People have grown taller over the last century, with South Korean women shooting up by more than 20 cm on average, and Iranian men gaining 16.5 cm. A global study looked at the average height of 18-year-olds in 200 countries between 1914 and 2014. The results show that while Swedes were the tallest people in the world in 1914.
Dutch men have risen from 12th place to the top spot with an average height of 182.5 cm. Latvian women, meanwhile, rose from 28th place in 1914 to become the tallest in the world a century later, with an average height of 169.8 cm.
James Bentham, a co-author of the research from Imperial College, London, says the global trend is likely to be due to improvements in nutrition and healthcare. "An individual's genetics has a big influence on their height, but once you average over whole populations, genetics plays a less key role," he added.
A little extra height brings a number of advantages says Elio Riboli of Imperial College." Being taller is associated with longer life expectancy," he said." This is largely due to a lower risk of dying of cardiovascular(心血管的)disease among taller people."
But while height has increased around the world, the trend in many African countries causes concern, says Riboli. While height increased in Uganda and Niger during the early 20th century, the trend has reversed(反转) in recent years, with height decreasing among 18-year-olds.
"One reason for these decreases in height is the economic situation in the 1980s," said Alexander Moradi of the University of Sussex. The nutritional and health crises led to many children and teenagers failing to reach their potential height.
James Bentham, a co-author of the research from Imperial College, believes the global trend of increasing height is of great importance. "How tall we are now is strongly influenced by the environment we grew up in," he said. "If we give children the best possible start in life now, they will be healthier and more productive for decades to come."
1. What does the global study tell us about people’s height in the last hundred years?| A．There is a remarkable difference across continents. |
| B．There has been a marked increase in most countries. |
| C．The increase in people’s height has been quickening. |
| D．The increase in women’s height is bigger than in men’s. |
| A．It counts less than generally thought. |
| B．It outweighs nutrition and healthcare. |
| C．It impacts more on an individual than on population. |
| D．It plays a more significant role in females than in males. |
| A．They grow up slower than their peers in other countries. |
| B．They are actually shorter than their earlier generations. |
| C．They find it hard to bring their potential into full play. |
| D．They have experienced many changes of government |
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【推荐1】Social media can be a convenient way to extend your network, staying in touch with your grandma, or sharing photos of your new puppy. Nevertheless, social media can be temible for your health. It’s our use of it that’s out of control.
British anthropologist and evolutionary psychologist Robin Dunbar developed the idea that 150 people is the maximum number of meaningful connections anyone can have. You may have 800 friends on Wechat, but we’re not connecting with them in person. Your QQ connections may be vast, but how many of them do you have meaningful interactions with?
If you’re using social media to feel more connected, a recent study published in the American Joumal of Health Promotion suggests that it’s not working, and it an also contribute to unfavorable connections and even depression. Positive interactions on social media don’t help people feel happier. Negative interactions, on the other hand, bring more feelings of sadness. The same goes for comparison, which social media encourages. Another study, published by the American Psychological Association, shows comparing yourself to others via social media also has negative effects, leading to symptoms of depression.
Reaching for your cell phone as a mental break is also a bad idea. Research by Rutgers University compared participants in the midst of completing a task who took a break with their cell phones, with paper and pencils, and who took no break at all. Those who used their cell phones during their break solved 22% fewer problems and took 19% longer to complete their tasks than those under the other two conditions.
So how should you manage your social media usage?
First, know your time and purposes of use. Use the tracking function on your device to find out how much you’re using it and what you’re using it for. After this, get away from your device unless you have to use it. As tough as it might be, turn off and tune into the world around you.
Then, be in charge of your device, rather than let it be in charge of you. Your phone s rings or vibrations don’t mean you must respond to them. Remind yourself that you’re in charge, not your device or the people on the other end of it who’ve just contacted you.
Finally, consider using your device as a relationship builder. Use your apps to find your friends and make your dinner reservation so you can catch up face-to-face your favorite restaurant, where you’ll keep your phone out of sight.
When you’re in control of your digital consumption, social media becomes a tool to enrich your life and not a distraction (分心) that makes you feel miserable.
1. The author might agree that ________.| A．social media is immediate and interactive |
| B．it is hard to live without digital devices |
| C．friends on QQ are not friends indeed |
| D．improper social media use is harmful |
| A．can’t promote your expected connections |
| B．breaks up the meaningful communication |
| C．causes the unnecessary comparison |
| D．can’t bring more positive interactions |
| A．participants without cell phones had quicker and deeper thinking |
| B．using cell phones couldn’t give participants mental breaks |
| C．cell phone users couldn’t complete their task successfully |
| D．mental breaks reduce efficiency of solving problems |
| A．call your friends to play online games together |
| B．book movie tickets for family time through apps |
| C．look through WeiBo when you have a family reunion |
| D．reply messages on We Chat while having dinner with friends |
| A．Is social media killing your health? |
| B．How does social media affect your life? |
| C．Social media: to be or not to be? |
| D．Social media: use it wisely! |
【推荐2】The United States seems to have become extremely enthusiastic about competition. The famous Scripps National Spelling Bee — an annual spelling contest — now allows kids who lost in regional competitions but whose parents agree to pay an entry fee along with their own food and accommodation to compete. And while some kids are working for what they call a “spelling career”, others are approaching chess competitions, dance competitions, cooking or other passions (爱好) that previous generations developed somewhat later in life.
I’m disturbed by the phenomenon, which seems to be getting worse and more intense (激烈的).
My teacher always warned us that competition is a destructive quality; that the goal is never to beat anyone else. I think he’ll be cheered by author Peggy Noonan’s idea that a lot of us are running our own races, trying to rise to the occasion and beat some past and limited conception of ourselves by doing something great.
I heartily agree. Instead of paying attention to the accomplishments or possessions of others, we need to focus on our own potential, our own growth and take pleasure in our own particular set of circumstances. The battle for life is not against anyone else but against the darkness inside that tries to bring us down. I wish you only well. Your good doesn’t reduce mine. Your bad gives me no pleasure.
Ms. Noonan also suggests that “you’re running your own race alongside others running theirs, and in the same direction. You’re doing something great together.” If we stop worrying about what our neighbor is earning or driving, the size of his house, the success of his marriage, the accomplishments of his children, we can sit back and enjoy our own lives. And if we all focus on what we each can achieve, regardless of anyone else, we have a chance of working as one, of actually being united.
Competition divides us. There’re winners and losers. But that’s a very limited picture of reality. It may apply to spelling bees and soccer matches and even in some college classes, but life isn’t about triumphing (战胜) over someone else; it’s about triumphing over ourselves. The only acceptable competition is one where we encourage each other to be the best human being possible, and that’s the only game where “everyone’s a winner”.
1. What does the author worry about?| A．Youth competition lacks diversity. |
| B．Youth competition is expensive. |
| C．Youth competition lacks fairness. |
| D．Youth competition is fierce. |
| A．Know our competitors well. |
| B．Get rid of the bad things inside us. |
| C．Learn from others’ successes and failures. |
| D．Leave everything to chance. |
| A．No one goes in the same direction as anyone else. |
| B．One man’s loss is another man’s gain. |
| C．People follow parallel paths to each other. |
| D．People take turns to lead the race. |
| A．Competition Is a Good Thing, But Not to the Youth |
| B．Through Competition, We Become Better Ourselves |
| C．Your Real Competition Is With Yourself |
| D．Everyone Is a Winner in the Battle for Life |
【推荐3】You might have heard about identity theft: it’s what can happen when a thief gets enough of someone’s information to commit fraud (诈骗). Why should people care about it? Because recovering a stolen identity can be a time- consuming and expensive process. Imagine that someone pretends to be you: they use your name; they even convince businesses that they’re you and they open a credit card in your name, get a cell phone in your name, or buy things using a credit card that has your name on it.
ID thieves can be creative about getting your information. There are some low-tech ways they get it: sometimes they steal garbage, going through it to find personal information, or they steal mail.
There are high-tech ways, too: ID thieves might put software onto your computer without you knowing it — it can happen when you open an email attachment, click on a pop-up(弹出窗口)advertisement, or download some music files. Some software lets a thief see everything on your computer, and record everything you type on your computer.
Unfortunately, even if you’re really careful with your personal information, thieves can still get it. Sometimes, they hack(入侵)into computer systems at stores or schools, hospitals or businesses. They look for personal information to use or sell to other thieves.
It’s pretty easy for you and your family to make it harder for a thief to steal your identity. You can start with the low-tech defenses: being careful with your mail and garbage. Tear anything that has personal information on it before you throw it away. And be sure to take care with your purse, your wallet, or your backpack.
Practice some routine higher-tech defensive plays, too: protect your computer by installing (安装 ) and turning on an up-to-date firewall along with anti-spyware and anti-virus software. Once you are online, be careful you’re your personal information. Some sites might ask for a credit card number, stop and check if they really need that number. When you get email or pop-ups on your computer, don’t respond automatically. Emails that ask you to reply or click a link could be thieves trying to trick you into giving them your personal information. It’s a technique called “phishing”, because the thieves are fishing for your information. Stop and think before you click.
1. The purpose of the first paragraph is to tell readers that ______.| A．people worry about identity theft |
| B．it is important to avoid identity theft |
| C．it is too difficult to recover a stolen identity |
| D．thieves manage to obtain personal information |
| A．tasks | B．games |
| C．exercises | D．measures |
| A．Take the Social Security card with you. |
| B．Click on a link only after considering whether it’s safe. |
| C．Enter your credit card number on personal computers only. |
| D．Throw anything with your personal information in the garbage. |
【推荐1】Most people who know about diabetes think there are two kinds: type l, which you are born with, and type 2, which you get later in life from eating too much. This isn't quite right, since the two types can occur at different life stages and for a number of reasons, but the broad distinction is well rooted in the public's mind.
Now some doctors want to change that and break the disease down into five subtypes (子类型), each with its own set of risk factors, outcomes and treatments. The new claim was made by researchers based in Sweden and Finland who assessed almost 15,000 people with diabetes in those countries. They found that these people fell into one of five categories based on their blood sugar, insulin (胰岛素) production and sensitivity, and their body mass index and age. The subgroups also vary genetically.
The researchers say that two of the subtypes are mild and can be largely treated with lifestyle changes and small amounts of a standard drug. People with the three more severe forms are more likely to develop eye and kidney disease, so treating them is a must.
So far, so good. After all, this is the way medicine is heading. The more we learn about common diseases, the more we realize there is huge variation in the way they present themselves. For example, research into the genetics of several cancers has helped identify which treatments might work best for individuals.
The idea that a cheap and fairly straightforward blood test could help doctors predict the cause and prognosis (预断) of that individuals' diabetes is appealing. This is especially the case given that an estimated 9 percent of the global population are affected by the disorder and many aren’t getting the right treatment.
But the five subgroups aren't the end of the story. Diabetes just isn't that simple. For a long time, we considered the condition as being either “childhood-onset” or “adult-onset”, and this is how many people still think of the disease. Yet in the last decade, this classification was questioned as it was discovered that adults in their 40s and 50s could develop a form of the disease that looked very “childhood” like, while more children are developing type 2 diabetes. It is also quite likely that the risks and outcomes of diabetes will look different in people who live outside Sweden and Finland, such as in the Middle East whose nations have some of the highest rates of the condition in the world.
1. What can we learn from Paragraph 1?| A．It is believed that diabetes type 1 results from a bad diet. |
| B．The popular classification of diabetes is not so scientific. |
| C．Children catch diabetes type 1 easily when born. |
| D．People are not fully convinced of the different types of diabetes. |
| A．it helps researchers find out the risk factors of each type |
| B．it makes it possible to find the best treatment for each type |
| C．it helps to make the knowledge of diabetes popular |
| D．it leads people to believe treating diabetes is a piece of cake |
| A．It has found a quick solution for curing diabetes. |
| B．The outcome of the research is sure to be widely applied. |
| C．More researches are needed to know diabetes well enough. |
| D．It confirms that three of the five subtypes are mild form. |
| A．stress the necessity of carrying out researches on diabetes |
| B．correct people's knowledge of classifying diabetes |
| C．advise doctors on how to treat diabetes scientifically |
| D．inform people of a brand-new view on diabetes |
When writing a news release，keep in mind that the media receive hundreds of releases every day.Try to follow these guidelines：Keep it short and professional.Come up with a
Cover the 5 W's in your first paragraph.Those are who you are; what you are doing；where，when you are doing；why you are doing it，which help us understand the details about the event.Besides，any opinions in the news release should be put in quotations from your designated spokesperson.Include things that the media finds newsworthy，which is the most essential.
Make the time on your news release at least half an hour later than the time you have told activists to show up at an event.This will ensure that activists are prepared and in place by the time the media arrive.
Choose a spokesperson for the event who can be quoted in the release and will be available for calls at that number the day before the event.
Have someone proof the release for spelling，grammar and content (determine whether what you are trying to relay is clear and right)．Sometimes the person who writes the release may not notice mistakes that a fresh pair of eyes will catch.
Accuracy is the last but not least important in terms of your content and the location and time that you tell the media.If you do make a mistake，it is critical that you call and notify the media of the correction.
1. What's the main purpose of the passage?
| A．To tell us the importance of the news release. |
| B．To tell us how to avoid mistakes in the news release. |
| C．To make us know how to make the news release. |
| D．To ask us to read news release on the latest events. |
| A．Tricky. | B．Attractive. |
| C．Imaginary. | D．Funny. |
| A．Make sure the 5 W's in your first paragraph. |
| B．Choose a proper spokesperson for the event. |
| C．Make the news release newsworthy and accuracy. |
| D．Ensure activists are prepared for the events in advance. |
【推荐3】Scientists in the U.S. have created an artificial sunflower less than 0. 04 inches wide that can bend towards a light source and harvest solar energy. The flowers were found to be about 400 percent more efficient than other equipment, making them promising technology for solar power potentially even as a power source for solar-based spaceships.
The team, led by researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles, was looking to improve. the efficiency of solar cells by modeling after a feature of nature-phototropism. This is where a plant adjusts itself to face the sun, getting the most amount of energy it can get. In a study published in Nature Nanotechnology, the team said it was a ''big challenge''.
However, this problem has now been overcome. The team has developed a polymer(聚合物) that is responsive to being simulated by light, The system, which they have named SunBOT for short, is able to instantly explore and track a light source. It can do this across a range of temperatures without power supply or any human intervention.
The researchers used the polymer to create a ''stem''. Then they placed a material commonly used in solar cells on its top, representing the ''flower''. When the team shone a light at the SunBOTs, the polymer began heating up and shrinking, causing the stem to bend so the flower faced the light.
The researchers tested their artificial sunflowers to see how efficient they were at harvesting solar energy Findings showed they were up to 400 percent more effective than non-phototrophic materials.
The practical applications of SunBOTs are some way off. The study shows a proof of concept, but the technology will need to be scaled up to be used commercially. However, the team is confident it could one day be used a across a broad range of industries.
This work may be useful for solar harvesters signal revere smart windows, self-contained robotics solar sails for spaceships and intelligent energy generation (for example, solar cells and biofuels), the scientific team said.
1. Why do the scientists create the artificial sunflower?| A．To prevent pollution. | B．To protect sunflowers. |
| C．To reuse green energy. | D．To warn us of the energy crisis. |
| A．SunBOTs are likely to be too limited in future use. |
| B．There is some time before SunBOTs are put into markets. |
| C．Scientists are still not sure of the function of SunBOTs. |
| D．SunBOTts are not efficient, though advanced, in collecting energy. |
| A．In an education report. | B．In a market report. |
| C．In an experiment report. | D．In a science report. |
