I had about 10 minutes to exercise before I had to pick up my two older daughters from school yesterday. It was a busier day than usual for me with a couple of meetings besides my regular work.
Years ago, I would have put off my workout and would have left things for the next day. But since it was a busy day as well, I knew that I may not have all that much time either. So, I picked up my kettle-bell (啞鈴) and went to town for 4 minutes.
See, 4 minutes, if that’s all you’ve got, is enough to give your body a great fat-burning exercise. How did I get a killer workout in 4 minutes? I used a training workout discovered 10 years ago by a Japanese Sports Scientist called a TABATA.
It includes 20-second periods of warm-up, followed by 10-second periods of rest and 4-minute straight exercise. How is a 4-minute exercise able to burn fat? It all depends on the quality of work you do. Not on the quantity. Here’s how I did it yesterday.
You should never forget your warm-up. A TABATA workout is 20 seconds of 2-arm Kettle-bell swings, 10 seconds rest, 20 seconds push-ups, and 10 seconds rest. You should do those 4 rounds. That’s it. I was done in a total time of 8 minutes by the time and when I got to school my heart was still pumping pretty hard.
A healthy body is needed for studying and working, and efficiency (效率) is the key to building a great body in the least amount (數(shù)量) of time possible and you can’t get more efficient than a 4-minute workout.
【小題1】We can learn from the passage that the author ______.

A．is busy with his work	B．has a weak body now
C．has two children in all	D．is a manager in a film

【小題2】The underlined phrase “went to town” in Paragraph 2 means “_______”.

A．put off doing something	B．went to a very small city
C．did something with interest	D．hated to do something

【小題3】What is the most important thing in taking exercise according to the author?

A．The goal

B．the quality

C．The quantity

D．The method

New York: Staying positive through the cold season could be your best defence against getting ill, new study findings suggest.
In an experiment that exposed healthy volunteers to a cold or flu virus, researchers found that people with a generally sunny disposition were less likely to fall ill. The findings, published in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine, build on evidence that a “positive emotional style” can help protect us from the common cold and other illnesses.
Researchers believe the reasons may be both objective----as in happiness improving immune, function----and subjective----as in happy people being less troubled by a sore throat or funny nose. "People with a positive emotional style may have different immune responses to the virus," explained lead study author Dr Sheldon Cohen of Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. "And when they do get a cold, they may interpret their illness as being less severe."
Cohen and his colleagues had found in a previous study that happier people seemed less likely to catch a cold, but some questions remained as to whether the emotional trait itself had the effect.
For the new study, the researchers had 193 healthy adults complete standard measures of personality traits, self-perceived health and emotional "style." Those who tended to be happy, energetic and easy-going were judged as having a positive emotional style, while those who were often unhappy, tense and hostile had a negative style.
The researchers gave them nasal(鼻的) drops containing either a cold virus or a particular flu virus. Over the next six days, the volunteers reported on any aches, pains, sneezing or congestion they had, while the researchers collected objective data, like daily mucus production. Cohen and his colleagues found that based on objective measures of nasal woes, happy people were less likely to develop a cold.
【小題1】Which is the best title for the passage?

A．Stay Away From Being Negative

B．Positive or Negative, It’s Up To You

C．An Effective Medicine For Being Fit

D．Warm People Likely To Keep Cold Away

【小題2】According to Dr Cohen’s research, the reason why some people are unlikely to catch a cold is that ___________________.

A．their cheerful mood benefits the immune system

B．they have developed a certain gene against flu virus

C．they are less likely to have s sore throat and funny nose

D．they have got a stronger self-confidence in their health

【小題3】The underlined word “disposition” (paragraph 2) probably means ________.

A．character

B．day

C．future

D．occupation

【小題4】The passage is probably written for ___________________.

A．medical students

B．lead authors

C．the public

D．the volunteers

You maybe surprised to learn that one of the best steps you can take to protect your health is to step outside and spend some time in the grass, dirt and water．
Our ancestors enjoyed the healing power of nature , and now scientists are starting to catch up．According to research in recent years, just having a view of nature has been shown to improve hospital patients'  recovery and reduce illness rates among office workers．Also, exposure （曝露）to wildlife, horseback riding, hiking, camping and farms can be helpful for a variety of health conditions in adults and children．
Much of this type of research is focusing on children, and in fact an entire movement has quickly developed to connect kids with the healing power of nature．
Obesity （肥胖）．Rates of childhood obesity have grown sharply in recent years, and this is partly because of reduced outdoor activity time．Increasing the time students spend learning about nature, both in and outside the classroom, would help solve this problem．Such lessons are often more attractive for students and often lead them to become more active outside．
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder （ADHD） （注意力缺失癥）．Exposure to ordinary natural settings （環(huán)境） in the course of common after-school and weekend activities may be effective in reducing attention deficit symptoms in children．Participation in green activities —such as nature walks—helped ADHD patients from a wide range of backgrounds to stay focused and complete tasks．
Stress．Access to nature, even houseplants, can help children cope with stress．
Depression  and  seasonal  emotional  disorder．Major  depression requires medical treatment, but physical activity, especially outdoors, can help ease symptoms．For your average case of winter blues, experts suggest spending time outside every day and, if possible, taking the family to a sunny vacation spot in mid-winter．
Experts emphasize that you needn' t go to wilderness preserves to enjoy nature' s benefits—simply walking in a city park or growing in a rooftop garden can make a difference．
【小題1】It can be inferred from the first two paragraphs that____．

A．a(chǎn)ncient people were not familiar with the healing power of nature．

B．modern people are not familiar with the healing power of nature．

C．the healing power of nature works better on children．

D．the healing power of nature works better on office workers．

【小題2】According to Para．4, lessons about nature_____．

A．should engage parents in them

B．should take place outdoors

C．a(chǎn)re used widely at schools

D．a(chǎn)re liked by students

【小題3】Exposure to green areas in neighborhoods can_____．

A．improve children' s skills at learning

B．help reduce ADHD symptoms

C．treat major depression

D．cure winter blues

【小題4】What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A．You can only enjoy nature's benefits in the wilderness．

B．A common natural setting is beneficial to your health．

C．A city park and a rooftop garden have different benefits．

D．Too many people in the wilderness will reduce the benefits of nature．

The Diet Zone: A Dangerous Place
Diet Coke, diet Pepsi, diet pills, no-fat diet, vegetable diet… We are surrounded by the word “diet” everywhere we look and listen. We have so easily been attracted by the promise and potential of diet products that we have stopped thinking about what diet products are doing to us. We are paying for products that harm us psychologically(心理上) and physically（身體上）.
Diet products significantly weaken us psychologically. On one level, we are not allowing our brain to admit that our weight problems lie not in actually losing the weight, but in controlling the consumption of fatty, high-calorie, unhealthy foods. Diet products allow us to jump over the thinking stage and go straight for the scale（秤）instead. All we have to do is to swallow or recognize the word “diet” in food labels.
On another level, diet products have greater psychological effects. Every time we have a zero-calorie drink, we are telling ourselves without our awareness that we don’t have to work to get results. Diet products make people believe that gain comes without pain, and that life can be without resistance and struggle.
The danger of diet products lies not only in the psychological effects they have on us, but also in the physical harm that they cause. Diet foods can indirectly harm our bodies because consuming them instead of healthy foods means we are preventing our bodies from having basic nutrients(營養(yǎng)成分). Diet foods and diet pills contain zero calorie only because the diet industry has created chemicals to produce these wonder products. Diet products may not be nutritional, and the chemical that go into diet products are potentially dangerous.
Now that we are aware of the effects that diet products have on us, it is time to seriously think about buying them. Losing weight lies in the power of minds, not in the power of chemicals. Once we realize this, we will be much better able to resist diet products, and therefore prevent the psychological harm that comes from using them.
【小題1】One psychological effect of diet products is that people tend to _____.

A．try out a variety of diet foods	B．hesitate before they enjoy diet foods
C．pay attention to their own eating habits	D．watch their weight rather than their diet

【小題2】In Paragraph 3, “gain comes without pain” probably means ______.

A．losing weight is effortless	B．it costs a lot to lose weight
C．diet products bring no pain	D．diet products are free from calories

【小題3】Diet products indirectly harm people physically because such products ______.

A．a(chǎn)re over-consumed	B．lack basic nutrients
C．a(chǎn)re short of chemicals	D．provide too much energy

There are three branches of medicine. One is called "doctor medicine," or "scientific medicine." Scientific doctors try to observe sicknesses, look for logical patterns, and then find out how the human body works. From there they figure out what treatments may work. This kind of medicine is believed to date from the 4th century BC. Although nowadays it is successful, in the ancient world this approach probably did not cure many patients.
A second kind of medicine is called "natural cures," or "folk medicine," in which less educated people try to cure sicknesses with various herbs. These folk healers also use observation and logic, but they are not so aware of it. They try things until they find something that seems to work, and then they keep doing that. Folk medicine flourished（繁榮） long before the development of scientific medicine and was more successful in ancient times than doctor medicine.
The third kind is called "health spas," or "faith healing." Sometimes this may be as simple as touching the holy man and being immediately healed. Other times, a magician may make you a magic charm, or say a spell, to cure you. Some religious groups organize special healing shrines（圣壇） for the sick. In these places people rest, get plenty of sleep, eat healthy food, drink water instead of wine, and exercise in various ways. They also talk to the priests and pray to the gods. If you are feeling depressed or you have been working too hard, going to these places may be just the right thing to make you feel better.
【小題1】Doctor medicine __________.

A．has a longer history than folk medicine

B．has been practiced for around 1,600 years

C．bases its treatments on observation and logic

D．was very successful in curing sicknesses in ancient times

【小題2】According to the passage, which of the following is NOT used in health spas?

A．Magic power.

B．Various herbs.

C．Religious faith.

D．A healthy life style.

【小題3】According to the passage, which of the following statements is true?

A．Folk healers choose different herbs to cure diseases without any sound basis.

B．People who practice folk medicine need lots of formal education on herbs.

C．The success of folk medicine led to the development of doctor medicine.

D．Natural cures worked better than scientific medicine in ancient times.

【小題4】The author's primary purpose in this passage is to __________.

A．describe different types of medicine

B．a(chǎn)rgue for the importance of medicine in health care

C．show the crucial role religion plays in medical treatments

D．compare the educational background of three different types of patients

A healthy amount of sunshine may be the secret to staying young. British scientists have discovered.
Vitamin D is produced naturally by the skin in response to(對…的反應) sunlight and may help to slow the ageing process and protect against heart disease, according to the study.
Researchers from King’s College London studied 2,160 women aged between 18 and 79, looking at their telomeres--- a biological marker of ageing found in DNA. As people get older, their telomeres get shorter and they become more susceptible(易受傷害的) to certain illnesses.
But the study found women with high levels of vitamin D had comparatively longer telomeres--- a sign of being biologically younger and healthier.
The study suggests vitamin D may help to slow down the ageing process of DNA, and therefore the ageing process as a whole.
Lead researcher Dr Brent Richards said, “These results are exciting because they show for the first time that people who have higher levels of vitamin D may age more slowly than people with lower levels of vitamin D.” This could help to explain how vitamin D has a protective effect on many ageing related diseases, such as heart disease and cancer.”
Professor Tim Spector, a co-author of the report, added, “Although it might sound absurd
(荒唐的), it’s possible that the same sunshine which may increase our risk of skin cancer may also have a healthy effect on the general ageing process.”
Vitamin D made by the action of sunlight on the skin accounts for 90 percent of the body’s supply, but lower levels can also be got through food such as fish, eggs and breakfast cereals(粥).
Other studies have suggested the vitamin plays a key role in protecting against cancer and heart disease.
【小題1】 A certain amount of sunshine helps people stay young because _____.

A．people feel happy and energetic in the sun

B．sunshine protects people against heart disease

C．vitamin D makes one’s skin look young and healthy

D．vitamin D may help to slow the ageing process

【小題2】From Brent Richards, we know that _____.

A．sunlight causes skin cancer to people with high level of vitamin D

B．the study generally has a healthy effect on the general ageing process

C．vitamin D can only be got from fish, eggs and breakfast cereals

D．the higher levels of vitamin D people have, the more slowly people may age

【小題3】What can we infer from the passage?
A. Telomeres are important signs of ageing of the DNA.
B. Sunlight can be dangerous as it causes skin cancer.
C. Sunlight does a great deal of good to our health.
D. Vitamin D can also be gained from food.
【小題4】 What is the best title of the passage?

A．Secret of Staying Young

B．Vitamin D Helps Slow Ageing

C．Sunlight and Vitamin D

D．Sunlight and Health

Beginning in October, more than 13,000 McDonald’s (麥當勞)restaurants in America will use a new variety of cooking oil. McDonald’ s aims to make its French fries (油炸食品) and other fried foods healthier.
The change will not affect the taste or the number of calories in the food. But by changing the cooking oil, McDonald’s says, it hopes to cut by nearly half the amount of trans fatty acids (轉換脂肪酸) in French fries and reduce the amount of saturated fats(飽和脂肪) by 16 percent. Scientists believe that trans fatty acids and saturated fats raise cholesterol(膽固醇) levels and increase the risk of heart disease.
McDonald’s new step is important because McDonald’s is an industry leader and other fast-food chains and food processors may follow the lead.
For McDonald’s ,the action comes at a time when Americans are becoming more and more concerned about; obesity (肥胖) and are increasing pressure on food companies to offer healthy and nutritious (有營養(yǎng)的) food to consumers.
After three years of study, McDonald’s officials say they are switching oil that is lower in saturated fats and trans fatty acids. McDonald’s says the change will not cause higher price for consumers.
Though there is some change, scientists say that the amount of trans fat in foods at McDonald’s and at other fast-food companies is still important.
【小題1】More than 13,000 McDonald’s restaurants in America will use a new kind of cooking oil to ______________.

A．lower the costs of the products

B．maker its food taste hatter than ever before

C．cure (治愈) the heart disease

D．do good to the health of consumers

【小題2】The underlined ward "switching" here has the same meaning as "   _______ ".

A．turning on

B．turning off

C．changing

D．studying

【小題3】The main idea of the passage is    __________ .

A．McDonald’s is a pioneer in food products

B．McDonald’s is enlarging its restaurants in the world

C．fried foods can’t keep up with the development of modem society

D．McDonald’s is to use new cooking oil

【小題4】When a new kind of cooking oil is used in McDonald’s,     ________ 

A．the prices of McDonald’s foods will be a tot higher

B．consumers will find the taste of McDonald’s foods different

C．many other food companies will do what McDonald’s does

D．obesity will disappear in American society sooner or later

Pregnancy(妊娠) and childbirth kill more than 536,000 women a year. More than half of the cases happened in Africa, according to the World Health Organization. In fact, most of the deaths are preventable with basic medical care.
The five leading causes are bleeding, infection, high blood pressure, long­time labor and bad abortions (流產(chǎn)). Mothers' deaths from such causes were largely reduced nearly a century ago in developed countries.
Experts say that what kill many women are “the three delays”— the woman's delay in deciding to go to the hospital, the time she loses traveling there and the hospital's delay in starting treatment. Only about 15 percent of births have dangerous complications(并發(fā)癥)．
Women lack education and information about birth control. Husbands and in­laws, may decide where a woman gives birth and insist that she stay at home to save money. However, there is no single solution to a problem with so many factors—shortages of doctors, nurses, drugs, equipment, roads and transportation—though hospital officials are trying many things now.
One stopgap measure to solve the problem for the present has been to train assistant medical officers, to perform certain operations. Some African countries are now struggling to train more assistants and midwives (接生婆) , and provide places for pregnant women to stay near hospitals.
But there is a long way to go. Only 20 percent of women in the continent give birth at the hospital. More than 50 percent stay at home to give birth, and the rest go to local clinics that cannot handle emergencies.
【小題1】Which is not included in the five leading causes of women's deaths during pregnancy and childbirth?

A．Infection.	B．High blood pressure.
C．Traveling long distances.	D．Bleeding.

【小題2】The underlined word “stopgap” probably means “________ ”in the passage.

A．final

B．temporary

C．effective

D．instant

【小題3】What can we learn from this passage?

A．The governments of African countries have to take more effective measures to save pregnant women.

B．Developed countries should help African countries reduce mothers'deaths.

C．The husbands in poor countries should take responsibility for their wives'deaths.

D．Most problems that cause women's deaths during pregnancy and childbirth can be treated or prevented.

【小題4】What is the author's attitude towards the future of preventing women's deaths during pregnancy and childbirth?

A．Positive.

B．Negative.

C．Objective.

D．Subjective.

Even a small reduction in salt in the diet can be a big help to the heart. A new study used a computer model to predict how just three grams less a day would affect heart disease in the United States.
The result: thirteen percent fewer heart attacks. Eight percent fewer strokes. Four percent fewer deaths. Eleven percent fewer new cases of heart disease. And two hundred forty billion dollars in health care savings.
Researchers found it could prevent one hundred thousand heart attacks and ninety-two thousand deaths every year.
The study is in the New England Journal of Medicine. Kirsten, at the University of California, was the lead author. She says people would not even notice a difference in taste with three grams, or one-half teaspoon, less salt per day. The team also included researchers at Stanford and Columbia University.
Each gram of salt contains four hundred milligrams of sodium, which is how foods may list their salt content.
The government says the average American man eats ten grams of salt a day. The American Heart Association advises no more than three grams for healthy people. It says salt in the American diet has increased fifty percent since the nineteen seventies, while blood pressures have also risen. Less salt can mean a lower blood pressure.
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is leading an effort called the National Salt Reduction Initiative. The idea is to put pressure on food companies and restaurants.
Mayor Bloomberg has already succeeded in other areas, like requiring fast food places in the city to list calorie information. Now a study by the Seattle Children's Research Institute shows how that idea can influence what parents order for their children.
Ninety-nine parents of three to six year olds took part. Half had McDonald's menus clearly showing how many calories were in each food. The other half got menus without the calorie information.
【小題1】 How many heart attacks will occur in the US every year？ 

A．nearly 800,000.	B．24,000.
C．100,000.	D．92,000.

【小題2】We can learn from the passage that         .  

A．Americans ate no more than 5 grams of salt per day in the 1970s

B．the American Heart Association suggest less than 3 grams of salt every day

C．a(chǎn) reduction in salt in the diet helps lower blood pressure

D．a(chǎn)ll the heart diseases result from eating more salt

【小題3】The National Salt Reduction Initiative aims to         . 

A．a(chǎn)dvise Americans to eat less salt

B．put pressure on food companies and restaurants

C．require fast food places to list calorie information

D．a(chǎn)ttract the public attention to the problem

【小題4】All the following are related to the salt in diet except         .  

A．strokes	B．heart attacks
C．blood pressures	D．stomach diseases

【小題5】The best title of the passage of the passage is         . 

A．Less salt can mean more life

B．Prevent heart attacks and deaths

C．The National Salt Reduction Initiative

D．Americans should eat less salt

Forgiving someone who has hurt you or let you down is never an easy thing. Several new studies, however, say that it could have a lot of health benefits. When you think of forgiveness, you probably don’t think of it as being a health or medical problem. Studies from Stanford University, on the other hand, show that something like anger can change your well-being.
When cartoon book characters like the Incredible Hulk get angry, they change colours and often gain special power. In the real world, anger is less obvious and may be more dangerous. That’s why Professor Fred Luskin, founder of the Stanford Forgiveness Project and author of Forgive for Good, says holding on to anger and hatred can harm your physical and mental health. Two new studies seem to show the same idea.
The studies find that people who are able to forgive feel less stress, less back pain, and less depression. They also have fewer headaches, lower blood pressure, and fewer problems on sleeping.
So it doesn’t matter if your anger is caused by the traffic or other things. Learning to let it go is important. Techniques such as deep breath or thought can help. Or just ask yourself if it’s worth hurting yourself by staying angry with someone else.
Forgiveness does not mean that you simply accept what happened and say it’s OK. Instead, it’s a way of making peace with yourself about what happened in the past.
【小題1】 The author of the passage tries to make his viewpoint clear ______.

A．by raising his own examples	B．based on his own experience
C．by mentioning some studies	D．by mentioning some typical patients

【小題2】 The example of the cartoon book characters is taken in the passage to______.

A．support the viewpoint that anger and hatred harm physical and mental health

B．introduce a famous expert

C．let the reader know the different colours of cartoon faces

D．show how to control one’s temper

【小題3】The underlined phrase“holding on to”in this passage possibly means“______”.

A．removing

B．keeping up

C．getting rid of

D．learning about

【小題4】 Which of the following is NOT mentioned in this passage?

A．People who are able to forgive feel less stress.

B．People who are able to forgive feel less depression.

C．People who are able to forgive have fewer problems on sleeping.

D．People who are able to forgive feel less tired.

【小題5】The best title for this passage is probably _______.

A．Forgiveness	B．Forgiveness Is Good for Health
C．A Secret to Keeping Health	D．Anger Is Bad for Health