Here's a new warning from health experts:sitting is deadly. Scientists are increasingly warning that sitting for long periods, even if you exercise regularly, could be bad for your health. And it doesn't matter where the sitting takes place—in the office, at school, in the car or before a computer or TV. Just the overall number of hours it takes counts. Several studies suggest people who spend most of their days sitting are more likely to be fat, have a heart attack or even die.
While health officials have issued (发布) guidelines advising on the least amounts of physical activity, they haven't suggested people try to limit how much time they spend in a seated position.
“After four hours of sitting, the body starts to send harmful signals,” said EkblomBak of the Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences. She explained that genes controlling the amount of glucose (葡萄糖) and fat in the body start to shut down.
Even for people who exercise, spending long periods of time sitting at a desk is still harmful. Tim Armstrong, a physical activity expert at the World Health Organization, said people who exercise every day but still spend a lot of time sitting might get more benefits if that exercise were spread across the day, rather than in a single hour.
Still in a study that tracked more than 17,000 Canadians for about a dozen years, researchers found people who sat more had a higher death risk, whether they exercised or not.
Experts said more research is needed to figure out just how much sitting is dangerous, and what might be possible to offset those effects.
“People should keep exercising because that has a lot of benefits,” EkblomBak said. “And when they're in the office, they should try to interrupt sitting as often as possible. ”
1.The underlined word “offset” in Paragraph 6 most probably means “________”.
A. turn to B. work out
C. get rid of D. make use of
2.Sitting too much is dangerous because it can ______.
A. make a person unable to exercise enough in a day
B. destroy the balance of glucose and fat the body
C. increase glucose and fat in the body
D. make a person become lazy
3.In the opinion of EkblomBak, when at work, you'd better have a rest by ________.
A. sending your friends emails
B. taking a walk around your office
C. chatting online or playing computer games
D. listening to music while sitting
4.Which of the following might be the best title for the passage?
A. Side Effects of Sitting Too Much
B. Don't Sit Too Much While Working
C. More and More People Sit Too Much
D. Sitting Too Much Could Be Dangerous
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题
Here's a new warning from health experts:sitting is deadly. Scientists are increasingly warning that sitting for long periods, even if you exercise regularly, could be bad for your health. And it doesn't matter where the sitting takes place—in the office, at school, in the car or before a computer or TV. Just the overall number of hours it takes counts. Several studies suggest people who spend most of their days sitting are more likely to be fat, have a heart attack or even die.
While health officials have issued (发布) guidelines advising on the least amounts of physical activity, they haven't suggested people try to limit how much time they spend in a seated position.
“After four hours of sitting, the body starts to send harmful signals,” said EkblomBak of the Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences. She explained that genes controlling the amount of glucose (葡萄糖) and fat in the body start to shut down.
Even for people who exercise, spending long periods of time sitting at a desk is still harmful. Tim Armstrong, a physical activity expert at the World Health Organization, said people who exercise every day but still spend a lot of time sitting might get more benefits if that exercise were spread across the day, rather than in a single hour.
Still in a study that tracked more than 17,000 Canadians for about a dozen years, researchers found people who sat more had a higher death risk, whether they exercised or not.
Experts said more research is needed to figure out just how much sitting is dangerous, and what might be possible to offset those effects.
“People should keep exercising because that has a lot of benefits,” EkblomBak said. “And when they're in the office, they should try to interrupt sitting as often as possible. ”
1.The underlined word “offset” in Paragraph 6 most probably means “________”.
A. turn to B. work out
C. get rid of D. make use of
2.Sitting too much is dangerous because it can ______.
A. make a person unable to exercise enough in a day
B. destroy the balance of glucose and fat the body
C. increase glucose and fat in the body
D. make a person become lazy
3.In the opinion of EkblomBak, when at work, you'd better have a rest by ________.
A. sending your friends emails
B. taking a walk around your office
C. chatting online or playing computer games
D. listening to music while sitting
4.Which of the following might be the best title for the passage?
A. Side Effects of Sitting Too Much
B. Don't Sit Too Much While Working
C. More and More People Sit Too Much
D. Sitting Too Much Could Be Dangerous
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
A new approach is suggested by the health expert effectively losing weight.
A. on B. about C. for D. to
高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
Here at the New York magazine offices, not far from where I sit, is a very long walkway. When you see someone at the other end of it whom you barely know, you may feel quite awkward, at least if you’re an awkward person (which I am). For the next 15-20 seconds, you know you’ll be walking toward this person. Do you nod? Smile? Ignore? Some combination of the above? It’s strangely, deeply unpleasant.
This isn’t a problem unique to our office. I’m sure at some point you have been walking down the street, noticed an acquaintance—that is, someone you’re not going to stop and chat with—and then dealt with the awkwardness of walking toward the person but having no idea exactly how to handle the approach. Eye contact is the worst part of these situations. Basic etiquette(礼节)says we should make eye contact with others when we notice them, but basic etiquette, not to mention common sense, also says that maintaining eye contact with someone you’re not engaged in a conversation with is unpleasant.
Can anything be done about this? I emailed a couple of eye-contact experts to find out. It’s useful to realize that this isn’t as big a problem everywhere as it is here in New York. Ronald Riggio, a professor at Claremont McKenna College, pointed out that cultural factors may worsen the horrordor(horror corridor走廊眼神交流恐惧). “New York culture is different from my Californian culture, and in New York the cultural norm is to not make eye contact on the street, ” says Ronald Riggio. “ But in California people usually make firm eye contact and smile warmly.”
Cultural or not, this is a problem for many of us. Jeremy Nicholson, a psychologist from Yale University, says preparation is part of the battle against eye-contact awkwardness. “Before entering a long hallway, or walking on the street, take a moment to center yourself,” says Jeremy Nicholson. “Take a breath and be mindful of the world around you ( not just the thoughts in your head or the things in your pocket).” He also suggests trying to scowl(怒视) less in general before any hallway or street encounters( This is a piece of advice that might be a challenge for New Yorkers). “Develop the habit of softening your eyes and keeping a smile on your face in public,” says Jeremy Nicholson. “Most of us stare intently at screens most of the day and scowl, which becomes our typical expression. But human interaction is easier with a more positive expression.”
So what should you do when you’re actually walking toward someone? “ It seems dishonest to avoid any eye contact if you know someone,” says Ronald Riggio. He offers what is a pretty straightforward system: “Make eye contact at 30 ft., and then break eye contact. Next, make brief eye contact again at 10 ft., and then look straight ahead.”
This approach makes a certain sort of sense: You acknowledge the person when you first notice him. Then you break off eye contact, so the situation doesn’t become awkward. And then you make eye contact again when you’re passing the person, because to pass the person without another acknowledgement would also feel strange.
Jeremy Nicholson suggests that getting better at these sorts of encounters could bring other benefits as well—not just the avoidance of awkwardness. “In fact, some of those interactions may end up being pleasant coincidences, promotion opportunities, or reunions with old friends,” says Jeremy Nicholson. “So, breaking the habits of hiding in our phones and tuning the world out with music may be the best thing we can do for both our social lives and professional careers.”
1.What is the author afraid of in the workplace?
A. Greeting his colleagues on the walkway.
B. Communicating while working in his office.
C. Coming across acquaintances and reacting badly.
D. Pretending to be friendly towards everyone at work.
2.The awkwardness of horrordor mainly lies in ________.
A. what topic to speak on B. how to make eye contact
C. what expression to put on D. how to avoid other’s attention
3.What does Jeremy Nicholson mean by saying “take a moment to center yourself”?
A. Have your attention concentrated. B. Try to be self-centered for a while.
C. Make yourself the center of the crowd. D. Regard yourself as the most important.
4.What does the author think of Ronald Riggio’s straightforward system?
A. Absolutely ideal. B. Highly complex. C. Hardly practical. D. Reasonable enough.
5.What does Jeremy Nicholson suggest doing to deal with horrordor?
A. Always wearing a happy smile. B. Taking every chance to avoid it.
C. Improving communication skills. D. Being open to your surroundings.
高二英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
More people are dying from hepatitis(肝炎) than AIDS and tuberculosis, warns World Health Organization. The World Health Organization(WHO) has urged for action to wipe out hepatitis as ongoing illness worsens.
In its first global report on the infection, it said the number of people dying from treatable forms of the disease, often caused by alcohol and drug abuse, is rising. Viral hepatitis is believed to have killed 1.34 million people in 2015, and amount similar to that of tuberculosis.
But while those are both falling, hepatitis deaths are on the rise—increasing by 22 per cent since the turn of the century.
However, most of the 325 million people infected are completely unaware they have the virus and some lack life-saving medicines. As a result, millions of people are at risk of a slow progression to chronic liver disease, cancer and even death, the WHO warned, Margaret Chan, director general of the WHO, said: “Viral hepatitis is now a major public health challenge that requires an urgent response.”
The two most common forms, which are responsible for 96 per cent of deaths from the disease, are hepatitis B(HBV) and hepatitis C (HCV)
HBV can be passed on through unprotected sex and bodily fluids(液体). It requires life-long treatment with a drug commonly used to battle HIV. New infections of this type of the disease are falling, thanks to a vaccine given to 84 per cent of newborns across the world. However, just nine per cent of sufferers know they are infected, meaning many go under the radar and miss out on treatment.
HCV, usually spread through blood-to-blood contact with an infected person, can be cured relatively swiftly, but many patients across the world are unable to afford the medication. Around 1.75 million people were newly infected with HCV in 2015, bringing the global total to 71 million, figures suggests. But four fifths of those infected with this type of the disease are unaware they are suffering, the WHO warned.
Experts looking at the cases have identified unsafe healthcare procedure and injection drug use as the top causes. Gottfried Hirnschall, director of WHO’s Department of HIV and the Global Hepatitis Programme, said the WHO was working with governments, drugmakers and diagnostics companies to improve access.
He added: More countries are making hepatitis services available for people in need—a diagnostic test cost less than $1 (78p) and the cure for hepatitis C can be below $ 200 (£156). But the data clearly highlight the urgency with which we must address the remaining gaps in testing and treatment.
Charles Gore, president of the World Hepatitis Alliance, said: “For the first time in the history of viral hepatitis, we have an understanding of the true impact of the disease.”
1.Who are likely to die from the treatable hepatitis?
A. Those taking medicines. B. Those suffering from cancer.
C. Those caring their illnesses. D. Those being heavy drinkers.
2.What can we learn about hepatitis B?
A. Patients need to take drugs for the rest of their lives.
B. People will not get the new infections due to a vaccine.
C. Patients can be cured effectively at a costly price.
D. People will get infected through blood accidentally.
3.According to the statistics in 2015, which of the following statements is TRUE?
A. Hepatitis C is responsible for 96 per cent of deaths.
B. Around 1.75 million people were newly infected with hepatitis.
C. Most of those infected with HCV are aware they are suffering.
D. Tuberculosis is believed to have killed more than 1 million people.
4.The main purpose of writing the passage is _____.
A. to call on the public to fight with hepatitis
B. to request the public to care about the hepatitis patients
C. to warn the public to learn of the danger of the disease
D. to persuade the public to take regular examinations yearly
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Daylight-powered germ-killing equipment(杀菌设备)may someday help protect health workers from deadly virus like Ebola virus. That is a finding from a study published in the journal Science Advances.
Study organizers say they’ve developed membranes(薄膜)that produce very small amounts of hydrogen peroxide(过氧化氢)when left in daylight. Membranes are thin plastic, structures that can serve as barriers. They let some things pass through, but other things art blocked. Hydrogen peroxide, a liquid sold in drug stores, works as a disinfectant(杀菌剂).
Nearly 500 health workers were infected and died in 2014 when Ebola spread through parts of West Africa. Caregivers wear full-body protective suits when they come into contact with patients with infectious diseases. But the process of removing the suits is a time when infection can spread if the surface is covered with virus. “If there’s any live bacteria or virus on the surface, it’s still transmissible and could cause infection,” said Gang Sun of the University of California. He is one of the researchers that worked to develop membranes that could cover the outside of protective equipment.
When the chemical molecules(分子)on the surface of these membranes are put in sunlight, they react with oxygen in the air to produce small amounts of hydrogen peroxide. Gang Sun explains that the process creates less hydrogen peroxide than what you would use to remove dirt on clothing, for example. But it is still enough to kill organisms.
Rohan Tikekar is a food scientist with the University of Maryland. He described the development as “quite novel,” or new and different, Tikekar was not involved with the recent study. He said others have developed materials that produce disinfecting chemicals. But most only work under high-energy ultraviolet(U V)light, and not usual daylight. The new membrane also works in the dark for at least an hour or two because of chemical properties that can recharge its germ-killing powers. Tikekar called that an important improvement.
Gang Sun said the new membranes, though still Far from perfect could be used for things other than protective equipment for health workers. They could also be added to packaging for fruits and vegetables to keep foods fresher and reduce the risk of being polluted. Some versions of the material use natural chemicals’ Sun says that one of the next steps is to make it safe to sat
1.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A. Daylight helps to turn thin plastic barriers into germ-killing material.
B. Gang Sun developed membranes alone because he was infected with Ebola,
C. Hydrogen peroxide can kill live bacteria as it is a liquid.
D. The membranes react with oxygen when pat in sunlight.
2.What is the attitude of Rohan Tikekar towards the new finding?
A. Cautious. B. Favorable.
C. Doubtful. D. Critical.
3.What is the last paragraph mainly about?
A. The importance of the new membranes.
B. The drawback of the new membranes.
C. More probable uses of the new membranes.
D. More influences of the new membranes.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
In a new look at the impact of long-time sitting behavior on health, a new study links time watching television to an increased risk of death. One of the most surprising findings is that it isn't just couch potatoes who were affected. Even for people who exercised regularly, the risk of death went up the longer they were in front of the TV. The problem was the long periods of time spent sitting still.
Australian researchers who tracked 8,800 people for an average of six years found that those who said they watched TV for more than four hours a day were 46% more likely to die of any cause and 80% more likely to die of cardiovascular(心血管的)disease than people who reported spending less than two hours a day in front of TV.
Time spent in front of TVs and computers and video games has come under fire in studies in recent years for contributing to a spread of obesity in the US and around the world. But typically the resulting public-health message urges children and adults to put down the Xbox controller and remote and get on a treadmill(跑步机)or a soccer field.
The Australian study offers a different view. "It's not the sweaty type of exercise we're losingsays David Dunstan, a researcher at Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute? Melbourne? who led the study. "It's the incidental moving around? standing up and using muscles. That doesn't happen when we are planted on a couch in front of a television.
Indeed? participants in the study reported getting between 30 and 45 minutes of exercise a day? on average.
The results are supported by a new field of research that shows how long periods of inactivity can affect the body's processing of fats and other substances that contribute to heart risk. And they suggest that people can help decrease such risk simply by avoiding extended periods of sitting.
Keeping such processes working more effectively doesn't require constant intense exercise, but consciously adding more routine movement to your life might help? doctors say. "Just standing is better than sitting," says Gerard Fletcher, a cardiologist at Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Fla. , who works standing up at his computer. "When you stand up, you wander around a little bit and use muscles not required when you are sitting or lying down. "
Simple strategies for increasing activity include combining household chores such as folding laundry with TV-watching time or getting up to change a TV channel rather than using a remote control.
The report, published Tuesday in the American Heart Association journal Circulation focuses on TV watching partly because it is the main leisure-time activity in many countries? researchers said, especially in the US.
1.One misunderstanding people might have is that___.
A.couch potatoes were affected by long-time sitting.
B.watching TV is related with increased death risk.
C.watching TV very long is a good way to kill time.
D.regular exercise can minimize the side effect of watching TV
2.What is new about the discovery of the Australian study?___
A.Remote control shouldn't be used when people watch TV.
B.People who watch TV too long should take more physical exercise.
C.Sitting too long in front of TV will lead to high risk of heart attack.
D.Long-time sitting is bad for all people including those who exercise regularly.
3.According to the study? how can people reduce the risk of death when watching TV?___
A.By increasing simple movement.
B.By totally avoiding watching TV.
C.By taking some medicine.
D.By doing sweaty type of exercise.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Nowadays a vegetarian lifestyle is becoming more and more popular. Leading health experts agree that maintaining a vegetarian diet is one of the best things we can do for ourselves and our families.
1. . A well planned vegetarian diet provides us with all the nutrients we need and avoids fat, cholesterol(胆固醇) and the pollutants found in animal flesh, eggs, and dairy products. And it can provide protection against various kinds of diseases, including the three biggest killers: heart disease, cancer, and strokes. The American Dietetic Association states that vegetarians have lower rates of death from heart disease, lower blood cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure and lower rates of hypertension(高血压) . 2. .
Scientists have also found that vegetarians have stronger immune systems than their meat eating friends. 3. Vegetarians live, on average, 6 to 10 years longer than meat eaters.
4. . Animals raised for food consume the vast majority of their calories simply in order to live, just as we do. We feed more than 70 percent of the grains and cereals we grow to farm animals, and almost all of those calories go into simply keeping them alive, not making them grow. Only a small amount of the calories consumed by farm animals are actually turned into the meat that people eat .So it’s really a huge waste, isn’t it? Try your best to find tips for maximizing(最大化) the health benefits of a vegetarian diet. 5.
A. All of these diseases are more likely to happen to meat eaters
B. Living on plants also saves energy
C. Growing all the crops needed to feed animals requires massive amounts of water and land
D. This means that they are less likely to be affected by everyday illnesses like the flu.
E. Vegetarian diets are the only diets that work for long term weight loss
F. It’s never too late to turn over a new page.
G. Healthy vegetarian diets support a lifetime of good health.
高二英语信息匹配中等难度题查看答案及解析
阅读下列短文,从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中,选出最佳选项。
Health experts have long known that vitamin D is important for healthy bones and teeth. It may also help to protect the body against diseases such as diabetes and cancer. And now, researchers say vitamin D might help fight brain diseases called dementia (痴呆).
Dementia is a brain disease that damages thinking and memory processes, which scientists call “cognitive (认知) abilities.” Dementia is difficult to treat. Taking care of someone who has dementia is extremely demanding. And the disease is very frightening to sufferers. Chris Roberts suffers from dementia. He says the worst part of living with this disease was getting lost while driving. “The worst thing that I found was getting lost in the car, not just forgetting where I was going— I wouldn’t know where I was.” More than 47 million people around the world suffer from dementia. The World Health Organization reports that 60 percent of them live in low- and middle-income countries.
We get vitamin D from some foods like nuts, lentils (扁豆) and fatty fish. We also get vitamin D from the sun. But that is not dependable. In some parts of the world, there is not enough sunlight to provide enough vitamin D. Also, sunblock prevents the vitamin from entering the body. To add to the problem, the skin’s ability to process vitamin D weakens as a person ages.
Researchers at Rutgers University in New Jersey are exploring the relationship between vitamin D and dementia. The team recently measured vitamin D levels and cognitive ability in older people. Nutritional sciences professor Joshua Miller led the team. He said cognitive abilities differed among the study subjects. He said tests showed that about 60 percent of the group was low in vitamin D.
1.Which of the following is true about vitamin D?
A. Vitamin D can decrease people’s risk of heart diseases.
B. Vitamin D helps the body fight against cancer.
C. Vitamin D is mainly obtained from the sun.
D. The need for Vitamin D decreases as people age.
2.What does the underlined word “demanding” mean in Paragraph 2?
A. Boring but rewarding.
B. Disturbing and frightening.
C. Disgusting and stressful.
D. Hard and tiresome.
3.What does Paragraph 3 mainly talk about?
A. How vitamin D affects people’s health.
B. Where people get vitamin D.
C. Whether sunlight can produce vitamin D.
D. Why people’s age influences the production of vitamin D.
4.Where can we most probably read the passage?
A. In a travel brochure.
B. In a literature magazine.
C. In a science journal.
D. In a commercial advertisement.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Experts say that it is not easy to get used to life in a new culture. “Culture shock” is the term specialists use when talking about the feelings that people have in a new environment. “There are three stages of culture shock,” say the specialists. In the first stage, the newcomers like their new environment. Then, when the fresh experience dies, they begin to hate the city, the country, the people, and everything else. In the last stage, the newcomers begin to adjust to their surroundings and, as a result, enjoy their life more.
There are some obvious factors in culture shock. The weather may be unpleasant. The customs may be different. The public service systems---the telephone, post office, or transportation---may be difficult to work out. The simplest things seem to be big problems. The language may be difficult.
Who feels culture shock? Everyone does in this way or that. But culture shock surprises most people. Very often the people having the worst culture shock are those who never had any difficulties in their home countries and were successful in their community. Coming to a new country, these people find they do not have the same established positions. They find themselves without a role, almost without an identity.
They have to build a new self-image.
Culture shock gives rises to a feeling of disorientation (迷惘). This feeling may be homesickness. When homesick, people feel like staying inside all the time. They want to protect themselves from the strange environment, and create and escape inside their room for a sense of security. This escape does solve the problem of culture shock for the short term, but it does nothing to make the person familiar with the culture. Getting to know the new environment and gaining experience are the long-term solutions to the problem of culture shock.
1. When people move to a new country, they _________.
A. will get used to their new surroundings with difficulty
B. have well prepared for the new surroundings
C. will get used to the culture of the country quickly
D. will never be familiar with culture of the country
2.According to the passage, factors that give rise to culture shock include all of the following except __________.
A. language communication B. weather conditions and customs
C. public service systems D. homesickness
3.When people are homesick, they tend to ________.
A. find some people to talk to B. go outside to have a walk
C. visit their friends far away D. stay indoors all the time
4.The writer tells us that the best way to overcome culture shock is to _______.
A. protect ourselves from unfamiliar environment B. develop a strange sense of self-protection
C. get familiar with new culture D. return to our own country
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
The Arctic will soon be free from ice, experts say. The change is bound to take place, but the global warming and climate change are changing the earth’s landscape (地形) rapidly,causing panic worldwide.
Experts say that the Arctic sea ice is melting (融化) quite faster than expected and it can affect not just the region, but Earth in general. A scientist even says that next year, or maybe the year after that, the Arctic will be free of ice.
Peter Wadhams, a scientist, said that the melting trend led to his statement. “Most people expect this year will see a record low in the Arctic’s summer sea-ice cover. Next year or the year after that, I think it will be free of ice in summer and by that I mean the central Arctic will be ice-free,” Peter Wadhams, director of the Scott Polar Institute in Cambridge, said in an interview with the Guardian. “You will be able to cross over the North Pole by ship,” Peter Wadhams added. He strongly believes that although some pieces of ice will remain, the Arctic basin may be free of sea ice in the next two years starting in the summer of 2017.
Wadhams’ study says that melting sea ice will have a great influence on the planet since the sea ice is more capable of reflecting (反射) sunlight compared to water that can only reflect 10% of the sunlight. Once the sea ice melts, the water can only reflect a small amount of sunlight. This means that the Earth will receive and absorb more sunlight, making the planet even hotter.
The year 2016 has already broken records of the hottest temperature ever recorded and the trend doesn’t seem to show any decrease in global warming. “It doesn’t look like the ice is healing and growing back,” Tom Wagner, NASA’s manager for cryosphere (冰冻圈) research said in a statement.
Like Wadhams, scientists and researchers all over the world are lecturing around to educate people to help lighten global warming that has already changed the planet’s landscape.
1.What does the author think of global warming and climate change?
A. Indifferent. B. Anxious. C. Unbelievable. D. Misunderstood.
2.What can we learn from the second paragraph?
A. What experts say has caused worldwide fear and great anxiety.
B. The speed of the Arctic sea ice being melted is beyond expectation.
C. The melting of the Arctic sea ice only has a great effect on this region.
D. It’s impossible that the Arctic will be free from ice in one or two years.
3.Why would the Earth become even hotter if the sea ice melted? Because ________.
A. more water will cover the earth
B. there are more hours of daylight
C. the water will reflect more sunlight
D. more heat would be taken in by the earth
4.What is the passage mainly about?
A. According to some experts, the Arctic may be free from ice soon because of global warming and climate change.
B. The Arctic melting sea ice will affect the planet greatly.
C. The Arctic will be free from ice in two years.
D. Global warming are changing the earth’s landscape quickly.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析