The Diet Zone: A Dangerous Place
   Diet Coke, diet Pepsi, diet pills, no-fat diet, vegetable diet… We are surrounded by the word "diet"
everywhere we look and listen. We have so easily been attracted by the promise and potential of diet
products that we have stopped thinking about what diet products are doing to us. We are paying for
products that harm us psychologically and physically.
   Diet products significantly weaken us psychologically. On one level, we are not allowing our brain to
admit that our weight problems lie not in actually losing the weight, but in controlling the consumption
(消耗) of fatty, high-calorie, unhealthy foods. Diet products allow us to jump over the thinking stage
and go straight for the scale(秤)instead. All we have to do is to swallow or recognize the word "diet" in
food labels (標(biāo)簽).
   On another level, diet products have greater psychological effects. Every time we have a zero-calorie
drink, we are telling ourselves without our awareness that we don't have to work to get results. Diet
products make people believe that gain comes without pain, and that life can be without resistance (抵
抗) and struggle.
   The danger of diet products lies not only in the psychological effects they have on us, but also in the
physical harm that they cause. Diet foods can indirectly harm our bodies because consuming them
instead of healthy foods means we are preventing our bodies from having basic nutrients (營養(yǎng)成分).
Diet foods and diet pills contain zero calorie only because the diet industry has created chemicals to
produce these wonder products. Diet products may not be nutritional, and the chemical that go into
diet products are potentially dangerous.
   Now that we are aware of the effects that diet products have on us, it is time to seriously think about
buying them. Losing weight lies in the power of minds, not in the power of chemicals. Once we realize
this, we will be much better able to resist diet products, and therefore prevent the psychological harm
that comes from using them.

1. From Paragraph 1, we learn that _____.

A. diet products fail to bring out people's potential
B. people have difficulty in choosing diet products
C. diet products are misleading people
D. people are fed up with diet products

2. One psychological effect of diet products is that people tend to _____.

A. try out a variety of diet foods
B. hesitate before they enjoy diet foods
C. pay attention to their own eating habits
D. watch their weight rather than their diet

3. In Paragraph 3, "gain comes without pain" probably means _____.

A. losing weight is effortless
B. it costs a lot to lose weight
C. diet products bring no pain
D. diet products are free from calories

4. Diet products indirectly harm people physically because such products _____.

A. are over-consumedB. lack basic nutrients
C. are short of chemicalsD. provide too much energy

     Have you ever felt sick or had a headache during a test? Have you ever been so worried about
something that you can't sleep at night?   1   This worry in your mind can made your body feel bad.
You may feel angry, frustrated, scared, or afraid-which can give you a stomachache or a headache.
      2  Good or normal stress might happen when you're called to answer a question in class or when
you have to give a speech. This kind of stress that can help you to get things better done.   3  
    But bad stress can happen if the stressful feelings keep going over a long time.  You may not feel
well if your parents are fighting, if a family member is sick, if you're having problems at school, or if
you're going through anything else that makes you upset every day.   4  
      5  That means making good decisions about how to spend your time. If you're only dealing with
school stuff and have no time to play, you can get stressed. Make sure you keep yourself in mind:
Sleep, Exercise , Leisure(休閑),and Food. If you take care of yourself and get enough sleep and food,
and if you exercise and leave time for fun stuff, you'll probably be less stressed out!

A. However, there are two different kinds of stress.
B. Can you tell a kind of stress from another one?
C. The best way to keep stress away is to have a balanced life.
D. That kind of stress isn't going to help you, and it can actually make you sick.
E. Since bad stress is harmful for us, you'd better try to change it into good stress.
F. If so, then you know what stress is. Stress is what you feel when you are worried or
    uncomfortable about something
G. For example, you may do a better job on your test if the stress pushes you to prepare
     well before the test.

     As the pace (節(jié)奏) of life continues to increase, we are fast losing the art of relaxation. Once you are
in the habit of rushing through life, being on the go from morning till night, it is hard to slow down. But
relaxation is essential for a healthy mind and body.
    Stress (壓力) is a natural part of everyday life and there is no way to avoid it. In fact, it is not the bad
thing it is often supposed to be. A certain amount of stress is vital to provide motivation and give purpose
to life. It is only when the stress gets out of control that it can lead to poor performance and ill health.
     The amount of stress a person can withstand (承受) depends very much on the individual. Some
people are not afraid of stress, and such characters are obviously prime material for managerial
responsibilities, others lose heart at the first sign of unusual difficulties. When exposed to stress, in
whatever form, we react both chemically and physically. In fact we make choice between "flight or fight"
and in more primitive days the choices made the difference between life or death. The crises we meet
today are unlikely to be so extreme, but however little the stress, it involves the same response. It is when
such a reaction lasts long, through continued exposure to stress, that health becomes endangered. Since
we can't remove stress from our lives (it would be unwise to do so even if we could), we need to find
ways to deal with it.

1. People are finding less and less time for relaxing themselves because _____.

A. they regard working as their greatest enjoyment
B. they believe that work is superior to relaxation
C. they are traveling fast all the time
D. they are becoming busier with their work than ever before

2. According to the author, the most important character for a good manager is his _____.

A. strong will to withstand stress    
B. knowing the art of relaxation
C. high sense of responsibility      
D. having control over performance

3. Which of the following statements is TRUE, according to the passage?

A. We can find quite a few ways to avoid stress.
B. Stress is always harmful to people's health
C. It's easy to change the habit of keeping oneself busy with work.
D. Different people can bear different amount of stress.

4. In the last sentence of the passage, "do so" refers to _____.

A. "expose ourselves to stress"          
B. "find ways to deal with stress"
C. "remove stress from our lives"        
D. "establish links between diseases and stress"

5. According to the author, the right attitude toward stress is _____.

A. to avoid it                        
B. to try to deal with it
C. to regard it as a vital motivation      
D. to find some relaxation  

     In the Caucasus region of Russia, nearly 50 out of every 100,000 people live to celebrate their 100th birthday, and many don't stop at 100! By comparison, in America only 3 people in 100,000 reach 100. But these Russian old people aren't alone. The Pakistanis, who live high in the Himalaya Mountains, and the Ecuadorans of the Andes Mountains seem to share the secret of long life, too.
     These people remain healthy in body and spirit despite the passage of time. While many older persons in industrial societies become weak and ill in their 60s and 70s, some Caucasians aged 100 to 140, work in the fields beside their great-great-grandchildren. Even the idea of aging is foreign to them. When asked "at what age does youth end?" Most of these old people had no answer. Several replied, "Well, perhaps at age 80."
     What accounts for this ability to survive to such old age, and to survive so well?First of all, hard physical work is a way of life for all of these long-lived people. They begin their long days of physical labor as children and never seem to stop. For example, Mr. Rustam Mamedov is 142 years of age. His wife is 116 years old. They have been married for 90 years. Mr. Mamedov has no intention of retiring from his life as a farmer. "Why?What else would I do?"he asks.
     All these people get healthful rewards from the environment in which they work. They all come from mountainous regions. They live and work at elevations of 1,660 to 1,000 meters above sea level. The air has less oxygen and is pollution-free. This reduced-oxygen environment makes the heart and blood vessel(血管) system stronger.
     Another factor that may contribute to the good health of these people is their isolation. To a great extent, they are separated from the pressures and worries of industrial society.
     Inherited factors also play some role. Most of the longest-lived people had parents and grandparents who also reached very old ages. Good family genes may, therefore, be one factor in living longer.

1. In the Causasus region of Russian, how many people can reach the age of 100 in 10,000?

A. 5
B. 3
C. 50
D. 30

2. The example of Mr. And Mrs. Mamedov implies that some Caucasians aged 100 to 140 ___.

A. become weak and hopeless            
B. are too old to work in the fields
C. are still working in the fields          
D. benefit from physical work

3. What is the main way of life for all of these long-lived people?

A. Retiring from their lives as farmers.  
B. Having been married for 90 years.
C. Hard physical work.
D. Having no intentions.

4. At elevations of 1,220 to 1,000 meters above sea level, the air   __  .

A. has less oxygen and clear
B. is seriously polluted
C. is rich in oxygen and pollution-free
D. is extremely smelly

5. Which of the following factors isn't helpful to people's health and long life?

A. Clean mountain air.                  
B. Stress and pressure.
C. Daily hard work.                  
D. Good genes.

     It had been a very disheartening day. The doctors had given us the worst of news. Our daughter, who
had just completed her first brain surgery to remove a tumor (腫瘤) and was going through radiation
treatment, was now officially given a two percent chance of survival as this type of cancer had no cure.
     My wife and I decided to take our daughter to lunch before continuing our afternoon conversation.
We went to a local restaurant where we sat in silence waiting for the waitress. I noticed a very elderly
couple sitting a few booths away, who were also in silence and did not speak a word. I couldn't help but
wonder what challenges they had faced in their life and if they ever faced such terrible news about a child
of theirs.
     We eventually ordered our lunch and still sitting in silence we ate what we could. At some point I
became intrigued by the old couple. I thought to myself that they hadn't yet spoken to each other and I
wondered if it was the peace they were enjoying or the food or maybe both. However, at some point I
lost interest and put my focus back on my lunch.
     Molly was still talking away and enjoying her meal. Her mom and I both listened and tried to be happy
in her presence but it wasn't going very well. All of a sudden I saw a hand come out of nowhere. It was
huge and I could tell that it had been afflicted with arthritis (關(guān)節(jié)炎). I couldn't take my eyes off that
hand. It landed on my daughter's tiny six-year-old hand and as it did I looked up; it was the old woman
who had been sitting with the old man in silence eating their lunch.
     I looked into her eyes and she spoke, but not to me. She looked at my daughter and simply whispered, "If I could do more for you I would…" and then she smiled and moved away to join her husband, who
had moved towards the door.
     "Look, a whole dollar," Molly spoke with excitement as she discovered a crumpled one dollar bill left
behind by the old lady. I looked up to thank her, but she was gone. I sat stunned, not sure what had just
happened and then I looked over at my wife. In almost unison, we broke out into a smile. The sadness of
the day had been wiped out by the crippled hand and generous touch of the old lady. The dollar, although exciting to Molly, was not what made us smile; it was the offer from the old lady, who felt our suffering.
The crippled hand symbolized a healing touch and made us realize that we did not have to fight this battle
alone.

1. The author was _______, when he first caught sight of the old couple in the restaurant. 

A. curious      
B. confused      
C. upset      
D. indifferent

2. By saying "If I could do more for you I would…the old woman means_______. 

A. she had the ability to cure the disease of Molly
B. she had the responsibility for the safety of Molly
C. she was an old friend of the author and can lend some money to them
D. she would like to help Molly as much as possible

3. What can we inferred from the passage? 

A. The author and his wife were not satisfied with the food in the restaurant.
B. The old couple had once gone through the same trouble as the author did.
C. The one dollar bill made the author feel touched by the warmth from others.
D. The old woman sympathized with Molly because she suffered from serious arthritis herself.

4. What would be the best title of the text? 

A. A girl with cancer                    
B. A touch of heaven
C. A crippled hand                
D. A kind-hearted couple

     The most widespread fallacy(謬論) of all is that colds are caused by cold. They are not. They are
caused by viruses passing on from person to person. You catch a cold by coming into contact, directly
or indirectly, with someone who already has one. If cold causes colds, it would be reasonable to expect
the Eskimos to suffer from them forever. But they do not. And in isolated arctic regions explorers have
reported people are free from colds until they come into contact again with infected people from the
outside world by way of packages and mails dropped from airplanes.
     During the First World War soldiers who spent long periods in the trenches (戰(zhàn)壕), cold and wet,
showed no increased tendency to catch colds.
     In the Second World War prisoners at the Auschwitz concentration camp, naked and starving, were
astonished to find that they seldom had colds. At the Common Cold Research Unit in England, volunteers
took part in experiments in which they gave themselves to the discomforts of being cold and wet for long
stretches of time. After taking hot baths, they put on bathing suits, allowed themselves to be with cold
water, and then stood about dripping wet in a drafty (通風(fēng)良好的)room. Some wore wet socks all day
while others exercised in the rain until close to exhaustion. Not one of the volunteers came down with a
cold unless a cold virus was actually dropped in his nose.
If, then, cold and wet have nothing to do with catching colds, why are they more frequent in the winter?
Despite the most pains-taking research, no one has yet found the answer. One explanation offered by
scientists is that people tend to stay together indoors more in cold weather than at other times, and this
makes it easier for cold viruses to be passed on.

1. The writer offered _______ examples to support his argument.      

A. 4
B. 5
C. 6
D. 7

2. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A. The Eskimos suffer from colds from time to time.
B. Colds are not always caused by cold.
C. People suffer from colds just because they like to stay indoors.
D. A person may catch a cold by touching someone who already has one.

3. Arctic explorers may catch colds when they are _______.

A. working in the isolated arctic regions
B. writing reports in terribly cold weather
C. free from work in the isolated arctic regions
D. coming into touch again with the outside world

4. Volunteers taking part in the experiments in the Common Cold Research Unit _______.

A. suffered a lot  
B. never caught colds
C. often caught colds     
D. became very strong

5. The passage mainly discusses _______.

A. the experiments on the common cold
B. the fallacy about the common cold
C. the reason and the way people catch colds
D. the continued spread of common colds

     Many solutions we seek with regard to achieving sustainability(可持續(xù)性) are within our reach. That's
the lesson our school's Environment Club has learned over the past two years. We've reduced the amount of our waste at our school by 25 per cent.    1   We have the evidence we need to suggest we are making a difference. If you are interested in leading your school on a similar journey of change, here are some tips.
       2  
    Examine the garbage can to find out how much of your school's garbage could be picked out from the
waste stream and be reused. We found that more than 80 percent of our waste could have been reused,
recycled or composted (制成堆肥).
    Prepare dustbins there.
       3   You will find you can cover the cost of the purchase of the dustbins within a few months simply
by selling the bottles and other items you collect.
    Compost the waste.
    Start a composting system in your school. You may reduce your waste by as much as 50 percent. Be
sure to talk with your teachers and your cafeteria staff to get them onside.
    Share your success.
   Let your community know what you've accomplished.   4   Ask your teachers if you can talk to their
classes, let your parent group know what you're doing, and present a report to the president of your
school.
      5  
    Whether you spend a few moments in a quiet place or the whole day walking along a beautiful beach,
time outdoors will remind you why the work you do for the environment is so worthwhile.

A. Dig in.
B. Reward yourself.
C. Do outdoor activities.
D. They'll feel proud of you.
E. We need to go further, and we will.
F. Invite your friends to join your cause.
G. Make sure every classroom has dustbins for recycling.

                                                 Longer Lives for Wild Elephants
    Most people think of zoos as safe places for animals, where struggles such as difficulty finding food and avoiding predators don't exist. Without such problems, animals in zoos should live to a ripe old age.     
     But that may not be true for the largest land animals on Earth. Scientists have known that elephants in
zoos often suffer from poor health. They develop diseases, joint problems and behavior changes.
Sometimes, they even become unable to have babies.
    To learn more about how captivity (監(jiān)禁) affects elephants, a team of international scientists compared the life spans of female elephants born in zoos with female elephants living outdoors in their native lands.
Zoos keep detailed records of all the animals in their care, documenting factors such as birth dates,
illnesses, weight and death. These records made it possible for the researchers to analyze 40 years of
data on 800 African and Asian elephants in zoos across Europe. The scientists compared the life spans of
the zoo-born elephants with the life spans of thousands of female wild elephants in Africa and Asian
elephants that work in logging camps (伐木場), over approximately the same time period.
    The team found that female African elephants born in zoos lived an average of 16.9 years. Their wild
counterparts who died of natural causes lived an average of 56 years--more than three times as long.
Female Asian elephants followed a similar pattern. In zoos, they lived 18.9 years, while those in the
logging camps lived 41.7 years.    
    Scientists don't yet know why wild elephants seem to live so much better than their zoo-raised counterparts. Georgia Mason, a biologist at the University of Guelph in Canada who led the study, thinks stress
and obesity (肥胖) may be to blame. Zoo elephants don't get the same kind of exercise they would in the wild, and most are very fat. Elephant social lives are also much different in zoos than in the wild, where they live in large herds and family groups.
    Another finding from the study showed that Asian elephants born in zoos were more likely to die early
than Asian elephants captured in the wild and brought to zoos. Mason suggests stress in the mothers in
zoos might cause them to have babies that are less likely to survive.
The study raises some questions about acquiring more elephants to keep in zoos. While some threatened
and endangered species living in zoos reproduce successfully and maintain healthy populations, that
doesn't appear to be the case with elephants.

1. According to the first two paragraphs, unlike other zoo animals, zoo elephants _______ .

A. have difficulty eating food.  
B. 1ive to a ripe old age. 
C. are not afraid of predators.  
D. develop health problems.

2. Which of the following about the international scientists' research on the life spans of elephants is
    NOT true? (See paragraph 3)?

A. They compared zoo elephants with wild elephants. 
B. They kept detailed records of all the elephants in their care. 
C. They analyzed the records of the elephants kept in zoos. 
D. The zoo-born elephants they studied are kept in European zoos.

3. What do the scientists find in their research?

A. Female elephants live longer than male elephants. 
B. Female zoo elephants live longer than their wild counterparts. 
C. Female zoo elephants die much earlier than their wild counterparts. 
D. Elephants in zoos and those in the wild enjoy the same long life spans.

4. Which of the following does the author suggest in the last paragraph? 

A. It may not be a wise policy to keep elephants in the zoo. 
B. Elephants are no longer an endangered species. 
C. Zoo-born elephants should be looked after more carefully. 
D. Zoos should keep more animals except elephants.

     China has recently been faced with serious issues of product safety. In Panama, it is said that medicine made with a poisonous chemical sickened some people. A Chinese company had identified it as
diethylamide glycol ( [化]乙二醇), a low - cost substitute commonly used in automobile antifreeze (防凍劑).
     Some countries have banned Chinese-made toothpaste containing diethylamide glycol. China has now
told companies to discontinue its use, even though it says the toothpaste is safe. Another industrial
chemical, melamine, was found in wheat flour used to make pet food in North America. Thousands of
dogs and cats became sick.
     The United States has restricted some imports of Chinese seafood because they contained banned
substance. And questions have been raised about other products, including children's toys covered with
lead paint.
     Chinese officials promised to provide the European Union, the biggest trading partner, with detailed
reports on enforcement efforts against unsafe goods.
     Meglena Kuneva, commissioner (理事) for consumer protection of the European Union said China
should have kept its promise.
     China recently closed three companies linked to the Panama and the pet food scare. And it dismissed
the former head of its food and drug administration. He was found guilty of corruption (腐敗) for
approving unsafe drugs. This week, a conference of the State Council approved a proposed special
measure on the supervision of food safety. The Xinhua News Agency said it calls for stronger controls
over producers, greater responsibilities for government and more serious punishment for illegal activities.
     But Chinese officials have accused some foreign media of overstating problems with goods made in
China. They say food imports from the United States also fail inspection sometimes. Next Week,
American and Chinese food safety officials are planning to hold 5 days of meetings in Beijing to discuss
cooperation.

1. How many cases with safety problems are mentioned in the passage? 

A. Six    
B. Five      
C. Four      
D. Three

2. How was Panama case dealt with afterwards? 

A. Three companies linked to it were closed down. 
B. The former head of food and drug administration was removed from his position. 
C. More serious punishment was conducted for leaders linked to it. 
D. Both A and B.

3. Which of the following statements is NOT TRUE?

A. No one doubts that Chinese- made toothpaste is safe          
B. the safety of "made in China" is doubted
C. there are safety problems with more Chinese products 
D. the Chinese government is to blame partly for the product safety problems.

4.The passage is mainly about ________. 

A. China is facing product safety problems 
B. more controls are taken of Chinese goods 
C. overstated problems with Chinese goods 
D. China is losing its trade partners

5. What does "it" refer to in the last but one paragraph? 

A. China                    
B. The European Union 
C. Chinese officials            
D. The Chinese company

     People who eat at home most of the time have better nutrition than those who go out to eat , a recent study shows. Cornell University professors Lana Hall and Karen Bunch interviewed (面試,接見) 3900 people in the survey. "People who eat less than 30 percent of their food away from home eat the most nutritiously," they said.
     "In general, Americans don't have nutrient, except for iron and calcium," they reported. They have the opposite problem--over-consumption (過度消耗), especially of fat.
     The food at many fast food restaurants is often low in vitamins. "People who eat more than 30 percent of total calories away from home eat foods that are generally low in nutrients per calorie," the professors said. More calories and enough nutrient intake (吸收) are required to achieve.
     One of the major health risks (風(fēng)險(xiǎn)) is eating too much fat. The professor found than fat consumption became greater as income (收入) went up. It also went up in houses where the female worked. This is probably because these people eat more highly processed (加工的) foods.

1. According to the passage, which of the following suggestions would you most readily take?

A. Eat out as many times as possible            
B. Eat at home as many times as possible
C.  Eat foods with a lot if iron, calcium and fat    
D. Eat more highly processed foods

2.What is the result if people often dine out according to the passage?

A. They tend to have better nutrition              
B. They tend to have less nutrition
C.They can save a lot of time                  
D. They will spend much money on it

3. Nowadays, a major health risk that people face is_______.

A. Eating too much fast food                  
B. Frequent dining out
C.Eating at home very often                  
D. Eating too much fat

4. The passage is about        .

A. Eating and Health                          
B. The Life Style in Modern Society
C. Fast food in the USA                        
D. Dining out Lowers Nutrient Intake