Behind most of the bad things we do to our bodies as adults, eating more than we should is the idea we carry with us from childhood. On one hand, we assume that we are indestructible. On the other hand, we think that any damage we impose on ourselves can be undone when wβfinally clean up our act.

If the evidence for how wrong the first idea is isn’t apparent when you stand naked in front of the mirror, just wait. But what if you eat right and drop all your bad habits? Is there still time to repair the damage?

To a surprising degree, the answer is yes. Over the past five years, scientists have collected a wealth of data about what happens when aging people with bad habits decide to turn their lives around.

The heartening conclusion: the body has an amazing ability to heal itself, provided the damage is not too great.

The effects of some bad habits-smoking, in particular-can haunt you for decades. But the damage from other habits can be largely healed.

“Any time you improve your behavior and make lifestyle changes, they make a difference from that point on.”says Dr. Jeffey Koplan.“Maybe not right away. It’s like slamming on the brakes. You do need a certain distance.”

But the distance can be remarkably short. Consider the recent announcements from the front lines of medical research: ---A study concluded that women who consume as little as two servings of fish a week cut their risk of suffering a stroke to half that of women who eat less than one serving of fish a month. ---The day you quit smoking, the carbon monoxide levels in your body drop dramatically. Within weeks, your blood becomes less sticky and your risk of dying from a heart attack starts to decline ... Adopting healthy habits won’t cure all that bothers you, of course. But doctors believe that many chronic diseases-from high blood pressure to heart disease and even some cancers-can be warded off with a few sensible changes in lifestyle.

Not sure where to start? Surprisingly, it doesn’t matter, since one positive change usually leads to another. Make enough changes, and you'll discover you’ve adopted a new way of life.

1．Most people with bad habits of eating more than they should believe that        .

A．their bodies cannot be damaged by the bad habits

B．they can force themselves to clean up the had habits later

C．their bodies can heal all the damage without the help from outside

D．they can never change the habits that have developed for decades

2．The evidence against the assumption that we are indestructible        .

A．is seldom apparent                                     B．is clearly shown in the mirror

C．is still a question                                        D．will appear obvious sooner or later

3．According to the recent announcements        .

A．women should eat as much fish as possible

B．men don’t have to eat as much fish as women

C．eating a little more fish can improve women’s health

D．women are at a higher risk of suffering a stroke than men

4．It is implied in the passage that        .

A．the blood of smokers is more sticky than that of non-smokers

B．chronic diseases can be cured ifwe drop our habit of smoking

C．smokers have lower levels of carbon monoxide than non-smokers

D．smokers will be unlikely to die from heart attack if they quit smoking

答案

1．A

2．D

3．C

4．A

【分析】

本文是一篇说明文。文章讲述了坏习惯对人身体带来的影响。大多数有不良饮食习惯的人认为他们的身体不会被这些坏习惯破坏。反对我们坚不可摧这一假设的证据迟早会显现出来。

1．推理判断题。根据第一段Behind most of the bad things we do to our bodies as adults, eating more than we should is the idea we carry with us from childhood. On one hand, we assume that we are indestructible. On the other hand, we think that any damage we impose on ourselves can be undone when we finally clean up our act.（在我们作为成年人对我们的身体所做的大部分坏事背后，吃得比我们应该吃的多是我们从小就随身携带的想法。 一方面，我们假设我们是不可摧毁的。 另一方面，我们认为，当我们最终我们整顿我们的行为时，我们对自己造成的任何损害都可以消除。）可知，大多数有不良饮食习惯的人认为他们的身体不会被这些坏习惯破坏。故选A。

2．推理判断题。根据第一段中On one hand, we assume that we are indestructible. On the other hand, we think that any damage we impose on ourselves can be undone when we finally clean up our act.可知，反对我们坚不可摧这一假设的证据迟早会显现出来。故选D。

3．推理判断题。根据第七段中A study concluded that women who consume as little as two servings of fish a week cut their risk of suffering a stroke to half that of women who eat less than one serving of fish a month.（一项研究得出的结论是，每周只吃两份鱼的妇女患中风的风险降低到每月吃不到一份鱼的妇女的一半。）可知，根据最近的公告，多吃一点鱼可以改善妇女的健康。故选C。

4．推理判断题。根据倒数第二段中The day you quit smoking, the carbon monoxide levels in your body drop dramatically. Within weeks, your blood becomes less sticky and your risk of dying from a heart attack starts to decline ...（你戒烟的那天，你体内的一氧化碳水平急剧下降。 几周内，你的血液变得不那么粘稠，你死于心脏病的风险开始下降）可知，这篇文章暗示吸烟者的血液比不吸烟者的血液更粘稠。故选A。