1 . Plant-based foods are good sources of healthy nutrients. These include different types of dietary fibre, vitamins, minerals, and a range of “phytonutrients”, which plants produce to help them grow or protect them from diseases and pests.
A review of research published in May 2021 found those who ate the most plant foods were less likely to die from any cause over follow-up time periods that varied across the studies from 5 to 25 years, compared to those who ate the least.
Tomatoes are a fruit. They’re rich in vitamin C and “lycopene”, which is a carotenoid. Carotenoids are pigments produced by plants and give vegetables their bright colours.
A review of six trials asked people to consume tomato products equivalent to 1 — 1.5 large tomatoes or 1 —1.5 cups of tomato juice daily for about six weeks. The researchers found people who did this had reduced blood levels of triglycerides (a type of fat in your blood that increases heart disease risk), as well as lower total and “bad” cholesterol levels, compared to those who didn’t have any tomatoes.
Another review of 11 studies tested the effect of tomatoes and lycopene on blood pressure. Researchers found consuming any tomato products led to a large decrease in systolic blood pressure (the first number that measures the pressure at which the heart pumps blood). However, there was no effect on the diastolic pressure (the second number which is the pressure in the heart when it relaxes). In the group who had high blood pressure to begin with, both systolic and diastolic blood pressure decreased after eating tomato products compared to placebos.
A review of studies included a total of 260, 000 men and found those with the highest intakes of cooked tomatoes, tomato sauces and tomato-based foods had a 15 — 20% lower risk of developing cancer compared to those with the lowest tomato intakes. Keep in mind connection doesn’t necessarily mean cause and effect, though.
1. What does the first paragraph focus on?| A．Vitamins and minerals are healthy nutrients. | B．Phytonutrients prevent plants from diseases. |
| C．Plant-based foods contain healthy nutrients. | D．Phytonutrients help plants grow healthily. |
| A．Because of placebos. | B．Because of lycopene. |
| C．Because of triglycerides. | D．Because of phytonutrients. |
| A．By analyzing causes. | B．By stating arguments. |
| C．By explaining statistical data. | D．By providing research results. |
| A．A Beneficial Plant-based Food | B．A Source of Healthy Nutrients |
| C．Researches into Deadly Diseases | D．Connections between Food and Health |
2 . Too Much Happiness
by Alice Munro
Kovalevskaya was a 19th—century mathematician at a time when women were not allowed in most of Europe to attend university. She married a man who promised to take her to Germany to study. She made major contributions to the field and became the first woman in Russia to obtain a doctorate in mathematics.
The Ore Miner’s Wife
by Karl Iagnemma
It is about a miner who thinks he’s discovered the evidence to the problem: construct a square, equal in area to a given circle. His wife, not knowing what has suddenly taken his attention and his time, fears he is being unfaithful. It is a moving exploration of the joys of entering a problem whole and the desire and impossibility of truly knowing those we love.
Stories of Your Life and Others
by Ted Chiang
This collection contains several maths stories. The one I suggest is Division By Zero, about Jane Parkinson, a brilliant German mathematician. To her great despair, she ends up proving that mathematics is inconsistent and is able to prove that any two numbers are equal. A beautiful, thought—provoking(发人深省的) story about belief, understanding and faith.
The Housekeeper and the Professor
by Yoko Ogawa It’s about a woman who comes to work for a once—great mathematician. Due to a brain injury, he has only 80 minutes of short—term memory available to him before he forgets everything. It is filled with beautiful maths, simply and clearly described alongside finely drawn relationships between the characters.
——(Posted by Catherine Chung, a great writer)
1. Who is a pioneering woman mathematician?| A．Yoko Ogawa. | B．Jane Parkinson. |
| C．Kovalevskaya. | D．Catherine Chung. |
| A．It involves love. | B．It is a story series. |
| C．It is written by a miner. | D．It is full of equal numbers. |
| A．To instruct. | B．To entertain. |
| C．To research. | D．To recommend. |
