2016高考英语二轮复习专题限时训练（江苏专用）专题3 任务型阅读14

　　2016高考英语二轮复习专题限时训练（江苏专用）

　　专题3 任务型阅读 （25分钟）

　　（A）

　　Happiness is U-shaped, for we are happier at the start and end of our lives but hit a slump when we are middle-aged, British and US researchers say.

　　Economists from the University of Warwick, central England, and from Dartmouth College, New Hampshire, looked at data on the mental health of two million people from 80 countries.

　　In Britain, the probability of depression for men and women peaks at around 44 years of age, Warwick University said in a press release.

　　In the United States, though, there was a big difference between men and women.

　　Among women, unhappiness peaked at around the age of 40, whereas among men, it was about 50.

　　But the U-shape of happiness is constant around the world, and mid-life depression takes place

　　regardless of marital status, changes in job or income.

　　The study appears in Social Science & Medicine, published by the Dutch publishing house Elsevier.

　　"It happens to men and women ,to single and married people, to rich and poor and to those with and without children." said co-author Andrew Oswald.

　　One possibility may be that people realize they  won't achieve many of their aspirations at middle age, the researchers said.

　　Another reason could be that after seeing their fellow middle-aged peers begin to die, people begin to value their own remaining years and embrace life once more.

　　But the good news is that if people make it to aged 70 and are still physically fit, they are on average as happy and mentally healthy as a 20-year old.

　　"For the average persons in the modern world, the dip in mental health and happiness comes on slowly, not suddenly in a single year," Oswald said. "Only in their fifties do people emerge from this low period,"

　　Title: People happiest at start and end of lives, but slump in middle

　　Theme Happiness is in the (1)

　　of U, for we are happier when are young and old but unhappy when we are middle-aged.

　　Findings For (2)

　　men and women, depression is most (3)

　　to peak when they are about 44 years old.

　　For American people, men and women are very (4)

　　. Most women feel

　　(5)

　　at around the age of 40. Among men, unhappiness peaks at about 50.

　　The U-shape of happiness is constant around the world, and mid-life depression

　　(6)

　　regardless of marital status, changes in job or income.

　　(7)

　　Possibly because people realize they are (8)

　　to achieve many of their aspirations at middle age.

　　Possibly because after they have seen their fellow middle-aged peers’ deaths, people begin to value their own years (9)

　　and embrace life once more.

　　Good news If people are still in good (10)

　　when they reach 70, they are on average as happy and mentally healthy as a 20-year old.

　　1. shape/ form

　　2. British/ English 3. Likely

　　4. different

　　5. unhappy

　　6. happens/ occurs

　　7. Reasons 8. unable

　　9. left

　　10. condition/ health

　　（）

　　small amounts of BPA as they eat or drink．An industry Web site says more than forty years of safety research shows that products made with bisphenol A are safe．But others question the safety of BPA．Now, a large study has linked it to diabetes and heart disease in adults．

　　Researchers divided almost one thousand five hundred American adults into four groups based on BPA levels in their urine （尿液）．All the levels were within the limits considered safe by the United States Food and Drug Administration．Yet the study found that the highest group was more than twice as likely as the lowest group to have heart disease or diabetes, or both．

　　The Food and Drug Administration and chemical industry officials said the study does not show that bisphenol A caused the diseases．The researcher who led the study, David Melzer at England’s University of Exeter, agrees．He says the findings must be reproduced and that other studies are also needed．

　　But he also says that if BPA is a cause of these conditions, then just reducing contact with it might prevent some cases．The study appeared last week in the Journal of the American Medical Association．

　　Earlier this month, the United States government scientists from the National Toxicology Program released a final report on BPA．They found that the chemical is of “some concern” for effects on development of the brain in fetuses （胎儿）, infants and children．They made the same finding for behavioral （动作的） effects．

　　The scientists based their findings mostly on studies of laboratory animals．Even so, the program director said “the possibility that BPA may affect human development cannot be dismissed．”

　　In April, Canada became the first country to propose a ban on plastic baby bottles that contain BPA．The government has said it will publish its final decision by October eighteenth．

　　Some plastic goods are now being marketed as BPA-free．But some people wonder whether any other chemicals that might take its place are any better．

　　The reports on Bisphenol A

　　The wide application of Bisphenol A Bisphenol A is 1．_____ to make hard, polycarbonate plastic, food storage containers, reusable water bottles and baby bottles; BPA is also a 2．_____ element in protective coverings inside metal food and drink cans．

　　Over 40 years of safety research The 3．_____ of the research: No 4．_____ is found in products made with Bisphenol A．

　　A recent large study 5．_____ in 1,5000 American adults Link BPA to diabetes and heart disease, yet the findings 6．_____ further studies．

　　A final report on BPA 7．_____ by American scientists The scientists can’t 8．_____ out the possibility of affecting human development, though experiments were based on lab animals．

　　To prevent diseases 9．_____ by BPA, people may reduce contact with it; and Canada is the first country that has 10．_____ making baby bottles with BPA．

　　1．applied / used 2．common 3．results 4．danger / risk

　　5．involved 6．want / require / need 7．presented / released

　　8．rule 9．caused

　　10．prohibited / banned