王强口语 第二册 Read Text 017

　　口语部分
文化篇
Read the text carefully and be prepared to answer the question:
Weight Watcher
Surveys show that half of all American women think they need to lose weight.  Living in the middle of the land of plenty, Americans ironically are obsessed¹ with thinness. Because this is such a sensitive subject on Americans' part, you definitely shouldn't tell someone in the U.S. that he or she looks fat. The problem is that dieters wind up feeling like they're starving for food, so they end up in a vicious circle of losing weight and then gaining it back again.  Even though there is evidence to show that people end up regaining² virtually every pound they have lost on a diet, Americans are still jump into new weight loss fads³.  Cookbooks and diet books are top sellers in the U.S.
Obesity⁴ is indeed a serious problem in America.  People from other cultures also find it hard to stay thin here, even people who come from countries where obesity is not a problem.

1 obsessed   

adj.心神不宁的,鬼迷心窍的,沉迷的

参考例句：

• He's obsessed by computers. 他迷上了电脑。
• The fear of death obsessed him throughout his old life. 他晚年一直受着死亡恐惧的困扰。

2 regaining   

复得( regain的现在分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地

参考例句：

• She was regaining consciousness now, but the fear was coming with her. 现在她正在恢发她的知觉，但是恐怖也就伴随着来了。
• She said briefly, regaining her will with a click. 她干脆地答道，又马上重新振作起精神来。

3 fads   

n.一时的流行，一时的风尚( fad的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• It was one of the many fads that sweep through mathematics regularly. 它是常见的贯穿在数学中的许多流行一时的风尚之一。 来自辞典例句
• Lady Busshe is nothing without her flights, fads, and fancies. 除浮躁、时髦和幻想外，巴歇夫人一无所有。 来自辞典例句

4 obesity   

n.肥胖，肥大

参考例句：

• One effect of overeating may be obesity.吃得过多能导致肥胖。
• Sugar and fat can more easily lead to obesity than some other foods.糖和脂肪比其他食物更容易导致肥胖。