Keep Your Eyes Open for Weight Loss Ads

“In only six days I lost seven pounds of weight.”

“Two full inches in the first three days!”

These are the kinds of statements     1     (use) in magazine, newspaper, radio and television ads,     2     (promise) new shapes and new looks to those who buy the medicine or the device. The promoters of products say they     3     shape the legs, slim the face and smooth wrinkles. Often such products are nothing more than money-making things for their promoters. The results they produce are questionable, and some are dangerous to health.

To understand how these products can be legally promoted to the public,     4     is necessary to understand something of the laws covering their regulation. If the product is a drug, FDA(Food and Drug Administration) can require proof that it is safe and effective before it     5    (put) on the market. But if the product is a device, FDA has no authority     6     (require) premarketing proof of safety or effectiveness.     7     a product already on the market is a danger to health, FDA can request the producer or distributor to remove it from the market voluntarily, or it can take legal action, including seizure(查封) of the product.

One notable case a few years ago     8    (involve) an electrical device called the Relaxacisor,     9     had been sold for reducing the waistline. The Relaxacisor produced electrical shocks to the body through contact pads. FDA took legal action against the distributor to stop the sale of the device on the grounds     10     it was dangerous to health and life.

Red grouper(石斑鱼) are known for a few key characteristics — their color, which can     11    from pink to bright orange; their tastiness, whether they’re grilled or fried; and their predation (掠夺行为) method, in which they       12     sea creatures and swallow them whole.

But their least-known characteristic might be the most valuable of all: They operate as underwater architects,     13     the seascape for numerous other forms of underwater life. That surprising discovery is     14     scientists and policymakers to readjust their approach to preserving the ocean’s natural order — and heightening tensions with those who fish for a living or as a hobby.

A team of scientists, led by Florida State University’s Felicia Coleman, recently found that the red grouper off Florida’s east and west coasts have created entire ocean       15    by digging large holes in the sea’s sandy bottom. In the same way beavers     16    dams, red grouper dig and maintain distinct holes whose rocky surfaces provide a place for coral, sponges and other marine life to gather.

This new understanding is changing the way federal and state authorities manage ocean habitats and is creating a completely new crack with fishermen. “The people who are in control want to     17     fishing as much as possible,” said Bob Jones, executive director of the Southeastern Fisheries Association. He added that the recent discoveries about red grouper amount to an “excuse they can use to restrict fishing,     18    or recreational.”

But to many researchers, fishery officials and even some fishermen, the fact that fish act as environmental engineers provides a compelling reason to protect them from exploitation.

“If you     19     that fish, it puts into motion a whole chain of events,” said Don deMaria, who used to fish for red grouper near Key Largo, Fla., but no longer does. “There’s a whole lot of other animals that are     20    . I’m not saying you can’t catch them. But you can’t do it to the extent we’ve been doing for the last 20 years.”

The concept of solitude(独处) in the digital world is almost non-existent. In the world of digital technology, e-mail, social networking and online video games, information is meant to be ______. Solitude can be hard to discover once it has been given up. In this respect, new technologies have ______ our culture.

The desire to be connected has brought solitude to a(n) ______ as we’ve known it. People have become so ______ in the world of networks and connections that one can often be contacted even if they’d rather not be. Today we can talk, text, e-mail, chat and blog, not only from our______, but from our mobile phones as well.

Most developed nations have become ______ on digital technology simply because they’ve grown accustomed to it, and at this point not ______ it would make them an outsider. ______, many jobs and careers require people to be ______. From this point of view, technology has changed the culture of work. Being reachable might feel like a ______ to those who may not want to be able to be contacted at all times. I suppose the positive side is that solitude is still possible for anyone who really wants it. Computers can be ______ and mobile phones can be turned off. The ability to be “connected” and “on” has many ______. Travelers have ended up ______ on mountains, and mobile phones have saved countless lives. However, they can also make people feel ______ and forced to answer unwanted calls or turn to unwanted texts.

Attitudes towards our connectedness as a society ______ across generations. Some find today’s technology a gift. Others consider it a curse. Regardless of anyone’s view on the subject, it’s hard to imagine what life would be like without daily advancements in technology.

Looking back on the first twenty years of my life, I feel grateful to have been so healthy and happy. For my happiness, I am grateful to so many people and lucky events, but what have guided me and supported me in my life are my physical health, healthy finances, and my family’s happiness.

Health comes first for me, because without health everything else is meaningless. Imagine starting a career without good health. Imagine starting a family without good health. Imagine achieving anything without good health. Clearly, good health is the first necessary for other part of one’s life.

Good health is not enough to be happy. We still need to have money in today’s society. Money obviously pays for basic needs of life — food, housing, clothing — but it is also necessary for other reason like the quality of our education and medical care.

Next comes the most important thing in having a happy life — our family. It provides the love, joy and support that everybody needs. I love my family with all my heart. I get pleasure from their pleasure. I suffer when they suffer. My family helped me get through the hard times of entrance exams. They comforted and advised me when I had misunderstanding with my friends. More importantly, they have been there to share in my successes in the past twenty years. In summary, all these are what I need and want in this world. As long as I stay healthy, earn enough money, and share both good times and bad times with my family, I will always be the happiest girl in the world.