Black Friday Black Friday is the day following Thanksgiving Day in the United States, often regarded as the beginning of the Christmas shopping season. In recent years, most major retailers have opened extremely early and offered 【L1】______ to kick off the holiday shopping season, similar to 【L2】______in many Commonwealth Nations. Black Friday is not an 【L3】______, but many 【L4】______and schools have both Thanksgiving and the day after off, followed by a weekend, thereby 【L5】______the number of potential shoppers. It has 【L6】______been the busiest shopping day of the year since 2005, although news reports, which at that time were 【L7】______, have described it as 【L8】______of the year for a much longer period of time. The day’s name 【L9】______in Philadelphia, where it originally was used to describe the heavy and 【L10】______and vehicle traffic which would occur on the day after Thanksgiving. Use of the term started 【L11】______ and began to see 【L12】______ outside Philadelphia around 1975. Later an 【L13】______began to be offered: that “Black Friday“ indicates the point at which retailers begin to 【L14】______, or are “in the black“. For many years, it was common for retailers to open at 6:00 a. m. , but in 【L15】______ many opened at 5:00 or even 4:00 in the morning. This was taken to 【L16】______in 2011, when several retailers opened at midnight 【L17】______. This year, Walmart and several other retailers 【L18】______that they would open most of their stores at 8:00 p. m. on Thanksgiving Day (except in states where opening on Thanksgiving 【L19】______due to blue laws, such as Massachusetts where they still opened 【L20】______, prompting calls for a walkout among some workers.Black Friday Black Friday is the day following Thanksgiving Day in the United States, often regarded as the beginning of the Christmas shopping season. In recent years, most major retailers have opened extremely early and offered promotional sales to kick off the holiday shopping season, similar to Boxing Day sales in many Commonwealth Nations. Black Friday is not an official holiday, but many non-retail employees and schools have both Thanksgiving and the day after off, followed by a weekend, thereby increasing the number of potential shoppers. It has routinely been the busiest shopping day of the year since 2005, although news reports, which at that time were inaccurate, have described it as the busiest shopping day of the year for a much longer period of time. The day’s name originated in Philadelphia, where it originally was used to describe the heavy and disruptive pedestrian and vehicle traffic which would occur on the day after Thanksgiving. Use of the term started before 1961 and began to see broader use outside Philadelphia around 1975. Later an alternative explanation began to be offered: that “Black Friday“ indicates the point at which retailers begin to turn a profit, or are “in the black“. For many years, it was common for retailers to open at 6: 00 a. m. , but in the late 2000s many opened at 5: 00 or even 4: 00 in the morning. This was taken to a new extreme in 2011, when several retailers opened at midnight for the first time. This year, Walmart and several other retailers announced that they would open most of their stores at 8:00 p. m. on Thanksgiving Day (except in states where opening on Thanksgiving is prohibited due to blue laws, such as Massachusetts where they still opened around midnight, prompting calls for a walkout among some workers.

Dark Chocolate Dark chocolate is known to help prevent heart disease, but eating too much of it may be not so good for your body weight. But never fear! Scientists are looking for a way to concentrate dark chocolate’s 【L1】______in supplemental pills. Cocoa contains 【L2】______ called flavanols that may help 【L3】______ strokes and heart attacks by lowering 【L4】______and bad cholesterol levels and improving the body’s use of insulin. Washington chocolatier Steve Koumanelis said that is one reason dark chocolate is 【L5】______popular among his customers. “A lot of people are 【L6】______towards dark chocolate because they just decide they love it, and they also have been reading all about the 【L7】______of dark chocolate,“ said Koumanelis. But those benefits have not 【L8】______ studies involving large numbers of people. Also, during 【L9】______ of chocolate, many flavanoids are destroyed, while sugar and saturated fats are added to contribute to 【L10】______. Scientists now want to learn the benefits of flavanols in their unadulterated form. They plan a four-year study of 【L11】______ adults, who will take capsules of pure cocoa flavanols, in what is being called 【L12】______of its kind. Jo-Ann Manson, of the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, is the 【L13】______. “ This capsule of cocoa flavanols will avoid having 【L14】______ and the sugar and the saturated fat found in chocolate,“ said Manson. The capsules also won’t have any taste. 【L15】______, divided in two groups, will take two 【L16】______a day. One group’s pills will contain flavanols, while the others will get placebo pills. “The amount of chocolate that it would take in order to have this amount of cocoa flavanols would be more than 【L17】______the amount that people would ordinarily eat,“ said Manson. “People like the experience of actually 【L18】______ a piece of chocolate, whatever their favorites are,“ he said. The flavanol benefits test is still 【L19】______, so scientists are not sure when the participants will be handed their first chocolate pills. 【L20】______, they’ll get their flavanols the old fashioned way!Dark Chocolate Dark chocolate is known to help prevent heart disease, but eating too much of it may be not so good for your body weight. But never fear! Scientists are looking for a way to concentrate dark chocolate’s helpful ingredients in supplemental pills. Cocoa contains chemicals called flavanols that may help reduce the risk of strokes and heart attacks by lowering blood pressure and bad cholesterol levels and improving the body’s use of insulin. Washington chocolatier Steve Koumanelis said that is one reason dark chocolate is increasingly popular among his customers. “A lot of people are gravitating towards dark chocolate because they just decide they love it, and they also have been reading all about the health benefits of dark chocolate,“ said Koumanelis. But those benefits have not been confirmed by studies involving large numbers of people. Also, during the manufacture of chocolate, many flavanols are destroyed, while sugar and saturated fats are added to contribute to flavor. Scientists now want to learn the benefits of flavanols in their unadulterated form. They plan a four-year study of 18,000 adults, who will take capsules of pure cocoa flavanols, in what is being called the largest test of its kind. Jo-Ann Manson, of the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, is the lead researcher. “This capsule of cocoa flavanols will avoid having the calories and the sugar and the saturated fat found in chocolate,“ said Manson. The capsules also won’t have any taste. Participants, divided in two groups, will take two identical pills a day. One group’s pills will contain flavanols, while the others will get placebo pills. “The amount of chocolate that it would take in order to have this amount of cocoa flavanols would be more than ten times the amount that people would ordinarily eat,“ said Manson. “People like the experience of actually biting into a piece of chocolate, whatever their favorites are,“ he said. The flavanol benefits test is still in the early stage, so scientists are not sure when the participants will be handed their first chocolate pills. In the meantime, they’ll get their flavanols the old fashioned way!