20．We know that sugary sodas aren't good for our bodies．Now it turns out that they may not be good for our minds，either．A new study of more than 260，000 people has found a link between sweetened soft-drinks and depression，and diet sodas may be making matters worse．
Americans drink far more sodas than people in other countries-as much as 170 liters per person per year．But the impact of this study isn't limited to the United States．"Sweetened drinks，coffee and tea are commonly consumed worldwide and have important physical consequences．And they may have important mental-health consequences as well，"study author Dr Honglei Chen said in a statement．
The study studied 263，925 people between the ages of 50 and 71．Researchers followed their consumption of drinks like soda，tea coffee，and other soft drinks from 1995 to 1996 and then.10 years later，asked them if they had been diagnosed with depression since the year 2000．More than 11，3000 of them had．
Participants who drank more than four servings of sodas per day were 30 percent more likely to develop depression than participants who did not drink sodas at all．People who stuck with fruit punch（鸡尾酒），had a 38 percent higher risk than people who didn't drink sweetened drinks．And all that extra sugar isn't the actual problem．Researchers say that the artificial sweetener aspartame may be to blame．
The study found a link but could not surely determine whether sodas and other sweet soft drinks cause depression．Still，the results"are consistent with a small but growing body of evidence suggesting that artificially sweetened beverages may be linked to poor health outcomes．"
But there's a bright side for those who can't live without their daily sodas．Adults who drank coffee had a 10 percent lower risk of depression compared to people who didn't drink any coffee，according to the study．"Our research suggests that cutting out or down on sweetened diet drinks or replacing them with unsweetened coffee may naturally help lower your depression risk，"said Chen．
41．What has the new study of more than 260，000 people found？C
A．Sugary sodas aren't good for the physical health of old people．
B．Americans have a special tooth for sweet foods．
C．Sweetened soft-drinks may increase the risk of depression．
D．Sweetened soft-drinks have important physical consequences．
42．What do we know about the process of the study？D
A．About twenty-six thousand people participated in it．
B．The oldest participants were below 80 when the study was over．
C．Most of the participants had depression when the study was over．
D．The study lasted more than ten years from the beginning to the end．
43．We infer that the underlined word"aspartame"in Paragraph 4 refers to something thatD
A．can reduce the harm of sweetened drinks
B．is used to reduce the risk of depression
C．is mainly used to make fruit punch
D．is used to make something．sweet
44．It is implied in the passage thatA．
A．more research is needed to confirm the new findings
B．the new findings aren't consistent with any previous findings
C．cutting one's sodas intake will surely reduce one's depression
D．the new findings won't have an impact on people's drinking habits
45．What should you drink in order to reduce the risk of depression？B
A．Sodas．
B：Unsweetened coffee．
C．Sugary coffee．
D．Fruit punch．
分析 本文主要讲述了甜味软饮料可能增加抑郁症的危险．通过一项为期十年的研究，发现了含糖软饮料对健康有害，但是想要进一步确认这种危害还需要做更多的研究．
解答 41．C细节理解题．根据第一段A new study of more than 260，000 people has found a link between sweetened soft-drinks and depression，and diet sodas may be making matters worse．及下文描述，可知甜味软饮料可能增加抑郁症的危险．故选C．
42．D细节理解题．根据第三段from 1995 to 1996 and then.10 years later，可知这项研究持续了十年的时间．故选D．
43．D词义辨析题．根据前文the artificial sweetener 人工甜味剂可知此处指的是，用来让某物变甜．故选D．
44．A理解推断题．根据倒数第二段The study found a link but could not surely determine whether sodas and other sweet soft drinks cause depression．可知为了确认这些新发现，需要做更多的研究．故选A．
45．B细节理解题．根据全文可知，为了降低抑郁症的风险，我们应该喝无糖的饮料．故选B．
点评 本文考察学生的理解推断能力以及细心程度，只要抓住文章的关键词，采用寻读的方法查找细节，就能找到正确答案．
