Health organizations such as the UK’s national health services recommend that adults take 10 micrograms, or 400 international units (IU) of vitamin D every day, while the National Institutes of Health advise that most adults take 600 IU, with both bodies cautioning against taking more than 4,000 IU per day. Having too much vitamin D can cause a build-up of calcium (钙) in the blood, leading to symptoms such as nausea and kidney stones.
But Patrick J. LaRiccia at the University of Pennsylvania and his colleagues recently found that a daily dose (一剂) of 5,000 IU may reduce the risk of influenza-like symptoms. They wondered whether this higher-than-recommended dosage may also have other positive effects.
So the team asked 196 adults to take 5,000 IU of vitamin D3 every day for about nine months. The adults, aged 47 on average, were aware of the dose they were having. The researchers also analyzed the data of more than 1,900 people who weren’t given the 5,000 IU daily dose of vitamin D. However, they were free to take vitamin D supplements if they wished. Towards the end of the study, across this group, the average reported dose was 1,318 IU and the average age was 50.
Over 10 months, those on the 5,000 IU dose had a lower risk of being hospitalized due to any cause, and they had to visit the emergency room or be admitted to intensive care less than people in the other group. No participants reported side effects.
However, LaRiccia says the team can’t rule out the age difference as a possible cause of these results, with those in the high-dose group potentially avoiding hospital because they were on average three years younger. The nationalities of people in the two groups also differed, with fewer Hispanic and Latino people in the high-dose group, which may have affected the results.
“The findings are promising, but the study was relatively small and the study period was too short to monitor any long-term safety issues of such a high daily dose of vitamin D,” says JoAnn Manson at Harvard University.
1.How much vitamin D does National Institutes of Health recommend us to take daily?A.At least 10 IU. | B.Less than 400 IU. | C.Roughly 600 IU. | D.Over 4,000 IU. |
A.By explaining the phenomenon. | B.By referring to previous data. |
C.By using supporting examples. | D.By comparing and analyzing. |
A.One. | B.Two. | C.Three. | D.Four. |
A.Objective. | B.Negative. | C.Favorable. | D.Uncertain. |
On March 1, Dr. Joseph Dituri began a project to stay for 100 days at a special hotel called Jules’s Undersea Lodge 30 feet under the ocean surface in a conservation area in Key Largo.
The farther you go below the ocean’s surface, the greater the pressure. Dr. Dituri wanted to learn how this pressure would affect the human body over time. He believes that high pressure could help people live longer and stay healthier as they get older. It could also help doctors treat different medical problems, including brain injuries.
While he was living underwater, Dr. Dituri stayed busy. He often exercised in the morning. He kept teaching his college classes virtually and had online chats with over 5, 500 students from 15 different countries. He also worked with ocean experts to figure out ways to preserve the ocean. He even had a number of visitors who dove down to spend a little time with him.
On June 9, Dr. Dituri returned to the surface with a new world record, beating the old record of 73 days. Many friends, family, and other supporters were there to greet him and celebrate his success. Doctors quickly checked him out to make sure he was okay.
Actually, Dr. Dituri went through several big changes. For one thing, he became 1. 3 centimeters shorter during his time in the higher undersea pressure. Sleeping much better, his health greatly improved in a couple of ways. Dr. Dituri and his team plan to study the information they collected during the project. In November, Dr. Dituri will speak at an important medical meeting in Scotland about the discoveries the scientists made during the project.
Dr. Dituri says his favorite part of the project was talking with young people. “Who knows?” he said. “Maybe one day, one of them will come. back and break the record we just set. My greatest hope is that I have inspired a new generation of explorers and researchers to push past all boundaries.
1.What is Jules’s Undersea Lodge special for?A.Its convenience. | B.Its reputation. | C.Its location | D.Its luxuriousness. |
A.To treat his brain injuries. | B.To live longer and healthier. |
C.To deal with medical problems. | D.To test one of his academic ideas. |
A.He kept a daily routine almost as usual. |
B.He was busy with medical experiments. |
C.He led a dull life separated from the others. |
D.He set a world record of living 73 days underwater. |
A.Communicate more with him. | B.Explore the unknown bravely. |
C.Study the information of the project. | D.Meet at the conference in Scotland. |
I have a passion for fishing and animal protection, which can date back to my childhood. When I was young, my father was a fish and wildlife officer, so he traveled all over the province in the spring and fall. He loved his job, especially the part where he protected nature from human.
He’d taught me to fish alone, in silence, lost in my own thoughts.
I still remembered that special day. Midweek, even in late August, no one was around. Police Outpost Lake is as far as you can go and still be in Canada. Songbirds, ducks, and Canada geese glided (滑翔) by on the breeze, touching down briefly on the water’s surface before flapping and quacking their way back up into the sky, passing in front of the sun, temporarily blocking its warming rays.
“How can I get the fish with these birds making noise?” I complained, rod (鱼竿) in my hand.
“Be patient, Jacob. Birds won’t disturb you.”
Out of the corner of my eyes, I suddenly caught a glimpse of a few great northern loons (潜鸟) stayed together not far from the shoreline. Dad once told me loon usually travel alone, but here were five of them in a group. Maybe it was a family? One loon, making odd sounds, swam away from the group, towards me.
This is unusual.
The loon rested in the shallow water near shore, not ten feet away from us. It was so close, we could see its red eyes.
“Look at that beak (喙)!”I said. “It could easily hurt us to death with that thing! It could tear our faces! Blind our eyes!”
Walking into the water, getting closer to the loon, we both saw thin wire wrapped around its neck. Fishing line maybe? Was there a hook(钩子)on the line, too? Was the loon asking us for help?
Chinese calligraphy is an artistic practice of writing Chinese characters, often with a brush and ink on rice paper. The
Calligraphy is refined art (高雅艺术). Lan Ting Xu, created by Wang Xizhi during the Eastern Jin Dynasty (317-420),
On a business travel, I received the most unexpected phone call from my wife. She suddenly burst out crying because she was having a baby on the way. Immediately, I
Later on, we were both
I was in complete shock in front of a perfectly beautiful and
Unbelievably, what makes all of us
A.wore | B.discovered | C.forced | D.kept |
A.crying | B.laughing | C.screaming | D.talking |
A.unreasonable | B.unforgettable | C.unpredictable | D.unreal |
A.order | B.control | C.curiosity | D.expectation |
A.questions | B.debates | C.ideas | D.routines |
A.steal | B.buy | C.produce | D.develop |
A.arrangement | B.punishment | C.award | D.attention |
A.fortunately | B.gradually | C.absolutely | D.eventually |
A.senior | B.dark | C.healthy | D.annoyed |
A.joy | B.fear | C.confusion | D.depression |
A.issue | B.opportunity | C.challenge | D.job |
A.laugh | B.fly | C.play | D.sing |
A.sign | B.source | C.tester | D.destroyer |
A.adjust | B.sense | C.guess | D.describe |
A.controlled | B.followed | C.inspired | D.amused |
Four Tips to Stay Safe During a Heat Wave Very hot temperatures have been breaking records during the summer across USA. But it’s not just in the USA heat wave in June set new record highs. So what is a human to do?
During a heat wave, you have to dress properly. Clothing like loose and light-colored clothes are best if you have to work or be outside.
If possible, participate in outdoor activities during the morning hours.
Heat-related illness can affect anyone, but some people are particularly at risk. If you live with, or know people, like young kids, the sick or elderly, overweight people, outside workers, check on them frequently during a heat wave. We should monitor those at risk at least twice a day for signs of heat exhaustion or heat stroke, and babies and young children, even more frequently.
A.Avoid the Side Effects |
B.Protect Those Most at Risk |
C.Here are four heat wave safety tips to help you deal with the dangers. |
D.If not, you can put off them until evening when temperatures are cooler. |
E.During a heat wave, you’d better stay indoors where there’s air conditioning. |
F.This will help protect yourself from sunburn and help you keep a little cooler. |
G.That is the best way to keep you from being affected by the high temperatures. |
After traveling through space for seven months, China’s Tianwen 1 has reached Mars and successfully entered the planet’s orbit on Wednesday—bringing it one step closer to landing on the surface.
Tianwen 1, which got its name from an ancient Chinese poem, is made up of an orbiter (轨道飞行器), lander and a six-wheeled rover (巡视器) carrying scientific instruments, according to the China National Space Administration(CNSA).
The CNSA said the probe (航天探测器) is expected to land on the planet’s surface in May or June, and the rover is expected to stay for three months, with the hope that it can gather important information about Mars’ geological structure, atmosphere, environment and soil, and search for any signs of water.
Tianwen 1 was launched last July, and its arrival in the Mars’s orbit makes China the sixth country in history to reach Mars. So far, the United States and the former Soviet Union are the only two countries to land a spacecraft on the surface of Mars. But the European Space Agency and India have already sent spacecraft to enter the planet’s orbit—and on Tuesday, the UAE (阿拉伯联合酋长国) joined their ranks, with its Hope Probe successfully entering orbit.
With Tianwen 1, China is the first nation to attempt at sending both an orbiter and a rover on its first Mars mission on its own. According to the scientific team behind the mission, the probe will orbit, land and release a rover all on the very first try, and carry out experiments with an orbiter. By contrast, NASA sent many orbiters to Mars before ever attempting a landing, since pulling off the landing is a far more difficult task.
China’s first attempt to reach Mars was actually in 2011 with the Yinghuo 1 probe, which was supposed to orbit the red planet and study its environmental structure. It was launched (发射) from Kazakhstan together with the Russian Phobos-Grunt mission in November that year.
1.How long did Tianwen 1 travel in space before entering the Mars orbit?A.Severn days. | B.Three months. | C.Seven months. | D.Seven years. |
A.To memorize a famous poet. |
B.To carry scientific equipment. |
C.To discover creatures on Mars. |
D.To gain more information about Mars. |
A.Studying Moon’s environment. |
B.Sending enough water to Mars. |
C.Sending orbiters to Mars before successfully landing. |
D.Cooperating with an orbiter to conduct some experiments. |
A.China is the first country to send orbiter to Mars. |
B.China’s first attempt to reach Mars occurred in 2012. |
C.China once did research on Mars’ environmental structure. |
D.China is the sixth country to reach Mars followed by the USA. |
Everyone knows they feel amazingly good and refreshed (使精神振奋) after a good night’s sleep but now scientists have discovered it can help you to live longer too. According to a study in the US, healthy sleeping habits mean men can live almost five years longer, and women for two years. It also found that sleep is good for our health and reduces the risk of heart disease.
However, the study by the American College of Cardiology shows it’s not just about how long you sleep and the quality of your sleep is important too. Dr Frank Qian, who led the study, said sleep must be restful. The researchers said that sleep of high quality for adults was decided by five important factors: getting seven to eight hours of sleep each night; having trouble falling asleep no more than twice a week; having trouble staying asleep no more than twice a week; not using medicine to get to sleep; and waking up feeling rested at least five days a week.
Each factor was given one point, with a maximum (最大值) of five points for the highest quality of sleep. The researchers looked at the results of a survey of 172,321 people in the US that measured their health habits, including sleep, over five years. They found that people who had all five points were likely to live longer and lead healthier lives than those who had sleep difficulties.
According to the Sleep Charity, a good night’s sleep can improve people’s memory and immune (免疫的) system. Dr Qian admits that no one’s sleep is perfect—everyone has a late or restless night sometimes. However, he said, “Even from a young age, if people can develop these good habits of getting enough sleep, making sure they are sleeping without too many difficulties, which stem from daily troubles or noisy surroundings. And gradually it can greatly benefit their long-term health.”
The study was based only on people reporting their own sleep habits rather than recording them scientifically, so this may have affected the results and various study ways are needed.
1.What is mainly talked about in Paragraph 1?A.The effects of a bad sleep. | B.The causes of heart disease. |
C.The benefits of a good sleep. | D.The length of a night’s sleep. |
A.The bed for sleep. |
B.The sleeping medicine. |
C.The five key factors of sleep. |
D.The five important ways to sleep. |
A.Differ from. | B.Result from. | C.Hear from. | D.Benefit from. |
A.Its limited objects. | B.Its simple summary. |
C.Its shortage of enough data. | D.Its single researching method. |
A Chinese fashion designer, Guo Pei, uncovered her exhibition Fashion, Art, Fantasy at the Auckland Art Gallery on Dec. 9. The six-month exhibition will show over 60 works from Guo’s two-decade-long career, inviting New Zealanders to experience the charm of her art.
The exhibition not only displays Guo’s representative masterpiece, The Yellow Queen Gown and Outfits never seen before in any other gallery or museum, but also features a series of unique public events, including an interview with the artist, the Chinese New Year Festival and a fashion fantasy ball.
“It is an honour to present the great work of Guo Pei to New Zealand, for the very first time,” says Kirsten Lacy, director of the Auckland Art Gallery.
Guo said in her speech that she wishes to share her love and inspiration in her work with the New Zealand audience. “I want my work to show integrity (正直), to spread love, and to express my civilization, along with the culture,” the artist said. “In reality, culture and art have no borders (国界); they belong not only to a single nation but to all of humanity. A country’s museum represents the culture and its people,” she noted. “Much of my learning has come from museums, which I am very happy to present and share with everyone.”
Guo herself also took part in an exchange by introducing her work to the audience, offering insights (洞察力) into the inspiration behind each creation.
The Chinese Ambassador to New ZealandWang Xiaolong said, “What makes Ms GuoPei so different is the ability to combine what is traditional, what is modern and contemporary (现代的) and even futuristic. Her art combines what is East and what is West. The products are amazing beauty filled with global art.”
Exhibition viewers, including the Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage, Paul Goldsmith, and Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown, showed their fondness for the craftsmanship (手艺) and elegance shown in Guo’s art.
1.What can we know from Guo Pei’s speech?A.She learns skills from books. |
B.There is no borders in real life. |
C.She would like to spread Chinese culture. |
D.More museums should be built in the world. |
A.She is devoted to art exchange. |
B.She is good at expressing emotions. |
C.Her art is a mixture of different factors. |
D.Her work offers insights into the inspiration. |
A.It lasts for six weeks. |
B.It has attracted people globally. |
C.It only displays Guo’s excellent works. |
D.Its viewers showed strong interest in Guo’s works. |
A.Chinese Fashion Gains World’s Popularity |
B.Guo Pei Becomes a Pioneer in the Fashion World |
C.An Exhibition Is Bein g Held in the Auckland Art Gallery |
D.Chinese Fashion Designer Wins Admirers in New Zealand |
A.One. | B.Two. | C.Three. |
A.On the top floor of the house. |
B.On the third floor of the house. |
C.On the ground floor of the house. |
A.200 pounds. | B.800 pounds. | C.1,000 pounds. |