高考英语考前分类强化（四）—健康与医疗
关注世界重大问题，关注人类生死存亡问题，提出解决危机的有效办法是高考说理议论文在选材上的另一主要方向。这一节选了六篇文章，进行专题训练，促进相关背景知识的学习，增强本题材文章的阅读语感，为将来考试的实战进行知识上的、素质上的和心理上的准备。（答案见本节最后）
Passage 1
Scratchy throats, stuffy noses and body aches all spell misery, but being able to tell if the cause is a cold or flu may make a difference in how long the misery lasts.
The American Lung Association (ALA) has issued new guidelines on combating colds and the flu(流感), and one of the keys is being able to quickly tell the two apart. That's because the prescription drugs available for the flu need to be taken soon after the illness sets in. As for colds, the sooner a person starts taking over-the-counter remedy, the sooner relief will come.
The common cold and the flu are both caused by viruses. More than 200 viruses can cause cold symptoms, while the flu is caused by three viruses - flu A, B and C. There is no cure for either illness, but the flu can be prevented by the flu vaccine (疫苗), which is, for most people, the best way to fight the flu, according to the ALA.
But if the flu does strike, quick action can help. Although the flu and common cold have many similarities, there are some obvious signs to look for.
Cold symptoms such as stuffy nose, runny nose and scratchy throat typically develop gradually, and adults and teens often do not get a fever. On the other hand, fever is one of the characteristic features of the flu for all ages. And in general, flu symptoms including fever and chills, sore throat and body aches come on suddenly and are more severe than cold symptoms.
The ALA notes that it may be particularly difficult to tell when infants and preschool age children have the flu. It advises parents to call the doctor if their small children have flu-like symptoms.
Both cold and flu symptoms can be eased with over-the-counter medications as well. However, children and teens with a cold or flu should not take aspirin for pain relief because of the risk of Reye syndrome(综合症) , a rare but serious condition of the liver and central nervous system..
There is, of course, no vaccine for the common cold. But frequent hand washing and avoiding close contact with people who have colds can reduce the likelihood of catching one.
11. According to the author, knowing the cause of the misery will help
A) shorten the duration of the illness
B) the patient buy medicine over the counter
C) the patient obtain cheaper prescription drugs
D) prevent people from catching colds and the flu
12. We learn from the passage that
A) one doesn't need to take any medicine if he has a cold or the flu
B) aspirin should not be included in over-the-counter medicines for the flu
C) delayed treatment of the flu will harm the liver and central nervous system
D) over-the-counter drugs can be taken to ease the misery caused by a cold or the flu
13. According to the passage, to combat the flu effectively,
A) one should identify the virus which causes it
B) one should consult a doctor as soon as possible
C) one should take medicine upon catching the disease
D) one should remain alert when the disease is spreading
14. Which of the following symptoms will distinguish the flu from a cold?
A) A stuffy nose. B) A high temperature.
C) A sore throat. D) A dry cough.
15. If children have flu-like symptoms, their parents
A) are advised not to give them aspirin
B) should watch out for signs of Reye syndrome
C) are encouraged to take them to hospital for vaccination
D) should prevent them from mixing with people running a fever
Passage 2
Exercise is one of the few factors with a positive role in long-term maintenance of body weight. Unfortunately, that message has not gotten through to the average American, who would rather try switching to "light" beer and low-calorie bread than increase physical exertion. The Centers for Disease Control, for example, found that fewer than one-fourth of overweight adults who were trying to shed pounds said they were combining exercise with their diet.
In rejecting exercise, some people may be discouraged too much by caloric-expenditure charts; for example, one would have to briskly walk three miles just to work off the 275 calories in one delicious Danish pastry (小甜饼). Even exercise professionals concede half a point here. "Exercise by itself is a very tough way to lose weight," says York Onnen, program director of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports.
Still, exercise's supporting role in weight reduction is vital. A study at the Boston University Medical Center of overweight police officers and other public employees confirmed that those who dieted without exercise regained almost all their old weight, while those who worked exercise
into their daily routine maintained their new weight.
If you have been sedentary ( 极少活动的 ) and decide to start walking one mile a day, the added exercise could burn an extra 100 calories daily. In a year's time, assuming no increase in food intake, you could lose ten pounds. By increasing the distance of your walks gradually and making other dietary adjustments, you may lose even more weight.
26. What is said about the average American in the passage?
A) They tend to exaggerate the healthful effect of "light" beer.
B) They usually ignore the effect of exercise on losing weight.
C) They prefer "light" beer and low-calorie bread to other drinks and food.
D) They know the factors that play a positive role in keeping down body weight.
27. Some people dislike exercise because .
A) they think it is physically exhausting
B) they find it hard to exercise while on a diet
C) they don't think it possible to walk 3 miles every day
D) they find consulting caloric-expenditure charts troublesome
28. "Even exercise professionals concede half a point here" (Line 3, Para. 2) means “They
A) agree that the calories in a small piece of pastry can be difficult to work off by exercise
B) partially believe diet plays a supporting role in weight reduction
C) are not fully convinced that dieting can help maintain one's new weight
D) are not sufficiently informed of the positive role of exercise in losing weight
29. What was confirmed by the Boston University Medical Center's study?
A) Controlling one's calorie intake is more important than doing exercise.
B) Even occasional exercise can help reduce weight.
C) Weight reduction is impossible without exercise.
D) One could lose ten pounds in a year's time if there's no increase in food intake.
30. What is the author's purpose in writing this article?
A) To justify the study of the Boston University Medical Center.
B) To stress the importance of maintaining proper weight.
C) To support the statement made by York Onnen.
D) To show the most effective way to lose weight.
Passage 3
In the 1960s, medical researchers Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe developed a checklist of stressful events. They appreciated the tricky point that any major change can be stressful. Negative events like “serious illness of a family member” were high on the list, but so were some positive life-changing events, like marriage. When you take the Holmes-Rahe test you must remember that the score does not reflect how you deal with stress—it only shows how much you have to deal with. And we now know that the way you handle these events dramatically affects your chances of staying healthy.
By the early 1970s, hundreds of similar studies had followed Holmes and Rahe. And millions of Americans who work and live under stress worried over the reports. Somehow, the research got boiled down to a memorable message. Women’s magazines ran headlines like “Stress causes illness!” If you want to stay physically and mentally healthy, the articles said, avoid stressful events.
But such simplistic advice is impossible to follow. Even if stressful events are dangerous, many—like the death of a loved one—are impossible to avoid. Moreover, any warning to avoid all stressful events is a prescription（处方）for staying away from opportunities as well as trouble. Since any change can be stressful, a person who wanted to be completely free of stress would never marry, have a child, take a new job or move.
The notion that all stress makes you sick also ignores a lot of what we know about people. It assumes we’re all vulnerable （脆弱的） and passive in the face of adversity （逆境）. But what about human initiative and creativity? Many come through periods of stress with more physical and mental vigor than they had before. We also know that a long time without change or challenge can lead to boredom, and physical and mental strain.
1. The result of Holmes-Rahe's medical research tells us ____ .
A) the way you handle major events may cause stress B) what should be done to avoid stress
C) what kind of event would cause stress D) how to cope with sudden changes in life
2. The studies on stress in the early 1970's led to ____ .
A) widespread concern over its harmful effects
B) great panic over the mental disorder it could cause
C) an intensive research into stress-related illnesses
D) popular avoidance of stressful jobs
3. The score of the Holmes-Rahe test shows.
A )how much pressure you are under B) how positive events can change you life
C) how stressful a major event can be D )how you can deal with life-changing events
4. Why is "such simplistic advice"(Line 1, Para.3) impossible to follow?
A) No one can stay on the same job for long. B) No prescription is effective in relieving stress.
C) People have to get married someday. D) You could be missing opportunities as well.
5. According to the passage people who have experienced ups and downs may become_____.
A) nervous when faced with difficulties B) physically and mentally strained
C) more capable of coping with adversity D) indifferent toward what happens to them
Passage 4
Psychologist George Spilich and colleagues at Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland, decided to find out whether, as many smokers say, smoking helps them to “think and concentrate.” Spilich put young non-smokers, active smokers and smokers deprived (被剥夺) of cigarettes through a series of tests.
In the first test, each subject (试验对象) sat before a computer screen and pressed a key as soon as he or she recognized a target letter among a grouping of 96. In this simple test, smokers, deprived smokers and nonsmokers performed equally well.
The next test was more complex, requiring all to scan sequences of 20 identical letters and respond the instant one of the letters transformed into a different one. Non-smokers were faster, but under the stimulation of nicotine (尼古丁), active smokers were faster than deprived smokers.
In the third test of short-term memory, non-smokers made the fewest errors, but deprived smokers committed fewer errors than active smokers.
The fourth test required people to read a passage, then answer questions about it. Non-smokers remembered 19 percent more of the most important information than active smokers, and deprived smokers bested those who had smoked a cigarette just before testing. Active smokers tended not only to have poorer memories but also had trouble separating important information from insignificant details.
“As our tests became more complex,” sums up Spilich, “non-smokers performed better than smokers by wider and wider margins”. He predicts, “smokers might perform adequately at many jobs—until they got complicated. A smoking airline pilot could fly adequately if no problems arose, but if something went wrong, smoking might damage his mental capacity.”
1. The purpose of George Spilich's experiments is _______.
A) to test whether smoking has a positive effect on the mental capacity of smokers
B) to show how smoking damages people's mental capacity
C) to prove that smoking affects people's regular performance
D) to find out whether smoking helps people's short-term memory
2. George Spilich's experiment was conducted in such a way as to _______.
A) compel the subjects to separate major information from minor details
B) put the subjects through increasingly complex tests
C) check the effectiveness of nicotine on smokers
D) register the prompt responses of the subjects
3. The word“bested”(Line 3, Para. 5) most probably means _______.
A) beat B) envied C) caught up with D) made the best of
4. Which of the following statements is true?
A) Active smokers in general performed better than deprived smokers.
B) Active smokers responded more quickly than the other subjects.
C) Non-smokers were not better than other subjects in performing simple tasks.
D) Deprived smokers gave the slowest responses to the various tasks.
5. We can infer from the last paragraph that _______.
A) smokers should not expect to become airline pilots
B) smoking in emergency cases causes mental illness
C) no airline pilots smoke during flights
D) smokers may prove unequal in handling emergency cases
Passage 5
Is it possible to persuade mankind to live without war? War is an ancient custom which has existed for at least six thousand years. It was always evil and usually foolish, but in the past the human race managed to live with it. Modern skill has changed this. Either man will stop war, or war will stop man. For the present, it is nuclear weapons that cause the greatest danger, but bacteriological( 细菌的 ) or chemical weapons may, before long, offer an even greater threat. If we succeeded in stopping war, there would be no danger for us. To do this, we need to persuade mankind to look upon international questions in a new way, not by contests of force, in which the victory goes to the side which is most skillful in massacre (大屠杀 ),but by arbitration (仲裁）in accordance with agreed principles of law. It is not easy to change old mental habits, but this is what must be attempted.
There are those who say that the adoption of this or that ideology (意识形态)would prevent war. I believe this to be a complete error. All ideologies are based upon beliefs without proof which are, at best, doubtful, and at worst, totally false. Those people who believe them are willing to go to war in support of them.
The movement of
world opinion during the past two years has changed very largely such as we can
welcome. It has become a common belief that nuclear war must be avoided. Of
course, very difficult problems remain in the international world, but the
spirit in which they are being approached is a better one than it was some
years ago. It has begun to be thought, even by the powerful men who decide
whether we shall live or die, that agreements should be reached even if both sides
do not find these agreements wholly satisfactory. It has begun to be understood
that the important conflict (冲突) nowadays is not between East and West, but between Man and the
Hbomb.
1.From the first paragraph we can know that ____.
A. we may face greater threat from weapons
B. bacteriological or chemical weapons are less dangerous than nuclear weapons
C. man’s idea of victory has changed
D. dangerous weapons are forbidden in modern society
2. According to the author,______.
A. it is impossible to live without war
B. the difference between East and West will lead to war
C. war must be stopped if man wants to survive
D. war will be stopped by modern skill
3.The author believes that the only way to stop war is to____.
A. stop nuclear weapons
B. settle international issues through agreements
C. destroy bacteriological and chemical weapons
D. let the stronger side take over the world
4.The last paragraph suggests that______.
A. nuclear war will definitely not take place
B. real agreements have been now reached
C. world opinion is still divided on nuclear war
D. man is beginning to realize that nuclear war is his greatest enemy
5. Which of the following words can best describe the author’s feeling in
writing this passage?
A. Disappointed.B. Doubtful.C. Worried.D. Hopeful.
Passage 6
Age-related changed contribute to（促成）one’s ability to sleep continuously and soundly. With advancing age, some people switch（变换）to shorter nights and some to longer ones. Such a switch may be simply a normal condition of aging；or，it may result from shifts in daily patterns, retirement, or changes in physical or mental health. Common problems are sleeping too little, difficulty falling asleep(taking more than 30—45), awakening frequently during the night, or waking up early and being unable to get back to sleepy.
Short-term insomnia, lasting up to three weeks, may result from anxiety, nervousness, and physical and mental tension. Typical causes are worries about money, excessive（过度的）cncern about health, boredom, social isolation, or physical confinement.
Long-term insomnia often stems from such health conditions as heart disease, arthritis, diabetes, asthma, chronic sinusitis, epilepsy, ulcers, and depression. Long-term impaired sleep can also be brought on by excessive use of beverages containing caffeine andimproper use of sleeping pills.
Insomnia is a complex problem, not given to simple solutions. Please follow the following advice. If you still have difficulty improving sleep, discuss the problem with your physician (doctor).
Regular exercise tends to benefit sleep. Exercise in the morning has little beneficial effect on sleep. The best time to exercise is in the afternoon.
Skip the daytime naps tend to trouble normal night time sleep.
Have a regular bedtime. Go to bed at about the same time every night, but only when you are tired.
Use sleeping pills only as a temporary solution.
1. The writer is trying to ______ in the passage.
A. introduce the problems of the old age B. explain the cause of insomnia
C. give information about insomnia D. tell us ways to improve sleep
2. What is the most common sleeping complaint?
A. Sleeping too little B. Sleeping too much
C. No sleeping D. Sleeping soundly
3. Which is NOT the cause of short-term insomnia?
A. Physical tension. B. Alcohol use
C. Worries about health. D. Maial problems.
4. What does “skip”mean in the sixth passage?
A. delay. B. reduce C. double D. leave out
5. Which is true according to the passage?
A. Sleeping pill can solve the solve the sleeping problems completely
B. Insomnia is difficult to treat.
C. All the older adults have sleeping problems.
D. Exercise in the morning can benefit sleep.
健康医疗类答案：
Passage 1 ADBBA Passage 2 BABCD Passage 3 CAADC Passage 4 ABACD
Passage 5 ACBDD Passage 6 DABDB