It’s hard to turn down hamburgers, french fries, potato chips and all of the other junk food that seem to call out to us. However, eating too much junk food can harm your body, particularly if you’re a teenager.
“Junk food shapes teenager’s brains in ways that damage their ability to think, learn and remember. It can also make it harder to control bad behaviors,” said Amy Reichelt, a brain and nutrition specialist at Western University, Canada. “It may even up a teen’s possibility of depression and anxiety.”
Reichelt and two other researchers reviewed more than 100 studies, including their own,about how poor food choices can impact teen’s brains.They found teens are more sensitive (敏感的) than any other age group to processed foods with a lot of fat and sugar as their brains are not yet fully formed.
Teenagers’ brains are still developing the ability to assess bad possibilities and control actions. The prefrontal cortex is the part of the brain that tells us we shouldn’t eat chips all the time and helps us resist ( 抵 制 ) that urge. However, this region is the last to mature (成熟) — it doesn’t fully develop until we are in our early 20s.
So, what’s the best way to say no to junk food? Researchers suggest exercise. When we exercise, the brain’s reward system becomes less sensitive to food reminder. Exercise also causes the body to make a protein that helps brain cells grow and strengthens connections between the prefrontal cortex and other brain regions. The prefrontal cortex thus can work better to help us make wise decisions and control our impulses.
8. According to the text, junk food does the greatest harm to
.
A.Preschoolers | B.Teenagers | C.The middle-aged | D.The elderly |
9. What does the underlined word “It” in paragraph 2 refer to?
A.Junk food. | B.The brain. | C.The research. | D.The ability. |
10. What can be inferred from the text?
A.Processed foods shouldn’t be allowed to produce. |
B.Teenagers don’t understand the harm of junk food. |
C.The prefrontal cortex can help us make wise decisions. |
D.The prefrontal cortex develops fully in our late 20s. |
11. What’s the main idea of the last paragraph?
A.Where do our impulses come from? |
B.Why should we fight against junk food? |
C.What is the best way to strengthen our body? |
D.How does exercise work against junk food? |