In 1957 a doctor in Singapore noticed that hospitals were treating an unusual number of influenzalike cases. Influenza is sometimes called “flu”or a “bad cold”. He took samples from the throats of patients in his hospital and was able to find the virus（病毒）of this influenza.
There are three main types of influenza virus. The most important of these are types A and B, each of them having several sub-groups（亞群）. At the hospital the doctor recognized that the outbreak was because of a virus group A, but he did not know the sub-group. He reported the outbreak to the World Health Organization in Geneva. W. H. O. published the important news together with reports of the same kind of outbreak in Hong Kong, where about 15％～20％ of the population had become ill.
As soon as the London doctors received the package of throat samples, they began to test them. They found that they could reproduce themselves at a very high speed. Continuing their careful tests, the doctor checked the effect of medicine used against all the known sub-groups of type A virus. On this virus, none of them was of any use.
Having separated the virus, the two doctors now made tests on some selected seleceted animals. In a short time the usual signs of the disease appeared. These experiments showed that the new virus spread easily, but that it was not a killer. Scientists, like the general public, called it simply “Asian flu”.
小題1: The Asian flu mentioned in the passage ____.       [    ]

A．had something to do with a virus group B

B．was reported to W. H. O in Geneva by a doctor in Hong Kong

C．broke out not only in Singapore but also in Hong Kong

D．was taken from the throats of the patients in a hospital in Singapore

小題2:London doctors considered ____.  [    ]

A．Asian flu as a bad cold

B．there were three main types of influenza

C．it was necessary to test the other groups of virus besides group A

D．the influenza called “Asian flu”a new one

小題3:The Singapore doctor helped the world by ____.  [    ]

A．making those with Asian flu well again

B．killing the virus that caused Asian flu

C．finding the sub-group of the virus

D．reporting the outbreak of Geneva

小題4: The Asian flu virus ____.       [    ]

A．was a killer

B．was very weak

C．could reproduce very quickly

D．died very fast

The British National Health Service (NHS) was set up in 1948 and was designed to provide equal basic health care, free of charge, for everybody in the country. Before this time health care had to be paid for by individuals.
Nowadays central government is directly responsible for the NHS although it is administered by local health authorities. About 83 percent of the cost of the health service is paid for by general taxation and the rest is met from the National Insurance contributions paid by those in work. There are charges for prescription and dental care but many people, such as children, pregnant women, pensioners, and those on Income Support, are exempt from payment.
Most people are registered with a local doctor (a GP, or General Practitioner) who is increasingly likely to be part of a health centre which serves the community.
As the population of Britain gets older, the hospital service now treats more patients than before, although patients spend less time in hospital. NHS hospitals—many of which were built in the nineteenth century—provide nearly half a million beds and have over 480, 000 medical staff. The NHS is the biggest employer in Europe although Britain actually spends less per person on health care than most of her European neighbours.
During the 1980s there was considerable restructuring of the Health Service with an increased emphasis on managerial efficiency and the privatization of some services (for example, cleaning). At the end of the 1980s the government introduced proposals for further reform of the NHS, including allowing some hospitals to be self-governing, and encouraging GPs to compete for patients. Patients would be able to choose and change their family doctor more easily and GPs would have more financial responsibility. The political questions continue of how much money should be provided to support the NHS and where it should come from.
小題1: We can know from the first paragraph that ______.

A．the original aim of the NHS was to provide equal basic health care for everybody

B．people didn’t have to pay for health care since the NHS was set up

C．patients were charged for receiving health care before 1948

D．the NHS was an organization which gave free advice to villagers

小題2:What do we know about the NHS?

A．It’s managed by the central government.

B．Its cost is mainly paid for by the National Insurance contributions.

C．It hires more people than any other unit in Europe.

D．Fewer patients go to its hospitals than before because they spend less on health care.

小題3: All the following statements about GPs are true except that they ______.

A．take care of the local people’s health

B．often take part in competitions to see who is the best

C．work under high pressure nowadays

D．have more responsibilities than before

小題4:What does the underlined word “exempt” probably mean?

A．suffering

B．different

C．prevented

D．free

小題5:The biggest problem for the NHS is ______.

A．many hospitals are too old to be used

B．some services are in the charge of individuals

C．more and more patients go to GPs for treatment

D．there is not enough money for further reform

Anti-bird flu contingency (意外事故) measures, including a proposal to separate poultry from humans and a series of traffic and logistics (后勤) measures will be discussed at the Legislative Council's Food Safety and Environmental Hygiene Panel meeting next month. Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food Dr York Chow says the contingency plan would come into force if an outbreak occurred near Hong Kong.
Speaking on a radio talk show this morning, Dr Chow said the separation of poultry from humans policy, which will be determined after a decision whether to set up a central slaughtering (屠宰) house or several regional ones, would be based on the demand for live chickens.
He pointed out that at present there were 30,000 live chickens imported from the Mainland and 30,000 supplied locally. If this demand persisted, there would be no central slaughtering house or wholesale point that could handle such an amount and regional slaughtering houses could be the choice.
He added that building of regional slaughtering houses took time, but stressed the need to study the views of the public and the sector before a final decision was made.
Regarding avian flu vaccination (種痘) for humans, Dr Chow said it was still being developed. He added that it may not be reliable in the case of an outbreak as records show vaccination can only offer 5% protection against a virus.
He said Hong Kong had more experience and expertise than neighbouring territories in the fight against viral outbreaks, and was willing to offer them help. He added there was no “boundary” for infectious diseases and close cooperation among different countries had to be maintained to fight against a possible outbreak.
小題1: It can be inferred from the first paragraph that ______.

A．the government is planning to take strong action to fight against bird flu

B．an outbreak which happened near Hong Kong made people very frightened

C．anti-bird flu contingency measures will come into use next month

D．Dr York Chow will organize a meeting to discuss the contingency plan

小題2:According to the passage, the best way to fight against bird flu is to ______.

A．separate poultry from humans	B．set up a central slaughtering house
C．set up several regional slaughtering houses	D．get avian flu vaccination

小題3:When the final decision will be made mainly depends on ______.

A．the demand for live chickens	B．the views of the public
C．the advice from experts
D．the time when regional slaughtering houses will be finished

小題4:Which of the following statements isn’t Dr York Chow’s opinion?

A．Hong Kong is better at dealing with viral outbreaks than its neighbours.

B．Infectious diseases could happen in any country.

C．Other territories should ask Hong Kong for help because it has more experience.

D．Cooperation is quite necessary when danger is coming.

How can you find out what is going on inside a person' s body without opening the patient up? Regular X-rays can show a lot. CAT scans can show even more. They can give three-dimensional(三維) view of body organs(器官).
What is a CAT scan? CAT stands for Computerized Axial Tomography(層面X線照相術). It is a special X-ray machine that gets a 360 - degree picture of a small area of a patient's body.
Doctors use X-rays to study and examine diseases and injuries within the body. X-rays can find foreign objects inside the body or to take pictures of some organs inside if special things as dyes or special liquids are added to the organs to be X-rayed.
A CAT scanner, however, uses a beam(光束) of X-rays to give a cross-sectional view of a particular part of the body. A fine beam of X-rays is scanned across the body and circled around the patient from many different angles(角度). A computer analyzes(分析) the information from each angle and produces a clear cross-sectional picture on the screen. This picture is then photographed for later use. Several cross-sections, taken one after another, can give a clear "photo" of the entire body or of any body organs. The newest CAT scanners can even give a clear picture of active, moving organs just as a fast-action camera can "stop the action" giving clear pictures of what appear only mistily(模糊) to the eye. And because of the 360 - degree pictures, CAT scans show 3-dimensional views of organs in a manner that was once only seen during surgery or autopsy (examining a dead body).
小題1:According to the first two paragraphs, doctors can see the inside of a patient's body by ______.

A．giving the patient an operation

B．checking body organs

C．getting a 360-degree picture of a small area of a patient's body

D．examining the CAT

小題2:From the last paragraph, we can infer that ______.

A．the newest pictures become more misty

B．many pictures can be taken at the same time

C．the information about the scanned patient is not highly valued

D．some pictures of the scanned parts of the body are developed for further examinations in the future

小題3:The best title of this passage might be ______.

A．Modern X-ray	B．Three-dimensional View
C．Fast - moving Camera	D．CAT Scan

The public commonly associates steroid use with big-time athletics. But the drugs may be even more of a menace to teenagers. The synthetic hormones can stunt a young person’s growth by prematurely closing the ends of the long bones in the skeleton. That means a 1.7 metre, 15-year-old high school student who uses steroids “might get bigger but won’t get any taller”, according to a US doctor.
Nearly seven percent of boys in the US try steroids before the end of high school, according to a 1988 study by professors Charles Yesalis and William Buckley, of Penn State University. The estimate comes from a poll of 3,400 seniors in 46 public and private schools across the US.
“Abusers of Steroids did it to improve their appearance and to excel at sports,” Professor Yesalis said. “Parents, teachers and coaches make boys believe that to be an ideal male you need to have these. Then they say: ‘you can’t play games to have fun; you play games to win.’”
“Such attitudes put many high school athletes at high risk of becoming abusers of steroids,” said Mike Gimbel, director of Baltimore County Office of substance Abuse. “For these athletes, the pressure to perform is incredible,” he said. “It was inevitable that it would seep down to high school level.”
小題1:The word “big-time” in Paragraph 1 most nearly means “________”.

A．long time

B．good time

C．top rank

D．modern

小題2:Why are steroids even more of a threat to teenagers?

A．Because they make teenagers grow too tall.

B．Because they make teenagers get too big.

C．Because they prevent teenagers from getting taller and taller.

D．Because they give teenagers too much pressure.

小題3:Which of the following statements is implied but not mentioned?

A．School athletes have too much pressure.

B．Steroids can help people have lots of muscles.

C．The pressure chiefly comes from parents, teachers and coaches.

D．Girls are not interested in steroids.

小題4:Which of the following is a good title for this passage?

A．Drugs and Sports

B．The Pressure to School Boys are Too Much

C．School Boys are Interested in Drugs

D．School Athletes Risk Damage from Drugs

Vitamin E supplements(補充品)，which millions take in the hope of longer, healthier lives, may do more harm than good, researchers reported on Wednesday.?
In fact, people taking high doses(劑量)of vitamin E may in some cases be more likely to die earlier, although the reasons are not clear, said Dr. Edgar Miller of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, who led the study.“I think people take vitamin E because they think it is going to make you live longer, but this(study)doesn’t support that.”Miller told reporters.?
Miller and colleagues re?analyzed 19 studies of vitamin E and health between 1993 and 2004. The tests involved more than 136,000 mostly elderly patients in North America, Europe and China. People who took 200 international units of vitamin E a day or more died at a higher rate during the study, which lasted three years, than people who did not take supplements, they told a meeting of the American Heart Association.“It’s about a 5 percent increased risk at 45 years in the tests combined together，”Miller said.“That doesn’t sound like a lot but if you apply it to 25 percent of the (U.S.)adult population taking vitamin E, that is significant.”?
Miller, whose findings are also being published online by the Annals of Internal Medicine, said two?thirds of people who take vitamin E supplements take 400 IU or more.“We don’t think that people need to take vitamin E supplements, which they can get enough from the diet,”he said. Nuts, oils, whole grains and green leafy vegetables are all rich in vitamin E.?
小題1: People take vitamin E supplements, hoping that________.?

A．they can lose weight easily?

B．they may live a longer and healthier life?

C．they can get more and more beautiful?

D．they no longer need any medicine

小題2: The following statements can give us information about Miller EXCEPT_________.?

A．Miller and his team based their research on 19 cases of vitamin E and health between 1993 and 2004?

B．Miller thinks it unnecessary for people to take vitamin E supplements?

C．Miller supposes it impossible for people to get enough vitamin E from their diets?

D．Miller played an important role in the tests conducted by the researchers

小題3:  Which of the following contains rich vitamin E??

A．Nuts.

B．Whole grains.?

C．Green leafy vegetables.

D．All of the above.

小題4: What is this text mainly about??

A．It is reported in a study that vitamin E may do more harm than good to people to live longer and get healthier.

B．Dr.Edgar Miller and his colleagues studied many cases of vitamin E and health.?

C．Dr.Edgar Miller advises that people should not depend on vitamin E supplements for longer and healthier lives.

D．People who took 200 international units of vitamin E a day or more died at a higher rate than people who did not take supplements.

Animals seem to have the sense to eat when they are hungry and they do not eat more than their bodies need．It has been demonstrated（證明）that rats will, when given a choice over a period of time, prefer water with vitamins to water without vitamins even though there is no difference in taste or smell between the two water bottles．When a fragrant（香的）flavor（作料）was added to the vitamin-enriched water, the rats did seem to prefer it and kept drinking it ,even after the vitamins were switched to the clear water．In time, however, they broke the habit and went back to where the necessary vitamins were．
In a classic experiment, babies of 6 to 12 months old were placed in a cafeteria（自助） feeding arrangement, with a wide selection of baby food before them．They were given whatever food they pointed to or appeared interested in．We are told that at first they showed some unusual eating patterns, but that over a period of time they managed to select well-balanced diet．
So, in selecting food, rats and babies do seem to know and act on what's best for them．Apparently, there is a kind of “body wisdom”,  which humans soon lose．Most of us do not eat as wisely as we could．Many of our food preferences are culturally determined and influenced by long-established habits．Some people eat fox, dog and blackbirds, while we eat cows and pigs．So what people eat and how much they eat seems to be greatly influenced by what is going on around them．
小題1:In the experiment on rats, a fragrant flavor was added to the rats’ drinking water to _____________ .

A．encourage rats to drink vitamins-enriched water

B．find out rats’ preference in flavor

C．test whether rats know which drink is good for them

D．demonstrate the vitamins are tasteless

小題2:According to the passage ,adults eating habits differ from those of babies because_________．

A．adults know better than babies what kind of food are good for their health

B．adults usually cannot resist the temptation of various delicious foods

C．adults' eating habits are closely related to the social and cultural customs

D．adults have more choices of food than babies in eating patterns

小題3:The author implied in the passage that most of us_________．

A．eat a balanced diet

B．choose the food that is of nutrition

C．have the habits influenced by the surroundings

D．like to eat the food with a fragrant flavor．

小題4:As far as their eating habits are concerned, babies and rats are similar in that_________．

A．both have the wisdom to choose a balanced diet

B．both prefer flavored food and drink

C．both have the same eating patterns

D．both develop a taste for the same kinds of flavors

BEIJING, Jan. 11(Xinhuanet)-- Sleeping a little bit longer a day might help fight against obesity（肥胖）, a recent study shows. The research-- published in the Archives of Internal Medicine along with an editorial by Turek and Northwestern colleague Joseph Bass commenting on it and related research-- after comparing people of normal weight- a body mass index of less than 25- with those who were overweight or obese , found that sleeping for an extra 20 minutes each night could offer a pain-free way to lose weight.
Insufficient sleep is linked with changes in hormone levels that may stimulate（刺激）appetite. A series of studies in recent months have shown that the less people sleep, the heavier they tend to be.
American researcher Robert Vorona from Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk and colleagues have now examined the relationship between people's self-reported sleep time per 24 hours and their body mass index(BMI). They found that total sleep time and BMI were inversely correlated was total sleep time decreased, BMI increased, except in the severely obese group." Americans experience insufficient sleep and corpulent bodies. Clinicians are aware of the burden of obesity on patients," the study said. "Our findings suggest that major extensions of sleep time may not be necessary, as an extra 20 minutes of sleep per night seems to be associated with a lower body mass index," it added. "We warn that this study does not establish a cause-and-effect relationship between restricted sleep and obesity (but) investigations demonstrating success in weight loss via extensions of sleep would help greatly to establish such a relationship."
In November 2004, researchers from Columbia University in New York City, New York demonstrated a clear link between the risk of being obese and hours of nightly sleep, finding that people aged 32 to 59 who slept four hours or less per night were 73% more likely to be obese than people who slept between seven and nine hours per night.
小題1:The research, which was published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, found that____________.
sleeping for a shorter time a day might help fight agianst obesity
an extra 20 minutes’ sleep each night could offer a way to lose weight wothout pain
total sleep time and body mass index were inversely related
people aged 32 to 59 who slept four hours or less per night were 73% more likely to be obese than people who slept between seven and nine hours per night
小題2:How many research results are presented in the text?

A．Two

B．Three

C．Four

D．Five

小題3: What does the underlined word “obses” probably mean?

A．thin

B．fat

C．energetic

D．painful

小題4:According to the text , the author intends to tell us that _____________________.

A．Sleeping a little bit longer a day might help fight against obesity

B．insufficient sleep is linked with changes in hormone lives

C．there exists a clear link between the risk of being obeses and hours of nightly sleep

D．the less people sleep , the heavier they tend to be

Alzheimer’s disease is a major national health problem. Nearly 2 million Americans over the age of 65 have Alzheimer’s disease. It is a leading cause of death among the elderly. But Alzheimer’s disease is not confined(限于)to the aged. There may be a million or more people under the age of 65 suffering from the disease.?
At one time, people suffering from the disease were said to be“getting old”.The disease was though to be a natural part of growing old, but it is now known that Alzheimer’s disease strikes young and old alike. It is an organic(器官的)disease that destroys brain cells.?
Alzheimer’s disease affects the patient’s memory, speech, and movement. In the beginning stages of the disease, the patient may seem slightly confused. He may have trouble speaking. Then the patient’s memory begins to fail. He may forget dates, telephone numbers, names and plans.?
As the disease progresses, the patient may not recognize family and friends. These symptoms(癥狀)often cause terrible anxiety in the patient. He may feel lost and frightened. Sometimes the patient reacts with wild and bad behavior.?
In the last stages of the disease, the patient may not be able to take care of himself. He may have lost the ability to speak and walk.?
Scientists don’t know exactly what causes Alzheimer’s disease. It may be caused by a virus(病毒).It may be caused by a poisonous substance(物質)in the environment. At present, there is no cure for the disease. But there are ways to slow its progress. Exercise and physical treatment can help the patients of this disease.?
小題1:The main idea of the passage is that Alzheimer’s disease________.?

A．is a terrible part of the aging process?

B．is an organic disease that affects young and old?

C．can be cured by physical treatment?

D．causes forgetfulness

小題2:All of the following are symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease EXCEPT_________.?
A. forgetfulness                       B. difficulty in speaking?
.loss of sight                        D. loss of the ability to walk
小題3:According to the passage, which of the following may be a cause of Alzheimer’s disease??

A．Poisons produced by the brain.	B．Getting old.?
C．A virus.	D．Lack of exercise.

小題4:he progress of Alzheimer’s disease can be slowed by________.?

A．operation	B．a change in environment?
C．medicines	D．physical treatment and exercise

Even as Americans have been gaining weight, they have cut their average fat intake from 36 to 34 percent of their total diets in the past 15 years.  And indeed,  cutting fat  to control or lose weight makes sense. Fat has nine calories per gram. Protein and carbohydrates（碳水化合物） have just four. Moreover, the body uses fewer calories to metabolize fat than it does to metabolize other foods. Compared with protein and carbohydrates — which break down into amino acids and simple sugars, respectively, and can be used to strengthen and energize the body —— dietary fat is more easily converted to body fat. Therefore, it’s more likely to stay on buttocks, thighs and bellies.? 
But cutting fat from your diet doesn’t necessarily mean your body won’t store fat. For example, between nonfat and regular cookies, there’s trivial difference in calories because manufacturers make up for the loss of fat by adding sugar. Low-fat crackers, soups and dressings can also be just as high in calories as richer versions. No matter where the calories come from, overeating will still cause weight again. The calories from fat just do it a little quicker. A Wisconsin computer programmer who decided with a diet coach to eat only 40 grams of fat a day learned the lesson firsthand. He wasn’t losing weight. Then he showed his food diary to his coach and revealed he’d been eating half a pound of jelly beans a day. “They don’t have any fat,” he explains. But they had enough sugar to keep him from shedding an ounce. ? 
Nonfat foods become add-on foods. When we add them to our diet, we actually increase the number of calories we eat per day and gain weight. That was borne out in a Pennsylvania State University study. For breakfast, Prof. Barbara Rolls gave two groups of women yogurt（酵母乳）that contained exactly the same amount of calories. One group’s yogurt label said “high fat”—the other, “l(fā)ow fat.” The “l(fā)ow fat” yogurt group ate significantly more calories later in the day than the other group. “People think they’ve saved fat and can indulge themselves later in the day with no adverse consequences,” says Richard Mattes, a nutrition researcher at Purdue University. “But when they do that, they don’t compensate very precisely, and they often end up overdoing it.”
小題1:What lessons did the computer programme learn ?

A．Overeating will cause weight gain

B．He can eat half a pound of jellybeans a day

C．He can’t didn’t eat any fat

D．His coach gave him a lecture

小題2:Prof. Barbara’s ecperiement proved that _______________.

A．two groups ate the same amount of calories

B．two groups ate the same wmount of yogurt

C．the “ low fat” yogurt group ate more calories later in the day than the other group

D．people increase the number of calories they eat per day and gain group

小題3:According to the author ,________has less calories.

A．fat

B．protein and carbohydrates

C．low-fat soups

D．sugar

小題4: What can you infer from the text ?

A．To keep from being overweight, people have to eat nofat food

B．The calories from fat just do it a little quicker than from protein and carbohydrates

C．People should avoid temptation

D．Americans realize that it is necessary to count calories before eating the food