单选题   A study of nearly 140 000 women in the US showed that regular helpings of a small portion of nuts can have a powerful protective effect against a disease that is threatening to become a global epidemic. Women who consumed a 28 gram packet of walnuts at least twice a week were 24 percent less likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those who rarely or never ate them. Eating walnuts just two or three times a week can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by almost a quarter.
    The latest findings, published in the Journal of Nutrition, are not the first to highlight the anti-diabetic effects of walnuts, with earlier research showing similar benefits. However, this is thought to be one of the largest studies to find regularly snacking on them can help prevent the condition. Although the latest research was carried out on female nurses, it's likely that the same benefits apply to men.
    According to the charity Diabetes UK, at the current rate of increase, the numbers affected by type 2 diabetes in the UK will rise from around 2.5 million currently to four million by 2025 and five million by 2030. Left untreated, it can raise the risk of heart attacks, blindness and amputation (截肢). Being overweight, physically inactive and having a poor diet are major risk factors for the disease.
    Scientists at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, US, tracked 137893 female nurses aged from 35 to 77 over a ten year period to see how many developed type 2 diabetes. Their dietary habits were closely monitored, including details on how often they ate nuts, particularly walnuts. After allowing for body fat and weight, the researchers found eating walnuts one to three times a month reduced the risk by four percent, once a week by 13 percent and at least twice a week by 24 percent.
    In a report on the findings the researchers said: 'These results suggest higher walnut consumption is associated with a significantly lower risk of type 2 diabetes in women.' Walnuts are rich in healthy fatty acids (脂肪酸) which have been shown to reduce inflammation (炎症) in the body and protect against heart disease, cancer and arthritis (关节炎). Last year, experts at the University of California Los Angeles also found young men in their twenties and thirties who ate walnuts every day increased their sperm count and boosted their fertility.
    The research comes just after a Louisiana State University study which showed that eating nuts can reduce people's risk of obesity. The study found that those who consumed varieties such as almonds and pistachios (开心果) demonstrated a lower body weight, body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference compared to non-consumers. They were also at lower risk of developing heart disease, type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome.
单选题     What does 'a global epidemic' (Line 3, Para. 1) refer to?
 
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】语义理解题。定位段第一句提到,一项对美国近14万名女性进行的研究表明,定期吃一小份坚果对于一种可能会变成全球性的流行病可以起到很强的预防作用。由接下来的两句可知,该段主题为吃核桃可减少患2型糖尿病的危险。综合以上信息,可推断这个全球性的流行病为2型糖尿病,故答案为B。A“一种疾病”表述太宽泛,故排除;C“癌症”和D“肥胖症”均与原文意思不符,故排除。
单选题     The research whose findings were published in the Journal of Nutrition ______.
 
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】事实细节题。定位句提到,刊登在《营养期刊》杂志上的最新研究结果并非是首次强调核桃对糖尿病有预防功效,之前就有研究表明核桃有类似功效。C与定位句意思一致,故为答案。最后一句提到,这项最新的研究是针对女护士们进行的,故排除A“这项研究是针对男护士们进行的”;第二句提到,但该项研究被认为是……最大型的研究之一,B“被认为是关于核桃的预防糖尿病功效的一个小型研究”与原文意思不符,故排除;D“是关于核桃的预防糖尿病功效的首次研究”与定位句句意不符,故排除。
单选题     Which of the following can be inferred from the third paragraph?
 
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】推理判断题。第三段最后一句提到,超重、不锻炼身体和不良饮食习惯是患2型糖尿病的主要风险因素。由此可推知,健康的饮食和锻炼身体可降低患糖尿病的风险,故C为答案。由定位段首句可知,英国2型糖尿病患者的人数到2030年会翻番,故排除A“英国2型糖尿病患者的人数到2025年会翻番”;B“2型糖尿病主要是由少儿时期肥胖引起的”与原文意思不符,故排除;D“2型糖尿病将会使患者体重增加显著”是对原文的曲解,故排除。
单选题     What do we learn about the 137 893 nurses tracked by scientists?
 
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】事实细节题。由定位句可知,美国波士顿哈佛公共卫生学院的科学家们对137893名年龄从35岁到77岁的女护士跟踪研究了十年,观察其中有多少人患2型糖尿病。C与定位句意思一致,故为答案。由定位句可知,该项研究的对象为女护士,故排除A“这些护士大多数是女性”;B“在二十多年里,她们的饮食习惯受到密切的监视”与定位句中提到的“十年”不符,故排除;该段第三句指出,在考虑了身体脂肪和体重这类情况后……,由此可知,所跟踪护士的身体脂肪和体重并不一样,故排除D。
单选题     It has been proved that eating almonds can ______.
 
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】事实细节题。定位句指出,该课题研究发现,那些吃各种如杏仁、开心果之类的坚果的人与那些不吃坚果的人相比,体重相对较轻、身体质量指数较低、腰围相对较细。A“降低人们的体重、身体质量指数和腰围”与定位句意思一致,故为答案。B“缓解体内炎症”、C“降低人们患心脏病、癌症和关节炎的危险”和D“增加年轻男性的精子数量,提高他们的生育能力”都是吃核桃的好处,故均排除。