Eat Healthy

"Clean your plate!" and "Be a member of the clean-plate -club!" Just about every kid in the US has heard this from a parent or grandparent. Often，it's accompanied by an appeal:" Just think about those starving orphans in Africa!" Sure, we should be grateful for every bite of food. Unfortunately, many people in the US take too many bites. Instead of staying "clean the plate", perhaps we should save some food for tomorrow.

According to news reports, US restaurants are partly to blame for the growing bellies. A waiter puts a plate of food in front of each customer, with two to four times the amount recommended by the government, according to a USA Today story. Americans traditionally associate quantity with value and most restaurants try to give them that. They prefer to have customers complain about too much food rather than too little.

Barbara Rolls, a nutrition professor at Pennsylvania State University, told USA Today that restaurant portion sizes began to grow in the 1970s, the same time that the American waistline began to expand.

Health experts have tried to get many restaurants to serve smaller portions. Now, apparently，some customers are calling for this too. The restaurant industry trade magazine QSR reported last month that 57 percent of more than 4,000 people surveyed believe restaurants serve portions that are too large; 23 percent had no opinion; 20 percent disagreed. But a closer look at the survey indicates that many Americans who can't afford fine dining still prefer large portions. Seventy percent of those earning at least $150,000 per year prefer smaller portions; but only 45 percent of those earning less than $25,000 want smaller.

It's not that working class Americans don't want to eat healthy. It's just that，after long hours at low-paying jobs，getting less on their plate hardly seems like a good deal. They live from paycheck to paycheck ，happy to save a little money for next year's Christmas presents.

注释:

1. Be a member of the clean - plate club! 做清盘俱乐部的成员

2. Just think about those starving orphans in Africa! 只要想想在非洲挨饿的孤儿们!

3. take too many bites 吃得太多

4. A Waiter puts a plate of food in front of each customer，with two to four times the amount recommended by the government, according to a USA Today story. 根据《今日美国》刊登的一个故事，服务员给每个顾客一盘饭菜，其量是政府推荐的2至4倍。

5. It's just that, after long hours at low-paying jobs, getting less on their plate hardly seems like a

good deal. 事情是这样的，美国工人觉得做许多个小时低收入的工作下来，盘子里的饭菜量小有点不合算。

练习：

1. Parents in the United States tend to ask their children

A to save food.

B to wash the dishes.

C not to waste food.

D not to eat too much

2. Why do American restaurants serve large portions?

A Because Americans associate quantity with value.

B Because Americans have big bellies.

C Because Americans are good eaters.

D Because Americans are greedy.

3. What happened in the 1970s?

A The US government recommended the amount of food a restaurant gave to a customer.

B Health experts persuaded restaurants to serve smaller portions.

C The United States produced more grain than needed.

D The American waistline started to expand.

4. What does the survey indicate?

A Many poor Americans want large portions.

B Twenty percent Americans want smaller portions.

C Fifty seven percent Americans earn $150 ,000 per year.

D Twenty three percent Americans earn less than $25,000 per year.

5. Which of the following is Not true of working class Americans?

A They work long hours.

B They live from paycheck to paycheck.

C They don't want to be healthy eaters.

D They want to save money for their children

答案与题解:

1. C 本题问的是:美国父母总是叫他们的孩子干什么?文章开头说到，每个美国孩子都能从父母或爷爷奶奶那里听到这样的话，"吃光你盘子里的东西"，"做清盘俱乐部的成员"。这些话表达的意思就是不要浪费粮食。因此 C 是正确的答案。

2. A 本题问的是:美国饭馆为什么饭菜给得多？第二段相关的话是这么说的：美国人在传统上把东西值不值是跟数量联系在一起，因此大多数的饭馆给的量大。这些饭馆乐于让顾客们抱怨饭菜给得太多而不乐于让他们抱怨饭菜给得太少。所以 A 是正确的答案。

3. D 本题问的是：20 世纪 70 年代发生了什么？文章第三段是这样说的：一位宾州大学营养教授，Barbara Rolls ，告诉《今日美国》20 世纪 70 年代饭馆给的饭菜的量开始增加，与此同时，美国人的腰围也开始增大。所以 D 是对的。

4. A 本题问的是：调查报告说明了什么？选项 B、C和 D 所说的数字不对。因此唯有 A 是正确的。A说的是：许多美国穷人希望量大。这个信息可以在第四段中找到。相关的句子是这么说的：许多吃不起精美正餐的美国人仍然要量大。

5. C 本题问的是:下面的哪种说法不带合美国工人的实际情况？ C 说的是：他们不想做吃得健康的人。这个说法是不对的。最后一段的第一句话是这么说的：美国工人不是不想做吃得健康的人。因此 C 正确。