Are you having too much salt? You might not think so, but people in China eat on average (平均) about 12 grams of salt each day, that is much higher than the 6 grams suggested by the World Health Organization. You could be eating too much without realizing it, because about 75% of the salt we eat is already in the food we buy, such as bread, sauces, soups and sausages.
What problems can eating too much salt cause? To answer that question, first let’s take a look at what salt is.
Salt is a chemical compound. It is made of sodium (钠) and chloride (氯化物). Salt is used to keep and flavor foods. A small amount of salt is important for good health because our bodies need sodium and chloride to work.
But past studies have found that people who eat more salt than they need tend to have high blood pressure. Eating too much salt has also been connected with other conditions, such as heart and kidney (肾) problems.
If you want to cut down on salt, the good news is, there are plenty of simple things to do. Here are some tips:
*Cut back on high salt foods.
Most foods contain some salt. But some foods such as cheese, bacon, pickles (泡菜), smoked fish and chips are almost always high in salt because of the way they are made. You can still enjoy them, but try to have these in smaller amounts, or eat them less often.
*Choose reduced salt bread and breakfast cereals.
Bread and breakfast cereals (谷物) are major source of salt in the diet, not that they’re necessarily high in salt but because we eat a lot of them. For these foods, there can be a really big difference between different types and brands. So next time you’re shopping, take the time to compare the salt levels on a few similar products. And always try to choose the ones lower in salt.
*Avoid adding salt to cooking and at table. Instead, you could use herbs and spices (香料) such as garlic (大蒜) and lemon juice to add flavor to meals

1. 1.

   Many people in China don’t realize they are eating too much salt because ______

   1. A.
      salty food tasted better than reduced salt food
   2. B.
      they do not calculate the amount of salt they eat
   3. C.
      about 3/4 of the salt we eat is already in the food we buy
   4. D.
      few people experience problems from eating too much salt
2. 2.

   For a healthier life, the author’s suggestion is to ________

   1. A.
      cut back on food with less salt
   2. B.
      eat less heavily salted food
   3. C.
      eat as much reduced salt bread as is wanted
   4. D.
      stop eating bread and breakfast cereals
3. 3.

   What is the purpose of the article?

   1. A.
      To warn people of food containing too much salt
   2. B.
      To inform people of the right amount of salt taken each day
   3. C.
      To advise people to be careful about the amount of salt they eat
   4. D.
      To promote (促进) the right way to make reduced salt food

汉译英

每年这个时候，大多数商品的价格平均都降到正常价格的一半．(on average)