2021 年 06 月大学英语四级考试真题（第 2 套）

Social isolation poses more health risks than obesity or smoking 15 cigarettes a day, according to research published by Brigham Young University. The __26__ is that loneliness is a huge, if silent, risk factor.

Loneliness affects physical health in two ways. First, it produces stress hormones that can lead to many health problems. Second, people who live alone are less likely to go to the doctor __27__, to exercise or to eat a healthy diet.

Public health experts in many countries are __28__ how to address widespread loneliness in our society. Last year Britain even appointed a minister for loneliness. "Loneliness __29__ almost every one of us at some point," its minister for loneliness Baroness Barran said. "It can lead to very serious health __30__ for individuals who become isolated and disconnected. " Barran started a "Let's Talk Loneliness" campaign that __31__ difficult conversations across Britain. He is now supporting "__32__ benches," which are public seating areas where people are encouraged to go and chat with one another. The minister is also __33__ to stop public transportation from being cut in ways that leave people isolated.

More than one-fifth of adults in both the United States and Britain said in a 2018 __34__ that they often or always feel lonely. More than half of American adults are unmarried, and researchers have found that even among those who are married, __30__% of relationships are __35__ strained. A quarter of Americans now live alone, and as the song says, one is the loneliest number.

Sugar shocked. That describes the reaction of many Americans this week following revelations that, 50 years ago, the sugar industry paid Harvard scientists for research that shifted the focus away from sugar's role in heart disease-and put the spotlight (注意的中心) squarely on dietary fat.

What might surprise consumers is just how many present-day nutrition studies are still funded by the food industry. Nutrition scholar Marion Nestle of New York University spent a year informally tracking industry-funded studies on food. "Roughly 90% of nearly 170 studies favored the sponsor's interest," Nestle tells us. Other systematic reviews support her conclusions.

For instance, studies funded by Welch Foods-the brand behind Welch's 100% Grape Juice-found that drinking Concord grape juice daily may boost brain function. Another, funded by Quaker Oats, concluded, as a Daily Mail story put it, that "hot oatmeal (燕麦粥) breakfast keeps you full for longer."

Last year, The New York Times revealed how Coca-Cola was funding well-known scientists and organizations promoting a message that, in the battle against weight gain, people should pay more attention to exercise and less to what they eat and drink. Coca-Cola also released data detailing its funding of several medical institutions and associations between 2010 and 2015.

"It's certainly a problem that so much research in nutrition and health is funded by industry," says Bonnie Liebman, director of nutrition at the Center for Science in the Public Interest. "When the food industry pays for research, it often gets what it pays for." And what it pays for is often a pro-industry finding.

Given this environment, consumers should be skeptical (怀疑的) when reading the latest finding in nutrition science and ignore the latest study that pops up on your news feed. "Rely on health experts who've reviewed all the evidence," Liebman says, pointing to the official government Dietary Guidelines, which are based on reviews of hundreds of studies.

"And that expert advice remains pretty simple," says Nestle. "We know what healthy diets are lots of vegetables, not too much junk food, balanced calories. Everything else is really difficult to do experimentally. "

Success was once defined as being able to stay at a company for a long time and move up the corporate ladder. The goal was to reach the top, accumulate wealth and retire to a life of ease. My father is a successful senior executive. In 35 years, he worked for only three companies.

When I started my career, things were already different. If you weren't changing companies every three or four years, you simply weren't getting ahead in your career. But back then, if you were a consultant or freelancer (自由职业者), people would wonder what was wrong with you. They would assume you had problems getting a job.

Today, consulting or freelancing for five businesses at the same time is a badge of honor. It shows how valuable an individual is. Many companies now look to these "ultimate professionals" to solve problems their full-time teams can't. Or they save money by hiring "top-tier (顶尖的) experts" only for particular projects.

Working at home or in cafes, starting businesses of their own, and even launching business ventures that eventually may fail, all indicate "initiative," "creativity," and "adaptability," which are desirable qualities in today's workplace. Most important, there is a growing recognition that people who balance work and play, and who work at what they are passionate about, are more focused and productive, delivering greater value to their clients.

Who are these people? They are artists, writers, programmers, providers of office services and career advice. What's needed now is a marketplace platform specifically designed to bring freelancers and clients together. Such platforms then become a place to feature the most experienced, professional, and creative talent. This is where they conduct business, where a sense of community reinforces the culture and values of the gig economy (零工经济), and where success is rewarded with good reviews that encourage more business.

Slowly but surely, these platforms create a bridge between traditional enterprises and this emerging economy. Perhaps more important, as the global economy continues to be disrupted by technology and other massive change, the gig economy will itself become an engine of economic and social transformation.