单选题 Imagine eating everything delicious you want with none of the fat. That would be great, wouldn"t it?
New "fake fat" products appeared on store shelves in the United States recently, but not everyone is happy about it. Makers of the products, which contain a compound called olestra, say food manufacturers can now eliminate fat from certain foods, Critics, however, say that the new compound can rob the body of essential vitamins and nutrients and can also cause unpleasant side effects in some people. So it is up to consumers to decide whether the new fat-free products taste good enough to keep eating.
Chemists discovered olestra in the late 1960s, when they were searching for a fat that could be digested by infants more easily. Instead of finding the desired fat, the researchers created a fat that can"t be digested at all.
Normally, special chemicals in the intestines "grab" molecules of regular fat and break them down so they can be used by the body. A molecule of regular fat is made up of three molecules of substances called fatty acids.
The fatty acids are absorbed by the intestines and bring with them the essential vitamins A, D, E and K. When fat molecules are present in the intestines with any of those vitamins, the vitamins attach to the molecules and are carried into the bloodstream.
Olestra, which is made from six to eight molecules of fatty acids, is too large for the intestines to absorb. It just slides through the intestines without being broken down. Manufacturers say it"s that ability to slide unchanged through the intestines that makes olestra so valuable as a fat substitute. It provides consumers with the taste of regular fat without any bad effects on the body. But critics say olestra can prevent vitamins A, D, E, and K from being absorbed. It can also prevent the absorption of carotenoids, compounds that may reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease, etc.
Manufacturers are adding vitamins A, D, E and K as well as carotenoids to their products now. Even so, some nutritionists are still concerned that people might eat unlimited amounts of food made with the fat substitute without worrying about how many calories they are consuming.
单选题 We learn from the passage that olestra is a substance that ______.
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】[解析] 细节推断题。根据原文第二段尾句中的it指代前文的olestra,new fat-free products指的就是fake fat,从这句可以得出“假脂肪”产品没有脂肪,这是由于该产品包含了olestra这种物质。又根据原文第六段第四句the taste of regular fat与选项D中的keeping them delicious对应。olestra就是使食品不含脂肪而且保持了原来味道的物质。故答案为D。
单选题 The result of the search for an easily digestible fat turned out to be ______.
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】[解析] 细节推断题。根据题干关键词digestible与原文第三段尾句中的digested为同根词定位。根据原句中的Instead of finding the desired fat可以推断出olestra的发现是偶然的。故答案为D。
单选题 Olestra is different from ordinary fats in that ______.
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】[解析] 细节事实题。又根据原文第四段尾句可知,regular fat只含有three molecules脂肪酸。根据第六段首句中的too large for the intestines to absorb,与选项A对应。故答案为A。
单选题 What is a possible effect of olestra according to some critics?
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】[解析] 细节推断题。根据题干关键词some critics定位到原文第六段末尾两句。olestra阻止人体吸收 carotenoids(类胡萝卜素),而类胡萝卜素能reduce the risk of cancer。故答案为C。
单选题 Why are nutritionists concerned about adding vitamins to olestra?
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】[解析] 细节事实题。根据题干关键词nutritionists定位到原文尾段尾句。原句中的eat与选项B重现,原句中的unlimited amounts of与选项B中的more than对应。故答案为B。其他三项在文中均没有进行陈述。