Once you begin to eat potato chips, you may keep eating until the bag is empty. Have you ever experienced this? Why can’t you stop eating these salty chips? Scientists said it is due to a kind of neuron (神经元).
Scientists at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston have found that some neurons can make us want to eat salt.
The neurons take note of whether our bodies are lacking sodium (钠), a main part of salt. Then, they send signals (信号) to our brain to encourage us to eat more salt, according to the Daily Mail.
How do these neurons work?
Scientists did experiments on mice. They found that when mice lack sodium, their body gives off a kind of hormone (荷尔蒙) called aldosterone (醛固酮). This hormone then makes these neurons become active.
More research showed that adding salt to meals makes people enjoy their food more, Time magazine reported. This may cause people to continue eating even if they are full.
Scientists from Deakin University in Australia asked healthy people to eat the same food for lunch for four weeks. The amount of salt in the food was changed each week. At the same time, the scientists measured how much these people ate. They also asked the people how they felt about the meals; for example, if they felt happy or were still hungry after eating.
The results showed that salt made people eat 11 percent more food and calories. When eating low-salt meals, they could control (控制) over how much they ate. “But when we add salt to that food, all of a sudden those controls are gone,” researcher Russell Keast said to Time.
1. We may find it hard to stop eating potato chips mainly because ________.| A．potato chips don’t have much sodium |
| B．potato chips send hungry signals to our brain |
| C．some neurons lead to a love for salty foods |
| D．people’s brains will be more active with more salt |
| A．mice also need salt | B．more salt makes people eat more |
| C．not all people like salty food | D．people are not happy when they eat less |
| A．People should eat more chips. | B．More salt should be taken in to stay healthy. |
| C．Salt can make food more delicious. | D．Low-salt meals can help us stay healthy. |
| A．a road map | B．a math report | C．a science magazine | D．a storybook |
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【推荐1】Summer means hot weather, more outdoor activities, all kinds of fruit and vegetables.
•Eat and drink healthily.
What is healthy to eat in summer? Fresh and light food.
•
Do water sports like swimming and other water sports. They can keep you cool and healthy at the same time.
• Get enough sleep.
The day is long and the night is short in summer. But we still need enough sleep.
| A．Students need sleep when they are tired. |
| B．Fish is healthy food. |
| C．How can we keep healthy in this season (季节)? |
| D．Play water sports to keep cool. |
| E．What is to drink? |
| F．What can we do in summer? |
| G．Just have a good time! |
【推荐2】Like many young people in Hong Kong, Lesley wants to lose weight. She stopped eating eggs and carbohydrates（碳水化合物）, drinks eight glasses of water a day and only eats low-fat snacks. The food myth she does not know is that her “healthy” eating habits might not be good for her health.
Eggs are the enemy
Many people believe that egg yolks are bad for their heart. But this is only partly true. Though eggs contain a small amount of saturated fat（饱和脂肪）, they provide us with 13 types of natural vitamins（维生素）and minerals（矿物质）. You might not get some of these nutrients（营养物质）from other foods. So instead of avoiding eggs completely, it’s a good idea to keep them in your diet.
Carbohydrates make you fat
When people think about carbohydrates, they think white bread, rice and pasta are fattening. However, there are also “good-carbs”, such as beans, pumpkins, sweet potatoes and bananas. We need carbohydrates to give us energy.
“Low-fat” is always better
Like carbohydrates, some fats are good for you and others are not. Without good fats, the human body cannot get enough nutrients. The problem with low-fat products is that they are low in all fats including the good ones.
Drink eight glasses of water every day
Eight glasses is not always the right amount of water to drink for everyone because different people need different amounts of water. In addition, some people forget there is also water in food like fruits and vegetables. This means you really don’t need to only drink water to stay hydrated（含水的）. Drinking water is important, but taking in too much water can be harmful. In serious cases, it can lead to water poisoning.
1. Which one of the following is true about Lesley?| A．She does not know about the food myth. | B．She wants to eat more healthily to gain weight. |
| C．She thinks that many teenagers are skinny. | D．She is not drinking enough water. |
| A．think that eggs have no nutrients | B．believe that egg yolks are not good for them |
| C．do not like to eat egg yolks | D．only eat eggs for breakfast |
| A．you don’t like drinking water | B．there’s poison in water |
| C．water is bad for our digestion | D．there’s also water in fruits and vegetables |
【推荐3】Sarah was ill, she went to see the doctor. “ Doctor, I’m not feeling well,” she said. “ Every time I do my homework, I feel tired. If I go to school on foot, I have to sit down and rest for ten minutes.” The doctor looked at her carefully. At last he said, “ Nothing much. But I’m afraid you are eating too much.” “I don’t understand, what do you mean ? ”asked Sarah. “I mean you eat too much food,” said the doctor. “ Oh! You mean I’m too fat. That’s a problem.” Said Sarah. “What should I do If I don’t want to be heavy !” “ The answer is easy,” said the doctor. “ If you want to be thin and healthy, you shouldn’t eat a lot of food and you also should do much exercise.”
1. What was the matter with Sarah ? She felt _____ .| A．tired | B．sad |
| C．sore in the back | D．hungry |
| A．by bike | B．by bus | C．by car | D．on foot |
| A．she must eat much food | B．she ate too much |
| C．she was too thin | D．she was ill |
| A．Eating less food | B．Being too fat |
| C．Working too hard | D．Playing too much sports |
| A．eat a lot of meat | B．be fat |
| C．do more exercise | D．stay at home for some days |
If you walk through a park in the morning, you might probably see people practicing a series of beautiful movements performed in a slow, focused manner with deep breathing. While this may be a common sight for many, taijiquan was recently given worldwide attention. On Dec 17, 2020 China’s taijiquan (also known as tai chi) was officially listed on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) List of Intangible Cultural Heritage (非物质文化遗产).
Tai chi can date back to Wenxian country in Henan province in the mid-17th century. Now it has spread to more than 150 countries and areas, attracting more than 100 million people to practice. Tai chi can be practiced anytime and anywhere without any tools. It is a practical way for one to further control and balance the movements. However, for many, it is more than just exercise. “Tai chi is not just a sport to make people fit, but also includes Chinese culture and philosophy (哲学) that can make people peaceful,” Yan Shuangjun, a researcher of tai chi, told Xinhua.
Marleni Calcina from Peru is an example of the many people who have got a lot from Tai chi. She has practiced tai chi for more than 10 years. For her, it’s a way of life. Tai chi has taught her the value of “going slowly”. She once felt great stress at work and in her life, but that began to change thanks to tai chi, which helped her “gain peace and inner harmony (和谐)”, she told Xinhua News Agency. “For me now, practicing tai chi is like speaking with my soul.”
Tai chi shows the traditional Chinese philosophy of Yin-Yang cycle, the unity of heaven and man. The success of applying (申请) for the world heritage will make more people understand, love and spread Tai chi, that it can not only serve more people’s health and social harmonious development but also strengthen Chinese people’s cultural confidence and the international cultural exchanges.
1. People need to ________ when practicing tai chi.| A．hold their breath | B．stay in a special place | C．focus on the movements |
| A．The popularity of tai chi and what kind of sport it is. |
| B．The history of tai chi in China and how people master it. |
| C．Tai chi can bring us knowledge about Chinese culture and philosophy. |
| A．warn people to go slowly in their daily lives |
| B．tell us that many people in the world like tai chi |
| C．introduce the advantages that practicing tai chi can bring us |
| A．Tai chi has a long history of more than 400 years. |
| B．The success of applying for the world heritage will help spread taichi. |
| C．Tai chi not only keeps people healthy but also makes our society more harmonious. |
| A．An education magazine. | B．A cultural website. | C．A research report. |
【推荐2】Why are some people successful and others aren’t? What’s the secret of success? You can get the answers in Malcolm Gladwell’s book Outliers.
Gladwell thinks practice makes you good. The “10,000-hour rule” is central to the book. It means that if you want to be among the best in the world, you need to practise something for 10,000 hours, about three hours a day for 10 years. For example, the Beatles practised playing music in Hamburg more than 1,200 times between 1960 and 1964, which is more than 10,000 hours of playing time.
Gladwell also thinks that intelligence (智力) alone will not lead to success. Christopher Langan, who is mentioned in the book, got an IQ of between 195 and 210. As a boy at school, Langan passed an exam in a foreign language after looking through a text book for three minutes. But Langan never made any achievements his whole life. This shows that besides intelligence, you need hard work, support and chances.
However, it isn’t just a question of time and support. According to the book, you still need luck. Of course, many people say that you can create your own “luck” if you’re active enough.
So, are you putting in the hours? Carry on! You could get lucky!
1. Why did the writer ask questions in the first paragraph?| A．To ask others for help. | B．To list some examples. |
| C．To draw readers’ attention. | D．To introduce successful people. |
| A．3 hours. | B．10 years. | C．4 years. | D．10,000 hours. |
| A．Intelligence alone will not lead to success. |
| B．Success has nothing to do with hard work. |
| C．Whether we will succeed depends on our IQ. |
| D．We can learn a foreign language well in minutes. |
【推荐3】Every summer 3 billion birds migrate (迁徙) from southern Africa to Europe. In winter, they return to Africa’s warmer coasts (海岸). Both large and small birds travel thousands of kilometers. The migrating trip is long and difficult, and some of the animals die during the trip. However, it is not this twice-a-year trip that offers the most serious danger to these animals. The main problem of their survival (幸存) is from people. All over the Mediterranean (地中海), millions of birds are killed for food, selling and sport every year. As a result, birds’ number is dropping all over the Mediterranean.
Countries over the Mediterranean have realized this, and decide to make changes. Many European countries stop people from killing migrating birds. Across the Mediterranean, Nature Conservation (保护) Center is working to increase protection of its country’s wildlife, including migrating birds. As part of the project, the group is trying to develop activities such as eco-tourism (环保旅游) along the coasts. The hope is that, as more tourists come to visit protected natural areas, there will be a kind of incentive for local people to care for the birds and their habitats (栖息地).
Wildlife organizations around Mediterranean are helping to bring about changes, “Hunting bans (禁令) are working,” says Martin Jacoby, a bird expert. But there is still more to do. Environmentalists hope to stop hunting and protect bird habitats all over the Mediterranean. If this can be done, the birds’ number will increase. “There is a long way to go,” Jacoby says, “but just like after a long trip in the desert, there will be an oasis (绿洲).”
1. What’s the biggest danger to migrating birds?| A．The migration is too long. | B．They can’t get enough food. |
| C．Terrible weather. | D．Human hunters. |
| A．Chance. | B．Energy. | C．Dream. | D．Place. |
| A．They will try more ways to make things better. |
| B．They will build an oasis in the desert for migrating birds. |
| C．The problem has been solved by the governments around Mediterranean. |
| D．The migrating birds are able to use the oasis. |
| A．Birds in Danger over Mediterranean | B．Hunting Bans around the Coasts |
| C．More Care, More Migrating Birds | D．Eco-tourism along the Mediterranean Coasts |
