少吃肉，多吃豆
Eat Less Meat, More Beans
慢速 | 六级 适中 | 712词 | 7min10s
刘立军供稿
Part I. QUESTIONS
Listen to the news and choose the best answer to each question you hear.
Q1. According to the latest advice by the panel of nutrition experts, what should people eat less for a healthy diet?
A. Vegetables and fruits.
B. Beans, peas, and lentils.
C. Red meat and processed meats.
D. Nuts and whole grains.
Q2. Why did the panel not give advice on ultra-processed foods?
A. They believe ultra-processed foods are healthy.
B. There is not enough evidence to tell people to avoid them.
C. Ultra-processed foods are not popular in the United States.
D. The panel is waiting for more research to be conducted.
Q3. What did Marion Nestle say about the latest dietary advice?
A. It is similar to dietary guidelines since 1980.
B. It focuses too much on ultra-processed foods.
C. It is completely different from previous guidelines.
D. It provides new insights into healthy eating.
Q4. What can be inferred about the current dietary habits of Americans from the report?
A. Most Americans follow the dietary guidelines strictly.
B. The diets of most Americans meet the current guidelines.
C. Many Americans have diet-related chronic health conditions.
D. Americans consume very little ultra-processed food.
Q5. What is the main message of the report regarding the dietary guidelines?
A. The dietary guidelines have been updated every year.
B. The dietary guidelines are only for a select group of people.
C. The dietary guidelines focus solely on the reduction of alcohol consumption.
D. The dietary guidelines aim to improve public health through better nutrition.
Part II. TRANSCRIPT
Eat Less Meat, More Beans
From VOA Learning English, this is the Health & Lifestyle report.
(Q1) For a healthy diet, people should eat more beans, peas and lentils. They should eat less red meat and processed meats, as well as starchy vegetables, like potatoes. Also, they should continue to limit added sugars, sodium and saturated fat, an especially unhealthy kind of fat.
lentil n. 扁豆，小扁豆
starchy adj. 含淀粉的
sodium n. 钠
saturate vt. 使饱和
That is the latest advice released on December 10 by a panel of nutrition experts. This panel of experts is responsible for advising the U.S. government about the 2025 dietary guidelines. These guidelines will inform and shape federal food programs and policy.
(Q2) But the 20-member panel did not advise on ultra-processed foods that some research findings link to health problems. The panel says there is not enough evidence to tell people to avoid them. And the group did not speak to possibly updating controversial guidance on drinking alcohol. They are leaving that issue to two independent reports expected to be released soon.
(Q3) Overall, the recommendations for the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans sound familiar, said Marion Nestle.(Q3) She is a food policy expert. “This looks like every other set of dietary guidelines since 1980: eat your veggies and reduce consumption of foods high in salt, sugar and saturated fat,” she said in an email.
She also said the latest advice “says nothing about balancing calories, when overconsumption of calories, especially from ultra-processed foods, is the biggest challenge to the health of Americans.”
What the scientific panel said about healthy diets
The nutrition panel described a healthy diet for people beginning at two years old. It is high in vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, whole grains, fish and vegetable oils that are higher in unsaturated fat.
legume n. 豆科植物；豆类食物
The recommended diet is lower in red and processed meats, sugar-sweetened food and drink, refined grains and saturated fat. It may also include fat-free or low-fat dairy and foods lower in sodium and may include plant-based foods.
This panel worked on the guidelines for almost two years. It was the first to consider dietary needs based on financial situation, race, ethnicity and culture.
Panelist Fatima Cody Stanford is an obesity expert and doctor at Massachusetts General Hospital. In an email, she said that considering these new elements will help make sure that the guidance “reflects and includes various population groups.”
Missing from the guidelines
The panel did not advise on two controversial food groups: ultra-processed foods or alcohol.
Ultra-processed foods make up about 60 percent of the American diet.
The panel considered more than 40 studies. Several of them showed links between ultra-processed foods and being overweight or obesity. But the nutrition experts had concerns with the quality of the research. So, they said the evidence was too limited to make recommendations.
The panel also did not change recommendations about alcohol. The current guidelines are two drinks or less a day for men and one drink or less a day for women.
The last time the guidance was updated was in 2020. At that time, the government rejected the advice of scientific advisers to recommend less alcohol consumption.
Two separate government groups expect to release reports in the coming months on the effects of moderate alcohol use to inform the guidelines.
Do Americans follow dietary guidelines?
(Q4) The advisory panel said they know that the diets of most Americans do not meet the current guidelines. More than half of all adults in the country have one or more diet-related chronic health condition. And 18 million individuals and families have insecure sources of food, the report says.
chronic adj. 慢性的，长期的
The report adds that “nutrition-related chronic health conditions” will continue “to threaten health through the lifespan.” It adds that this is not good “for the future of health in the United States.”
What happens next?
The scientific report informs the dietary guidelines which are updated every five years. These new recommendations now go to the U.S. Health & Human Services (or HHS) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (or USDA). Officials there will create the final guidance and release it next year.
As of December 11, the public has 60 days to comment on the guidance. HHS and USDA officials will hold a public meeting on January 16 to discuss the recommendations.
And that’s the Health & Lifestyle report.
Part III. KEY
Q1. C.【解析】细节题。根据“For a healthy diet, people should eat more beans, peas and lentils. They should eat less red meat and processed meats, as well as starchy vegetables, like potatoes.”，可知为了健康饮食，人们应该多吃豆类、豌豆和小扁豆，少吃红肉和加工肉类，以及像土豆这样的淀粉类蔬菜。因此答案是C。
Q2. B.【解析】细节题。根据“But the 20-member panel did not advise on ultra-processed foods that some research findings link to health problems. The panel says there is not enough evidence to tell people to avoid them.”，可知小组并没有就一些研究发现与健康问题有关的超加工食品给出建议，他们认为没有足够的证据建议人们避免食用它们。因此答案是B。
Q3. A.【解析】细节题。根据“'This looks like every other set of dietary guidelines since 1980: eat your veggies and reduce consumption of foods high in salt, sugar and saturated fat”，可知Marion Nestle认为最新的饮食建议与自1980年以来的指南相似，都提到要吃蔬菜，减少高盐、高糖和饱和脂肪食物的摄入量。因此答案是A。
Q4. C.【解析】推理题。根据“The advisory panel said they know that the diets of most Americans do not meet the current guidelines. More than half of all adults in the country have one or more diet-related chronic health condition.”，可知大多数美国人的饮食不符合当前指南，有超过一半的成年人有一种或多种与饮食有关的慢性健康状况。因此答案是C。
Q5. D.【解析】主旨题。整个报告主要讨论了2025年新的美国饮食指南，强调了健康饮食的重要性，并指出这些指南旨在通过改善营养促进公众健康。因此答案是D。
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