The federal school lunch program for 30 million low-income children was created more than half a century ago to combat malnutrition (营养不良). A breakfast program was added during the 1960s, and both attempted to improve the nutritional value of food served at school.
More must be done to fight the childhood obesity epidemic, which has caused a frightening peak in weight-related disorders like diabetes, high-blood pressure and heart disease among young people. The place to start is schools, where junk food sold outside the federal meals program — through snack bars and vending machines — has pretty much canceled out the benefits of all those efforts.
Federal rules that govern the sales of these harmful foods at school are limited and have not been updated for nearly 40 years. Until new regulations are written, children who are served healthy meals in the school cafeteria will continue to buy candy drinks and high sodium snacks elsewhere in school.
Many states’ school districts have taken positive steps, but others are likely to resist, especially districts that sell junk food to finance athletic programs, extracurricular activities, and even copier expenses.
Those districts should take note of a study released in 2009 in West Virginia showing that the budgetary costs of switching from sodas to healthy drinks such as fruit juice, milk, and water were very little. Even if the switch costs money, so be it. The school should not be trading their students’ health to buy office supplies.
Over the last five decades, the obesity rates for adolescents have tripled. Unless there is decisive action, weight and inactivity-related disorders will bother a steady larger proportion of the work force and replace smoking as the leading cause of premature death.
1. According to this passage, ______ are to blame for the childhood obesity.| A．weight-related disorders | B．high calorie snacks |
| C．parents’ bad habits | D．unhealthy lunches and breakfast |
| A．Federal governments deserve high praise for their school lunch program. |
| B．Federal regulations are badly in need of updating. |
| C．Children should be forbidden to buy snacks in school. |
| D．Federal rules encourage snacks outside the school program. |
| A．malnutrition in low-income children | B．the federal school lunch program |
| C．obesity at school | D．the nutritional value of food served at school |
| A．negative | B．indifferent | C．optimistic | D．ironic |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】In your family you may find it difficult to form new eating and exercising habits for yourself without changing their habits at the same time.
Your family may prefer high-sugar and high-fat foods. But they don’t realise the fact that those foods have negative influence on the heart and blood pressure. So you should first let the whole family know the importance of changing bad eating habits. It is evident that low-sugar and low-fat foods contribute to good health.
In order to get the entire family’s support for changing eating habits, you should try to put your new lifestyle into your family’s routines. Perhaps your parents or other family members don’t want to abandon their favourite dishes. But you can advise your family to adjust their favourite recipes by gradually reducing fat and sugar. It may be an effective start to change their eating habits.
Your family may prefer watching TV in spare time. To deal with it, you should persuade everyone to move away from the television little by little. For example, you can begin by taking a walk with them, then move on to more activities like jogging or swimming.
1. Changing bad eating habits is important for the entire family because_______.| A．their preferences for foods should be the same |
| B．low-sugar and low-fat foods are good for their health |
| C．high-sugar and high-fat foods are not delicious |
| D．it contributes to achieving your long-term goals |
| A．To change. | B．To challenge. | C．To invent. | D．To make. |
| A．watching TV with your family is a good habit |
| B．your family members’ living habits may have a negative effect on you |
| C．if you want to change exercising habits, you should live away from other family members |
| D．you are advised to get all your family members involved in physical exercise |
| A．Positive. | B．Negative. | C．Neutral.(中立的) | D．Indifferent.(漠不关心的) |
【推荐2】It’s normal to long for the taste of potato chips or a cheese –covered pizza. Even though they’re full of calories, eating them occasionally won’t do much harm. However, according to the new numbers, young people are becoming more gluttonous. The BBC’s Good Food Nation Survey showed that on average, 16 to 20-year-olds ate fast food at least twice a day in the UK. So what’s behind this fast food binge (狂热).
WebMD, an online publisher of news and information of human health and well-being, surveyed nearly 600 teenagers and adults in the United States. They found that the most common reason was our busy lifestyle. More than 92.3 percent of respondents said they were too busy to cook. Many find it challenging to balance work and life, and the convenience of fast food meets their needs. Fast food is readily available in corner stores and vending machines (自动售货机).
Remember those instant noodle cups from the supermarket? They’re ready in minutes, and you can store them at home for a long time.
But many people think this trend does no good. Sarah Toule, head of health information at World Cancer Research Fund, told the BBC: “It’s frightening that people, especially younger generations, are eating so much fast food loaded with fat, sugar and salt, but offers little nutritional value.”
She added, “Especially high in calories, fast food leads to unhealthy weight gain – which in turn increase the risk of 11 cancers later in life.
So what is the right thing to do? Toule suggested that young people should prepare meals in advance and learn to include the different food groups in their diets.
1. What does the underlined phrase “more gluttonous” in paragraph 1 mean?| A．Greedier. | B．Healthier. | C．Smarter. | D．Lazier. |
| A．People should make a change to their busy lifestyle. |
| B．Fast food helps people balance their work and life. |
| C．Why is Fast food becoming popular with teenagers and adults. |
| D．Nowadays people have more challenges both in work and life. |
| A．can’t provide enough nutrition for eaters. |
| B．will lead to 11 cancers. |
| C．can help lose weight. |
| D．is easy to prepare ahead of time. |
| A．Fast Food –- Full of Calories. |
| B．Health Should Be Stressed. |
| C．Think Twice before Crazy about Fast Food. |
| D．A New Trend among the Young. |
【推荐3】It’s 3 o'clock and you’ve been hard at work. As you sit at your desk, a strong desire for chocolate overcomes you. You try to busy yourself to make it go away. But it doesn’t. Here is another situation. Perhaps you are not feeling well. The only thing you want to eat is a big bowl of chicken soup, like your mum used to make when you were sick as a child. Food cravings are a strong desire for a specific type of food. And they are normal.
Scientists at the website How Stuff Works compare hunger and cravings (渴望) this way. Hunger is a fairly simple connection between the stomach and the brain. They even call it simply “stomach hunger”. When our stomachs burn up all of the food we have eaten, a hormone (激素) sends a message to one part of the brain for more food, which regulates our most basic body functions such as thirst, hunger and sleep. The brain then produces a chemical to start the appetite and you eat. Hunger is a function of survival.
A craving is more complex. It activates brain areas related to emotion, memory and reward. These are the same areas of the brain activated during drug-craving studies. Because of this, some scientists call food cravings “mind hunger”. People often crave foods that are high in fat and sugar. Foods that are high in fat or high in sugar produce chemicals in the brain. These chemicals give us feelings of pleasure.
In a 2016 study, researchers at Cambridge University found that dieting or restricted eating generally increases the possibility of food cravings. So, the more you deny yourself a food that you want, the more you may crave it. However, fasting (禁食) is a bit different. They found that eating no food at all for a short period of time lessened food cravings.
So, the next time you crave something very specific, know that your brain may be more to blame than your stomach.
1. Which of the following statements is NOT true when “stomach hunger” appears?| A．The part of brain which regulates some functions of our body works. |
| B．A chemical is produced by the stomach to start the appetite. |
| C．All the food we have eaten has been exhausted. |
| D．A hormone delivers a message to the brain for food. |
| A．It means the stomach functions well. |
| B．It ensures a person survives hunger. |
| C．It shows food is linked to feelings. |
| D．It proves the brain decides your appetite. |
| A．The increase of food desire. | B．The decrease of chemicals. |
| C．The refusal of fat and sugar. | D．The disappearance of appetite. |
| A．Dieting: It Makes You Crave More |
| B．Fasting: It Lessens Food Cravings |
| C．Food Cravings: They are All in Your Brain |
| D．Hunger: It is a Function of Survival |
【推荐1】The Oxford Word of the Year 2022 winner may surprise you. The winning phrase was “goblin mode (哥布林模式)” — a type of behavior often seen as lazy. People who are in goblin mode tend to reject social expectations, such as usual gatherings.
This is not necessarily a bad thing, however. US language expert Ben Zimmer commented that the lifestyle means that “people are looking at social norms in new ways”. Many young people worldwide go “goblin mode” seeking to make peace with their true selves. Without pretty covers like digital editing, we are not always the perfect image that we tend to present to others. Staying true to ourselves, however, doesn’t mean that we must avoid troubles. Bilibili, a leading video platform, announced that elegance was the bullet comment (弹幕) of the year. It refers to the graceful and stylish manners. And traditionally, the word is more often used to describe people of higher social classes. But now, young people in China are using the word to emphasize an ability to control and balance life for ordinary people. From bravely facing troubles in life to sharing delightful moments and spreading joy, elegance is no longer a privilege. Rather, it is our positive attitude to life-that we will stay calm and strong no matter what life brings-that is most important.
Take pandemic as an example, it’s a topic that we cannot ignore. Three years into the pandemic, we are gradually letting go of our fears about it. It will likely not end dramatically, but rather result in coexistence between humans and the virus. Our life may never be the same as before the pandemic, but it doesn’t have to be. Video chats, online meetings and classes. We are closer than ever to connecting digitally with each other on a new level. It’s time to face new opportunities and challenges in the year ahead. And remember: we have made it through the pandemic — is there anything that we cannot overcome?
1. What may people with “goblin mode” do?| A．They may seek a fancy lifestyle. | B．They may present a perfect image. |
| C．They may post edited photographs. | D．They may accept what they are. |
| A．It’s a quality owned by people of higher social status. |
| B．It’s a privilege only shared and valued by rich people. |
| C．It’s a positive attitude towards ups and downs in life. |
| D．It’s an ability to spread graceful and stylish manners. |
| A．to inform us the importance of it. | B．to urge us to face challenges bravely. |
| C．to push us to pursue higher status. | D．to advise us to ignore pandemic. |
| A．Every cloud has a silver lining. | B．He who laughs last laughs best. |
| C．Where there is a will, there is a way. | D．Fear always springs from ignorance. |
【推荐2】If you picnic in a Texas park, chances are you’ll encounter fire ants — a kind of pest that can deliver painful bites. This invasive (入侵的) species, like many others, is not only annoying but also destructive.
An invasive species is any kind of living thing that isn’t native to an ecosystem and causes harm. Sometimes non-native species are imported by accident, like in the 1930s when ships from South America inadvertently took fire ants to North America. Other times non-native species are imported deliberately. Some types of Asian fish that were originally imported to the U.S. from China to clean fish farms escaped and entered rivers. Green iguanas were brought to China, as pets, but irresponsible owners released them.
Non-native species have even been imported for emotional reasons. A man once released dozens of European starlings (八哥) in New York in an effort to bring all the birds mentioned in Shakespeare’s writings to America. Today, millions of starlings cause over $800 million in damage to U.S. agriculture every year. Invasive species’ global economic influence is also enormous. The U.S. government assesses that invasive species cost the American economy over $120 billion every year.
Invasive species can damage their host habitats by unbalancing local ecosystems. They often lack natural enemies in their new environment and out-compete native species for food and other resources. They also might feed on local species. Invasive species can also carry diseases for which local species have no immunity (免疫力). This can result in the loss of an entire native species.
Invasive species are among the leading threats to native wildlife. About 42% of threatened or endangered species are at risk due to invasive species. Unless people take serious action, the economic and environmental costs of invasive species will become disastrous.
1. What does the underlined word “inadvertently” mean in paragraph 2?| A．Separately. | B．Regularly. |
| C．Temporarily. | D．Unexpectedly. |
| A．To satisfy his wish. |
| B．To raise them as pets. |
| C．To copy Shakespeare’s behavior. |
| D．To do agricultural experiments. |
| A．Food shortage for native people. |
| B．Serious economic imbalance. |
| C．Economic and environmental problems. |
| D．Dangerous diseases for humans. |
| A．Wildlife Conservation |
| B．Protecting Native Species |
| C．Environmental Protection Measures |
| D．Our Unwelcome Guests |
【推荐3】Helping voters out
The US 2020 presidential election has captured people's hearts around the world. In order to allow voters to vote in person, poll (投票站) workers need to work at different vote centers. In past elections, most poll workers were elderly, but now that they are more at risk of severe symptoms from COVID - 19, there was a growing need for young people to serve as poll workers.
I first became aware of the opportunity to become a poll worker from a story on an Instagram account called “Poll Hero?”. It mentioned the effort to recruit young poll workers on a large - scale, and I immediately became interested in participating. I signed up to be a poll worker from the website, and a few days later, I registered through the High School Student Election Worker Program with the assistance of a Poll Hero volunteer.
After registering, there were two steps I had to take in order to become certified (认证的) to serve in this election. The first was an online training course, which takes around three hours. It covers the different roles workers have, different procedures workers must follow and provides information on how to use tools such as the electronic pollbook. The session is interactive, and I often engaged in simulated (模拟的) situations and knowledge checks to ensure that I understood each lesson. After taking the online course, I had to pass an exam with an 80 percent score or higher to complete that part of my certification. On my first attempt, I passed with a score of exactly 80 percent.
After passing the online course, I attended a two - hour in - person training session where I worked with a real electronic pollbook to practice what I would do on Election Day. The instructor took us through many different scenarios (场景) where we practiced assisting different types of voters. I was pleased to see many young people attend the session! In total, I spent 37 hours helping voters vote during this election. With my mask on the entire time, I checked in voters and helped them use the ballot (投票) marking devices where they could cast their vote. I also loved meeting fellow workers who are passionate about being engaged and helping our community. Taking part in this historic election is something I will never forget.
1. Which of the following statements is true according to paragraph 1 and 2?| A．The author considered it his duty to help his community |
| B．A Poll Hero volunteer asked the author to serve as a poll worker |
| C．Young poll workers were in huge demand |
| D．Serving as a poll worker was one of the author's school volunteering programs |
| A．This course must be completed at once | B．It uses a lecture - style teaching method |
| C．Those who pass the exam get a service certification | D．To pass the exam, one has to score at least 80 percent |
| A．What difficulties the author ran into |
| B．What the author learned from the in - person training session |
| C．How the author cooperated with other young poll workers |
| D．How the author assisted different types of voters on Election Day |
| A．Exhausted | B．Proud | C．Bored | D．Nervous |
Historically, the country was a colony claimed by people from Portugal and this made Portuguese the official language. The Portuguese reached Brazil in 1500 and until that moment it was inhabited by semi-nomadic(半游牧的) people. The Portuguese changed Brazil into a country of slaves until 1800, when Maria I of Portugal came to live in Brazil. The Queen did not stay long in Brazil, but during the 20 years of royal presence a lot of changes occurred: commercial ports to United Kingdom were opened; Brazil stopped being isolated(孤立) from other countries. So at the moment of getting the independence on the 7th of September, 1822, Brazil already had the potential to develop. The Brazilian Empire, Pedro I, abolished slavery in 1888 in the face of Princess Isabel. A lot of European people started coming to Brazil and the industry of the country started working. In the 19th and the 20th century as it has been said above foreign people immigrated(移民) to Brazil and basically 5 million European and Japanese people became the residents of Brazil. The beginning of the 20th century was especially marked by the immigration of a lot of Asian people: Japanese, Korean and Chinese immigrants. As a matter of fact Japanese people do not immigrate a lot, and the fact that the Brazilian-Japanese people are the largest Japanese minority in the world does astonish greatly.
The majority of the cultural inherits of Brazil are actually Portuguese, due to the fact that Brazil was Portugal’s colony for a very long time. The southern states mainly consist of European population and the north and the northeast consist of a mixed population including Africans, Amerindians and Europeans. Most of this population is Roman Catholic. No other country in the world has the same amount of Catholics. The modern tendency of Brazil is the growing number of people calling themselves Protestants. Around 7.4% of the population don’t believe any god. Some Brazilians, especially in the northern states are mixed Africans who prefer following the traditional African religions. Only 1.8% of the population chose Buddhism, Islam or Judaism.
Though Brazil always tried to maintain democracy, it was failed several times by the dictatorship（独裁） of Getulo Vargas. This fact could not affect the political situation in the country.
1. Brazil was ruled by Portuguese about ______.
| A．22 years | B．300 years | C．322 years | D．328 years |
| A．Maria I | B．Pedro I | C．immigrants | D．Getulo Vargas |
| A．religion | B．history | C．culture | D．political situation |
| A．Brazil was isolated from other countries when Maria I stayed there. |
| B．The industry of the country started working in 1888. |
| C．Brazil has the largest population of Catholics in the world. |
| D．Some people in Brazil don’t believe any god. |
| A．western culture | B．modern culture |
| C．traditional culture | D．mixed culture |
【推荐2】The Mona Lisa is the famous Leonardo da Vinci painting of a woman with a mysterious smile. This week, the painting gave up a secret.
Scientists used X-rays to examine the chemical organization of an extremely small part of the more than 500-year-old painting. The researchers discovered a technique Leonardo used in the work. A team in France and Britain discovered an oil paint used for the Mona Lisa was a special, new chemical mixture. It suggests that the Italian artist may have been in an experimental mood when he set to work on the painting early in the 16th century.
“He was someone who loved to experiment, and each of his paintings is completely different technically,” said Victor Gonzalez. He is the study’s lead writer. “In this case, it’s interesting to see that indeed there is a specific technique for the ground layer of the Mona Lisa,” he said in an interview with The Associated Press. Specifically, the researchers found a rare compound, plumbonacrite (水蛭石), in Leonardo’s first layer of paint. The discovery, Gonzalez said, proved that da Vinci most likely used lead oxide to thicken and help dry his paint.
The scientists looked into its atomic structure using X-rays in a synchrotron (同步加速器). The machine moves particles at close to the speed of light, permitting researchers to look deeper into the paint structure. “Plumbonacrite is really a fingerprint of his recipe,” Gonzalez said. “It’s the first time we can actually chemically prove it.”
Dutch artist Rembrandt may have used a similar mixture when he was painting in the 17th century. Gonzalez and other researchers have found plumbonacrite in his work, too. “It also tells us that those recipes were passed on for centuries,” Gonzalez said. “It was a very good recipe.”
But the Mona Lisa and additional works by Leonardo still have other secrets to tell. “There are plenty, plenty more things to discover,” Gonzalez said. “What we are saying is just a little brick more in the knowledge.”
1. What is the secret of the painting of the Mona Lisa?| A．The use of plumbonacrite. | B．Leonardo’s love for experiment. |
| C．The way to dry the painting. | D．The oil in the first layer. |
| A．Unclear. | B．Positive. | C．Doubtful. | D．Disappointed. |
| A．By making comparisons. | B．By listing related examples. |
| C．By describing the study process. | D．By quoting experts’ opinions. |
| A．A Creative Painter | B．A Smiling Mona Lisa |
| C．A New Discovery in the Mona Lisa | D．A Pioneering Painting |
【推荐3】Do you always focus on studying and getting “A” grades in school? Most Chinese students work really hard. But in the United States, you might be considered a bookworm (书呆子) if you cannot socialize (社交). Socializing is as important as your grades. If you just study all the time and don’t socialize, your life won’t be complete. So, how does one socialize with students in the US?
Lots of high schools often have soccer games during the autumn term. I didn’t know anything about soccer, but I joined some of the soccer games in order to have fun with my friends. I thought I ,could learn the rules from others. However, to my surprise, some American students don’t even know the rules but still go to the games in order to socialize. They cheer for the soccer players and have fun together.
The other common way to socialize is to join after-school clubs. You can choose clubs that you are interested in and make a lot of new friends. For example, one of my friends started a sketch (素描) club. I was interested, so I joined the club. There I met lots of students who were also interested in sketching. We soon became friends with each other. Socializing is an important thing in the US. But grades are still important, too. A complete student should have the ability to balance (平衡) his or her studying and socializing.
1. You might be considered________ if you cannot socialize in the United States.| A．a good student | B．a bookworm | C．a lazy student | D．a hard-working student |
| A．During the autumn term. | B．During the summer term. |
| C．During the spring term. | D．During the winter term. |
| A．Five. | B．Four. | C．Three. | D．Two. |
| A．Most Chinese students work really hard. |
| B．Not all American students who go to the soccer games know the rules. |
| C．The writer joined some of the soccer games in order to play soccer. |
| D．If you want to make lots of new friends, you can join clubs that you are interested in. |
| A．How to Make New Friends. | B．Balance Studying and Socializing. |
| C．Socializing Is Not as Your Grades. | D．Socializing Is the Most Important Thing in the US. |
