Children who are raised in households with dogs during their first year of life may have a lower risk of asthma a few years later, a new study suggests. In the study, the researchers looked at early exposure to dogs and farm animals and the rate of asthma among about 276,000 school-age children in Sweden. Among the school-age kids in the study, those who had been exposed to dogs during their first year of life were 13 percent less likely to have asthma at age 6. The researchers said they don't know for sure what exactly may explain the relationship between early exposure to animals and a reduced risk of asthma."It might be due to a single factor, or more likely, a combination of several factors related to a dog ownership lifestyle or dog owners' attitudes, such as kids' exposure to household dirt and pet dust, time spent outdoors or being physically active,"Fall told LiveScience."As a parent in a dog-and-baby household, it is nearly impossible to keep everything clean, and maybe this is a good thing for your baby's future health." Currently, one of the main hypotheses that aim to explain the link between a lower risk of asthma and early exposure to pets is that"kids in animal environments breathe air that contains more bacteria and bacterial fragments, which actually could lower their risk of asthma,"she said. Previous research on having pets and the risk of asthma in kids has mixed results. For example, the results of a 2001 review of previous studies suggested that exposure to pets was linked to an increased risk of asthma in children. But a 2012 review suggested that exposure to pets, especially dogs, was tied to a decreased risk of asthma and allergies in childhood. "My take-home message from this study is that parents at this point do not need to worry about keeping their dog when expecting a baby for fear of asthmatic disease,"Fall said."I do want to be clear that this recommendation is valid only for families without a child already having allergies. If they already have a furred-animal-allergic... According to the passage, the school-age kids exposed to pets . A) will be more caring B) will grow up more happily C) are less likely to have asthma D) are probably behave better in school
C
When travelers think of an Adriatic cruise, scenes of Venice, Italy--its canals, bridges, piazzas, and stunning architecture--come to mind. It's one of the most popular cruise destinations in Europe. And for many, the sail-away from Venice, through its Giudecca Canal, is an awe-inspiring experience. Venice may be known as La Serenissima, or "the most peaceful," which, however, isn't entirely accurate these days. Venetians have been increasingly concerned about the impact of tourism and the potential for an environmental disaster off its shoreline due to the number of cruise ships that enter and exit its lagoon . That's why earlier last month, Venice announced a new policy to forbid the transit of cruise ships to the city via the Giudecca Canal. It's not that the city wants to shun the cruise industry altogether: It simply wants to force traffic further away from the landmarks along the shoreline. City officials say that most ships will now transit the Contorta Sant'Angelo Canal. Additionally, the city is _ the size of ships that can visit Venice, as well as the total number of ships that call on it on a daily basis. As of January 2014, Venice plans to reduce the visitations of larger ships (those that are 40,000 tons or heavier) by 20 percent. This effectively caps the number of ships that can enter per day to five. In November, ships heavier than 96,000 tons will not be allowed to enter Guidecca Canal at all. How the city plans to carry out the new five-ships-per-day rule remains to be seen and have yet to be announced. Which ships will be allowed passage? Will it be first-come, first-served? However they proceed, cruise line executives want their passengers to know that Venice will remain a regular port of call--even if the transit to and from the city must evolve. It can be learned from the passage that _ . A) People in Venice are complaining about the toursits' behaviors. B) Venetians are often bothered by noise and pollution. C) The city government has announced the concrete ways to carry out the new five-ships-per-day rule. D) The new policy will not discourage the tourism from developing.
D
Q: Fast food giant, McDonald's said on Tuesday that they would be cutting out excess calories in their kids' menu choices starting in September. McDonald's will reduce the amount of French fries in Happy Meals and will also include sliced apple "dippers" in every meal. McDonald's say it will still include the ever-popular toys with each meal. "We are going to introduce more food groups such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains," said Cindy Goody, McDonald's senior director of nutrition. After getting much of the blame for childhood obesity, fast food chains, especially McDonald's, began selling more nutritious menu items. But the restaurant was most criticized for its marketing which is often aimed at young children. Some cities, such as San Francisco, California, have banned toys from all kids' meals that didn't meet strict nutritional guidelines for fat, salt and sugar content because the prizes attracted more children to the fast food. McDonald's felt public pressure to change their offerings. It reduced French fry portions from 2.4oz to 1.1oz in every meal. This decreases calorie content by about 20 percent, which means a new Happy Meal is less than 600 calories. Currently, the unhealthiest Happy Meal consists of a cheeseburger, fries and 1 percent chocolate milk, which contains 700 calories and 27 grams of fat. Meanwhile, Goody and her team plan to cut sodium by 15 percent across the entire menu by 2015, with more cuts to sugar and calories by 2020. The Happy Meal changes will be in place in every place across the United States. A former Happy Meal includes about _ . A) 750 calories B) 700 calories C) 600 calories D) 420 calories
A: A
Can you communicate with others when you live in a foreign country with no or little knowledge of its language? Of course, it is possible. You can communicate your moods and intentions to one another without words, because all human beings share a lot of common visual signals. These signals are as effective as words during communication. The gestures of the head play a key role in body language. The movements of eyes and eyebrows are as important as head movements in body language. Besides the gestures of the head or the movements of the eyes and eyebrows, the action of arms, hands and legs is also a large part of body language. Extending one's arm and shaking hands with others is a greeting in both formal and informal cases. This part of body language might date back to primary tribes . Like handshaking, there are still many other forms of body language presented by hands. Raising one's hand and making a circle with his thumb and for finger signals, that something is OK. Clasped hands raised above the head, a traditional picture accepted by sportsmen after winning a fight, is a display of triumph that grows out of a kind of feeling following a victory. Waving one's hands, a speaker can make his words more powerful and vigorous . Besides hand gestures, there are times when a person says something with his legs as well as with his head and eyes. The leg gestures often reflect one's attitude towards something or someone that person is with. According to the above facts, body language has offered a more reliable way to understand one's mind by means of gestures. Though it is soundless and wordless, once you understand it, you will feel the world is bigger than you realized. After reading the passage we can conclude that _ . A) hand shaking suggests that the speaker is excited B) head plays a less important part in body language C) actors and actresses are good at gestures D) people began to use body language long long ago
D