Children are getting so fat that they may be the first generation to die before their parents, an expert says.

Today's young people will be affected by potential (潜在的) killers such as heart disease because of their weight. Fatty fast－food diets combined with the lifestyles with televisions and computers could mean kids will die young, says Professor Andrew Prentice, from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. At the same time, the shape of the human body is going through a great change because adults are getting so fat.

Here in Britain, the latest research shows that the average waist size for a man is 36～38 inches and may be 42～44 inches by 2032.This compares with only 32.6 inches in 1972. Women's waists have grown from an average of 22 inches in the 1920s to 24 inches in the 1950s and 30 inches now. One of the major reasons why children now are at greater risk is that we are getting fatter younger. In the UK alone, more than one million under 16 years old are thought

to be overweight or fat—double the number in the 1980s. One in ten of four－year－olds are also medically said to be obese.

The obesity which started in the US, has now spread to Europe, Australia, Central America and the Middle East. Many nations now record more than 20 percent of their population as obese and well over half of the population as overweight.

Professor Prentice says the change in our shape has been caused by high－energy foods combined with a dramatic (急剧的) drop in the energy we use as a result of technology developments.

He is not alone in his concern. Only last week one medical magazine revealed how obesity was fuelling a rise in cancer cases. Obesity also increases the risk factor for heart disease and so on. An averagely obese person's lifespan (寿命) is shortened by around nine years while a seriously obese person by much more.

Professor Prentice says,

“So_will_parents_live_longer_than_their_children,_as_an_American_obesity_expert_said_recently？”

“The answer is yes—and no.” Yes, when most children become obese. No, because this is now becoming an alarmingly serious problem in the US. “Such children will have a greatly reduced quality of life on both body and mind.”

So say “No” to sandwiches and hamburgers.

1.From the second paragraph, we know that ________.

2.According to Professor Prentice, people become fatter because ________.

3.For the underlined question, the answer “no” suggests ________.

　　WASHINGTON--Almost 13 per cent of Americans still live in poverty in spite of a slight decrease in their number last year and a rise in average household income, the Census Bureau（统计局）reported last week.

　　Last year, the poverty rate dropped to 12.7 per cent of the population from 13.3 per cent the year before, and the common household income rose for the fourth year running.

　　According to the US government, poverty is described exactly as people who earn US $13,003 a year for a family of three, and US $ 16,600 a year for a family of four.

　　The number of those living in poverty fell from 35.6 million in 1997 to 34. 5 million in 1998--but that number is still high in the light of（考虑……的因素）the growing economy, which has seen the largest peacetime growing in history since US President Bill Clinton took office over six years ago.

　　One reason for the continued high poverty rate is immigration, according to Steve Camarota with the Centre for Immigration Studies.

　　His figures show the total number of immigrants living in poverty has tripled over the last 19 years from 2.5 million to 7.5 million in 1998.

　　Clinton took the chance to declare the country's strong financial health, saying it has “helped lift millions of hardworking families out of poverty.”

　　“The best news is that these gains finally are being shared with all groups in America, from the wealthiest to the poorest,” he told reporters at the White House.

　　But the Census report showed that while white households saw their incomes rise 3 per cent from 1997--1998 to a record US $424,000, African-American families held steady at an average US $ 254,000 annually.

　　Hispanic households had a 4.8 per cent increase to US $ 28,300 a year for the period.

(1) From the first paragraph, we get to know that in the last few years ________.

[　　]

A．American families have become richer

B．American families have become poorer

C．most American families have enjoyed a better life

D．most American families have suffered a lot

(2) In America, poor families ________.

[　　]

A．have more people than others

B．live in the countryside with more children

C．live in big cities with more children

D．get money below a certain specified（规定）“amount”

(3) The word “tripled” in the sixth paragraph means “________”.

[　　]

(4) What Clinton said means that ________.

[　　]

A．he would support the poor over the world

B．he would be president forever

C．he had done well as a president

D．he would make the poor richer

　　WASHINGTON--Almost 13 per cent of Americans still live in poverty in spite of a slight decrease in their number last year and a rise in average household income, the Census Bureau（统计局）reported last week.

　　Last year, the poverty rate dropped to 12.7 per cent of the population from 13.3 per cent the year before, and the common household income rose for the fourth year running.

　　According to the US government, poverty is described exactly as people who earn US $13,003 a year for a family of three, and US $ 16,600 a year for a family of four.

　　The number of those living in poverty fell from 35.6 million in 1997 to 34. 5 million in 1998--but that number is still high in the light of（考虑……的因素）the growing economy, which has seen the largest peacetime growing in history since US President Bill Clinton took office over six years ago.

　　One reason for the continued high poverty rate is immigration, according to Steve Camarota with the Centre for Immigration Studies.

　　His figures show the total number of immigrants living in poverty has tripled over the last 19 years from 2.5 million to 7.5 million in 1998.

　　Clinton took the chance to declare the country's strong financial health, saying it has “helped lift millions of hardworking families out of poverty.”

　　“The best news is that these gains finally are being shared with all groups in America, from the wealthiest to the poorest,” he told reporters at the White House.

　　But the Census report showed that while white households saw their incomes rise 3 per cent from 1997--1998 to a record US $424,000, African-American families held steady at an average US $ 254,000 annually.

　　Hispanic households had a 4.8 per cent increase to US $ 28,300 a year for the period.

(1) From the first paragraph, we get to know that in the last few years ________.

[　　]

A．American families have become richer

B．American families have become poorer

C．most American families have enjoyed a better life

D．most American families have suffered a lot

(2) In America, poor families ________.

[　　]

A．have more people than others

B．live in the countryside with more children

C．live in big cities with more children

D．get money below a certain specified（规定）“amount”

(3) The word “tripled” in the sixth paragraph means “________”.

[　　]

(4) What Clinton said means that ________.

[　　]

A．he would support the poor over the world

B．he would be president forever

C．he had done well as a president

D．he would make the poor richer