The latest findings, published in the Journal of Nutrition, are not the first to highlight the anti-diabetic effects of walnuts, with earlier research showing similar benefits. However, this is thought to be one of the largest studies to fmd regularly snarling on them can help prevent the condition. Although the latest research was carried out on female nurses, it's likely that the same benefits apply to men.

　　According to the charity Diabetes UK, at the current rate of increase, the numbers affected by type 2 diabetes in the UK will rise from around 2.5 million currently to four million by 2025 and five million by 2030. Left untreated, it can raise the risk of heart attacks, blindness and amputation (截肢). Being overweight, physically inactive and having a poor diet are major risk factors for the disease.

　　Scientists at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, U. S. , tracked 137,893 nurses aged from 35 to 77 over a ten year period to see how many developed type 2 diabetes. Their dietary habits were closely monitored, including details on how often they ate nuts, particularly walnuts. After allowing for body fat and weight, the researchers found eating walnuts one to three times a month reduced the risk by four per cent, once a week by 13 per cent and at least twice a week by 24 per cent.

　　In a report on the findings the researchers said: "These results suggest higher walnut consumption is associated with a significantly lower risk of type 2 diabetes in women: " Walnuts are rich in healthy fatty acids(脂肪酸)which have been shown to reduce inflammation (炎癥) in the body and protect against heart disease, cancer and arthritis(關節炎). Last year, experts at the University of California Los Angeles also found young men in their twenties and thirties who ate walnuts every day increased their sperm count and boosted their fertility.

　　The research comes just after a Louisiana State University study which showed that eating nuts can reduce people's risk of obesity. The study found that those who consumed varieties such as almonds and pistachios(開心果) demonstrated a lower body weight, body mass index ( BMI) and waist circumference compared to non-consumers. They were also at lower risk of developing heart disease, type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome.

　　仔細閱讀強化訓練選項：

　　1. According to the passage, what does "a global epidemic" ( Line 3, Para. 1 ) refer to?

　　A) A disease.

　　B) Type 2 diabetes.

　　C) Cancer.

　　D) Obesity.

　　2. According to the passage, the research published in the Journal of Nutrition

　　A) was carried out on male nurses.

　　B) is considered as the largest study of walnuts' anti-diabetic effects.

　　C) emphasizes walnuts' anti-diabetic effects.

　　D) is the first study of walnuts' anti-diabetic effects.

　　3. Which of the following can be inferred from Paragraph 3?

　　A) The number of diabetes patients in the UK will double by 2025.

　　B) Type 2 diabetes is mainly triggered by childhood overweight.

　　C) Diet and exercise may reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.

　　D) Type 2 diabetes will cause a significant increase of weight.

　　4. Which of the following is TRUE about the 137,893 nurses tracked by scientists at the Harvard?

　　A) Most of them are female.

　　B) Their eating habits were closely inspected for over ten years.

　　C) Their age is ranging from 35 to 77 years old.

　　D) They have about the same body fat and weight.

　　5 It has been proved that eating nuts can

　　A) lower people's body weight, BMI and waist circumference

　　B) reduce inflammation in the body

　　C) lower people's risk of heart disease, cancer and arthritis

　　D) increase young men's sperm count and boost their fertility

　　仔細閱讀強化訓練答案：

　　1.B)。由題干提示定位到第一段：A study of nearly l40，000 women in the U.S.showed that regular helpings of a small portion of nuts can have a powerful protective effect against a disease that is threatening to become a global epidemic.Women…were 24 per cent less likely to develop type 2 diabetes…Eating walnuts...can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by almost a quarter.

　　詳解：語義理解題。本題考查有關a global epidemic的指代。由定位句“一項對美國近14萬女性進行的研究表明，定期吃一小份堅果對于一種全球性的致命性流行病可以起到很強大的預防作用”可知，該段主題為吃核桃可減少患2型糖尿病的危險，由此可知這個致命性的全球流行病為2型糖尿病，故答案為B)。

　　2.C)。由題干中的Journal of Nutrition定位到第二段第一句：The latest findings，published in the Journal of Nutrition，are not the first to highlight the anti-diabetic effects of walnuts，with earlier research showing similar benefits.

　　詳解：事實細節題。本題考查對刊登在《營養期刊》雜志上的最新研究的理解。定位句提到“刊登在《營養期刊》雜志上的最新研究發現并非是首次強調核桃對糖尿病有預防功效的研究，之前早就有研究表明核桃有類似功效”，C)“強調核桃對糖尿病有預防功效”中的emphasize對應原文的highlight，故為答案。該段最后一句指出“這項研究是針對女性護士們進行的……”，故排除A)“這項研究是對男性護士們進行的”;該段第二句指出“但該項研究被認為是所有研究中最大型的研究之一”，B)表述過于絕對化，故排除;D)“是首次對核桃有預防糖尿病功效的研究”與原文不符，故排除。

　　3.C)。根據題干提示定位到第三段最后一句：Being overweight，physically inactive and having a poor diet are major risk factors for the disease.

　　詳解：推理判斷題。本題考查2型糖尿病的誘導原因。定位句提到“體重超重、不鍛煉身體、不良飲食習慣是糖尿病的主要風險因素。”由此可推知，鍛煉身體、良好的飲食習慣可降低患糖尿病的風險，故C)為答案。由該段首句可知，英國糖尿病患者的人數到2030年會翻番，故排除A);B)“2型糖尿病主要是由少兒時期肥胖引起的”與文意不符，故排除;D)“2型糖尿病將會促使患者明顯得增加體重”是對原文的曲解，故排除。

　　4.C)。由題干中的137，893 nurses和Harvard定位到第四段第一句：Scientists at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston，U.S.，tracked l37，893 nurses aged from 35 to 77 0ver a ten year period to see how many developed type 2 diabetes.

　　詳解：事實細節題。本題考查哈佛公共衛生學院的科學家所追蹤的護士的情況。由定位句可知“美國波士頓哈佛公共衛生學院的科學家們對l37，893名年齡從35歲到77歲的護士跟蹤研究了十年，觀察其中有多少人患2型糖尿病”，故C)為答案。第一段最后一句指出“該項研究的對象為女性”，故排除A)“她們大多數是女性”;B)“在十多年里，她們的飲食習慣受到了嚴格的監控”與原文不符，故排除;該段第三句指出“在考慮了身體脂肪和體重的這類情況后……”，由此可知，所跟蹤護士的身體脂肪和體重并不一樣，故排除D)。

　　5.A)。由題干中eating nuts定位到最后一段第一、二句：The research comes just after a Louisiana State University study which showed that eating nuts Can reduce people’S risk of obesity.The study found that　those who consumed varieties such as almonds and pistachios demonstrated a lower body weight，body　mass index(BMI)and waist circumference compared to non•consun2ers.

　　詳解：事實細節題。本題考查吃各種堅果的益處。定位句指出“路易斯安那州州立大學的一項課題表明吃堅果可以降低人們肥胖的風險，在這之后便展開了相關的研究。經研究證明，那些吃各種堅果如杏仁、開心果的人與那些不吃堅果的人相比，體重相對較低、身體質量指數較低、腰圍相對較細”，A)“降低人們的體重、身體質量指數、腰圍”與原文表述一致，故為答案。B)“能緩解體內炎癥”、C)“降低患心臟病、癌癥和關節炎的危險”和D)“增加精子數量提高了男性生育能力”都是吃核桃的好處，故均排除。