For most of our history, humans have been short, a study has found. Until around 150 years ago, few people grew taller than 170 centimetres.
Christiane Scheffler at the University of Potsdam and Michael Hermanussen in Altenhof have spent several years studying the height of people from a wide range of populations. In their latest paper, they combined an existing data of more than 6000 prehistoric human skeletons with multiple studies of more recent historical populations from Europe and the US. They also included their own data on 1666 present-day school children from Indonesia.
In the prehistoric populations, the maximum height for men was 165 to 170 centimetres, while women topped out at 160cm. Today, men in England have an average height of around 175 cm, while for women it is about 162 cm.
But there is significant variation between modern countries. The Indonesian school children in the study were shorter than similarly aged children from the US, despite being well-nourished.
Scheffler and Hermanussen argue that height can be a signal of dominance(显赫地位), so in societies where it is possible to move up through the social classes, evolution favours individuals who reach a greater height.
Subramanian at Harvard University isn’t convinced by the pair’s interpretation. His team previously showed that the best predictor of a child’s height is the height of their parents. This suggests that the influence of other factors, such as social mobility, is limited.
After assessing nearly 163,000 children living in 55 low and middle-income countries, Subramanian’s team found that 42.9 percent had poor nutrition but’ no ‘sign of stunting(阻碍发育) or other physical indicators of this fact.
This implies there is a lot of hidden malnutrition that doesn’t reveal itself through stunting. A person’s nutritional condition should be assessed by looking at their diet not their height, says Subramanian.
1. How did Scheffler and Hermanussen conduct the research?| A．Studying the skeletons of prehistoric human. |
| B．Combining existing data with recent research. |
| C．Assessing children living in various income areas. |
| D．Analyzing the results of other scientists’ researches. |
| A．Worried. | B．Cautious. | C．Doubtful. | D．Supportive. |
| A．Poor nutrition delays physical development. |
| B．A balanced diet contributes to growing taller. |
| C．High social classes can reach a greater height. |
| D．A human’s height has little to do with nutrition. |
| A．The significance that lies in nutrition. |
| B．The factors that influence human’s height. |
| C．The importance that humans attach to height. |
| D．The reasons why prehistoric humans were short. |
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【推荐1】Small mammals will have a hard time surviving the stressors associated with climate change, according to a new study from the University of Southern Denmark. The experts found that large, long-lived animals are better able to cope with extreme weather such as long-time drought and heavy rainfall.
The researchers analyzed historical population variations among 157 mammal species from around the world. These fluctuations (波动) were compared with weather and climate date from the same time period. The results are providing new insight into how animals respond to extreme weather. In particular, the experts have identified which animal populations will be the hardest hit by climate change.
“We can see a clear pattern: Animals that live a long time and have few offspring are less vulnerable (脆弱的) when extreme weather hits than animals that live for a short time and have many offspring,” said study Professor Owen.
Large animals that live longer can cope better with an extreme event such as a persistent drought because these animals have the option to wait until conditions improve to reproduce. The same weather event would affect small mammals differently, as food sources like insects, flowers, and fruits would disappear quickly.
On the other hand, populations of small mammals may also take advantage when weather conditions improve by producing many offspring.
“These small mammals react quickly to extreme weather, and it goes both ways. Their weakness to extreme weather should therefore not be equated (等同) with a risk of extinction. Our analysis helps predict how different animal species might respond to future climate change based on their general characteristics.” said study co-author Jackson. He emphasized that the ability of animals to endure climate change is not the only factor for their extinction. Habitat destruction, pollution, poaching and invasive species are factors that threaten many animal species — in many cases even more than climate change,” he added.
1. What contributes to certain small mammals’ survival in extreme weather?| A．Their natural lifespan. | B．Their high reproductive ability. |
| C．Their unique body temperature. | D．Their small appetite for food. |
| A．Food sources. | B．High temperatures. | C．Birthrates. | D．Ages. |
| A．Many factors influence the animals characteristics. |
| B．Climate change is not a factor for the species’ extinction. |
| C．The animals’ survival ability will improve in the future. |
| D．Ecology protection is the key to saving species from extinction. |
| A．What Influences Animals’ Birth Rate? |
| B．What Will Animals Do in Extreme Weather? |
| C．Which Animals Are Mort Affected by Extreme Weather? |
| D．How Does the Climate Change Influence Weak Animas? |
【推荐2】Charisma
Are leaders born or made? Many leaders throughout history-such as Gandhi, Churchill, Napoleon, and Martin Luther King-seem to have a special quality that made them powerful and persuasive. We can identify that quality as charisma, but can we explain it?
Charisma means a natural ability to attract other people and make them admire you. It is a complex mixture of social and emotional (情感的) skills.
You needn’ t worry if you don’ t have these qualities.
Charisma plays a large part in success because it is linked to self-confidence.
| A．This type of physical presence can be used to great effect. |
| B．Today there is growing evidence that charisma can be learned. |
| C．Charismatic persons should be active and sensitive to their surroundings. |
| D．It needs to be recognized that charisma is more than just being positive. |
| E．It helps to make strong personal connections and communicate effectively with others. |
| F．But it is worth noting that charisma can’ t be a pretended ability although it can be learned. |
| G．He adds you’ re unaware of picking up others’ gestures, but you know it makes you feel good. |
【推荐3】There is no such thing as a “safe" level of drinking, with increased consumption of alcohol associated with poorer brain health, according to a new study.
In an observational study, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, researchers from the University of Oxford studied the relationship between the self-reported alcohol intake of some 25,000 people in the UK, and their brain scans. The researchers noted that drinking had an effect on the brain's gray matter-regions in the brain that make up "important bits where information is processed," according to lead author Anya Topiwala, a senior clinical researcher at Oxford.
“The more people drank, the less the volume of their gray matter,“ Topiwala said via email. "Brain volume reduces with age and more severely with dementia(痴呆症).Smaller brain volume also predicts worse performance on memory testing,“ she explained. "While alcohol only made a small contribution to this(0. 8%), it was a greater contribution than other "modifiable" risk factors," she said, explaining that modifiable risk factors are “ ones you can do something about, in contrast to aging.”
The team also investigated whether certain drinking patterns, beverage types and other health conditions made a difference to the impact of alcohol on brain health. They found that there was no "safe" level of drinking-meaning that consuming any amount of alcohol was worse than not drinking it. They also found no evidence that the type of drink— such as wine, spirits or beer—affected the harm done to the brain. However, certain characteristics, such as high blood pressure, obesity or binge-drinking, could put people at higher risk, researchers added.
The risks of alcohol have long been known： Previous studies have found that there's no amount of liquor, wine or beer that is safe for your overall health. Alcohol was the leading risk factor for disease and premature death in men and women between the ages of 15 and 49 worldwide in 2016, accounting for nearly one in 10 deaths, according to a study published in The Lancet in 2018.
“It has been known for decades that heavy drinking is bad for brain health," Sadie Boniface, head of research at the UK's Institute of Alcohol Studies, said via email. "We also shouldn't forget alcohol affects all parts of the body and there are multiple health risks. ”
1. What is the function of gray matter?| A．Control the mount of alcohol | B．Process information |
| C．Scan the brain | D．Predict the performance on memory |
| A．Drinking alcohol is worse than not drinking. |
| B．With people getting older, brain volume reduces. |
| C．Alcohol was the major risk factor for disease and premature death. |
| D．The less people drink alcohol, the more the volume of their gray matter. |
| A．Smoking | B．Aging | C．Death | D．Disease |
| A．The mount of alcohol is not related to people's health. |
| B．People drinking alcohol do harm to their brain health. |
| C．People drinking alcohol lead to dementia. |
| D．Theresa great deal of liquor, wine or beer that is safe for health. |
【推荐1】Are you sometimes a little tired and sleepy in the early afternoon? Many people feel this way after lunch. They may think that eating lunch is the cause of the sleepiness. Or，in summer，they may think it is the heat. However，the real reason lies inside their bodies. At that time—about eight hours after you wake up—your body temperature goes down. This is what makes you slow down and feel sleepy. Scientists have tested sleep habits in experiments where there was no night or day. The people in these experiments almost always followed a similar sleeping pattern. They slept for one long period and then for one short period about eight hours later.
In many parts of the world，people take naps (小睡) in the middle of the day. This is especially true in warmer climates，where the heat makes work difficult in the early afternoon. Researchers are now saying that naps are good for everyone in any climate. A daily nap gives one a more rested body and mind and therefore is good for health in general. In countries where naps are traditional，people often suffer less from problems such as heart disease. Many working people，unfortunately，have no time to take naps. Though doctors may advise taking naps，employers don't follow it! If you do have the chance，however，here are a few tips about making the most of your nap. Remember that the best time to take a nap is about eight hours after you get up. A short sleep too late in the day may only make you feel more tired and sleepy afterward. This can also happen if you sleep for too long. If you do not have enough time，try a short nap — even ten minutes of sleep can be helpful.
1. Why do you sometimes feel sleepy in the early afternoon?| A．Because you eat too much for lunch. |
| B．Because it's hot in summer. |
| C．Because your body temperature goes down at that time. |
| D．Because you didn't have a good sleep last night. |
| A．All the people in warmer climates take naps in the middle of the day. |
| B．Doctors need to take naps while employers don't. |
| C．If you take naps every day，you'll never suffer from heart disease. |
| D．Taking naps regularly is beneficial to people's health. |
| A．If you get up at 6：30 am，you'd better take a nap at about 2：30 pm. |
| B．Taking a nap whenever you want will do good to your health. |
| C．You will feel less sleepy if you sleep for a long time. |
| D．You'll feel sleepy at regular intervals. |
| A．Just for a Rest | B．All for a Nap |
| C．A Special Sleep Pattern | D．Taking Naps in Warmer Climates |
【推荐2】Recently an elderly man in Dalian was unable to travel on the subway because, to enter the subway, his QR health code needed to be scanned. "What is a QR code?" the man asked. "I have money to buy a ticket, why do I need a smartphone?" In the end, he left the station, feeling confused and embarrassed.
I certainly feel sorry for the man from Dalian. He's one of those who have spent their entire lives contributing to society and now they feel excluded from that society. But what can be done? One group of volunteer college students are trying to help. They are called See Young and they help the elderly learn how to use smartphones. However, teaching old folks about smartphones is only one part of the problem.
Many older people have physical and health issues. Poor eyesight makes reading characters on small screens difficult. And "leathery fingers"（it means their fingers are less sensitive）make it hard to use touch screens. Perhaps these are problems that smartphone makers should try to settle.
There are about 255 million elderly people in China and by 2030, one quarter of the population will be over 60 years of age. New technology and new solutions are going to be needed to make sure that these old folks aren't left by the side of the road as the rest of society races past. In the meantime, if you have grandparents, or know some elderly people, lend a helping hand to them when they need it. And remember to be patient. Technologies that you take for granted may be a struggle for them.
1. Why does the author mention the man in Dalian in the first paragraph?| A．To introduce the topic. | B．To analyze the cause. |
| C．To make a comparison. | D．To support his argument. |
| A．Satisfied with. | B．Refused by. |
| C．Curious about. | D．Concerned about. |
| A．Old people had better update their smartphones in time. |
| B．Government ought to reduce smartphone uses for the elderly. |
| C．Smartphone makers should promote old people's physical health. |
| D．Young people need to help the elderly patiently with new technologies. |
【推荐3】Which streets have more shade? Or a drinking fountain? Now, residents in Barcelona have an app that can give you all the answers.
This app, Cool Walks, which only maps one neighborhood in Barcelona to date, uses a tool called Lidar to create a high resolution of ground elevation that is combined with sun data to figure out where the shady places are.
With the planet getting hotter, heat waves harm people more than any other climate risk. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, more than 11,000 Americans died from heat-related causes since 1979. Some populations, like seniors over 65 or people with respiratory(呼吸的) issues, are easily influenced by heat.
Today, heatwaves affect 200 million people in more than 350 cities around the world. Barcelona is just one of them. If the Paris agreement’s 1.5℃ climate change goal is not met, even more people will be impacted by the rising temperatures.
Barcelona is already working on ways to help ease the effects of global warming. The city created a 20-year Tree Master Plan, in 2017, to increase the proportion of land covered by trees from 25 percent to 35 percent and to provide residents with a green infrastructure(基础设施) and quality public spaces. Parks with trees are full of shade.
“Trees and broader green infrastructure are the most advanced technology known for easing the impact of our densifying and rapidly heating cities. City leaders should make that their priority in the first instance,” said Jon Burke.
This app is a good way for people to be able to function in a hotter city while long-term solutions like tree planting, reducing the number of cars on the roads, and green infrastructure are being carried out. Every city around the globe should have one.
1. What does the third paragraph mainly deal with?| A．The planet getting hotter. | B．The harm of climate risk. |
| C．The effect of heat waves. | D．The health of the seniors. |
| A．To show it is important. | B．To show it is well received. |
| C．To show most people obey it. | D．To show it’s tough to carry out. |
| A．To draw people’s attention. | B．To improve living conditions. |
| C．To reduce the use of electricity. | D．To create more public spaces. |
| A．Favorable. | B．Objective. | C．Doubtful. | D．Critical. |
