Question

Lakshmi grew up in India in the first half of the twentieth century, seeing many people around her who did not get enough food, were often sick and died young.

In the 1960s, was asked to help manage a program to improve nutrition in her country. At that time, most advice on nutrition came from North American and European countries. Nutritionists suggested foods that were common and worked well for people who lived in these nations.

For example, they told poor Indian women to eat more meal and eggs and drink more orange juice. But Lakshmi knew this advice was useless in a country like India. People there didn’t eat such foods. They weren’t easy to find. And for the poor, such foods were too expensive.

Lakshmi knew that for the program to work, it had to fit Indian culture. So she decided to adjust the nutrition program. She first found out what healthy middle-class people in India ate. She took note of the nutrients (营养物）available in those foods. Then she looked for cheap, easy-to-find foods that would provide the same nutrients.

She created a balanced diet of locally grown fruits, vegetables, and grains. These foods were cheap and could be cooked with simple equipment. Her ideas were thought unusual in the 1960s. For example, she insisted that a diet without meal could provide all major nutrients. Now we know she was right. But it took her continuous efforts to get others to finally accept her diet about 50 years ago. Because of Lakshmi’s program, Indian children almost doubled their food intake. And many children who would have been hungry and ill grew healthy and strong.

1.Why did Lakshmi think European nutritionists’ advice was useless?

A. It worked well for European people.

B. It suggested too many foods for Indians.

C. It was not practical in India at that time.

D. It included foods that didn’t exist in India.

2.Lakshmi studied healthy middle-class people’s diet in order to .

A. know about their eating habits B. learn about Indian culture

C. find out nutrients in their food D. write a report on food nutrients

3.Lakshmi’s balanced diet was considered unusual because people thought .

A. those foods were too cheap B. it should include some meat

C. it provided all major nutrients D. it enabled kids to grow healthy

4.What can we infer about Lakshmi?

A. She came from a rich family.

B. She disliked middle-class people.

C. She worked with European nutritionists.

D. She was a determined scientist.

Answer 1