The award of this 15 grant is part of a ￡3.5 million boost for heart research in the UK by the British Heart Foundation. The charity’s special grants are made to fund research into the causes, prevention, 16 and treatment of heart disease, the UK’s biggest killer.

　　Dr Burdge says, “The type and amount of fat in our diet has 17 during the past 50 years. Pregnant women 18 the same diet as the rest of us, but we know very little about the 19 of these changes in dietary (飲食的) fat on the development and future health of their children. We hope that the 20 of this study will help to develop recommendations for pregnant women about how much fat they should eat and what types of fat they should avoid.”

　　A) funded　 I) consume

　　B) diagnosis J) covering

　　C) including　 K) influences

　　D) founded L) notorious

　　E) changed M) effects

　　F) enough N) affects

　　G) findings O) prestigious

　　H) limited

　　■ Section B

　　Directions: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished sentences. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choice.

　　Passage One

　　Questions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage.

　　During the past seven or eight years, researchers have made some new and exciting discoveries about osteoarthritis (骨關節炎), a common and debilitating problem. No longer considered an inevitable consequence of the wear and tear associated with aging, osteoarthritis is now understood to be an active process that progressively damages cartilage (軟骨) , the normally resilient (有彈性的) connective tissue cushioning every joint in the body. Osteoarthritis is caused by damaged cartilage that the body cannot properly repair. As we age, our cartilage becomes more prone to damage. When this damage occurs, cells within the cartilage may release mediators (substances that cause local inflammation), along with other cartilage-destroying chemicals. This process of damage upon more damage results in osteoarthritis.

　　Researchers have been able to identify what puts people at risk of developing osteoarthritis. Age is not necessarily an issue, although the disease is certainly more common in the elderly. Obesity is an overwhelmingly strong risk factor. For those already diagnosed, losing weight has been shown to slow the disease’s progression and substantially ease joint pain. Injury to a bone or joint may make that area more prone to arthritis in the future. For example, ankle fractures and knee surgery are linked to osteoarthritis, as are injuries due to some vigorous contact sports. Repetitive activities such as the movements involved in certain fields of work can contribute to osteoarthritis.