No woman can be too rich or too thin. This saying represents much of the strange spirit of our times. Being thin is assumed as such a virtue.
The problem with such a view is that some people actually attempt to live by it. I myself have fantasies of slipping into narrow designer clothes. Consequently, I have been on a diet for the better --or worse-- part of my life. Being rich wouldn't be bad either, but that won’t happen unless an unknown relative dies suddenly in some distant land, leaving me millions of dollars.
Where did we go off the track? When did eating butter become a sin, and a little bit of extra flesh unappealing, if not unpleasant? All religions have certain days when people stop from eating and overeating is one of Christianity's seven deadly sins. However, until quite recently, most people had a problem getting enough to eat. In some religious groups, wealth was a symbol of probable high morals, and fatness a sign of wealth and well-being.
Today the opposite is true. We have shifted to thinness as our new mark of virtue. The result is that being fat -- or even only somewhat overweight -- is bad because it implies a lack of moral strength.
Our obsession（迷恋）with thinness is also fueled by health concerns. It is true that in this country we have more overweight people than ever before, and that in many cases, being overweight correlates with an increased risk of heart and blood vessel disease. These diseases, however, may have as much to do with our way of life and our high-fat diets as with excess weight. And the associated risk of cancer in the digestive system may be more of a dietary problem -- too much fat and a lack of fiber -- than a weight problem.
The real concern, then, is not that we weigh too much, but that we neither exercise enough nor eat well. Exercise is necessary for strong bones and both heart and lung health. A balanced diet without a lot of fat can also help the body avoid many diseases. We should surely stop paying so much attention to weight. Simply being thin is not enough. It is actually dangerous if those who get (or already are) thin think they are automatically healthy and thus free from paying attention to their overall life-style. Thinness can be pure vain glory.
28. In the eyes of the author, an odd phenomenon nowadays is that_________.
A. looking slim is a symbol of having a large fortune
B. being thin is viewed as a much-desired quality
C. fat people are subject to health problems
D. religious people are not necessarily virtuous
29. According to the passage, people’s views on body weight__________.
A. remain the same in spite of the change of times
B. vary in different religious beliefs
C. result in different religious beliefs
D. have changed greatly over time
30. Which of the following statements would the author agree?
A. No woman can be too rich or too thin
B. Eating butter is a sin
C. Diseases have much to do with our way of life
D. Cancer in the digestive system results from a weight problem
31. What's the author's advice to women who are absorbed in the idea of thinness?
A. They should rid themselves of fantasies about designer clothes.
B. They should be more watchful for fatal diseases.
C. They should gain weight to look healthy.
D. They should be more concerned with their overall life style.
BDCD
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