People who are slightly overweight or mildly obese have a lower risk of early death than normal weight individuals(;), according to a new analysis of nearly 100 international studies. The studies, most conducted within the past decade, included about three million adults from around the world. The result of these studies by researchers at the National Center for Health Statistics in Maryland, part of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shows that slightly overweight or obese people were six percent less likely to die from all causes compared to people of normal weight. But the researchers found that seriously obese individuals were still at a 30 percent greater risk of death compared to healthy-weight individuals. Study lead author Katherine Flegal says she was not surprised that overweight people would not have a higher death risk. "Because we'd actually already read a lot of this literature and realized that death rates for overweight would be at least not higher than normal[weight," she said. "I guess l was a little bit surprised that it was definitely lower. And l was also surprised that the lower rates of obesity didn't seem to differ from normal weight." But Flegal stresses the difference in death rates appear to be small between normal-weight people and overweight and mildly obese individuals. The finding by Flegal and colleagues have raised new questions about the reliability of the so-called "body mass index" or BMI, a measurement of body fat as a ratio(,)of height to weight, that has become popular in recent years among public healthexperts to measure potential health risks. But Heymsfield warns that individuals should not conclude that it's okay to put on extra kilograms, since being at a healthy weight lowers the risk for heart disease and diabetes. What topic does the passage mainly deal with? A) Technology. B) Dieting. C) Health. D) Death.
C
An "apple polisher" is one who gives gifts to win friendship or special treatment. It is not exactly a bribe ,but is close to it. All sorts of people are apple polishers, including politicians and people in high offices -- just about everybody. Oliver Cromwell, the great English leader, offered many gifts to win the support of George Fox and his party, but failed. There are other phrases meaning the same thing as "apple-polishing" -- "soft-soaping" or "butter-up". A gift is just one way to "soft-soap" somebody, or to "butter him up". Another that is just as effective is flattery, giving someone high praise -- telling him how good he looks, or how well he speaks, or how talented and wise he is. Endless are the ways of flattery. Who does not love or hear it ? Only an unusual man can resist the thrill of being told how wonderful he is. In truth, flattery is good medicine for most of us, who gets so little of it. We need it to be more sure of ourselves. It cannot hurt unless we get carried away by it. But we just lap it up for its food value and nourishment, as a cat laps up milk, then we can still remain true to ourselves. Sometimes, however, flattery will get you nothing from one who has had too much of it. A good example is the famous 12th century legend of King Canute of Denmark and England. The king got tired of listening to the endless sickening flattery of his courtiers .They overpraised him to the skies, as a man of limitless power. He decided to teach them a lesson. He took them to the seashore and sat down. Then he ordered the waves to stop coming in. The tide was too busy to listen to him. The king was satisfied. This might show his followers how weak his power was and how empty their flattery. Which of the following activities has nothing to do with "apple-polishing" ? A) A boy tells his girlfriend how pretty she looks B) An employee tells his boss how good he is at management C) A knight is said to be of limitless power by his followers D) A teacher praised his students for their talent and wisdom.
D
Q: Fidenzio Salvatori is determined that the city of Toronto will have an outdoor marketplace for merchants from its immigrant community, complete with dancing and other forms of amusement form their native countries. "Toronto is truly multicultural ," he said in a newspaper interview. "It's a city from many places, and multicultural marketplace will help Torontonians to understand and appreciate the rich variety of cultural groups in our city." Salvatori, aged 23, will soon complete his studies at the University of Toronto. He was eleven years old when he came to Canada from Italy with his parents. "Most of Toronto's immigrants are from lands where the marketplace has always been part of daily life," he said. Salvatori has been interested in getting an open-air market for Toronto for the last three years. This year, with the help of two fellow students, he prepared a proposal on the subject and presented it to the city's Executive committee, asking for their support. The proposal pointed out Toronto's rich variety of national groups, "whose customs include market shopping." Under a Canadian government program for multiculturalism, the three students have received two thousand dollars with which they will do a study to find out whether Toronto's immigrant businessmen would support an open-air market. They hope the merchants will support the plan strongly. "A study done earlier this year showed that 90 percent of shoppers would be in favor of it," Salvatori said. "At first it would be an experiment. But we think it will prove to be good business for the merchants, as well as tourist attraction." What is Fidenzio Salvatori's purpose of having an outdoor marketplace for Toronto? A) To provide different forms of amusement. B) To keep the cultural variety of the city. C) To inspire its immigrant community. D) To satisfy its immigrant merchants.
A: B
*Question*
A woman planning "Harry Potter night" at a supper club she runs at home has been forced to change their name after a warning from film studio Warner Bros . The evenings in Kiburn, north London, were due to include food and other elements from the Harry Potter books. However, Warner Bros, maker of the Harry Potter films, wrote to the club's organizer "Ms Marmite Lover" warning that the parties would infringe its rights. The club will now hold two "Genetic Wizard nights" for Halloween. On her blog,Ms Marmite Lover explains that she researched and developed her menu with her Harry Potter-obsessed teenage daughter and a food writer. Guests would have to enter the venue, called the Underground Restaurant, through "Diagon Alley" and by giving a password--while a "Sorting Hat" would decide the seating plan. After Warner Bros learned about the event, he wrote to Ms Marmite Lover saying: "While we are delighted that you are such a fun of the Harry Potter series, unfortunately your proposed use of the Harry Potter Properties without our permission would amount to an infringement of Wamer's rights." The letter added: "Warner does not, of course, object to you holding a generic wizard/Halloween night at the Underground Restaurant." Ms Marmite Lover suggested in her blog: "JK Rowling herself, having at one time been a struggling single parent, and having donated to the National Council for one Patent Families, would probably approve of a single mother being entrepreneurial and creative". The Underground Restaurant usually charges diners about 20-30 each, except alcohol. Warner Bros says it has guidelines to help Harry Potter fans run non-profit and charitable events true to the spirit of the stories. The vast majority of non-commercial events are able to go ahead with the studio's support, it says. From the passage we know that Ms Marmite was _ A) a single parent B) the maker of the Harry Potter films C) a cooking-book writer D) the researcher of Harry Potter films
**Answer**
A