Question

Doctors in Britain are warning of an obesity time bomb, when children who are already overweight grow up．So, what should we do? Exercise more? Eat less? Or both? The government feels it has to take responsibility for this expanding problem．

The cheerful Mr．Pickwick, the hero of the novel by Charles Dickens, is seen in illustrations as someone who is plump and happy．In 18th century paintings, beauty is equated （使…等同） with rounded bodies and soft curves．But nowadays being overweight is seen as indicating neither a cheerful character nor beauty but an increased risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes．

So what do you do? Diet? Not according to England's chief medical officer．Sir Liam Donaldson．He says mat physical activity is the key to reducing the risks of obesity, cancer and heart disease．And the Health Secretary John Reid even said that being inactive is as serious a risk factor in heart disease as smoking．

So, having bought some cross trainers, how much exercise should you do? According to Sir Liam Donaldson, at least 30 minutes of moderate activity five days a week．Is going to the gym the answer? Luckily for those who think that running machines are boring, me Health Development Agency believes that physical activity mat fits into people's lives may be more effective．They suggest taking the stairs rather than the lift, walking up escalators, playing active games with your children, dancing or gardening．And according to a sports psychologist．Professor Biddle, gyms "are not making the nation fit", and may even cause harm．

There's new scientific evidence that too much exercise may actually be bad for you．Scientists at the University of Ulster have found that unsuitable exercise releases dangerous free radicals that can adversely （opposingly） affect normal function in unfit people．The only people who should push their bodies to that level of exercise on a regular basis are trained athletes．

So, should we forget about gyms and follow some expert's advice to reduce sedentary （久坐不動(dòng)的） activities and increase exercise in our daily life? After all, getting off the bus a stop early and walking the rest of the way can't do any harm! One final thought How come past generations lacked gym facilities but were leaner and fitter than people today?

45．Mr．Pickwick and the paintings of the 18m century are used as examples to show that_____．

       A．fatness was considered something good at one time

       B．a(chǎn) fat man is usually a cheerful character

       C．beauty should be overweight

       D．fatness leads to an increased risk of disease

46．According to Sir Liam Donaldson, we should_____．

       A．do regular physical activity                B．go on a diet

       C．give up smoking                       D．go to the gym

47．The underlined phrase cross trainers probably refers to _____．

       A．people who help you do exercise          B．places where you can do exercise

       C．a(chǎn) form of vehicles                                                  D．a(chǎn) kind of shoes

48．Being overweight indicates _____．

       A．a(chǎn) cheerful character                            B．a(chǎn) happier life

       C．a(chǎn)n increased risk of diseases                                         D．a(chǎn) beauty

49．What is the passage mainly about?

       A．the dangers of exercise in the gym．

       B．increased risks for overweight people．

       C．how to keep fit and avoid fatness．

       D．the benefit of a balanced diet．

Answer 1

AADCC