Summer is almost here, and the weather is heating up. Are you drinking enough water? Many kids aren’t, according to a new study in the American Journal of Public Health.
Erica Kenney, a scientist at Harvard, is the study’s leader. At the beginning, she planned to look into the amount (数量) of sugary drinks kids were drinking in schools. However, during her research she found that many kids were simply not drinking enough water.
Kenney and her team examined data (数据) from a group of 4,000 children, aged 6 to 19, between the years of 2012 and 2015. While examining the data, she noticed that more than half of the kids didn’t drink enough water. Of that group, boys were 76% more likely than girls to not have enough water in their system. Nearly one quarter of the kids reported drinking no plain water (白水) at all.
“These findings are very important because they point out a potential health problem that has not been given a lot of attention in the past.” Kenney said. “Even though for most of these kids this is not an immediate, serious health problem, this is a problem that could really have a harmful influence on health and life for many children years later.”
The human body is made up of 60% water. Not drinking enough water can lead to health problems like headaches or poor physical performance. Your body needs more water when you are in hot weather, when you are physically active, and if you have a fever.
The United States National Agricultural Library says on average, kids need between 10 to 14 cups of water every day. This water can come from both drinks and foods that have high amounts of water, such as celery, melon, or tomatoes. It is also suggested that fluids (液体) come from water instead of sugary drinks that are high in calories (卡路里) and can lead to weight problems.
“The good news is that this is a public health problem with a simple solution.” said another scientist. Steven Gortmaker, “If we can help children drink more water — a low cost, no calorie fluid — we can improve their health, which may allow many children to feel better throughout the day and do better in school.”
1. What is Erica Kenney’s purpose of doing the study?
A. To prove that plain water is the best for kids.
B. To explain why kids love sugary drinks most.
C. To study if kids drink enough water at school every day.
D. To find out how much sugary drinks kids drink at school.
2. What does the word “potential” in Paragraph 4 probably mean?
A. Happening often. B. Relating to the past.
C. Causing bad results. D. Possible in the future.
3. The findings of the study may make people realize ______.
A. the fact that boys need more water than girls
B. the importance of kids’ drinking enough water
C. the health problems sugary drinks bring to kids
D. the necessity of kids’ drinking some sugary drinks
4. According to the passage, we can know ______.
A. how to help kids drink more water
B. why kids drink little water at school
C. what kind of drink kids should choose
D. who should be responsible for kids’ health