阅读理解(1) Bringing Nanotechnology to Health Care for the poorNanotechnology uses matter at the level of molecules and atoms. Researchers are finding different uses for particles with a length of one nanometer, or one-billionth of a meter. These include things like beauty products1 and dirt-resistant clothing. But one area where many experts believe nanotechnology holds great promise is medicine.Last week, speakers at a program in Washington discussed using nanotechnology to improve health care in developing countries. The program took place at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. Peter Singer at the University of Toronto says a nanotechnology called quantum dots2 could be used to confirm cases of malaria. He says it could offer a better way than the traditional process of looking at a person’s blood under a microscope.In poor countries, this process is often not followed. As a result, sick people may get treated for malaria even if they do not have it. Such misuse of medicines can lead to drug resistance. Quantum dots are particles that give off3 light when activated. Researchers are studying ways to program them to identify diseases by lighting up in the presence of targeted molecule. 4Experts say nanotechnology shows promise not just for diagnosing diseases, but also for treating them. Piotr Grodzinski of the National Institutes of Health5 talked about how nanotechnology could make drugs more effective. He talked about cancer drugs already developed with nanotechnology. He says if a drug can target a cancer locally in the body, then much less of it might be needed, and that means lower side effects.6Andrew Maynard is chief scientist for the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies at the Woodrow Wilson Center. He noted that Brazil, India, China and South Africa are currently doing nanotechnology research that could help poor countries. But he also noted that there is some risk in using nano-materials. He says nanometer-sized particles behave differently in the body and the environment compared to larger particles7. Experts say more investment in research is needed to better understand these risks.练习：1. Which of the following uses of nanotechnology is NOT mentioned in the passage?A. To make beauty products and dirt-resistant clothing.B. To produce better and lighter building materials.C. To help more accurately diagnose diseases.D. To help more effectively treat diseases.2. How can quantum dots be used to confirm diseases?A. By traditionally looking at a person’s blood under a microscope.B. By letting a person take some kind of medicine.C. By lighting up in the presence of a targeted molecule.D. By subjecting a person to an X-ray examination.3. How can nanotechnology be used to make a drug more effective?A. By making a drug target the focus of a disease.B. By changing the structure of the body cells.C. By lowering the side effects caused by a drug.D. By letting a patient take a dose as large as possible.阅读理解文章及练习(2) Medical Journals医学杂志Medical journals are publications that report medical information to physicians and other health professionals.In the past, these journals were available only in print. With the development of electronic publishing. many medical journals now have Web sites on the Internet, and some journals publish only online. A few medical journals, like the Journal of the American Medical Association, are considered general medical journals because they cover many fields of medicine. Most medical journals are specialty journals that focus on a particular area of medicine.Medical journals publish many types of articles. Research articles report the results of research studies on a range of topics varying from the basic mechanisms of diseases to clinical trials that compare outcomes of different treatments. Review articles summarize and analyze the information available on a specific topic based on a careful search of the medical literature. Because the results of individual research studies can be affected by many factors, combining results from different studies on the same topic can be helpful in reaching conclusions about the scientific evidence for preventing, diagnosing or treating a particular disease. Case conferences and case reports may be published in medicaljournals to educate physicians about particular illnesses and how to treat them. Editorials in medical journals are short essays that express the views of the authors, often regarding a research or review article published in the same issue. Editorials provide perspective on how the current article fits with other information on the same topic. Letters to the editor provide a way for readers of the medical journal to express comments, questions or criticisms about articles published in that journal.1.The main readers of medical journals areA. the general public.B. health professionals.C. medical critics.D. news reporters.2.Which of the following statements is NOT true?A. Many medical journals also publish online.B. A few medical journals are general medical journals.C. Most medical journals publish only online.D. Most medical journals are specialty journals.3.How many major types of articles are mentioned in the passage?A. Five.B. Seven.C. Four.D. Six.4.An article dealing with results from different studies on the same topic is calledA. a research article.B. a review article.C. a case report.D. an editorial.5.Letters to the editor enable readers of a medical journal to express comments onA. any medical event.B. articles published in the same issue.C. articles published in that journal.D. medical development.阅读理解文章及练习(3) Cooking Oil Fumes Cause Tumor厨房油烟可致癌The leading cause of lung cancer among women in the city was cooking oil fumes while men are more likely to develop the disease from smoking, said medical experts after a five-year research study.Doctors announced the results yesterday with analysis on some new tendencies in lung cancer.They said patients are younger, especially women.According to the Shanghai Tumor research Institute, more local residents die of lung cancer in the city than anything else.Following breast cancer, it has the second-highest incidence rate."An unhealthy lifestyle is a very important reason for lung cancer, "said Dr He Yumin from Shanghai Minshen Traditional Chinese Medicine Tumor Diagnosis and Treatment Center.He followed 2,276 lung cancer patients for five years.Among them,l,483 were male.Smoking causes 70 percent of cases among men while only l8 percent of female patients developed cancer from smoking or inhaling second-hand smoke, according to the report.However, more than 60 percent of women with the disease had long term, close contact with strong oil fumes from cooking and complained about1 irritated eyes and throat.About 32 percent of women fried foods in boiling oil in unventilated kitchens and about 25 percent of women's bedrooms were adjacent to2 the kitchen.However, local women were surprised to learn cooking oil fumes could lead to cancer.Some claimed they may change food preparation methods."Unless my family and I don't eat at home every day, I must stay in the kitchen to cook, "said Xu Li, a 45-year-oldlocal woman."I know the fumes are bad for the skin, but it is the first time I heard that it can result in lung cancer.I have already started frying less."Doctors said women's lung cancer had few links to personal health and physical condition, but was closely related to family cancer history, unhealthy dietary habits and weak immune systems.Other experts agreed with he3."Smoking is by far the biggest cause4 of lung cancer for men, "said Dr Tan Binyong, honorary president of the Respiratory Disease Institute at Fudan University's Medical College."It's true that second-hand smoke and cooking fumes are the main causes among women."He's research also warned people not to stand near of stalls selling5 fried foods due to the poor quality of oils used.The chance of catching lung cancer is three times higher if exposed to the fume for a long time, 6experts said.练习：1.What a new tendency in lung cancer is concluded by the researchers?A Men are more likely to develop lung cancer than women.B Women are more likely to develop lung cancer than men.C Patients with lung cancer become older, especially males.D Patients with lung cancer become younger, especially females.2.Which of the following diseases is the most common among the local residents in Shanghai?A Heart disease.B Breast cancer.C Infectious diseases.D Lung cancer.3.What symptoms may be' complained of by most women with lung cancer after long term, close contact with cooking oil fumes?A Irritated eyes and throat.B Severe pain in both lungs.C Continuous cough and headache.D Difficulty in breathin9.4.What was the local women's reaction when they learned that cooking oil fumes could lead to cancer?A Happy.B Surprised.C Angry.D Careless5.Which of the following has relatively little connection with women's lung cancer?A Family cancer history.B Unhealthy dietary habits.C Weak immune systems.D Personal health and physical condition.阅读理解文章及练习(4) Multivitamins Urged for All Pregnant WomenA recent study in Tanzania found that when pregnant women took vitamins every day, fewer babies were bom too small. Babies that weigh less than two and one-half kilograms at birth have a greater risk of dying. Those that survive are more likely to experience problems with their development. And experts say that as adults they have a higher risk of diseases including heart disease and diabetes. The World Health Organization1 estimates that every year twenty million babies are bom with low birth weight. Nine out of ten of them are bom in developing countries.The new study took place in Dar es Salaam. 4,200 pregnant women received multivitamins. The pills contained all of the vitamins in the B group along with2 vitamins C and E. They also contained several times more iron and folate than the levels advised for women in developed nations. Pregnant women especially in poor countries may find it difficult to get enough vitamins and minerals from the foods in their diet.The scientists compared the findings with results from a group of 4,000 women who did not receive the vitamins.A report by the scientists, from the United States and Tanzania, appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine,3Wafaie Fawzi of the Harvard University School of Public Health4 led the study. None of the women in the study had HTV, the virus that causes AIDS. The scientists reported earlier that daily multivitamins were a low-cost way to reduce fetal deaths in pregnant women infected with5 HIV. The earlier work in Tanzania also found improvement in the mothers in their number of blood cells known as lymphocytes. Lymphocytes increase the body’s immunity against infection.The new study in pregnant women who were not infected with the AIDS virus found that multivitamins reduced the risk of low birth weight. Just under eight percent of the babies bom to women who took the multivitamins weighed less than 2,500 grams. The rate was almost nine and one-half percent in the group of women who received a placebo, an inactive pill, instead of the vitamins. But the vitamins did not do much to reduce the rates of babies being bom too early or dying while still a fetus. Still, the researchers say multivitamins should be considered for all pregnant women in developing countries.练习：1.How many babies are bom with low birth weight in the developed countries every year according to WHO?A. 20,000,000.B. 18,000,000.C. 2,000,000.D. 38,000,000.2.A pill of multivitamins may contain all of the following substances EXCEPTA. all vitamins in the B group.B. vitamins C and E.C. much iron and folate.D. antiviral substances.3.Which of the following is NOT one of the effects of multivitamins mentioned in the passage?A. To reduce the rate of babies bom too early.B. To reduce the risk of low birth weight.C. To reduce fetal deaths in pregnant women infected with HTV.D. To increase the number of lymphocytes in mothers’blood.4.What a role do lymphocytes play in the human body?A. To reduce the rate of dying while still a fetus.B. To raise the body’s immunity against infection.C. To help prevent the development of heart disease.D. To help prevent the development of diabetes.5.How many percent of babies were bom with low birth weight to women who were not infected with the AIDS virus and took the multivitamins according to a new study?A. Less than 8%.B. About 9.5%.C. L 5%.D 17.5%.阅读理解文章及练习(5) U. S. Eats Too Much Salt 美国人吃盐过量People in the United States consume more than twice the recommended amount1 of salt, raising their risk for high blood pressure, heart attacks and strokes, government health experts said on Thursday.They found nearly 70 percent of U. S. adults are in high-risk groups that would benefit from a lower-salt diet of no more than 1,500 mg per day2，yet most consume closer to 3,500 mg per day.“It’s important for people to eat less salt. People who adopt a heart-healthy eating pattern that includes a diet low in sodium and rich in potassium and calcium can improve their blood pressure,”Dr. Darwin Labarthe of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement.“People need to know their recommended daily sodium limit and take action to reduce sodium intake,”Labarthe said.The study in CDC’s weekly report on death and disease used national survey data to show that two out of threeadults should be consuming no more than 1，500 mg of sodium per day because they are black or over the age of 40一which are considered high-risk groups.Yet studies show most people in the United States eat 3,436 mg of sodium per day, according to a 2005–2006 CDC estimate.Most of the sodium eaten comes from packaged, processed and restaurant foods. The CDC said it will join other agencies in the Health and Human Services department in working with major food manufacturers and chain restaurants to reduce sodium levels in the food supply.Nationwide, 16 million men and women have heart disease and 5.8 million are estimated to have had a stroke. Cutting salt consumption can reduce these risks, the CDC said.练习：1.Too much salt raises one’s risk forA.high blood pressure.B.heart attacks.C.strokes.D.all of the above.2.How much salt do most American adults eat per day?A.No more than 1,500 mg.B.Closer to 3,500 mg.C.Less than 3,436 mg.D.Closer to 1,500 mg.3.To improve their blood pressure, people should have a dietA.rich in potassium and sodium.B.rich in potassium and calcium.C.rich in calcium arid sodium.D.none of the above.4.The high-risk groups include thoseA.who are black.B.who are over the age of 40.C.who are white and young.D.both A and B.5.Packaged, processed and restaurant foods are known to beA.cheap.B.tasty.C.rich in salt.D.healthy.阅读理解文章及练习(6) Pushbike Peril 自行车的危险Low speed bicycle crashes can badly injure 一or even kill 一children if they fall onto the ends of the handlebars. So a team of engineers is redesigning the humble handlebar in a bid to make it safer.Kristy Arbogast, a bioengineer at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania, began the project with her colleagues after a study of serious abdominal injuries in children in the past 30 years showed2 that more than a third were caused by bicycle accidents. "The task was to identify how the injuries occurred and come up with some countermeasures,"3 she says.By interviewing the children and their parents，Arbogast and her team were able to4 reconstruct many of the accidents and identified a common mechanism responsible for serious injuries. They discovered that most occur when children hit an obstacle at a slow speed，causing them to topple over5. To maintain their balance they turn the handlebars through 90 degrees 一but their momentum forces them into the end of the handlebars. The bike then falls over and the other end of the handlebars hits the ground, ramming it into their abdomen6.The solution the group came up with is a handgrip fitted with a spring and damping system.The spring absorbs up to 50 per cent of the forces transmitted through the handlebars in an impact. The grouphopes to commercialize the device，which should add only a few dollars to the cost of a bike. “But our task has been one of education because up until now, bicycle manufacturers were unaware of the problem," says Arbogast.The team has also approached the US Consumer Product Safety Commission to try to persuade manufacturers to adopt the new design. A decision is expected later this year.练习：1.According to the passage, some engineers are trying to improve the handlebars becauseA they are not noble enough.B they may kill children.C they are likely to crash.D they make the bike move at a low speed.2.In paragraph 2，the author mentions a study of serious abdominal injuries A to discuss how abdominal injuries in children occur.B to show that more than a third injuries were caused by bicycle accidents.C to point out what the countermeasures can be.D to tell us why Kristy Arbogast began the project.3.Paragraph 3 mainly discussesA why the children and their parents were interviewed.B when the children turn the handlebars through 90 degrees.C what causes the children to topple over.D how serious injuries occur.4.The passage implies thatA it is not easy to persuade manufacturers to adopt the new design.B the team of engineers has not found any countermeasures.C children like to ride bicycles at a very low speed.D a lot of children were killed in bicycle accidents in the past 30 years.5. In which of the following ways the handgrip work?A It can be commercialized.B It reduces the dangerous forces in bicycle accidents.C It adds a few dollars to the cost of a bike.D It changes the direction of the handlebars in an impact.阅读理解文章及练习(7) Late-night Drinking在深夜饮咖啡Coffee lovers beware. Having a quick “pick-me-up”cup of coffee1 late in the day will play havoc with2 your sleep. As well as being a stimulant, caffeine interrupts the flow of melatonin, the brain hormone that sends people into a sleep.Melatonin levels normally start to rise about two hours before bedtime. Levels then peak between 2 am and 4 am, before falling again.3"It's the neurohormone that controls our sleep and tells our body when to sleep and when to wake，，，says Maurice Ohayon of the Stanford Sleep Epidemiology Research Center at Stanford University in California. But researchers in Israel have found that caffeinated coffee halves the body's levels of this sleep hormone.Lotan Shilo and a team at the Sapir Medical Center in Tel Aviv University found that six volunteers slept less well after a cup of caffeinated coffee than after drinking the same amount of decaf. On average, subjects slept 336 minutes per night after drinking caffeinated coffee, compared with 415 minutes after decaf. They also took half an hour to drop off4一twice as long as usual 一and jigged around5 in bed twice as much.In the second phase of the experiment, the researchers woke the volunteers every three hours and asked them to give a urine sample. Shilo measured concentrations of a breakdown product of melatonin. The results suggest that melatonin concentrations in caffeine drinkers were half those in decaf drinkers. In a paper accepted for publication in Sleep Medicine，the researchers suggest6 that caffeine blocks production of the enzyme that drives melatonin production.Because it can take many hours to eliminate caffeine from the body，Ohayon recommends that coffee lovers switch to decaf after lunch.练习：1. The author mentions "pick-me-up" to indicate thatA melatonin levels need to be raised.B neurohormone can wake us up.C coffee is a stimulant.D decaf is a caffeinated coffee.2.Which of the following tells us how caffeine affects sleep?A Caffeine blocks production of the enzyme that stops melatonin production.B Caffeine interrupts the flow of the hormone that prevents people from sleeping.C Caffeine halves the body's levels of sleep hormone.D Caffeine stays in the body for many hours.3. What does paragraph 3 mainly discuss?A Different effects of caffeinated coffee and decaf on sleep.B Different findings of Lotan Shilo and a team about caffeine.C The fact that the subjects slept 415 minutes per night after drinking decaf.D The evidence that the subjects took half an hour to fall asleep.4. What does the experiment mentioned in paragraph 4 prove? A There are more enzymes in decaf drinkers' urine sample.B There are more melatonin concentrations in caffeine drinkers' urine sample.C Decaf drinkers produce less melatonin.D Caffeine drinkers produce less sleep hormone.5. The author of this passage probably agrees thatA coffee lovers sleep less than those who do not drink coffee.B we should not drink coffee after supper.C people sleep more soundly at midnight than at 3 am.D if we feel sleepy at night, we should go to bed immediately.阅读理解文章及练习(8) Eat Healthy 健康饮食"Clean your plate!" and "Be a member of the clean-plate club1!’’Just about every kid in the US has heard this from a parent or grandparent. Often, it's accompanied by an appeal：“Just think about those starving orphans in Africa!2" Sure, we should be grateful for every bite of food. Unfortunately, many people in the US take too many bites3. Instead of staying "clean the plate", perhaps we should save some food for tomorrow.According to news reports, US restaurants are partly to blame for the growing bellies. A waiter puts a plate of food in front of each customer, with two to four times the amount recommended by the government, according to a USA Today story.4 Americans traditionally associate quantity with value and most restaurants try to give them that. They prefer to have customers complain about too much food rather than too little.Barbara Rolls, a nutrition professor at Pennsylvania State University; told USA Today that restaurant portion sizes began (o grow in the 1970s, the same time that the American waistline began to expand.Health experts have tried to get many restaurants to serve smaller portions. Now, apparently, some customers are calling for this too. The restaurant industry trade magazine QSR reported last month that 57 percent of more than 4,000 people surveyed believe restaurants serve portions that are too large; 23 percent had no opinion; 20 percent disagreed. But a closer look at the survey indicates that many Americans who can't afford fine dining still prefer large portions. Seventy percent of those earning at least $150,000 per year prefer smaller portions; but only 45 percent of those earning less than $25,000 want smaller.It's not that working class Americans don't want to eat healthy. It's just that, "after long hours at low-paying jobs, getting less on their plate hardly seems like a good deal.5 They live frompaycheck to paycheck, happy to save a little money for next year's Christmas presents.练习：1. Parents in the United States tend to ask their childrenA to save food.B to wash the dishes.C not to waste food.D not to eat too much.2. Why do American restaurants serve large portions?A Because Americans associate quantity with value.B Because Americans have big bellies.C Because Americans are good eaters.D Because Americans are greedy.3.What happened in the 1970s?A The US government recommended the amount of food a restaurant gave to a customer.B Health experts persuaded restaurants to serve smaller portions.C The United States produced more grain than needed.D The American waistline started to expand.4.What does the survey indicate?A Many poor Americans want large portions.B Twenty percent Americans want smaller portions.C Fifty seven percent Americans earn $150,000 per year.D Twenty three percent Americans earn less than $25,000 per year.5.Which of the following is Not true of working class Americans?A They work long hours.B They live from paycheck to paycheck.C They don't want to be healthy eaters.D They want to save money for their children.阅读理解文章及练习(9) U. S. to Start $3.2 Billion Child Health Study in JanuaryA study that will cost $3.2 billion and last more than two decades to track the health of 100,000 U.S. children from before birth to age 21 will be launched in January, U. S. health officials said on Friday.Officials from the U.S. government’s National Institutes of Health said they hope the study, to be conducted at 105 locations throughout the United States, can help identify early-life influences that affect later development, with the goal of learning new ways to treat or prevent illness.The study will examine hereditary and environmental factors such as exposure to certain chemicals that affect health.Researchers will collect genetic and biological samples from people in the study as well as samples from the homes of the women and their babies including air, water, dust and materials used to construct their residences, the NIH said.Officials said more than $200 million has been spent already and the study is projected to cost $3.2 billion.“We anticipate that in the long term1，what we learn from the study will result in a significant savings in the nation’s health care costs,”Dr. Duane Alexander, who heads the NIH’s Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, told reporters.The study will begin in January when the University of North Carolina and the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York start signing up2 pregnant women whose babies will then be followed to age 21.Some of the early findings will be about factors behind pre-term birth3, which has become more common in recent years, according to Dr. Peter Scheidt of the NIH, who heads the study.The people taking part will be from rural, urban and suburban areas, from all income and educational levels and from all racial groups, the NIH said.练习：1.The aim of the study is to find new ways toA. conduct research.B. track public health.C. prevent or treat illness.D. speed up development.2.Researchers will collect all the following EXCEPTA. genetic samples from people in the study.B. biological samples from people in the study.C. samples from the homes of the women and their babies.D. samples of air and water from hospitals.3.It is expected that through the study the nation’s health care costsA. will be lowered in the long run.B. will be significantly increased.C. will be more than $200 million.D. will reach $3.2 billion.4.The babies of the participants will be followedA. throughout their lives.B. for more than two decades.C. from birth to 21 months.D. until they get married.5.Which is NOT true of the people in the study?A. They’ll be from various areas.B. They’ll be from all income levels.C. They’ll be from all educational levels.D. They’ll be from all age groups.阅读理解文章及练习(10) Cigars Instead?Smoking one or two cigars a day doubles the risk of cancers of the lip, tongue, mouth, and throat, according to a government study.Daily cigars also increase the risk of lung cancer and cancer of the esophagus，and increase the risk of cancer of the larynx (voicebox) sixfold1，say researchers at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland.In addition, the report revealed that smoking three or four cigars a day increased the risk of oral cancer to 8.5 times the risk for nonsmokers2 and the risk of esophageal cancer by four times the risk of nonsmokers.The health effects of smoking cigars is one of eight sections of the article “Cigars ：Health Effects and Trends". The researchers report that, compared with a cigarette, a large cigar emits up to 90 times as much carcinogenic tobacco-specific nitrosamines.“This article provides clear and invaluable information about the disturbing increase3 in cigar use and the significant public health consequences4 for the country," said Dr. Richard Klausner, director of the National Cancer Institute，in a statement."The data are clear 一the harmful substances and carcinogens in cigar smoke, like cigarettes, are associated with5 the increased risks of several kinds of cancers as well as heart and lung diseases，”he added. “In other words，cigars are not safe alternatives to cigarettes6 and may be addictive. ”"To those individuals who may be thinking about smoking cigars, our advice is —don't.7 To those currently smoking cigars, quitting is the only way to eliminate completely the cancer, heart and lung disease risks，”warned Klausner.According to a National Cancer Institute press release8，there haven't been any studies on the health effects on nonsmokers at cigar social events，but "... a significant body of evidence9 clearly demonstrates an increased lung cancer risk from secondhand smoke. ”练习：1.According to the report, smoking three or four cigars a dayA increases the risk of oral cancer for non-smokers.B greatly increases the risk of oral cancer for smokers.C increases the risk of more than one cancer for non-smokers.D greatly increases the risk of more than one cancer for smokers.。
