Sit-down habit is killing us

How many hours do you spend sitting in a chair every day? Eight hours in the office plus three hours in front of the TV after work is the norm for many people. Yu probably don’t need an expert to tell you that sitting too much is not good for your health---from an increased risk of heart disease and obesity in the long term, to reduced cholesterol maintenance in the short term, not to reduced cholesterol maintenance in the short term, not to mention the strain on your neck and spine.

To make matters worse, a growing body of research finds that negative effects of sitting too much cannot be replaced with a good diet and regular exercise, according to an article in The New York Times.

The article reported that a 2010 study of nearly 9,000 Australians found that for each additional hour of television a person watched per day, the risk of dying rose by 11 percent.

Another study tracked the health of 123,000 Americans between 1992 and 2006. The death rate for men who spent six hours or more per day sitting was about 20 percent higher than for men who sat for three hours or less.  The death rate for women who sat for more than six hours a day was about 40 percent higher. In other words, sitting is killing us.

Stand up for health

So what can we do about it? Health experts suggest we break up those many hours spent sitting with more hours spent standing.

The BBC and the University of Chester in the UK conducted a simple experiment with a small group of 10 volunteers who usually spent most of the day sitting. They were asked to stand for at least three hours a day. The researchers took measurements on days when the volunteers stood, and when they sat around. When they looked at the data there were some striking differences, the BBC reported on Oct. 16.

Blood glucose leveled off after a meal much quicker on the days when the study subjects stood compared with the days they spent in a chair. Standing also burned more calories — about 50 calories an hour. Over the course of a year that would add up to about 30,000 extra calories, or around 3.63 kilograms of fat. "If you want to put that into activity levels, then that would be equal to running about 10 marathons a year," said John Buckley, a member of the research team. "Just by standing up three or four hours during your day at work."

    Buckley said that although doing exercise offers many proven benefits ,our bodies also need the constant, almost imperceptible(感觉不到的) increase in muscle activity that standing provides. Simple movement helps us to control our all-important blood sugar.

The researchers believe that even small adjustments, like standing while talking on the phone, going over to talk to a colleague rather than sending an e-mail, or simply taking the stairs instead of the elevator, will be of  great help to us.

According to Han Zhen,Shanghai Party Secretary,by 2020 all Shanghai’s rivers are expected  city and national standards.

A.to have attained   B.to attain           C.to be attained    D.to be attaining

At times my mom has been uncomfortable seeing these qualities in me. For example，when I was 12，I went to Puerto Rico all by myself to stay with my grandmother for the summer. My mom was extremely nervous about it. She kept telling me how things were different in Puerto Rico，to always put on sunscreen，not to wander away from my grandmother，and other warnings. She helped me pack and did not leave the airport until she saw my plane take off.
    But despite her worries，she let me go on my own. As I moved into my teens，she continued to give me space to grow and learn，even when it might have been difficult for her. When I reached my senior year，I decided to move away for college. Once again I found that I differed from my peers：While many of them wanted to stay close to home，I couldn’t wait to be out in the world on my own. While my mom may not have been happy at the thought of my going away，she was supportive and excited for me.
    One big thing I realized during my senior year，as my mom granted me more freedom，was that she actually believes in me and trusts me. That means a lot. Most of my life，and especially when I was little，the main person I tried to impress in my schoolwork or other things was my mother. I knew she expected nothing but the best from me. Sometimes it was hard to live up to her standards: getting a single B on my report card would make me feel bad because I knew she wanted me to have all A’s.
    I know that her high standards have helped me stay focused on what’s important，like education，and made me who I am. I am thankful for her support and involvement in my life .Most of all I respect her. She is the strongest woman I know and that’s why I have turned out so strong and independent.
28. When the author decided to go to Puerto Rico，his mother________.

A．wanted to go with him

B．worried about his safety

C．didn’t allow him to do so

D．asked his grandmother for advice

29. Why did the author decide to move away for college?

A．He wanted to be different from his peers.

B．He planned to keep away from his mother.

C．He intended to make his mother unhappy.

D．He wanted to be independent in the outside world.

30. We can learn from Paragraph 3 that the author’s mother________.

A．was too strict with him

B．cared little about his learning

C．had a high expectation of him

D．used to expect nothing from him

31. What does the author mainly want to tell us in the text?

A．His mother’s deep love for him

B．His long way to become independent

C．His good relationship with his mother

D．The importance of his mother’s trust and support

 I’m terribly sorry to have caused you pain. But it was ______ done. Will you be so generous as to forgive me?

A. unconsciously             B. unwillingly

C. sincerely                 D. normally