Preventing obesity and smoking can save lives, but it doesn't save money, reported researchers. "It was a small surprise, for it is against the common belief," said Pieter Van Baal, who led the study. "But it makes sense. If you live longer, then you cost the health system more." The researchers found that from age 20 to 56, obese people racked up the most expensive health costs. But on average, healthy people lived 84 years. Smokers lived about 77 years, and obese people lived about 80 years. Smokers and obese people tended to have more heart disease than healthy people. Therefore in the long run, the thin and healthy group cost about $417, 000, from age 20 on. Smokers cost about $326, 000 and obese people $371, 000. "The result throws a bucket of cold water onto the idea, based on guesswork, that obesity is going to cost trillions of dollars," said Patrick Basham, a professor of health politics. "If we're going to worry about the future of obesity, we should stop worrying about its financial impact," he said. "The benefits of obesity prevention may not be seen immediately in terms of cost saving in tomorrow's budget, but there are long-term gains," said Van Baal. "These are often immeasurable when it comes to people living longer and healthier lives." In the meanwhile, he said that governments should recognize that successful smoking and obesity prevention programs mean that people will have a longer chance of dying of something more expensive later in life. "Lung cancer is a cheap disease to treat because people don't survive very long. But if they are old enough to get Alzheimer's one day, they may survive longer and cost more. We are not advising that governments stop trying to prevent obesity," Van Baal said. "But they should do it for the right reasons." What can we know about the belief that obesity costs much? A) It turns out to be incorrect. B) It comes from scientific study. C) It is based on medical evidence. D) It has changed over the past years.
A
The United States is one of the few countries in the world that has an official day on which fathers are honored by their children. On the third Sunday in June, fathers all across the United States are given presents, treated to dinner or otherwise made to feel special. However, the idea for creating a day for children to honor their fathers began in Spokane, Washington. A woman by the name of Sonora Smart Dodd thought of the idea for Father's Day while listening to a Mother's Day sermon in 1909. Having been raised by her father, Henry Jackson Smart, after her mother died, Sonora wanted her father to know how special he was to her. It was her father that made all the parental sacrifices and was, in the eyes of his daughter, a selfless and loving man. Sonora's father was born in June, so she chose to hold the first Father's Day celebration in Spokane, Washington on the 19th of June, 1910. In 1924 President Calvin Coolidge declared the third Sunday in June as Father's Day. Roses are the Father's Day flowers: red to be worn for a living father and white if the father has died. When children can't visit their fathers or take them out to dinner, they send a greeting card. Traditionally, fathers prefer greeting cards that are not too sentimental(, ). Most greeting cards are too special so fathers laugh when they open them. Some give heartfelt thanks for being there whenever the child needed Dad. At first, Father's Day was fixed on June 19th because _ . A) Sonora honored her father on her father's birthday B) Sonora's birthday was June 19 C) it was decided by the president at that time D) her mother died on June 19
A
Q: The laptop is a machine which can be a mobile office;it can be used to entertain us and people can play computer games on them.One machine can perform many tasks at the same time.As technology grows,the size of the new laptop machines is _ .Now laptops are lighter,have smaller screen sizes,and perform better.Smaller screen laptops,which are more convenient to take along with,have been specially designed for professionals.Huge display screen laptops are still used by graphic designers and those who like playing computer games. Laptops are advanced machines,and they can be very expensive.When we spend much money on something,we should take good care of it.I know some people who buy a new laptop every year.The reason they do this is that the old one either is broken or has some problems which cannot be fixed.Common problems are the breaking of the screen,the breaking of joints of the laptop,display problems,and keyboard problems. Different problems will always come up with machines,and they cannot be avoided .Old machines will always have to be replaced by new ones.However,if we are more careful and handle our laptops with care,they will last for a longer period of time,and they will perform better.This is not a hard thing to do,but it will greatly increase the life and performance of laptops. We infer that graphic designers still use huge display screen laptops most probably because _ . A) huge display screen laptops are very cheap B) small display screen laptops are not on sale yet C) they can see their drawings more clearly D) they also want to play computer games
A: C
Adventure Vacations People like different kinds of vacations. Some go camping. They swim, fish, cook over a fire and sleep outside. Others like to stay at a hotel in an exciting city. They go shopping all day and go dancing all night. Or maybe they go sightseeing to places such as Disneyland, the Tai Mahan or the Louver. Some people are bored with sightseeing trips. They don't want to be "tourists". They want to have an adventure--a surprising and exciting trip. They want to learn something and maybe help people too. How can they do this? Some travel companies and environmental groups are planning special adventures. Sometimes these trips are difficult and full of hardships, but they're a lot of fun. One organization, Earth watch, sends small groups of volunteers to different parts of the world. Some volunteers spend two weeks and study the environment. Others work with animals. Others learn about people of the past. Would you like an adventure in the Far North? A team of volunteers is leaving from Mormons, Russia. The leader of this trip is a professor from Alaska. He's worried about chemicals from factories. He and the volunteers will study this pollution in the environment. If you like exercise and cold weather, this is a good trip for you. Volunteers need ski sixteen kilometers every day. Do you enjoy ocean animals? You can spend two to four weeks in Hawaii. There, you can teach language to dolphins. Dolphins can follow orders such as "Bring me the large ball." They also understand opposites. How much more can they understand? It will be exciting to learn about these intelligent animals. Another study trip goes to Washington State and follows orcas. We call orcas "killer Whale", but they're really dolphins--the largest kind of dolphin. This beautiful animal travels together in family groups. They move through the ocean with their mothers, grandmothers and great-grandmothers. Ocean pollution is chasing their lives. Earth watch is studying how this happens. Are you interested in history? Then Greece is the... Which of the following is false? A) Some people find sightseeing trips boring. B) Earth watch is planning all these special adventures. C) The number of orcas is decreasing. D) 3 volcano explosions in all broke out 3, 500 years ago in Greece.
D