Keeping a busy social life among lots of friends may keep people thinner than spending hours doing some exercises, according to scientists. They say that socializing and meeting with friends help increase levels of brown fat in the body which burns calories to produce heat.

Living in an exciting social environment was found to reduce fat in mice's belly by half over four weeks, even if they ate more. US researchers say that social excitement aids weight loss by turning white fat into brown. White fat stores calories and makes us fatter, while brown burns energy to produce heat. Turning white fat into brown is extremely difficult, normally requiring long-term stay in cold conditions or exciting part of the body's nervous system. 

However, scientists from Ohio State University now think that having a busy social life is an even more effective way of changing white fat into brown. The team came up with their theory by studying the effects of various living environments on mice. Those, who lived alongside a greater number of mice, had more space and toys to excite themselves and then lost far more weight over the course of the study than their “couch potato" fellows.

Study author, Dr Matthew During, whose team’s findings appear in the journal Cell Metabolism, said, “I'm still amazed at the degree of fat loss that occurs.” explaining how new technology had threatened face-to-face socializing, he added, “It's not just a sedentary(久坐的) lifestyle and high calorie foods, but an increasing lack of social activities.” Co-author Dr Lei Cao said，“Loneliness is a potential factor for cancer and death; it's equal to cigarette smoking to a certain extent. Social activities are very vital.”

1.What information can we get from the first two paragraphs?

A. Brown fat stores calories and makes us fatter.       

B. It doesn’t take long to turn white fat into brown.

C. Social excitement helps gain more weight.

D. Brown fat can burn energy to produce heat.

2.Which of the following statement does the text support?

A. Levels of brown fat can be increased by socializing.

B. The mice lacking social life lose more weight.

C. The research findings haven’t been published so far.

D. Dr Matthew During wasn’t convinced of the result.

3.We can conclude from the text that_______.

A. the fat in mice’s belly was reduced because of the relaxing environment

B. a sedentary lifestyle and high calories foods influence people’s social life

C. surfing the Internet may influence people’s face-to-face communication

D. cancer and death are mainly caused for lack of social life

4.What’s the main idea of the text?

A. Brown fat is beneficial to people’s health.

B. Socializing is unnecessarily important in people’s daily life.

C. White fat can be changed into brown fat.

D. Socializing contributes to people’s losing weight.

       Rafting the GRAND CANYON Welcomes You!

If you are looking for an exciting, fun and challenging white water tour, Rafting(筏运) the GRAND CANYON is here to help you plan the right tour for you. Whether you want to travel for two days or ten, hike in or not, go on an oar(船桨) boat or motorboat, through Class 3 or 6 water, we will help you find the trip that meets your needs.

For those who will be vacationing in the off-season, a rafting trip on the Native American Red River is available or a one-day trip is available on the Colorado River from Diamond Creek to Pierce Ferry.

Most of the trips depart from Lees Ferry, Arizona. We offer partial trips which allow you to get on or off at Phantom Ranch located at the bottom of the Grand Canyon National Park South Rim. You can have a hike, and with proper planning the mule(骡子) ride up or down is also an option. Most trips occur between April and October.

Since all rafting on the Colorado requires a permit, planning and reserving your trip requires reservations well in advance. Please let us know when you would like to go and we will contact all the river concessionaires(特许权获得者) to help you find the best trip for you.

To talk to us or to make a reservation, call us toll free:

1-800-222-6966

or 702-655-6060

If you have any questions regarding a trip, please CLICK HERE to fill out our form. This will speed up the process of getting you accurate information regarding that trip.

If you would like to send us an email about something other than an upcoming trip you can contact us at info@raftingthegrandcanyon.com.

We look forward to helping you plan your trip!

(Please NO Travel Agents.)

1.If you want to enjoy rafting, you can travel        .

2.All the following activities are recommended EXCEPT         .

3.Which of the following is most likely to be a customer of Rafting the Grand Canyon?

Ms. Robson, Hilary, Rose and Tom each want to decide on a holiday for their students. Read the following descriptions and help them make proper choices.
_________1. Ms. Robson’s students are studying French and German. She would like them to speak both the languages while they’re away.
_________ 2. Hilary’s students are 14 years old. Some of them learn French, so she wants to find a holiday course which can offer individual language lessons for those who would like to improve their French.
_________ 3. Rose has a small group of students. They all want to sail but unfortunately some of them are unable to swim, although they’re eager to learn.
_________ 4. Tom’s class have just started to learn German and he wants a holiday which mixes studying the language with plenty of free time to explore the foreign country.
Summer in France
All our courses take place at the university in Marsellie. Morning classes are held in German, evening lectures are in French. We offer an exciting program of evening activities including music, dance, etc.
Greek Sailing Holidays
Arrive by air and then hire one of our boats with all the latest equipment to sail around the Greek islands. These boats sleep up to twenty students and teachers. Trained sailing staff are available but you must be able to swim.
Summer Courses in Finland
If you love water sports you’ll love our one-week sports holiday on the Finnish lakes. There are opportunities to swim, sail and water ski. Lessons are available if you need them. There is also a chance to learn Finnish at no extra cost! Everyone is welcome.
Holiday Programs in Germany
We offer morning classes in the German language at all levels from beginners upwards. In the afternoon you are free to join in our mountain walks or to go shopping in the nearby town. In the evening we organize a full program of entertainment. All ages are welcome!
Summer Schools in France
Opportunities to speak French. We offer summer schools for students between the ages of 12-16. Live with a French family and choose from a range of different activities including horse riding, indoor hockey, football, swimming and dry skiing. Private language lessons are arranged if requested.

Why play games? Because they are fun, and a 1ot more besides. Following the rules…planning your next move...acting as a team member…these are all “game” ideas that you will come across throughout your life.

Think about some of the games you played as a young child, such as rope-jumping and hide-and-seek. Such games are entertaining and fun. But perhaps more importantly, they translate life into exciting dramas that teach children some of the basic rules they will be expected to follow the rest of their lives, such as taking turns and cooperating (合作) .    

Many children’s games have a practical side. Children around the world play games that prepare them for work they will do as grown-ups. For instance, some Saudi Arabian children play a game called bones, which sharpens the hand-eye coordination（协调）needed in hunting.

Many sports encourage national or local pride. The most famous games of all, the Olympic Games, bring athletes from around the world together to take part in friendly competition. People who watch the event wave flags, knowing that a gold medal is a win for an entire country, not just the athlete who earned it. For countries experiencing natural disasters or war, an Olympic win can mean so much.

Sports are also an event that unites people. Soccer is the most popular sport in the world. People on all continents play it—some for fun and some for a living. Nicolette Iribarne, a Californian soccer player, has discovered a way to spread hope through soccer. He created a foundation to provide poor children with not only soccer balls but also a promising future.

Next time you play your favorite game or sport, think about why you enjoy it, what skills are needed, and whether these skills will help you in other aspects of your life.

1.Through playing hide-and-seek, children are expected to learn to ________.

A. obey the basic rules        B. be a team leader

C. act as a grown-up           D. predict possible danger

2. The underlined part in Paragraph 2 most probably means that games can________.

A. describe life in an exciting way

B. make learning life skills more interesting

C. turn real-life experiences into a play

D. change people’s views of sporting events

3.Iribarne’s goal of forming the foundation is to _______.

A. bring fun to poor kids

B. provide soccer balls for children

C. give poor kids a chance for a better life

D. appeal to soccer players to help poor kids

4.What can be inferred from the passage?

A．Sports increase a country’s competitiveness.

B．Sports can get all athletes together.

C．People are advised to play games for fun.

D．Games benefit people all their lives.

       you have tried yourself can you learn what an exciting game it is!

A. Only if      B. Even if         C. If only        D. As if