New Foods and the New World
In the last 500 years, nothing about people---not their clothes, ideas, or languages---has changed as much as what they eat. The original chocolate drink was made form the seeds of the cocoa tree by South American Indians. The Spanish introduced it to the rest of the world during the 1500’s. And although it was very expensive, it quickly became fashionable. In London shops where chocolate drinks were served became important meeting places. Some still exist today.
The potato is also from the New World. Around 1600, the Spanish brought it from Peru to Europe, where it soon was widely grown. Ireland became so dependent on it that thousands of Irish people starved when the crop failed during the "Potato Famine" of 1845-6, and thousands more were forced to emigrate to America.
There are many other foods that have traveled from south America to the Old World. But some others went in the opposite direction. Brazil is now the world’s largest grower of coffee, and coffee is an important crop in Colombia and other South American countries. But it is native to Ethiopia. It was first made into a drink by Arabs during the 1400’s.
According to an Arabic legend, coffee was discovered when a goatherd named Kaldi noticed that his goats were attracted to the red berries on a coffee bush. He tried one and experienced the "wide-awake" feeling that one-third of the world’s population now starts the day with.
1. According to the passage, which of the following has changed the most in the last 500 years?
A) Food.
B) Chocolate.
C) Potato.
D) Coffee
2. "Some" in "Some still exist today" means
A) some cocoa trees.
B) some chocolate drinks.
C) some shops.
D) some South American Indians.
3. Thousands of Irish people starved during the "Potato Famine" because
A) they were so dependent on the potato that they refused to eat anything else.
B) they were forced to emigrate to America.
C) the weather conditions in Ireland were not suitable for growing the potato.
D) the potato harvest was bad.
4. Coffee originally came from
A) Brazil.
B) Colombia.
C) Ethiopia.
D) Arabia.
5. The Arabic legend is used to prove that
A) coffee was first discovered by Kaldi.
B) coffee was first discovered by Kaldi’s goats.
C) coffee was first discovered in south American countries.
D) coffee drinks were first made by Arabs.
My Fast Job
I was six when I joined my father and two elder brothers at sunrise in the hayfields of Eufaula, Oklahoma. By the time I was eight I was helping Dad fix up low-income rental properties. He gave me a penny for every nail I pulled out of old boards.
I got my first real job, at JM's Restaurant in town, when I was 12. My main responsibilities were clearing tables and washing dishes, but sometimes I helped cook.
Every day after school I would head to JM's and work until ten. Saturdays I worked from two until eleven. At that age it was unlucky going to work and watching my friends run off to swim or play. I didn't necessarily like work, but I loved what working allowed me to have. Because of my job I was always the one buying when my friends and I went to the local bar Tastee Freez. This made me proud.
Word that I was honest and hardworking got around town. A local clothing store extended credit to me although I was only in the seventh grade. I immediately charged a $ 68 sports coat and a $ 22 pair of trousers. I was making only 65 cents an hour, and I was already $ 90 in debt! So I learned early the danger of easy credit. I paid it off as soon as I could.
My first job taught me discipline, responsibility and brought me a level of personal satisfaction few of my friends had experienced. As my father, who worked three jobs, once told me, "If you understand sacrifice and commitment, there are not many things in life you can't have." How right he was!
31 When the author was a child, he was made to help his father work because___________
A the restaurant was short of hands.
B his family belonged to the low-income group.
C he wanted to earn some money.
D he was stronger than his two brothers.
32 At the age of 12, the author got a job at a restaurant and often worked till late at night because___________
A he liked that work.
B he didn't like playing.
C he was hard-working.
D he felt rewarded by doing that work.
33 The word "Word" in the sentence "Word that I was honest and-hard-working got around town in the fourth paragraph means___________
A statement.
B advice.
C news.
D promise.
34 When the author was in the seventh grade, he was in debt because___________
A he did not work any more.
B he bought clothes on credit.
C he was charged too much for the sports coat.
D he made little money at that time.
35 What does the author want to tell the reader by this text?
A If you know sacrifice and responsibility, you can have many things in life.
B Children from poor families usually have a very unhappy childhood.
C Children should be made to work and earn some money by themselves.
D You will learn discipline and responsibility by working early in life.
Sauna
Ceremonial bathing has existed for thousands of years and has many forms, one of which is the sauna. The Finns have perfected the steam bath, or sauna, which may be taken, usually in an enclosed room, by pouring water over hot rocks or as dry heat bath. The Japanese, Greeks, Turks and Russians as well as Native Americans have forms of the sweat bath in their bathing rituals. Dry heat and steam baths had advocates in ancient Rome and pre-Columbian Americans used sweat lodges.
The earliest saunas were probably underground caves heated by a fire that naturally filled with smoke as chimney making was unknown at that time. a fire kept in a fire-pit would heat the rock walls of the cave. After reaching full heat, the smoke was let out of the cave and the stones would retain heat for several hours. A few people today say that the smoke sauna, “svusauna”, is the only true sauna experience and that all saunas should have at least a background odor or smoke. Today most saunas use electric stoves, although gas and wood-burning stoves are available.
Saunas are relaxing and stress relieving. Those with muscle aches or arthritis may find that the heat relaxes muscles and relieves pain and inflammation. Asthma patients find that the heat enlarges air passageways of the lung and facilitates breathing. Saunas do not cure the common cold but they may help to alleviate congestion and speed recovery time. The body’s core temperature usually rises a 1-2 degrees while in the sauna, thus imitating a slight fever. The regular use of a sauna may decrease the likelihood of getting a cold in the first place.
Sauna is goof for your skin as the blood flow to the skin increases and sweating occurs. Adults sweat about 2 lbs of water per hour on average in a sauna. A good sweat removes dirt and grime from pores and gives the skin a healthy glow. The loss in water weight is temporary as the body’s physiological mechanisms will quickly restore proper volumes. The cardiovascular system gets work out as the heart must pump harder and faster to move blood to the surface for heat exchange. Heart rate may increase from 72 beats per minute on average to 100-150 beats per minute.
A normal heart can handle these stresses but those with heart trouble wishing to begin to use a sauna should seek a doctor’s advice. The elderly and those with diabetes should check with their doctor prior to beginning to take saunas. Pregnant women should not take saunas, particularly in the first three months. Indeed, everyone just starting out should take short sessions at first to become accustomed to this type of bath.
桑 拿 浴
仪式性的沐浴已经有几千年的历史，并且有多种形式，其中的一种就是桑拿浴。芬兰人完善了蒸汽浴。它可以在一个封闭的房间里将水浇在滚烫的石头上，或是一种干的蒸汽浴这一形式。用热蒸汽干蒸的方式在古罗马很受欢迎，而哥伦布发现美洲大陆前的美洲人则使用充满蒸汽的小屋。
最早的桑拿浴很有可能是在地下山洞里。由于当时还没有掌握烟囱技术，山洞里总是充满着火焰引起的浓烟。人们在火槽里生火，加热山洞的四壁。当墙壁达到一定的温度时，将浓烟排出洞外，这使得墙壁还能保持几个小时的高温。今天，有一些人认为有烟的桑拿浴，“烟熏桑拿”，才是真正的桑拿体验，而所有的桑拿浴都应该至少有烟熏或烟味儿的背景。现在，尽管煤油炉和烧木头的火炉仍然可以使用，大多数的桑拿浴都是用电炉。
桑拿浴能使人放松并消除压力。肌肉疼痛或关节炎都可以利用桑拿浴的热气减轻疼痛和炎症。热气还可以拓展哮喘患者的肺部通道，使呼吸更加顺畅。桑那浴并不能治愈普通的感冒，但它可以减轻患者的胸闷感，加快康复的速度。在蒸桑拿时，人体温度通常会上升1——2度，就像发低烧一样的感觉。因此，蒸桑拿可以说是印证了一句老话：“伤风时宜吃，发热时宜热。”定期蒸桑拿可以预防感冒的发生。
蒸桑拿对皮肤也有好处。它可以促进皮肤的血液循环和出汗。在这个过程中，成年人一般每小时要蒸发2磅的水。出汗可以清除毛孔中的污垢，使皮肤变得光洁。失水只是暂时性的，人体机能能够很快补充合适的水量。在热气交换的过程中，心脏跳动得更快，这就使心血管系统也得到了锻炼，蒸桑拿浴时的心率能从原来的平均每分钟72下，增加到100——150下。
健康的心脏可以承受这种变化，而那些心脏病患者在蒸桑拿浴之前应该先征求医生的建议。同样的，老年人和糖尿病患者也应如此。孕妇则不能蒸桑拿浴，尤其是怀孕的头三个月。其实，每个人在刚开始尝试桑拿浴时都应该先是短时间的，直到适应了这种沐浴方式。
US Signs Global Tobacco Treaty
1 The United States has taken the first step toward approving a global tobacco treaty that promises to help control the deadly effects of tobacco use throughout the world1 • Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson signed the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) this week at the United Nations. The Senate must still approve the treaty before the US can implement its provisions.
2 The FCTC was developed by the World Health Organization and approved by members of the World Health Assembly，including the United States，last year. Countries that ratify it would be required to enact strict tobacco control policies.
3 For instance, cigarettes sold in those countries would have to have health warnings on at least 30% of the front and back of every pack3. The treaty calls for higher tobacco taxes, restrictions on smoking in public places, and more promotion of tobacco prevention and cessation programs. It also requires bans on tobacco advertising, though there are some exceptions for countries like the United States, where the Constitution prohibits such an outright ban.
4 The impact of the treaty could be huge. The World Health Organization estimates that tobacco use kills nearly 5 million people worldwide every year. In the US alone, about 440,000 people die each year from tobacco-related illnesses ; about one-third of all cancers in the US are caused by tobacco use. If current trends continue, WHO estimates, by 2025 tobacco will kill 10 million people each year.
5 The treaty must be ratified by at least 40 countries before it can take effect. So far，109 countries have signed it, and 12 have ratified it.
词汇：
ratify vt 批准;认可
enact vt.使(法案等)成为法律;通过 (法案等);颁布(法令等)
cessation n.停止，休止
advertising n.做广告,登广告
prohibit v.禁止;不准
outright adj.完全的,彻底的
注释：
1. The United States has taken the first step toward approving a global tobacco treaty that promises to help control the deadly effects of tobacco use throughout the world.美国朝着批准一项全球性烟草协议迈出了第一步。该协议有望在世界范围内控制使用烟草所产生的致命性影响。
2. Countries that ratify it would be required to enact strict tobacco control policies.批准该协议的国家将被要求制定严格的.烟草控制政策。
3. For instance, cigarettes sold in those countries would have to have health warnings on at least 30% of the front and back of every pack.例如，在那些国家出售的香烟将必须在每包烟正反面至少30%的地方注明吸烟有害健康的警告。
美国签订了全球烟草协议
美国朝着批准一项全球性烟草协议迈出了第一步。该协议有望在世界范围内控制使用烟草所产生的致命性影响。卫生和人类服务大臣托米•汤普森本周在联合国签署了烟草控制框架性协议(FCTC)。在美国能够实施其条款之前参议院还必须要批准这个协议。
FCTC是由世界卫生组织制定的，并且是由世界卫生大会的成员们去年批准的，其中包括美国。批准该协议的国家将被要求制定严格的烟草控制政策。
例如，在那些国家出售的香烟将必须在每包烟的正反面至少30%的地方注明吸烟有害健康的警告。这个协议呼吁对烟草收取更多的税，限制在公共场所吸烟和进一步推动禁止烟草的计划。它还要求禁止烟草广告，但是对像美国这样的国家有例外，这些国家的宪法禁止这么直率的禁令。
这个协议的影响可能是巨大的。世界卫生组织估计世界上每年有500万人因为吸烟而死亡。仅在美国，每年大约有44万人死于与烟草相关的疾病;美国所有的癌症中约有1/3是因为吸烟导致的。如果目前的趋势持续的话，世界卫生组织估计，到2025年烟草将每年夺取一千万人的生命。
这个协议至少被40个国家批准才能生效。到目前为止，109个国家已经签订了这个协议，12个国家已经批准了它。
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