Even a small reduction in salt in the diet can be a big help to the heart. A new

Even a small reduction in salt in the dietcan be a big help to the heart. A new study used a computer model to predicthow just three grams less a day would affect heart disease in the UnitedStates.

The result: thirteen percent fewer heartattacks. Eight percent fewer strokes. Four percent fewer deaths. Eleven percentfewer new cases of heart disease. And two hundred forty billion dollars inhealth care savings.

Researchers found it could prevent onehundred thousand heart attacks and ninety-two thousand deaths every year.

The study is in the New England Journal ofMedicine. Kirsten, at the University of California, was the lead author. Shesays people would not even notice a difference in taste with three grams, orone-half teaspoon, less salt per day. The team also included researchers atStanford and Columbia University.

Each gram of salt contains four hundredmilligrams of sodium, which is how foods may list their salt content.

The government says the average American maneats ten grams of salt a day. The American Heart Association advises no morethan three grams for healthy people. It says salt in the American diet hasincreased fifty percent since the nineteen seventies, while blood pressureshave also risen. Less salt can mean a lower blood pressure.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg isleading an effort called the National Salt Reduction Initiative. The idea is toput pressure on food companies and restaurants.

Mayor Bloomberg has already succeeded inother areas, like requiring fast food places in the city to list calorieinformation. Now a study by the Seattle Children's Research Institute shows howthat idea can influence what parents order for their children.

Ninety-nine parents of three to six year oldstook part. Half had McDonald's menus clearly showing how many calories were ineach food. The other half got menus without the calorie information.

1. How many heart attacks will occur in the US every year？ 

A. nearly 800,000.                           B.24,000.       

C. 100,000.                                  D.92,000.

2. We can learn from the passage that         .  

A. Americansate no more than 5 grams of salt per day in the 1970s

B. theAmerican Heart Association suggest less than 3 grams of salt every day

C. areduction in salt in the diet helps lower blood pressure

D. all theheart diseases result from eating more salt

3.The National Salt Reduction Initiative aimsto         . 

A. adviseAmericans to eat less salt

B. putpressure on food companies and restaurants

C. requirefast food places to list calorie information

D. attractthe public attention to the problem

4.All the following are related to the salt in diet except         .  

A. strokes                                   B.heart attacks        

C. blood pressures                           D.stomach diseases

5.The best title of the passage of the passageis         . 

A. Lesssalt can mean more life

B. Preventheart attacks and deaths

C. TheNational Salt Reduction Initiative

D. Americansshould eat less salt

试题答案

【答案】

1.A

2.C

3.B

4.D

5.A

【解析】略