复合题

In the past thirty years, Americans’ consumption of restaurant and take-out food has doubled. The result, according to many health watchdog groups, is an increase in overweight and obesity. Almost 60 million Americans are obese, costing $117 billion each year in health care and related costs. Members of Congress have decided they need to do something about the obesity epidemic. A bill was recently introduced in the House that would require restaurants with twenty or more locations to list the nutritional content of their food on their menus. A Senate version of the bill is expected in the near future.

Our legislators point to the trend of restaurants’ marketing larger meals at attractive prices. People order these meals believing that they are getting a great value, but what they are also getting could be, in one meal, more than the daily recommended allowances of calories, fat, and sodium. The question is, would people stop “supersizing,” or make other healthier choices if they knew the nutritional content of the food they’re ordering? Lawmakers think they would, and the gravity of the obesity problem has caused them to act to change menus.

The Menu Education and Labeling, or MEAL, Act, would result in menus that look like the nutrition facts panels found on food in supermarkets. Those panels are required by the 1990 Nutrition Labeling and Education Act, which exempted restaurants. The new restaurant menus would list calories, fat, and sodium on printed menus, and calories on menu boards, for all items that are offered on a regular basis (daily specials don’t apply). But isn’t this simply asking restaurants to state the obvious? Who isn’t aware that an order of supersize fries isn’t health food? Does anyone order a double cheeseburger thinking they’re being virtuous?

Studies have shown that it’s not that simple. In one, registered dieticians couldn’t come up with accurate estimates of the calories found in certain fast foods. Who would have guessed that a milk shake, which sounds pretty healthy (it does contain milk, after all) has more calories than three McDonald’s cheeseburgers? Or that one chain’s chicken breast sandwich, another better-sounding alternative to a burger, contains more than half a day’s calories and twice the recommended daily amount of sodium? Even a fast-food coffee drink, without a doughnut to go with it, has almost half the calories needed in a day.

The restaurant industry isn’t happy about the new bill. Arguments against it include the fact that diet alone is not the reason for America’s obesity epidemic. A lack of adequate exercise is also to blame. In addition, many fast food chains already post nutritional information on their websites, or on posters located in their restaurants.

Those who favor the MEAL Act, and similar legislation, say in response that we must do all we can to help people maintain a healthy weight. While the importance of exercise is undeniable, the quantity and quality of what we eat must be changed. They believe that if we want consumers to make better choices when they eat out, nutritional information must be provided where they are selecting their food. Restaurant patrons are not likely to have memorized the calorie counts they may have looked up on the Internet, nor are they going to leave their tables, or a line, to check out a poster that might be on the opposite side of the restaurant.

单选题 The purpose of the passage is to _____.
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】本文第一段提出， 由于美国人肥胖想象严重， 议会提出一项要求饭店在菜单上标明饭菜所含营养成分的法案。 后文便是对这一法案的分析和各方的支持或反对意见。 所以文章主要就是在谈论Meal Act这个议员提出用于解决肥胖问题的法案。
单选题 According to the passage, the larger meals now being offered in restaurants _____.
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】由第二段第二句People order these meals believing that they are getting a great value, but what they are also getting could be, in one meal, more than the daily recommended allowances of calories, fat, and sodium.可知， 一顿大餐所含卡路里、 脂肪、 钠的量比一天建议用量大， 含量过高。
单选题 According to the passage, why is the restaurant industry against the new Congressional bill?
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】由倒数第二段前两句The restaurant industry isn’t happy about the new bill. Arguments against it include the fact that diet alone is not the reason for America’s obesity epidemic. A lack of adequate exercise is also to blame.可知， 饭店对法案表示不满的原因是他们认为饮食问题并不是导致美国肥胖现象严重的唯一因素， 缺乏锻炼也是其中一项原因。
单选题 The passage explains that those in favor of the MEAL Act want nutritional information placed_____.
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】由最后一段第三句They believe that if we want consumers to make better choices when they eat out, nutritional information must be provided where they are selecting their food.可知， 支持 Meal Act的人认为顾客选择食物的地方都应该标识有食物的营养信息。
单选题 If the MEAL Act is passed, consumers would see _____.
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】由第三段首句The Menu Education and Labeling, or MEAL Act, would result in menus that look like the nutrition facts panels found on food in supermarkets.可知， 法案实施后， 饭店的菜单就会像超市里食品外包装上的标签一样。