If you’re eating protein (蛋白质), you could be swallowing hundreds of tiny pieces of plastic each year, research finds.
A new study by researchers with the nonprofit Ocean Conservancy and the University of Toronto found microplastics — tiny particles ranging from one micrometer to a half-centimeter in size — in nearly 90 percent of protein food samples tested.
The researchers analyzed more than a dozen different types of common proteins that could wind up on the average American’s plate, including seafood, pork, beef, chicken, to fu and several plant-based meat alternatives. They estimated that an American adult could consume, on average, at least 11,000 microplastic pieces per year.
The study’s findings provide further evidence of the availability of small plastic particles — which have been discovered everywhere from Antarctic snow to inside human bodies — and how they can end up in the food we eat and the water we drink.
“While we still really don’t have any idea what the human health consequences of this are, if there are any at all, we need to take this seriously because this is a problem that’s not going away on its own, and it’s only going to get worse the more plastic we use and throwaway,” Leonard said. But Leonard and other experts cautioned against using the findings to draw final conclusions about how microplastics can dirty food and the amount of plastic that could be hiding in proteins.
The study’s sample size was not big enough and the researchers noted that there was high variability in microplastic concentrations in the samples. The researchers also only counted microplastic particles that were larger than or equal in size to 45 micrometers. “It just highlights that we need to do more research,” said Bianca Datta, a food scientist not involved in the new research.
1. What is paragraph 3 mainly about?| A．The nature of plastic particles. | B．The researchers’ discovery. |
| C．The variety of foods on a dining table. | D．The conclusion of the research. |
| A．Cautious. | B．Critical. | C．Confident. | D．Concerned. |
| A．To show the limitation of the research. |
| B．To highlight the danger of microplastic concentrations. |
| C．To appeal for environmental protection. |
| D．To stress the urgency of the study. |
| A．Stay away from plastics | B．Possible effects of food processing |
| C．You may be eating plastics | D．A poisoned food system |
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【推荐1】Your house may have an influence on your figure. Experts say the way you design your home could play a role in whether you put on weight or lose weight. You can make your environment work for you instead of against you. Here are some ways to turn your home into part of diet plan.
Open the curtains (窗帘) and turn up the lights . Dark environments are more likely to encourage overeating , for people are often less self-conscious（难为情）when they’re in poorly lit places-and so more likely to eat lots of food . If your home doesn’t have enough window light, get more lamps (灯) and flood the place with brightness.
Mind the colors. Research suggests warm colors increase our appetites (胃口). In one study, people who ate meals in a blue room consumed (消耗) 33% less than those in a yellow or red room. Warm colors like yellow make food appear more delicious, while cold colors make us feel less hungry. So, when it’s time to repaint, go blue.
Don’t forget the clock-or the radio. People who eat slowly tend to consume about 70 fewer calories（卡路里） each meal than those who rush through their meals. Begin paying attention to the time and try to make dinner last at least 30 minutes. And while you’re at it, actually sit down to eat. If you need some help slowing down, turn on relaxing music. It makes you less likely to rush through a meal.
Downsize the dishes. Big serving bowls and plates (盘子) can easily make us fat. We eat about 22% more when using a 12-inch (英寸) plate instead of a 10-inch plate. When we choose a large spoon over a smaller one ,total intake（摄入） jumps by 14%. And we’ll pour (倒) about 30 percent more liquid into a short, wide glass than a tall, skinny glass.
1. The text is especially helpful for those who care about_______.| A．their home comforts | B．their body shape |
| C．house buying | D．healthy diets |
| A．enjoy food better | B．eat less food |
| C．burn more calories | D．have bigger appetites |
| A．Eat quickly. | B．Play fast music. |
| C．Use smaller spoons. | D．Turn down the lights. |
| A．Is Your House Making You Fat? |
| B．Ways of Serving Dinner |
| C．Influence of Colors |
| D．Is Your Home Environment Relaxing? |
【推荐2】Millions of Britons are unaware what nutrients they need for a healthy body, with a fifth believing vitamin C’s main role is to make you more intelligent.
A study of 2,000 adults revealed 37% are unsure of what vitamins their families need, while 35% admit they don’t really know what different nutrients actually do. Nearly a third don’t consider vitamin C to be essential for a healthy body, with less than half aware that it helps to keep skin healthy, while 33% are unaware of the importance of vitamin D, and the same number think you could get it simply by eating organic fruit or vegetable grown in a sunny country. As a result, 45% don’t think they are getting all the vitamins and minerals they need from their diets. It also found that only half of parents are confident they know the nutrients their children should be consuming.
Mikelle McCoin, Consultant Dietitian at the Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease, said, “Humans need different vitamins and minerals for their body to continue to function healthily, but these can vary depending on your age. Children known as picky eaters may benefit from a more comprehensive vitamin supplement which includes iron and B vitamins, as these are particularly important for growth and development. And when they are at school age, brain function and immunity are the most important for parents. As they grow into teenagers, their nutritional needs are high as they hit growth and adolescence. But even as an adult, the components of your needs can change—especially during pregnancy or as you reach middle age or old age.”
The study also found less than half of those surveyed consider magnesium to be an important nutrient, with only 40 percent aware that spinach(菠菜) is a good food to consume to boost intake. And although a quarter view copper as essential, just 29% are aware part of its role is to produce red and white blood cells.
1. Which is correct according to the second paragraph?| A．Half of adults don’t know the importance of vitamin C. |
| B．About one third of the adults think vitamin D is essential. |
| C．Most parents know how to guarantee their kids’ nutritional intake. |
| D．All adults don’t know what vitamins are necessary for their families. |
| A．Pregnant women need the most nutrients. |
| B．Vitamin and mineral requirements are the same for all. |
| C．People should guarantee suitable nutrients at various phases. |
| D．Comprehensive vitamin supplements are vital for the middle age or old. |
| A．Confused. | B．Uncertain. | C．Indifferent. | D．Disappointed. |
| A．To reveal British dietary habits. |
| B．To introduce some study findings. |
| C．To encourage organic food consumption. |
| D．To show ways of boosting nutrients’ intake. |
【推荐3】Raising livestock (牲畜) is a big part of the carbon emission from agriculture. But it is hard to change people’s habits and get them to give up their hamburgers, especially since more than one-third of Americans eat fast food every day. We previously called for carbon labels on everything from buildings to burgers. Now, a new study from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that labels on fast food affected people's choices.
The study said shifting current dietary patterns to more sustainable diets with less red meat could reduce food-related greenhouse gas emissions by 55% and have health benefits.
The 5,000 participants in the study were shown fake menus. One group got menus with high climate impact labels on red meat items and another had low climate impact labels on fish or plant-based burgers. Both menus were effective in reducing the orders for red meat. But interestingly, the high-impact labels were far more effective, with 23% of the participants choosing a more environmentally sustainable selection, while menus listing low-impact choices encouraged only 10% participants to change.
“We found that labeling red meat items with high-climate impact labels was more effective in increasing sustainable selections than labeling non-red meat items with low-climate impact labels,” wrote the authors of the study.
Lead author, Julia Wolfson, said, “These results suggest that menu labeling, particularly labels warning that an item has high climate impact, can be an effective strategy for encouraging more sustainable food choices in a fast food setting.”
The study points out negative labels might be unpopular: “It is unlikely that the industry would voluntarily adopt a negative label approach; such an approach needs to be carried out via law. However, high climate impact labels may easily be adopted in settings like universities and hospitals.”
They have a point that this label is aggressively negative, more like a cigarette warning than a food label. In the study, the authors note that future research should test more label designs using qualitative and quantitative research on how people understand different climate impact labels.
1. What is paragraph 1 mainly about?| A．The impact of carbon emission. |
| B．The background of the new study. |
| C．The request of giving up carbon labels. |
| D．The difficulty in changing people's habits. |
| A．They liked them very much. |
| B．They stuck to their preferences. |
| C．Some of them stopped eating fast food. |
| D．Some of them changed their food choices. |
| A．It will be banned by law. |
| B．It will face some resistance. |
| C．It will produce bad results. |
| D．It will be accepted by all industries. |
| A．Raising livestock causes carbon emission |
| B．Fast food has a negative effect on climate |
| C．Researchers are focusing on climate impact |
| D．Labels on fast food help protect the environment |
【推荐1】Scientists announced that they had found the gravitational waves (引力波) that confirmed a prediction made by Albert Einstein a century ago. The discovery, made with the Laser Interferometer Gravitational—Wave Observatory, known as LIGO, is the milestone in a decades-long search for signs of this phenomenon. “The discovery will open a new window onto the universe,” said David Reitze, executive director of LIGO.
Since humans first watched skyward, we have relied on light of all wavelengths to describe the universe. The light that could be seen first showed the starry heavens, while infrared (红外线的) waves allowed us to see older and more distant stars.
But now, researchers will be able to sense the universe in a whole new way: with their “ears”. “We can hear gravitational waves. We can hear the universe,” Gabriela Gonzalez, LIGO’s spokeswoman at Louisiana State University, said. “‘That’s one of the beautiful things about this: We are not only going to be seeing the universe, we are going to be listening to it.”
Gravitational waves, which Einstein predicted as part of his general theory of relativity, occur as objects accelerate or decelerate through space, much the way a boat moving on a lake sends waves across the water’s surface. But they’re so tiny that until now it’s been nearly impossible to find them, even those caused by something as large as a planet moving around the sun.
To pick up this signal, scientists have to look for violent events in the universe. This particular signal appears to have been caused by a collision. That occurred about 1.3 billion years ago between two black holes, holding 29 and 36 solar masses (太阳质量).
Fiona Harrison, chair of Caltesh’s division of physics, mathematics and astronomy, guessed that hundreds of new events would be found over the next few years, allowing scientists to perform a range of different types of studies. “There are probably many events we haven’t dreamed of and this is just the beginning,” she said.
1. Why did Gabricla Gonzalez think LIGO’s discovery important?| A．It confirmed Einstein’s scientific discovery. |
| B．It allowed scientists to see more distant stars. |
| C．It changed traditional ideas about the universe. |
| D．It offered a different way to study the universe. |
| A．are too far to be felt |
| B．are disturbed by other planets |
| C．are too weak to be observed |
| D．disappear soon after they happen |
| A．crash | B．receiving |
| C．circle | D．movement |
| A．gravitational waves also exist in objects at rest |
| B．there’s a long way to go in studying the universe. |
| C．gravitational waves show the beginning of the universe. |
| D．scientists began studying universe in recent years. |
While computers offer these conveniences to consumers, they have many advantages for sellers too. Electronic cash registers can do much more than simply
Numerous other commercial enterprises, from theaters to magazine publishers, from gas and electric utilities to milk processors, bring better and more efficient services to consumers through the use of computers.
1. According to the passage, the credit card enables its owner to .
| A．withdraw as much money from the bank as he wishes |
| B．obtain more convenient services than other people do |
| C．enjoy greater trust from the storekeeper |
| D．cash money where he wishes to |
| A．in the future all the Americans will use credit cards |
| B．credit cards are mainly used in the United States today |
| C．nowadays many Americans do not pay in cash |
| D．it is now more convenient to use credit cards than before |
| A．make an order of goods |
| B．record sales on a cash register |
| C．call the sales manager |
| D．keep track of the goods in stock |
| A．computers will bring disaster |
| B．computer industry will not develop faster |
| C．computers will bring about more convenience to people’s life |
| D．None |
【推荐3】Scientists have long debated (辩论) the best diet for health. But now some experts believe that it’s not just what we eat that’s important for good health, but when we eat it. When our diet habit matches the biological clock well, our body can work at its best. Breaking the rule—by eating late meals or having midnight snacks, for example—could lead to weight gain and metabolic (新陈代谢的) trouble.
Many people, however, eat from the time when they wake up until shortly before they go to bed. Studies show that the average person starts with something like milk and coffee shortly after rising and ends with a glass of wine, a late-night meal or a handful of chips, nuts or some other snacks shortly before bed. That habit of eating is against our biological rule.
Scientists have long known that the human body has a master clock in the brain, which controls our sleep-wake cycles in response to bright light exposure (暴露). A couple of decades ago, researchers discovered that there is not just one clock in the body but a collection of them. Every organ has a clock that controls its daily cycle of activities. Studies show that in every organ, thousands of genes (基因) are turned on and turned off at almost the same time every day.
We’ve lived on this planet for thousands of years, and while many things have changed, there has always been one constant: Every single day the sun rises and at night it falls. We’re designed to have 24-hour systems in our body. They exist because, just like our brains need to go to sleep each night to repair and reset themselves, every organ needs to have time to repair and reset itself as well.
1. What should we do to follow the rule according to Paragraph 1?| A．Eat a low-fat and low-sugar diet. | B．Avoid eating too much. |
| C．Keep hungry if necessary. | D．Try early meals for the night. |
| A．People’s unhealthy eating habits. | B．Busy lifestyle of an ordinary person. |
| C．Behavior against the biological clock. | D．People’s preference for a balanced diet. |
| A．The most useful one is in the brain. | B．They are influenced by what we eat. |
| C．All the clocks work at the same time. | D．They control the activities of each organ. |
| A．Be Careful of What You Eat | B．Choose A Proper Time to Eat |
| C．Reset the Clocks in Your Body | D．Select the Best Diet Habit |
【推荐1】Food experts say washing could spread the germs on your turkey in the kitchen sink or nearby food. But it's been a challenge trying to convince cooks to stop rinsing(冲洗）off raw poultry. Germs that can make people sick are common in the guts of healthy poultry and are legally allowed to be on raw turkey and chicken. The assumption is that nobody eats their poultry raw, and that thorough cooking will kill the bacteria.
The do-not-wash raw poultry advice from the USDA is relatively new and perhaps hasn't caught on because it goes against the common belief that washing makes things clean, said Chapman. Benjamin Chapman, a study author and food safety expert at North Carolina State University, said the instinct to wash raw poultry goes back at least decades when people relied more on visual clues to spot problems with poultry. Meanwhile, washing hands and surfaces are also important.
But food preparation is a complicated act, and germs from poultry can be spread even if it's not washed, especially when birds are removed from packaging.
The USDA-funded study stresses that point. Researchers sprayed raw chicken with a harmless strain of E. coli(大肠杆菌）and watched volunteer cooks at test kitchens. Among those who washed their raw chicken, about a quarter ended up spreading the bacteria to their lettuce. But even some of those who did not rinse the chicken got germs on the lettuce. And there are_other opportunities for germs to survive on turkeys:melting and cooking.
To ensure a bird is thoroughly cooked, they say to use a thermometer to check that the deepest and thickest parts of it have reached 165 degrees. Even after the meal is cooked, you aren't out of the danger zone. To keep turkeys and other leftovers safe, experts say they should be refrigerated after two hours.
1. People don't accept USDA 's advice because__________| A．the advice is relatively new. |
| B．cooks clean the turkey before cooking it. |
| C．heat can kill most. germs and no one eats raw food. |
| D．cleaning seems more trustworthy. |
| A．Germs from a turkey can be spread whether it is washed or not. |
| B．Food packages carry germs. |
| C．Hands and surfaces are easy to get E. coli. |
| D．Multiple methods should be applied to food to get rid of germs. |
| A．Rinse off the turkey before it is heated. |
| B．Keep the turkey away from the lettuce and refrigerator. |
| C．Use a thermometer to check the temperature of the turkey. |
| D．Wash hands and packages before taking out the turkey. |
| A．Cooking. |
| B．Technology. |
| C．Medicine |
| D．Science. |
【推荐2】Sargassum is a kind of floating seaweed (海草) that has been growing in size every year. It looks pretty in the ocean. However, sargassum can almost completely block out sunlight. Important kinds of seagrass suffer when light is blocked by seaweed. As sargassum piles up on beaches, it makes it hard for mother sea turtles to lay eggs, and nearly impossible for baby turtles to return to the sea.
So much sargassum piles up on beaches, and it breaks down slowly, giving out a bad smell like rotten eggs. “Even when governments clear the seaweed from beaches, they face problems of getting rid of it. Heavy machines can put turtle nests in danger. Some people have thought about using sargassum as a fertilizer (肥料), but it contains harmful heavy metals. So far, removing these harmful metal s costs too much to make it worth doing,” said the scientist Steven Kelley.
Sargassum grows faster in warming oceans, so climate change is definitely part of the problem. But scientists believe the unusual growth of the seawood is also caused by huge quantities of fertilizers washed into the ocean from farmlands.
Scientists and students are working hard to figure out how to deal with sargassum. Some suggest using sargassum as a building material, or possibly a fuel. One unusual solution is to drop it deep in the sea by using robots. Sargassum takes in huge amounts of carbon dioxide (二氧化碳) as it grows. Removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere is one important part of fighting the climate crisis. Sargassum could deal with this carbon dioxide in the deep ocean. Scientists are still testing this idea to see if it will work.
For now, scientists say the quickest solution is to stop filling the ocean with fertilizers. It is wise for farmers to change the way they farm. Moreover, the seaweed’s growth can have serious effects on islands that depend heavily on tourism and fishing. Island communities play a role in cleaning up the seaweed and promoting responsible tourism. At the same time, officials have to work towards changing policies to solve the issues.
1. What can we know about sargassum according to the first paragraph?| A．It affects the ecosystem negatively. |
| B．It adds to the variety of life in the ocean. |
| C．It causes a shortage of food for sea animals. |
| D．It creates a good living environment for seagrass. |
| A．Reusing metal s from sargassum is a wise choice. |
| B．Fertilizers can help sargarrum break down quickly. |
| C．Dealing with sargassum safely is challenging work. |
| D．Practical ways have been developed to remove sargassum. |
| A．By spreading sargassum widely to increase sunlight. |
| B．By changing sargassum into a renewable energy source. |
| C．By employing sargassum as a cleaner for ocean pollution. |
| D．By making use of sargassum’s ability to absorb carbon dioxide. |
| A．Public attempts to recycle seaside sargassum. |
| B．The change in sargassum’s living environment. |
| C．Challenges and approaches concerning sargassum. |
| D．The influence of sargassum’s growth on climate change. |
【推荐3】Before war and time destroy more of our important cultural sites, we need to save them in 3-D digital libraries. Across 163 different countries, more than 1,000 natural and cultural historic places make up our most precious human heritage, which UNESCO calls World Heritage Sites.
We lose a little of that heritage every day. War, climate change and pollution have bad effects, as do wind and rain. The $4 million a year that UNESCO spends on preservation is not nearly enough to take care of even the four dozen sites considered to be at approaching risk of being lost forever. Now there’s a better choice. New digital conservation technologies let us hold on to them, at least virtually, through 3-D scanning, modelling and digital storage. Such projects can be accomplished through cooperation between governments, universities, industries and non-profit organizations.
To make a 3-D model, a laser (激光) scanner bounces light off an object and records the results. To reproduce every corner and opening, the scanner collects overlapping (重登的) images from all possible angles. A computer then sews them together into one large surface image and draws lines from one point to another to create a wireframe model. High-resolution digital cameras add colour and texture. When fully put together, the models can be viewed, printed or operated.
These scans do more than preserving a memory in a database. With highly accurate measurements, archaeologists (考古学家) can find hidden passages or reveal ancient engineering tricks. School kids can explore places they might otherwise never see. And when a site is destroyed, the scans can even be used to reconstruct what was there. That has already happened to one World Heritage Site, the Kasubi Tombs in Uganda. Built of wood in 1882, they were destroyed by fire in 2010 and rebuilt in 2014, based in large part on 3-D models made in 2009. More than 100 World Heritage Sites have already been preserved through 3-D models, and conservationists are racing to record as more as possible.
1. How does the author show the necessity for 3-D digital libraries in the first two paragraphs?| A．By listing the threats to our human heritage. |
| B．By introducing some damaged historical sites. |
| C．By quoting some experts’ views on heritage protection. |
| D．By explaining UNESCO’s research on World Heritage Sites. |
| A．The function of a laser scanner. |
| B．The process of making a 3-D model. |
| C．The reflection of light off an object. |
| D．The development of 3-D digital technology. |
| A．They are metal-framed. |
| B．They were once destroyed in an earthquake. |
| C．They were reconstructed thanks to 3-D models. |
| D．They are still in its original condition. |
| A．Never ignore the destructive power of war. |
| B．Take action to reduce pollution in historic places. |
| C．Invest more money to preserve World Heritage Sites. |
| D．Take advantage of 3-D technology to keep history. |
