A new study found that inner-city kids living in neighborhoods with more green space gained about 13% less weight over a two-year period than kids living among more concrete and fewer trees. Such findings tell a powerful story. The obesity epidemic(肥胖症的流行)began in the 1980s, and many people think it results from increased portion（食物） sizes and inactivity , but that can't be everything. Big Macs and TVs have been with us for a long time. "Most experts agree that the changes were related to something in the environment," says Thomas Glass of the Hopkins School of Public Health. That something could be a shrinking of the green.
The new research, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, isn't the first to associate greenery with better health, but it does get us closer to identifying what works and why. At its most straightforward, a green neighborhood simply means more places for kids to play — which is important since time spent outdoors is one of the strongest links to children's activity levels.
Glass warns that most studies don't necessarily prove a link between greenness and health, but they're helping spur action. In September the U.S. government approved the No Child Left Inside Act to encourage public initiatives (积极性)aimed at exposing kids to the outdoors.
Finding green space is, of course, not always easy, and you may have to work a bit to get your family a little grass and trees. If you live in a suburb or a city with good parks, take advantage of what's there. Your children in particular will love it — and their bodies will thank you.
1.According to the passage, what might cause children’s inactivity?
A. Less concrete and more trees
B. Increased portion sizes
C. A green neighborhood
D. A shrinking of the green
2.According to the passage, which of the following statements is wrong?
A. Big Macs and TVs have something to do with obesity.
B. If a 100-pound man lives in green space for 2 years, he will lose 13 pounds.
C. Kids should be exposed more to outdoors.
D. Kids gain less weight living in a suburb or a city with good parks.
3.What does the underlined word “spur” in the fourth paragraph mean?
A. improve B. take
C. encourage D. stop
4.What might be the best title of the passage?
A. The obesity epidemic B. Slimmer in the grass
C. Causes of obesity D. Prevention of obesity
When elephants retire, many head for the Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, Tenn. They arrive one by one, but they tend to live out their lives two-by-two. "Every elephant that comes here searches out someone that she then spends most all of her time with," says sanctuary co-founder Carol Buckley. It's likely having a best girlfriend, Buckley says - "Somebody they can relate to, they have something in common with."
Debbie has Ronnie. Misty can't live without Dulary. Those are pachyderm-pachyderm pairs. But perhaps the closest friends of all are Tarra and Bella. Tarra, an 8,700 pound Asian elephant; Bella, a stray dog, are closest friends.
Bella is one of more than a dozen stray dogs that have found a home at the sanctuary. Most want nothing to do with the elephants and vice versa. But not this odd couple. "Bella knows she's not an elephant. Tarra knows she's not a dog," Buckley adds. "But that's not a problem for them." "When it's time to eat they both eat together. They drink together. They sleep together. They play together," Buckley says.
Tarra and Bella have been close for years — but no one really knew how close they were until recently. A few months ago Bella suffered a spinal cord injury. She couldn't move her legs, couldn't even wag her tail. For three weeks the dog lay motionless up in the sanctuary office. And for three weeks the elephant held vigil: 2,700 acres to roam free, and Tarra just stood in the corner, beside a gate, right outside that sanctuary office. "She just stood outside the balcony - just stood there and waited," says Buckley. "She was concerned about her friend." Then one day, sanctuary co-founder Scott Blais carried Bella onto the balcony so she and Tarra could at least see each other.
"Bella's tail started wagging. And we had no choice but to bring Bella down to see Tarra," Blais says.
They visited like that every day until Bella could walk. Today, their love — and trust — is stronger than ever. Bella even lets Tarra pet her tummy - with the bottom of her enormous foot. They harbor no fears, no secrets, no prejudices. Just two living creatures who somehow managed to look past their immense differences.
Take a good look at this couple, human beings. Take a good look at the world. If they can do it — what's our excuse?
1.The underlined part “Those are pachyderm-pachyderm pairs.” in Para. 2 means ______.
A. both of the pairs are elephants.
B. both of the pairs look strange.
C. animals there have different kinds of friends.
D. they are friends of the same kind.
2.The last paragraph infers that _____________.
A. different animals can become closest friends.
B. people should learn something from each other.
C. people all over the world should cooperate.
D. People all over the world should become the closest friends.
3.Which would be the best title for the passage?
A. Unlikely friends. B. Lasting friendship.
C. Unselfish love. D. Magic nature.
LONDON ( Reuters)-- Ecotourism (生态旅游) is causing a lot of damage to wildlife and may be endangering the survival(生存) of the very animals people are flocking to see, according to researchers.
Biologists and conservationists (自然环境保护论者) are worried because polar bears, dolphins, penguins and other creatures are getting stressed and losing weight and some are dying.
“Evidence is growing that many animals do not react well to tourists in their backyard,” New Scientist magazine said.
The immediate effects researchers have noticed are changes in behavior, heart rates, or stress hormone levels but they fear it could get much worse and over the long term “could endanger the survival of the very wildlife they want to see”.
Although money produced through ecotourism, which has been growing at about 10--30 percent a year, has major benefits for poor countries and people living in rural areas, the Swiss-based World Conservation Union (IUCN) and some governments fear not all projects are audited (审计) and based on environmentally friendly policies, according to the magazine.
“The transmission(传播) of disease to wildlife, or small changes to wildlife health through disturbance of daily life or increased stress levels, while not obvious to the casual observer, may translate to lower survival and breeding,” said Philip Seddon, of the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand.
Scientists have noticed that bottleneck dolphins along the northeastern coast of New Zealand become nervously excited when tourist boats arrive. Similar changes in behavior have been observed in polar bears and yellow-eyed penguins in areas visited by ecotourists are producing smaller babies.
Conservationists are now calling for more research into the effect of ecotourism on animals and say the industry must be developed carefully. They also want studies done before new ecotourism projects are started.
“The animals’ welfare should be very important because without them there will be no ecotourism,” said Rochelle Constantine of the University of Auckland in New Zealand.
1.What's the text mainly about?
A. Many animals are dying because of lack of money.
B. There will be no ecotourism without animals.
C. Ecotourism could endanger the survival of the wildlife people want to see.
D. More research should be done on ecotourism.
2.According to New Scientist magazine, more and more evidence has come to suggest that _____.
A. polar bears are getting stressed
B. other creatures are losing weight
C. many animals do not respond well to travellers in their backyard
D. All of the above
3.Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the text?
A. Ecotourism may endanger the survival of some animals.
B. Polar bears in areas visited by ecotourists are producing smaller babies.
C. Ecotourism has been growing at about 10--30 percent a year.
D. Studies should be done before new ecotourism projects are started.
My earliest bee experience took place at a summer camp. One day our teacher told us to head up the hill nearby. As little kids do, we all began to race to our .The girls took the concrete（水泥）stairs the boys ran straight up the grassy hill, at the top of which sat a long wooden fence. fear the boys ahead of me vaulted（跳跃）over the fence bravely.
What should I do? Take the stairs and look like a girl, or jump the fence and look ? Then I took my chances with the .
Standing in front of the fence, I placed both hands on the top and . The moment of truth had arrived. If I made it, then I would be as cool as all the other guys. If I didn’t make it…
I it. As I jumped, my foot caught on the top of the fence. I went! But I landed on my backside. I to laugh off the accident. But then I something moving under me. Just then I saw what seemed like hundreds of bees flying towards me. I had a beehive! I jumped and as fast as I could. But bees flew faster than I ran. At that moment, all the kids at the camp ran after me, too. What a（an） situation I was in!
When the teacher caught me in the camp parking lot, my were covered with bees. With all the other campers standing around, he all my clothes but my underwear. Bees flew out of my clothes and out of my mouth!
I had gained the of the entire camp, but I did not feel very cool. When all was said and done, I found that I had been given almost 45 bee stings（蜇）all over my body. I learned a most lesson that day. When we are occupied by the to look cool, we might find ourselves sitting on a beehive. I have stopped trying to be cool since then.
1.A．home B．trip C．destination D．village
2.A．but B．therefore C．because D．as
3.A．With B．Without C．For D．Out of
4.A．brave B．cool C．strong D．lively
5.A．stairs B．girls C．boys D．fence
6.A．hesitated B.watched C．jumped D．trembled
7.A．made B．almost made C．wouldn’t make D．didn’t make
8.A．Down B．Up C．Over D．Out
9.A．managed B．failed C．continued D．tried
10.A．caught B．felt C．saw D．heard
11.A．pulled down B．broken into C．landed on D．knocked over
12.A．hid B．walked C．crawled D．rushed
13.A．exciting B．fearful C．embarrassing D．funny
14.A．clothes B．arms C．legs D．classmates
15.A．put on B．took off C．found out D．took away
16.A．also B．nearly C．even D．hardly
17.A．sympathy B．attention C．strength D．help
18.A．valuable B．humorous C．satisfying D．interesting
19.A．consideration B．way C．curiosity D．desire
20.A．Still B．So C．Yet D．However
— After I expressed how sincerely I wished to get his help, he agreed to help me at last.
— I can understand. ___________ .
A. A constant guest is never welcome
B. Practice makes perfect
C. Mind acts upon mind
D. Faith can move mountains
All those second-hand goods are sold at ________ before.
A. twice as lower price as B. as twice low price than
C. twice as low a price as D. twice lower price than
