17．What is the single largest cause of sick leave in the UK？The answer is not the common cold or flu，but back pain．Back pain affects one in three British adults，costs the country over 5billion pounds every year and is very difficult to treat．But now Britain's National Health Service（NHS）will be offering a new solution：acupuncture．The ancient Chinese needle therapy（療法）has been around in the UK for many years，but this is the first time it has been officially approved by the NHS's advisory body，the National Institute for Clinical Excellence（NICE）．
Traditionally，doctors in the UK have advised back pain sufferers to stay active，do stretching exercises and take painkillers when necessary and in more serious cases some people are given X-ray treatment or injections with therapeutic substances．
NICE，however，say there is evidence that acupuncture may be more effective than expensive X-rays or injections，so patients who have been suffering for over six weeks should be given a choice．As an alternative to acupuncture，patients will be able to choose for either a course of spinal manipulation（脊柱推拿術），or a series of special exercise sessions．In the UK，acupuncture is classed as a complementary therapy，which is the term given to a medical procedure which hasn't received the strict trials by which scientists prove some treatments work．
While many experts have welcomed the move to make acupuncture available on the NHS，some are still doubtful about its effectiveness．Research from the US earlier this month found that using toothpicks could be as good as using real needles．So while some are yet to be convinced，back pain sufferers will be hoping that acupuncture helps get them feeling healthy and mobile again．Employers，on the other hand，will be hoping it gets them back to work．
32．What can we learn from the first paragraph？B
A．The British have come to know acupuncture recently．
B．About thirty percent of the British suffer from back pain．
C．NICE has been arguing against Chinese needle therapy．
D．The British ask for sick leave mostly because of cold or flu．
33．The traditional ways to treat back pain in the UK includeC．
A．staying in bed for rest
B．Chinese needle therapy
C．receiving X-ray treatment
D．a(chǎn)voiding physical exercises
34．In treating back pain，acupunctureA．
A．may cost less than X-rays
B．works surely better than injections
C．has gone through strict scientific tests
D．will replace the traditional ways in the UK
35．What do experts think of acupuncture？D
A．They think highly of it．
B．Most of them are against it．
C．Few recognize its usefulness．
D．They differ on its effectiveness．
分析 本文屬于記敘文閱讀，主要向我們介紹了在英國背部疼痛是很普遍的，治療背部疼痛的傳統(tǒng)方法包括做伸展運動，必要時服用止痛藥以及接受X射線治療，專家最近提出了更實惠的針灸治療，但是針灸治療的有效性目前還不確定．
解答 32．B 細節(jié)理解題，根據(jù)第一段Back pain affects one in three British adults，costs the country over 5billion pounds every year and is very difficult to treat．可知本段講述了約有百分之三十的英國人患有背部疼痛，故選B．
33．C 細節(jié)理解題，根據(jù)第二段Traditionally，doctors in the UK have advised back pain sufferers to stay active，do stretching exercises and take painkillers when necessary and in more serious cases some people are given X-ray treatment or injections with therapeutic substances．可知在英國治療背部疼痛的傳統(tǒng)方法包括做伸展運動，必要時服用止痛藥以及接受X射線治療，故選C．
34．A 細節(jié)理解題，根據(jù)第三段NICE，however，say there is evidence that acupuncture may be more effective than expensive X-rays or injections，可知針灸治療背部疼痛比接受X射線治療要便宜，故選A．
35．D 細節(jié)理解題，根據(jù)最后一段some are still doubtful about its effectiveness．可知專家認為針灸治療的有效性不同，故選D．
點評 考查學生的細節(jié)理解和推理判斷能力．做細節(jié)理解題時一定要找到文章中的原句，和題干進行比較，再做出正確選擇．在做推理判斷題時不要以個人的主觀想象代替文章的事實，要根據(jù)文章事實進行合乎邏輯的推理判斷．
