Paragraph 4，“a fruitless search” means “____”．

A．a(chǎn)n effort with no results

B．a(chǎn) search for a diet without fruits

C．a(chǎn) research on fruitless diet

D．a(chǎn) diet serving as medicine

小題4:Many women take it for granted，according to the passage that________.

A．a(chǎn) balanced diet can result in being fat

B．staying thin and healthy are both possible

C．lack of variety in diets leads to staying thin

D．vitamins are some kind of substitutions（代替物）for food

小題5:By saying “if the fuel isn't there，the spark is useless”，the author means “________”．

A．carbohydrates，protein and fat are enough to support a human life

B．vitamins and minerals are almost of no value

C．carbohydrates，protein and fat are as important as vitamins and minerals

D．without carbohydrates，protein and fat，vitamins and minerals are of no use

Many people have never heard of Mesothelioma and are unaware of its symptoms. Although considered a rare form of cancer, each year the number of cases grows. With the prevalence(流行)of this disease on the rise, it is critical to understand why and how Mesothelioma develops and what courses of action can be taken in the event of diagnosis. The following is a list of frequently asked questions and answers that will provide you with some information on Mesothelioma, and the legal issues surrounding it.
What is Mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma is the term used to describe a cancerous tumor found in the mesothelial cells of an organ. The organs where this form of cancer is most commonly found are the lungs, heart and abdominal organs. Pleural Mesothelioma is cancer of the lung lining(組織,膜)and is the most common form of Mesothelioma.
What causes Mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma is almost always caused by exposure to asbestos(石棉). Asbestos is often found in building materials used before the mid 1970's. In addition, materials such as pipes, boiler insulation, floor, ceiling and roof tiles may contain asbestos.
How much asbestos exposure will cause Mesothelioma?
Generally, the probability of developing this form of cancer is in accordance with the length of time you are exposed to asbestos. Also, your health is at risk if your exposure to asbestos is intense. It should be noted that Mesothelioma has a latency(潛伏)period of 20 to 50 years. This means that you may develop the disease long after your exposure to asbestos. On average, people tend to develop Mesothelioma somewhere between 35 and 40 years after exposure.
How quickly does Mesothelioma progress?
The onset of Mesothelioma is quite slow. Patients will begin to experience symptoms such as lower back pain and chest pain. These symptoms may also be accompanied by weight loss, fever and difficulty breathing. Unfortunately, once Mesothelioma develops, it quickly becomes aggressive and treatment must be sought immediately.
Can Mesothelioma be treated?
Doctors are able to use several traditional methods of cancer treatment for Mesothelioma, including surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. Like all forms of cancer, detecting the disease at the earliest stage possible greatly increases the patient's chances for survival. If you have worked in an industry such as construction or suspect that you may have been exposed to asbestos, be alert for symptoms and contact your doctor immediately.
What legal courses of action can be taken?
Anyone suffering from Mesothelioma is entitled to compensation from asbestos manufacturers. Additionally, if you are the spouse or child of someone who has died from Mesothelioma, you are entitled to file a claim and seek compensation.
小題1:The authors intends to _______.

A．tell the readers how important it is to know more about Mesothelioma.

B．provide more information about Mesothelioma

C．give advice on how tto avoid developing Mesothelioma

D．tell the readers how terrible Mesothelioma is

小題2:We can learn from the text that _______.

A．Asbestos is to blame for Mesothelioma.

B．Even if a person is exposed to asbestos for a while, he will die soon.

C．All the employees can ask for compensation from asbestos manufacturers.

D．Mesothelioma is a cancer familiar to many people.

小題3:The following are the symptoms of Mesothelioma EXCEPT ______.

A．frequent headache	B．lower back pain
C．chest pain	D．difficult breathing

小題4:Which of the following would be the best title for the text?

A．Terrible Mesothelioma

B．Mesothelioma is around us

C．Frequently Asked Questions About Mesothelioma

D．Mesothelioma in on the rise

小題5:If you work in an industry exposed to asbestos, you should ________.

A．give up the job immediately

B．a(chǎn)sk for a rise from your boss

C．file a claim and seek compensation

D．go to hospital and have your body examined