Junk Food! Bad For Wallet!

A new study confirms what you may already know: Few things can stop us from hunting down the foods we really like.

The study     1     (publish) on Monday in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that people are willing to overpay when they are longing for junk food.

In one experiment, 44 non-dieters who     2     (not eat) for four hours were asked how much they wanted 15 different snack foods, and how much they would pay for each item out of a $5 plan. Next, each person went through a multi-sensory experience which was aimed     3     (stimulate) desire for one of three desirable foods: a Snickers bar, Cheetos or a Coke. They were then asked how much they wanted that particular item, and how much they would pay for     4    .

Not only did desire increase, but the researchers also found that participants were willing to pay       5     average of $0.66 more for whatever they wanted. When they can choose from less similar (and thus, healthier) items, such as cereal, they were not willing to pay as much,     6     suggests desire for food is different from general hunger.

In a second experiment, the researchers repeated the process with 45 people. This time, however, individuals     7     choose to pay for one, two, three, five or eight “units” of whatever they wanted. The researchers found people were also willing to pay disproportionately (不成比例) more for     8     (large) quantities of whatever food they desired.

“    9     people try to eat healthier or promote drug-free lifestyles,” the researchers write in the paper, “desire could overshadow (使逊色) the value of health by boosting the values of unhealthy foods and drugs.”

On the bright side, however, the researchers estimated the effects     10     subjects’ desire would disappear within two hours, and probably less time if this good is not available, or when a person is self-regulated.

This book is about     1     (die), but it is not pessimistic. Indeed, it was a pleasant surprise     2     (find) that this book is filled     3     joy and hope. Morrie's     4     (brave) towards the end of his life is inspirational and has made me value my own life more. In fact, far from being a book about death, it's a book about life.     5     Morrie says, “Once you learn how to die, you learn how     6     (live).” As Morrie knows that he is soon going to die, he observes everything as if it is new. The things around him look even     7     (beautiful) than ever before and hold new     8     (mean). From his window, he watches each season change,     9     (know) it could be his last. This encourages us to appreciate     10     we have, and to make the most of each day.

Prioritizing Safety at Winter Games

The countdown to the opening of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics has already kicked off. Besides Beijing’s promise of hosting a “fantastic, extraordinary and excellent” Winter Olympic Games, “safe” is also     1     keyword with the on-going COVID-19 pandemic.

    2     (base) on the latest scientific advice and key learning from other events, the first editions of the Beijing 2022 Playbooks     3     (publish) on Oct 25, 2021. They had been developed     4     (joint) by Beijing Organizing Committee, the IOC and the IPC. The playbooks cover the whole journey of all Games participants,     5     (detail) the requirements for entry and the measures that will be     6     place within the closed-loop management system. The two playbooks, one for athletes and team officials, and one for media and technical officials, provide comprehensive COVID-19     7     (guideline). They will help participants prepare for their arrival in China, fulfilling their roles at the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, and their     8     (depart) from Beijing.

Compared to Tokyo’s, the prevention measures in Beijing 2022 could be stricter. Beijing Organizing Committee has highlighted the importance of full vaccination (接种),     9     was not stressed by the Tokyo 2020 organizers. Overall, these playbooks are the basis of the game plan     10     (ensure) that all Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games participants and the people of China stay safe and healthy for the Games.

Dmitry Doronin, a foreign student from Russia, has fun     1     (share) his experiences in a village in Zhejiang Province with his 1. 4 million fans online.

The 32-year-old came to the countryside in Lishui City last August. Since then, he    2     (create) hundreds of videos to record the peaceful rural(乡村的) life there.

Because of COVID-19, the sales of local agricultural products dropped a lot. Dmitry volunteered     3     (promote) the products through livestreaming (直播). Last month， about10.000 kg of oranges, 4.000 kg of dried sweet potatoes and 300 kg of honey     4     (sell).“Thanks to his livestreams, it seems that more tourists have come to visit our village." said72-year-old Pan Xiannu,    5     was happy to see the great changes in her hometown.

Dmitry also enjoys working with farmers in the fields, doing     6     (activity) such as planting vegetables, feeding animals and making tofu. Living in a rural area     7     (provide) him with special and enjoyable experiences. Dmitry says. "It's quite different from     8     life in big cities. In the countryside, you can experience the traditional way of life and understand this country much     9     (well)."

According to him, some Russians don't know much about today's China. "I would like to spread Chinese rural culture     10     I want to bring the two countries closer through the Inter-net."Dmitry adds.

On 28 July 1976, the city’s one million people were asleep as usual. One of the most deadly earthquakes of the 20th century     1    (strike) the city. In less than one minute, the large city lay in ruins.     2     seemed as if the world were coming to an end. The number of people who were killed or badly     3     (injure) in the quake was more than 400,000. Nearly everything in the city    4     (destroy). But hope was not lost. Soon after the quakes, a rescue team     5     (consist) of more than 10,000 doctors and nurses came to provide medical care. Soldiers were sent to Tangshan to dig out those     6     were trapped in the quakes. Water and food were brought into the city and     7     (shelter) were built for survivors. The city began     8     (breathe) again.

    9    the help of the government and the efforts of the city’s people, Tangshan started to revive itself and get back up on its feet. In times of disaster, people must unite and stay positive to rebuild for     10    brighter future.

Finding new passion（热情）

Many     1    （retire）athletes become public servants or help take the reins（掌管）at state-owned- businesses. The data platform of Net-Ease, one of the Internet technology companies,     2    （show）that about 63 percent of 199 Olympic champions from the period 1984 to 2016 hold positions within the government system,     3     about 85 percent work in their own sporting fields.

Those athletes who are     4    （addict）to sports usually push themselves into the fields     5     they started their careers and achieved success.     6    （use）their deep experience, they have trained many other champions. Lang Ping chose to coach the Chinese women's volleyball team. Meanwhile, Liu Guoliang became our head coach of the national table tennis team.     7     of them brought great honor to our country.

Some well-known Olympic champions have done extremely well after starting their own businesses or joining the entertainment industry. Former gymnast Li Ning founded his sportswear empire（帝国）and name brand. Diver Tian Liang has been     8    （attract）to many fans after entering the entertainment industry.

Some athletes choose to pursue（继续）further education. In 2003, Beijing Sport University founded a "champions' class", allowing high-achieving athletes in certain sports     9    （study）for postgraduate degrees without taking any entry exams. Up to now, many other universities have introduced classes that make     10     easier for high-achieving athletes to enter.

At the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, China’s sprinter Su Bingtian made history by     1    (become) the first Chinese athlete to make it to the final of men’s 100m Olympic event.

“I’m very     2    (excite) to be in the 100m final. Stepping on the track has realized my dream.” Su said after the race. Su has set     3     Asian record of 9.83 seconds,     4     is also the best performance for the Chinese on the world stage.

“London 2012 was my first Olympics. I was just a young man eager to become one of the top athletes.     5    (lucky), perseverance(坚持) helps me prepare     6     the game and with my     7    (determine), I make my dream come true. I feel more confident than I used to be. It is a breakthrough for me     8    (complete) the semi-final at that time.” Because of his excellent performance, Su, titled the “Asian flying man”, was chosen as the flag-bearer for the Chinese delegation at the closing ceremony of the games on Aug 8.

Su’s great success     9    (inspire) more Chinese athletes and teenagers to improve     10    (they) since he lowered the Asian 100m record to 9.83 seconds.