Are there fastest ways to lose weight? Yes, there are! This is no magic trick or miracle. It just needs sensible actions.
●Drink water
No, you don’t have to fill up like a tub, but ensure that you drink 8 to 10 glasses of water every day. Don’t substitute for juice. With adequate water intake your body will be able to metabolize（新陈代谢）fat more effectively. And if you have a glass of water 10-15 minutes before your meal, you will feel full once you start eating. Another fun fact, did you know that you can lose 62 calories by drinking ice cold water?
●Eat 5 times a day
Start with breakfast. The more you eat for breakfast, the less food you will want to eat at night. Please don’t skip this meal as you’ll end up swallowing everything in sight for the rest of the day. You don’t need to gobble up 5 large meals. Eat sensibly so your body doesn’t crave for food.
●Use weights
Needless to say, exercise is crucial to weight loss. You can’t expect to sit on the sofa all day, sip water and lose weight. Join a good gym that lets you work with weights. It will help you build muscle and your metabolism rate will increase. You’ll soon see the fat come off and in its place muscle will develop.
●Smaller bowls
It’s better to substitute the huge bowls you usually use for small ones – when food starts to fall off, you’ll know it’s enough. Try to get these new bowls in dark colors. Dark blue will be your best choice since it is the number one color that fights off the appetite. Avoid red/orange/yellow colors in your dining area – they are the ones making your appetite go sky high.
●Read between lines
Food and drink products are all out to get you. They scream “Buy me! Buy me!” They could be “fat free” but they could still have a lot of calories. You need to analyze the nutrition label on the cover. Find out what’s good for you and what isn’t. Knowing in advance can help you stay away from products that are calorie-enriched.
●Don’t punish yourself
Go easy on yourself at least one day in a week. If you begin to dislike your diet then there’s something wrong. Find a diet that suits your body type and your lifestyle.
【小题1】According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?

Baths have long been considered of medical importance to man. In Greece there are the ruins of a water system for baths built over 3,000 years ago. The Romans had warm public baths. In some baths, as many 3,000 persons could bathe at the same time.
Treating disease by taking bathing has been popular for centuries. Modern medical bathing first became popular in Europe and by the late 1700’s has also become popular in the United States.
For many years frequent bathing was believed to be bad for one’s health. Ordinary bathing just to keep clean was avoided, and perfume was often used to cover up body smells!
By the 1700’s doctors began to say that soap and water were good for health. They believed that it was good for people to be clean. Slowly, people began to bathe more frequently. During the Victorian Age of the late 19th century, taking a bath on Saturday night became comon.
In the United States ordinary bathing was slow to become popular. During the 18th and early 19th centuries, many Americans were known as “The Great Unwashed!” In one American city , for example, a person was only allowed to take a bath every thirty days! That was a law!
Frequency of bathing today is partly a matter of habit. People know that bathing for cleanliness is important to health, Doctors know that dirty bodies increase the chance of diseases. As a result, in the United States, people generally bathe often. Some people bathe once a day at least. They consider a daily bath essential to good health.
【小题1】A water system for baths was built by _______ over 3,000 years ago.

Feel tired lately? Has a doctor said he can’t find anything wrong with you? Perhaps he sent you to a hospital, but all the advanced equipment there shows that there is nothing wrong with you．
Then, consider this: you might be in a state of subhealth (亚健康)．
Subhealth, also called the third state or gray state, is explained as a borderline state between health and disease．
According to the investigation by the National Health Organization, over 45 percent of subhealthy people are middle-aged or elderly．The percentage is even higher among people who work in management positions as well as students around exam-week．
Symptoms(征兆)include a lack of energy, depression(压抑),slow reactions, insomnia(失眠),agitation, and poor memory．Other symptoms include shortness of breath, sweating and aching in the waist and legs．
The key to preventing and recovering from subhealth, according to some medical experts, is to form good living habits, alternate work and rest, exercise regularly, and take part in open air activities．
As for meals, people are advised to eat less salt and sugar．They should also eat more fresh vegetables, fruits, fish because they are rich in nutritional elements…vitamins and trace elements …vitamins and trace elements…that are important to the body．
Nutrition(营养)experts point out that it is not good to eat too much at one meal because it may cause unhealthy changes in the digestive tract(消化系统)．They also say that a balanced diet is very helpful in avoiding subhealth．

It is obvious that doctors recognize obesity as a health problem. So why is it so hard for them to talk to their patients about it?
The results of two surveys, one of primary care physicians and the other of patients, found that while most doctors want to help patients lose weight and think it is their responsibility to do so, they often don’t know what to say.
“So while doctors may tell patients they are overweight, the conversation often ends there,” said Christine C. Ferguson, director of the Stop Obesity Alliance. “Patients are not told about the possibility of diabetes (糖尿病),” she said. “And doctors don’t feel they have good information to give. They felt that they didn’t have adequate tools to address this problem.
The lack of dialogue hurts patients, too. The patient survey, of over 1,000 adults, found that most overweight patients don’t even know that they’re too heavy. Only 39 percent of overweight people surveyed had ever been told by a health care provider that they were overweight.
Of those who were told they were obese, 90 percent were also told by their doctors to lose weight, the survey found. In fact most have tried to lose weight and may have been successful in the past—and many are still trying, the survey found. And many understand that losing even a small amount of weight can have a positive impact on their health and reduce their risk of obesity­related diseases like hypertension and diabetes.
Dr. William Bestermann Jr., medical director of Holston Medical Group, in Kingsport, Tenn. , which ranks the 10th in obesity among metropolitan areas in the United States, said the dialogue had to be an ongoing one and could not be dropped after just one mention of the problem. “If you’re to be successful with helping your patients lose weight, you have to talk to them at actually every visit about their progress, and find something to encourage them and coach them,” he said.
He acknowledged that many doctors tend to be not optimistic.
“Part of this is that there’s this common belief, and doctors are burdened by it, too, that overweight people are weak-willed and just don’t have any willpower and are self­indulgent and all that business,” he said. “If you think that way, you’re not going to spend time having a productive conversation.”
【小题1】What is the Stop Obesity Alliance most probably in Paragraph 3?

In many societies, there is often greater acceptance of light skin than dark skin. Light skin may be seen as a mark of beauty, intelligence and success. These beliefs can lead to social pressures even within the same racial or ethnic group, if some members are darker skinned than others.
The result is that skin lightening has become a common activity across Africa, Asia and other areas of the world. More and more people with dark skin are using skin-lightening products, even if it means they may face health risks.
They believe that having whiter skin will improve their lives. Many people think they will have a better chance of getting a job or marrying into a better family. Or they want to look like what their society generally considers beautiful.
Some beauty care products and soaps contain chemicals that make skin lighter. This is also called bleaching. But some of the chemicals are extremely dangerous. One of the most dangerous is hydroquinone(对苯二酚).
Hydroquinone has been banned in several countries. This chemical has been connected to kidney damage and some kinds of cancer. It also causes low birth weight in babies when mothers –to-be use it during pregnancy.
At first, bleaching products make the skin color lighter. But after long-term use they can cause problems. They could even make some skin darker.
The chemicals in the products block and break down the natural process that gives color to skin. The skin loses its natural barrier（障碍）to protect against sunlight. Then the skin can become thick and discolored. Usually the person will use more of the product in an effort to correct the problem, but this only makes it worse.
Fatimata Ly treats skin conditions in the Senegalese capital, Dakar. Doctor Ly says skin bleaching has become a problem throughout Senegal. She says the chemicals are now more dangerous because they are stronger. Some cases have resulted in blackened fingernails, infections and permanent（永久的）skin damage.
And these are not the only risks. Experts say some people who change their skin color suffer emotional damage. They feel regret and sadness. They feel that instead of risking their health, they should have learned to love and accept their skin color as it was.
【小题1】What is the text mainly about?

A．emotional problems

B．kidney cancer

C．lighter skin

D．low birth rate

The following are four kinds of medicine. How to use the medicine is very important. Never take some by mistake.

Below is some advice on how to sleep better.
1. Maintain a regular bed and wake time schedule
Go to bed at the same time every night. Choose a time when you normally feel tired, so that you don’t toss or turn. Try not to break this routine on weekends when it may be tempting to stay up late. If you want lo changeyour bedtime, help your body adjust by making the changein small daily increments, such as 15 minutes earlier or later each day. As with your bedtime, try to maintain yourregular wake-time even on weekends.
2.Fight after-dinner drowsiness（睡意）
If you find yourself getting sleepy before your bed-time, get off the couch and do something mildly stimulating to avoid falling asleep, such as washing the dishes, calling a friend, or getting clothes ready for the next day. If you give in to the drowsiness, you may wake up later in the night and have trouble getting back to sleep.
3. Keep your room dark and cool
When it’s time to sleep, make sure that your environment is dark. Even dim light —especially those from TV or computer screens —can confuse the body clock. Heavy curtains or shades can help block light from windows, or you can try an eye mask to cover your eyes. The temperature of your bedroom also affects sleep. A bedroom that is too hot or too cold can interfere with quality sleep.
4. Turn off your television
Many people use the television to fall asleep or relaxat the end of the day. You may even have a television inyour bedroom. However, television actually stimulates themind, rather than relaxing it. Part of this is due to con­tent. Late night news and prime time shows frequently have disturbing, violent material. Even non-violent pro­gramming can have commercials that are jarring and loud.
5. Exercise early
Exercise helps promote restful sleep if it is done sev­eral hours before you go to bed. Exercise can help you fall asleep faster and sleep more soundly— as long asit ’s done at the right time. Try to finish exercising at least three hours before bed or work out earlier in the day.
6. Consult your doctor
Use a sleep diary and talk to your doctor. Note what type of sleep problem is affecting your sleep or if you aresleepy when you wish to be awake and alert. Try these tips and record your sleep and sleep-related activities in a sleep diary. If problems continue, discuss the sleep diary with your doctor. There may be an underlying cause and you will want to be properly diagnosed. Your doctor will help treat the problem or may refer you to a sleep specialist.
【小题1】To prevent yourself from sleeping too much on weekends, you should________.

A．Watching violent programmesbefore going to bed.

B．Changing your bedtime only a little every day.

C．Using heavy curtains or an eye mask to block light.

D．Completing your workout just before bedtime.

Do you love the holidays, but hate gaining weight? You are not alone. Holidays are times for  celebrating. Many people are worried about their weight. With proper planning, though, it is possible to keep normal weight during the holidays. The idea is to enjoy the holidays but not to eat too much. You don’t have to turn away from the foods that you enjoy.
Here are some tips for preventing（阻止） weight gain and maintaining（维持） physical fitness:   
Don’t skip meals. Before you leave home, have a small, low-fat meal or snack. This may help to avoid getting too excited before delicious foods.
Control the amount of food. Use a small plate (about 10 inches) and put aside the large ones that may encourage you to "load up". You should be most comfortable eating an amount of food about the size of your fist.
Begin with soup and fruit or vegetables. Fill up beforehand on water-based soup and raw fruit or vegetables. Or drink a large glass of water before you eat to help you to feel full.
Stick to physical activity. Don’t let exercise take a break during the holidays. A 20-minute walk help to burn off excess calories.
Avoid(避免) high-fat foods. Dishes that look oily or creamy may have large amount of fat. Choose lean meat (瘦肉).Fill your plate with salad and green vegetables. Use lemon juice instead of creamy food.
【小题1】Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?

The research carried out by the University of Bad in Italy could help prove hospitals who are accused of wasting money on art and decoration as it suggests a pleasant environment helps patients ease discomfort and pain.
A team headed by Professor Marina de Tommaso at the Neurophysiopathology
Pain Unit asked a group of men and women to pick the 20 paintings they considered
most ugly and most beautiful from a selection of 300 works by artists such as
Leonardo da Vinci and Sandro Botticelli. They were then asked to look at either the beautiful paintings, or the ugly painting, or a blank panel while the team zapped(照射) a short laser pulse at their hand, creating a sensation as if they had been stuck by a pin. The subjects rated the pain as being a third less intense while they were
viewing the beautiful paintings, compared with when looking at the ugly paintings
or the blank panel. Electrodes measuring the brain's electrical activity also confirmed a reduced resoonse to the pain when the subject looked at beautiful paintings.
While distractions, such as music, are known to reduce pain in hospital patients,Prof de Tommaso says this is the first result to show that beauty plays a part.
The findings, reported in New Scientist, also go a long way to show that
beaufiful surroundings could aid the healing process.
"Hospitals have been designed to be functional, but we think that their artistic aspects should be taken into account too," said the neurologist."Beauty boyiously offers a distraction that ugly paintings do not. But at least there is no suggestion that ugly surroundings make the pain worse. I think these results show that more research is needed into the field how a beautiful environment can alleviate suffering."
Pictures they liked included Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh and Botticellis Birth of Venus. Pictures they found ugly included works by pablo Picasso, the Italian 20th century artist Anonio Bueno and Columbian Fernando Botero." These people were not art experts so some of the pictures they found ugly would be considered masterpieces by the art world," said Prof de Tommaso.
【小题1】The underlined word "alleviate" in the fifth paragraph probably means"______".

A．some artists' paintings were beautiful, so they were masterpieces

B．only art experts could judge they were masterpieces or not, though ugly

C．the artists mentioned above were not really art masters.

D．some of them were art masters, while others were not.

The common cold is the world’s most widespread illness, which is plagues(疫病) that flesh receives.
The most widespread fallacy(谬误) of all is that colds caused by cold. They are not. They are caused by viruses passing on from person to person. You catch a cold by coming into contact, directly or indirectly, with someone who already has one. If cold causes colds, it would be reasonable to expect the Eskimos to suffer from them forever. But they do not. And in isolated arctic regions explorers have reported being free from colds until coming into contact again with infected people from the outside world by way of packages and mail dropped from airplanes.
During the First World War soldiers who spent long periods in the trenches(战壕), cold and wet, showed no increased tendency to catch colds.
In the Second World War prisoners at the notorious Auschwitz concentration camp(集中营), naked and starving, were astonished to find that they seldom had colds. At the Common Cold Research Unit in England, volunteers took part in Experiments in which they gave themselves to the discomforts of being cold and wet for long stretches of time. After taking hot baths, they put on bathing suits, allowed themselves to be with cold water, and then stood about dripping wet in drafty room. Some wore wet socks all day while others exercised in the rain until close to exhaustion. Not one of the volunteers came down with a cold unless a cold virus was actually dropped in his nose.
If, then, cold and wet have nothing to do with catching colds, why are they more frequent in the winter？Despite the most pains-taking research, no one has yet found the answer. One explanation offered by scientists is that people tend to stay together indoors more in cold weather than at other times, and this makes it easier for cold viruses to be passed on.
No one has yet found a cure for the cold. There are drugs and pain suppressors(止痛片) such as aspirin, but all they do is relieve the symptoms(症状).
【小题1】 The writer offered _______ examples to support his argument.