Astonishingly, 26 million Britons will be obese by 2030, placing a huge pressure on health services, according to studies published on Friday highlighting the growing global obesity problem. Based on present trends, obesity rates in Britain will rise from 26 percent to 41-48 percent in men, and from 26 percent to 35-43 percent in women over the next two decades. By 2030, as many as 11 million more British adults will be obese and 3.3 million of them will be aged over 60.
The resulting cost burden on health services could be as much as ￡2 billion per year, according to the research published in The Lancet medical journal.
In the U.S. the prediction is even worse, with 50-51 percent of American men and 45-52 percent of American women expected to be obese by 2030, adding as many as 65 million to the country’s population of obese adults.
The study, led by Claire Wang of Columbia University in New York and Klim McPherson of Oxford University, says that medical costs will surge, given obesity’s links with diabetes, cancer, heart disease and strokes.
“The combined medical costs associated with treatment for these preventable diseases are estimated to increase by $48-66 billion per year in the U.S. and by ￡1.9-2 billion per year in the U.K. by 2030,” it says.
McPherson said politicians are shying away from settling the problem for fear of being criticized. “I think they do ‘get’ it but they don’t know what to do with it, and they don’t think it’s their responsibility,” he said.
Today, around 1.5 billion adults are overweight and a further 0.5 billion obese, with 170 million children classified as overweight or obese. Dealing with obesity takes up between two and six percent of health care costs in many countries.
In the study, the researchers traced the problem to the 1970s and 80s, and related it to a rise in food consumption and a more sedentary(案头的) lifestyle.
1.What can be learned from Paragraph 1?
A. 26 million Britons are suffering from obesity nowadays.
B. Obesity rates in British women and men are the same nowadays.
C. By 2030, about eleven million adults will be obese in Britain.
D. Most obese people will be aged over 60 by 2030.
2.The underlined word “surge” in Paragraph 4 probably means “________”.
A. increase quickly B. appear suddenly
C. refuse bravely D. develop independently
3.In McPherson’s opinion, politicians ________.
A. are most likely to be obese
B. have nothing to do with the obesity problem
C. should make more efforts to solve the obesity problem
D. have more detailed information about the obesity
4.In which part of a newspaper are we most likely to read the passage?
A. Health. B. Science. C. Education. D. Politics.
The behavior of a building’s users may be at least as important as its design when it comes to energy use, according to new research from the UK Energy Research Center(UKERC). The UK promised to reduce its carbon emissions by 80 percent by 2050, part of which will be achieved by all new homes being zero-carbon by 2016. But this report shows that sustainable(可持续的) building design on its own, though extremely important, is not enough to achieve such reductions: the behavior of the people using the building has to change too.
The study suggests that the ways that people use and live in their homes have been largely ignored by existing efforts to improve energy efficiency, which instead focus on architectural and technological developments.
“Technology is going to assist but it is not going to do everything,” explains Katy Janda, a UKERC senior researcher, “consumption patterns of building users can defeat the most careful design.” In other words, old habits die hard, even in the best-designed eco-home.
Another part of the problem is information. Households and bill-payers don’t have the knowledge they need to change their energy-use habits. Without specific information, it’s hard to estimate the costs and benefits of making different choices. Feedback(反馈) facilities, like smart meters and energy monitors, could help bridge this information gap by helping people see how changing their behavior directly affects their energy use; some studies have shown that households can achieve up to 15 percent energy savings using smart meters.
Social science research has added a further dimension(方面), suggesting that individuals’ behavior in the home can be personal and cannot be predicted—whether people throw open their windows rather than turn down the thermostat(恒温器), for example.
Janda argues that education is the key. She calls for a focused program to teach people about buildings and their own behavior in them.
1.As to energy use, the new research from UKERC stresses the importance of ________.
A. zero-carbon homes B. the behavior of building users
C. sustainable building design D. the reduction of carbon emissions
2.The underlined word “which” in Paragraph 2 refers to “________”.
A. the ways B. their homes C. developments D. existing efforts
3.What are Katy Janda’s words mainly about?
A. The importance of changing building users’ habits.
B. The necessity of making a careful building design.
C. The variety of consumption patterns of building users.
D. The role of technology in improving energy efficiency.
Probably the hardest part of setting goals is the first step of actually deciding to take action! The first barrier that most people face is the incorrect assumption(假设) that goals are only for business people. The reality is that everyone sets goals mentally throughout the day. There are always occasions where something has to be done at a particular time or in a particular place. Simple examples could be getting up at a certain time in order to be at work, or to meet with a friend for an activity.
The beauty of having goals is the uniqueness of each one to the goal setter. Whether it is personal, financial, or business, they are all specific to that person and their situation.
The most important part is to write them down. Having goals written down gives you power while helping you to focus on this area.
Aim for something that will stretch you while remaining achievable. If you achieve your goal too easily, it is not high enough to make any significant change in your life. On the other hand, if you consistently miss the goals, consider setting them a little lower as you will only get discouraged and probably give up. The aim is to keep you growing and moving into a more satisfactory position.
As you reach the levels that you have set for yourself, always include a small reward at each point. This might only be a small thing in the early days like a meal out or a weekend vacation.
Remember that these changes will not happen overnight and there will be a period of time when nothing seems to be happening. This is why the goals need to be detailed and as specific as possible with a result and benefit.
Allow some time on a daily basis to educate yourself on how to make the necessary adjustments in your life. This could include listening to a CD, or reading a book, etc.
A simple method to start with could be one goal in the main areas of life to be achieved in one month, six months, twelve months or five years. Break that down further into a daily, weekly and monthly system. Stay focused and stick to achieving all that you desire.
1.The main examples in Paragraph 1 tell us that ________.
A. goals are set mostly for important things
B. most people know when it is time to set goals
C. people can set goals to get things done all the time
D. it is necessary to get goals once in a while
2.The charm of having goals is that each goal is ________.
A. important B. achievable C. special D. meaningful
3.A good goal is one that is ________.
A. easy enough for you to feel nice B. high enough yet achievable
C. always in a satisfactory position D. changed again and again
假如你是李华，南昌二中的一名学生，得知可向国际儿童基金会（Foundation）申请一个经费为2000元的扶贫项目（poverty-relief program），帮助贫困地区的儿童。你感兴趣，准备申请。请根据以下要点写一篇文章。
1）个人的基本情况和申请理由；
2）你对申请项目的具体设想和项目经费的使用计划；
3）你的愿望。联系方式：2016hope@ief.org
注意：1．词数100左右；
2．可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
3．开头语和结尾语已为你写好。
Dear Sir or Madam,
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours sincerely,
Li Hua
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（＼）划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1.每处错误及其修改均仅限一词。
2.每句只有一处错。
Nowadays, a lot of people are unwilling to help others. However, Liu Fang acted different. Last Sunday afternoon, on her way back school, Liu Fang came across an old man lie on the ground, seriously hurt in the leg. She immediately stopped, calling 120 and gave first aid. Soon, the ambulance came and took the man to hospital. When anything was OK, she left for school. Such is Liu Fang, the helpful person. Thought there might be misunderstanding or even trouble when we help others, but yet I strongly believe that she has done the right thing. As responsible citizens, it is our duty to help people in needs. Also, if you don’t offer your help when others are in trouble, what can you expect help from others when you were in trouble?
1.His brother was a____________ to Beijing University last year.
2.The Chinese team has won many gold m____________ up to now.
3.I think the problem is of great importance and d___________ considering.
4.Since the problem has a__________, we should take action at once.
5.The boy is very clever and he shows high i______________ in study.
6.Though it’s difficult, we should e__________ all the possibilities.
7.Do not judge a person by his a_____________ which may lead to wrong conclusions.
8.High science and t__________ leads to fast development of economy.
9.Last week we went on a journey to Tibet, where we had a____________(glory) time.
10.She ____________(简化)the instructions so that the children could understand them.
11.I have not _______________(计算)the result of the math problem.
12.The wide ____________(应用)of computers in life will free man from the heavy work.
13.With the help of the ____________(信号)sent by the survivors, the rescue workers found the trapped explorers.
14.The _______________(古老的)building has a long history and many people visit it every year.
15.Since we are short of money, I can’t afford to buy a new car to _____________(替换)my old one.
