Many scientists believe our love of sugar may actually be an addiction. When we eat or drink sugary foods, the sugar enters our blood and affects parts of our brain that make us feel good. Then the good feeling goes away, leaving us wanting more. All tasty foods do this, but sugar has a particularly strong effect. In this way, it is in fact an addictive drug, which doctors suggest we all should cut down on.
   “It seems like every time I study an illness and search for the first cause, I find my way back to sugar,” says scientist Richard Johnson. One-third of adults worldwide have high blood pressure, and up to 347 million adults have diabetes(糖尿病). Why? “Sugar, we believe is one of the culprits, if not the major reason,” says Johnson.
   Our bodies are designed to survive on very little sugar. Early humans often had very little food, so our bodies learned to be very efficient in storing sugar as fat. In this way, we had energy stored when there was no food. But today, most people have more than enough. So the very thing that once saved us may now be killing us.
   So what is the solution? It’s obvious that we need to eat less sugar. The trouble is, in today’s world, it’s extremely difficult to avoid. From breakfast cereals(谷物) to after-dinner desserts, our foods are increasingly filled with it.
   But there are those who are fighting back against sugar. Many schools are replacing sugary desserts with healthier food like fruit. Other schools are growing their own food in gardens, or building facilities like walking tracks so students and others in the community can exercise.
8. What do scientists think of sugar?
A. It benefits our health.
B. It is less addictive than drugs.
C. It causes us to become dependent on it.
D. It should be taken under a doctor’s guidance.
9. What does the underlined word “culprits” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?
A. Diseases. B. Poor diets. C. Unknown things. D. Causes of a problem.
10. Why is it so hard to avoid sugar?
A. We like it too much.
B. We cannot survive without it.
C. It gives us much needed energy.
D. It’s in so many foods and drinks.
11. What is the best title for the passage?
A. Ways to Avoid Sugar
B. Our Addiction to Sugar
C. Illnesses Caused by Sugar
D. Good Sugar VS Bad Sugar
【语篇解读】科学家认为人类对糖的喜爱其实是一种上瘾的表现。他们还发现很多疾病的根源都与糖有关。
【答案与解析】
8. C  细节题。根据第1段中的All tasty foods do this, but sugar has a particularly strong effect. In this way, it is in fact an addictive drug可知, 科学家认为糖会使我们产生依赖。
9. D  词义推断题。根据第2段中的 Sugar, we believe is one of the culprits, if not the major reason可知, culprits与reason同义。
10. D  细节题。根据倒数第2段中的“From breakfast cereals to after-dinner desserts, our foods are increasingly filled with it.”可知, 很多食物里都含有糖分, 因此人们很难避免摄入糖分。
11. B  主旨题。本文主要就“人类喜欢吃糖”展开说明, 故Our Addiction to Sugar这个标题符合文章主旨。