Ⅰ. 阅读理解
Watching what you eat can be easier said than done, but a recent study shows it might not just be about what’s on your plate—it could be about how quickly it disappears.
Japanese researchers followed 1, 083 adults for five years, splitting them into three categories based on how quickly they ate: slow, normal, and fast. They also answered a questionnaire at the beginning of the study, sharing their diet, physical activity, and medical history. In the beginning, none of the volunteers had metabolic syndrome(新陈代谢综合征)—meaning at least three risk factors— which can lead to health problems like heart conditions and diabetes.
When the participants reported back five years later, 84 had been diagnosed (诊断) with metabolic syndrome—and their eating speed was a major predictor, according to the results in the journal Circulation. The fast eaters were 89 percent more likely to have metabolic syndrome than slow and normal eaters. Just 2. 3 percent of slow eaters received the diagnosis, compared to 11. 6 percent of fast eaters. But that’s not all. Fast eaters also saw more weight gain, larger waistlines, and higher blood sugar levels than slow eaters.
The researchers say gobbling makes it easier not to take notice of fullness before your body has a chance to signal you to stop. “So when people eat fast they are more likely to overeat, ” said Takayuki Yamaji, MD, study author and cardiologist at Hiroshima University in Japan in a statement.
Previous research backs up the weight benefits of slow eating, too. One study of New Zealand women found fast eaters have higher body-mass indexes (指数), and a Chinese study found that both healthy and fat men ate less when told to chew 40 times instead of 15 times before swallowing. Initial research even suggests chewing your food longer could burn more calories—up to about 1, 000 extra every month.
【文章大意】本文是一篇说明文。研究证明, 不只吃什么影响健康, 吃的速度也影响健康。
1. What are the participants divided by?
A. Medical history. B. Health condition.
C. Physical activity. D. Eating speed.
【解析】选D。细节理解题。根据第二段中的“splitting them into three categories based on how quickly they ate: slow, normal, and fast”可知, 按照参与者吃饭的速度, 研究者将他们分为吃得慢、正常、快三个类别。
2. Which may be the result of the study?
A. Fast eaters are 4 times more likely to have metabolic syndrome.
B. Normal and slow eaters don’t have metabolic illness.
C. 89% of fast eaters have higher blood pressure.
D. Slow eaters are healthier than fast eaters.
【解析】选D。推理判断题。根据第三段中的“Fast eaters also saw more weight gain, larger waistlines, and higher blood sugar levels than slow eaters. ”可知, 比起吃得慢的人, 吃得快的人体重增加更多、腰围更大、血糖水平也更高, 反向推知, 吃得慢的人比吃得快的人更健康。
3. What does the underlined word “gobbling ” in Paragraph 4 mean?
A. Tasting slowly. B. Digesting quickly.
C. Eating greedily. D. Cooking carefully.
【解析】选C。词义猜测题。根据第四段中的“when people eat fast they are more likely to overeat”可知, 吃得快可能会让人吃得过多。所以这个词的意思应是“狼吞虎咽地吃”, 故选C项。
4. What does the last paragraph tell us?
A. The importance of eating speed.
B. The advantage of eating slowly.
C. The result of a Chinese study.
D. Fast eating and overeating.
【解析】选B。段落大意题。根据文章最后一段的中心句“Previous research backs up the weight benefits of slow eating, too. ”及下文内容可知, 本段主要讲吃得慢的好处。
