A calorie is a unit of energy, not a measure of weight or nutrient density. The calories you see on nutrition labels，however，are actually kilocalories. The calories on food packaging always refer to kilocalories, even though it just says “calories”. One kilocalorie is the amount of energy required to heat 1 kilogram of water by 1 degree Celsius. Calories in our food all come from one of the three nutrients: fats, carbohydrates and proteins.

In 1990, the U. S. government passed the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act, which means that before any packaged food in the U. S. hits the shelves, food scientists have to measure its nutrients and calories. One way to do this is using a tool called bomb calorimeter（弹氧热卡计）. This tool directly measures the amount of energy that a food contains. To use this tool, scientists place the food in question in a sealed（密封的）container surrounded by water and heat it until the food is completely burned off. Scientists then record the rise in water temperature to determine the number of calories in the product.

Food scientists also rely on a calculation developed by the 19th-century U. S. chemist Wilbur Olin Atwater to indirectly estimate the number of calories in food products. Calorimeters don’t take into account that humans lose some calories through heat and feces（类便）. Atwater’s experiments found that proteins and carbohydrates each have about 4 calories per gram and fats have 9 calories per gram.

However, some experts say that the Atwater system is outdated and inaccurate. A 2012 study found that the energy content of certain foods, such as nuts, could not be accurately calculated by the Atwater system. Besides, it does not take into account the digestive process, but assumes the complete conversion of nutrients to energy.

【小题1】What can we learn about the unit of energy on nutrition labels?

A．It actually means calories.

B．It refers to kilocalories.

C．It reads kilograms.

D．It employs degrees.

【小题2】What should be done to measure the amount of calories according to the calorimeter?

A．Heat the food in an open container until the food is completely burned off.

B．Take the calories through heat and feces into consideration.

C．Learn the calculation developed by Wilbur Olin Atwater.

D．Calculate the amount of energy in food products directly.

【小题3】How many calories does a food containing 10 grams of proteins and 5 grams of fats have according to the Atwater system?

A．About 40.	B．About 45.
C．About 85.	D．About 130.

【小题4】What would be the best title for the text?

A．How Are Calorie Counts Calculated?

B．Where do Calories Come from?

C．Can Nutrients Be Converted to Energy Totally?

D．Nutrients and Calories Listed on a Food Label

   In the United States alone,over 100 million cell-phones are thrown away each year.Cell-phones are part of a growing mountain of electronic waste like computers and personal digital assistants.The electronic waste stream is increasing three times taster than traditional garbage as a whole.

Electronic devices contain valuable metals such as gold and silver.A Swiss study reported that while the weight of electronic goods represented by precious metals was relatively small in comparison to total waste,the concentration（含量）of gold and other precious metals was higher in So-called e-waste than in naturally occurring minerals.

Electronic wastes also contain many poisonous metals.Even when the machines are recycled and the harmful metals removed,the recycling process often is carried out in poor countries,in practically uncontrolled ways which allow many poisonous substances to escape into the environment.

Creating products out of raw materials creates much more waste material,up to 100 times more,than the material contained in the finished products.Consider again the cell-phone,and imagine the mines that produced those metals,the factories needed to make the box and packaging（包装）it came in.Many wastes produced in the producing process are harmful as well.

The U.S Environmental Protection Agency notes that most waste is dangerous in that"the production, distribution,and use of products-as well as management of the resulting waste-all result in greenhouse gas release." Individuals can reduce their contribution by creating less waste at the start-for instance,buying reusable products and recycling.

In many countries the concept of extended producer responsibility is being considered or has been put in place as an incentive（动机）for reducing waste.If producers are required to take back packaging they use to sell their products,would they reduce the packaging in the first place?

Governments' incentive to require producers to take responsibility for the packaging they produce is usually based on money.Why,they ask,should cities or towns be responsible for paying to deal with the bubble wrap（气泡垫）that encased your television?

From the governments' point of view,a primary goal of laws requiring extended producer responsibility is to transfer both the costs and the physical responsibility of waste management from the government and tax-payers back to the producers.

【小题1】By mentioning the Swiss study,the author intends to tell us that .

A．the weight of e-goods is rather small

B．natural minerals contain more precious metals

C．E-waste deserves to be made good use of

D．the percentage of precious metals is heavy in e-waste

【小题2】The responsibility of c-waste treatment should be extended .

A．from producers to governments

B．from governments to producers

C．from individuals to distributors

D．from distributors to governments

【小题3】What docs the passage mainly talk about?

A．The increase in e-waste.	B．The creation of e-waste.
C．The seriousness of e-waste.	D．The management of e-waste.

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Exposure to sunlight produces vitamin D in our skin. This is 【小题1】 we call vitamin D the “ sunshine vitamin”. Vitamin D is good 【小题2】 everybody. In fact, research shows this “sunshine vitamin” could help women with breast cancer live longer.

Breast cancer 【小题3】 (patient) who have high blood levels of vitamin D have a 【小题4】 (good) prognosis (预后) than women who don’t. Researchers found that these women had less aggressive cancers. They were also 30 percent less likely 【小题5】 (die) from the cancer or to get it again.

Besides fighting breast cancer, vitamin D helps the body in other ways. It controls how the body absorbs calcium. It also makes sure the body’s immune system works 【小题6】 (normal) .

Getting enough vitamin D 【小题7】 (be) important for the normal growth of bones. If you don’t get enough, you are at risk of developing osteoporosis, a disease 【小题8】 makes your bones fragile, brittle, or easy to break.

Vitamin D may help reduce your risk of developing heart disease, according to a 2008 study 【小题9】 (publish) in the journal Circulation. And, it may also help protect you against getting the flu.

Other studies have shown that vitamin D might help people 【小题10】 (suffer) from depression.

   For some people,music is no fun at all. About four percent of the population is what scientists call “amusic.” People who are amusic are born without the ability to recognize or reproduce musical notes(音调). Amusic people often cannot tell the difference between two songs. Amusics can only hear the difference between two notes if they are very far apart on the musical scale.

As a result, songs sound like noise to an amusic. Many amusics compare the sound of music to pieces of metal hitting each other. Life can be hard for amusics. Their inability to enjoy music sets them apart from others. It can be difficult for other people to identify with their condition. In fact, most people cannot begin to grasp what it feels like to be amusic. Just going to a restaurant or a shopping mall can be uncomfortable or even painful. That is why many amusics intentionally stay away from places where there is music. However, this can result in withdrawal and social isolation. “I used to hate parties,” says Margaret,a seventy-year-old woman who only recently discovered that she was amusic. By studying people like Margaret, scientists are finally learning how to identify this unusual condition.

Scientists say that the brains of amusics are different from the brains of people who can appreciate music. The difference is complex, and it doesn't involve defective hearing. Amusics can understand other nonmusical sounds well. They also have no problems understanding ordinary speech. Scientists compare amusics to people who just can't see. certain colors.

Many amusics are happy when their condition is finally diagnosed(诊断). For years, Margaret felt embarrassed about her problem with music. Now she knows that she is not alone. There is a name for her condition. That makes it easier for her to explain. “When people invite me to a concert, I just say,” No thanks, I'm amusic,'“says Margaret. “I just wish I had learned to say that when I was seventeen and not seventy.”

【小题1】Which of the following is true of amusic?

A．Listening to music is far from enjoyable for them.

B．They love places where they are likely to hear music.

C．They can easily tell two different songs apart.

D．Their situation is well understood by musicians.

【小题2】According to Paragraph 3, a person with “defective hearing” is probably one who ___________.

A．dislikes listening to speeches

B．can hear anything nonmusical

C．has a hearing problem

D．lacks a complex hearing system

【小题3】In the last paragraph, Margaret expressed her wish that __________.

A．her problem with music had been diagnosed earlier

B．she were seventeen years old rather than seventy

C．her problem could be easily explained

D．she were able to meet other amusics

【小题4】What is the passage mainly concerned with?

A．Amusics' strange behaviours.

B．Some people's inability to enjoy music.

C．Musical talent and brain structure.

D．Identification and treatment of amusics.

   Cellphones, tablets, and computers are keeping children and teenagers awake at night-even when they' re not in use, according to new research. A study published on Monday in JAMA Pediatrics says that media devices are causing kids to sleep less and reducing the quality of sleep that they get. This leads to trouble of staying awake the next day.

Researchers analyzed hundreds of studies of children and teens aged 6-19. The scientists found a strong and consistent association between the use of technology at bedtime and poor sleeping. The reason is not just that kids are staying up too late with their devices. Using a computer can overstimulate the mind and emotions, the researchers say. A smartphone or tablet also gives off a light that affects the body's natural timing. These factors contribute to poor quality sleep. And many kids could be at risk. According to the study,72% of all children and 89% of adolescents have at least one device in their sleep environment. Most of these devices are used near bedtime.

"The harmful association between screen-based devices and kids' sleep is a major public health concern," the study concludes. In their conclusion, the researchers urge parents to understand the damaging influence of device use before sleep.

【小题1】What do the researchers disagree with?

A．Children even in dreams can be influenced by media devices.

B．Most adolescents like to play media devices before sleep.

C．Using media devices on bed makes kids sleep difficultly.

D．Using media devices can not excite the mind and emotions.

【小题2】How does a smartphone affect a child's sleep?

A．By making noises.

B．By giving off a light.

C．By attracting a kid's attention.

D．By sending out electronic waves.

【小题3】What can we learn from the second paragraph?

A．Media devices anytime put kids in danger.

B．Adolescents are more easily affected than children by phones.

C．Using technology at bedtime causes poor sleeping.

D．Media devices affect kid's performance at school.

【小题4】Whom does this article most probably writes to？

A．Scientists.	B．Parents.
C．Children.	D．Producers.