Seasonal influenza is characterized by a sudden fever, cough, headache, muscle and joint pain, sore throat and runny nose. Most people recover from fever and   1  symptoms within a week without requiring medical attention. But influenza can  2  severe illness or death in people at high risk. The time from infection to illness is about two days.

Yearly influenza epidemics can  3   affect all age groups, but the highest risk of complications occur among children younger than age two, adults age 65 or older, and people of  4   age with certain medical conditions, such as chronic heart, lung, kidney, liver, blood or metabolic diseases, or weakened immune systems.

Seasonal influenza  5   easily and can sweep through schools, nursing homes or businesses and towns. When an   6    person coughs, infected droplets get into the air and another person can breathe them  7    and be exposed. The virus can also be spread by hands infected with the virus.  8    transmission, people should cover their mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing, and  9   their hands regularly.

Drugs for influenza are   10   in some countries and effectively prevent and treat the illness. Some influenza viruses develop  11    to the antiviral medicines, limiting the effectiveness of treatment.

Influenza epidemics occur    12   during autumn and winter in temperate regions. Illnesses result in hospitalizations and deaths mainly among high-risk groups. Worldwide, these annual epidemics result in about three to five million   13     of severe illness, and about 250 000 to 500 000 deaths.

Influenza can cause serious public health and economic problems. In   14    countries, epidemics can result in high levels of worker absenteeism and productivity   15   .   16    most people recover from a bout(輪) of influenza, there are large numbers of people who need hospital treatment and many   17    die from the disease every year.   18     is known about the effects of influenza epidemics in developing countries.

The most    19   way to prevent the disease or severe outcomes from the illness is vaccination. Vaccination is especially important for people at higher risk of serious influenza complications, and for people who live with or care  20    high risk individuals.

(  ) 1. A. its                 B. it’s                    C. all                    D. other

(  ) 2. A. cause                 B. lead                  C. result                D. bring

(  ) 3. A. lightly           B. slightly             C. seriously           D. heavily

(  ) 4. A. all                 B. any                   C. no                    D. both

(  ) 5. A. goes                  B. spreads              C. comes            D. happens

(  ) 6. A. to infect        B. infecting           C.  infected          D. infect

(  ) 7. A. off                B. away                 C. out                   D. in

(  ) 8. A. To prevent     B. To protect          C. To prepare         D. To prefect

(  ) 9. A. wash             B. washing            C. to wash             D. washed

(  ) 10. A. free             B. available           C. useful               D. helpful

(  ) 11. A. assistance     B. resistance          C. consistence        D. preference

(  ) 12. A. monthly              B. weekly              C. daily                 D. yearly

(  ) 13. A. pieces          B. states                C. conditions         D. cases

(  ) 14. A. developed    B. developing        C. big                   D. small

(  ) 15. A. lose             B. losses                C. loose                 D. lost

(  ) 16. A. For                 B. Because             C. While               D. Whether

(  ) 17. A. /                 B. which               C. do                    D. who

(  ) 18. A. Little           B. Much                C. Few                  D. Lot

(  ) 19. A. Affective          B. effective            C. attractive           D. aggressive

(  ) 20. A. about           B. of                         C. for                    D. to

Seasonal influenza is characterized by a sudden fever, cough, headache, muscle and joint pain, sore throat and runny nose. Most people recover from fever and   1  symptoms within a week without requiring medical attention. But influenza can  2  severe illness or death in people at high risk. The time from infection to illness is about two days.

Yearly influenza epidemics can  3   affect all age groups, but the highest risk of complications occur among children younger than age two, adults age 65 or older, and people of  4   age with certain medical conditions, such as chronic heart, lung, kidney, liver, blood or metabolic diseases, or weakened immune systems.

Seasonal influenza  5   easily and can sweep through schools, nursing homes or businesses and towns. When an   6    person coughs, infected droplets get into the air and another person can breathe them  7    and be exposed. The virus can also be spread by hands infected with the virus.  8    transmission, people should cover their mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing, and  9   their hands regularly.

Drugs for influenza are   10   in some countries and effectively prevent and treat the illness. Some influenza viruses develop  11    to the antiviral medicines, limiting the effectiveness of treatment.

Influenza epidemics occur    12   during autumn and winter in temperate regions. Illnesses result in hospitalizations and deaths mainly among high-risk groups. Worldwide, these annual epidemics result in about three to five million   13     of severe illness, and about 250 000 to 500 000 deaths.

Influenza can cause serious public health and economic problems. In   14    countries, epidemics can result in high levels of worker absenteeism and productivity   15   .   16    most people recover from a bout(輪) of influenza, there are large numbers of people who need hospital treatment and many   17    die from the disease every year.   18     is known about the effects of influenza epidemics in developing countries.

The most    19   way to prevent the disease or severe outcomes from the illness is vaccination. Vaccination is especially important for people at higher risk of serious influenza complications, and for people who live with or care  20    high risk individuals.

(  ) 1. A. its                 B. it’s                    C. all                    D. other

(  ) 2. A. cause                 B. lead                  C. result                D. bring

(  ) 3. A. lightly           B. slightly             C. seriously           D. heavily

(  ) 4. A. all                 B. any                   C. no                    D. both

(  ) 5. A. goes              B. spreads              C. comes        D. happens

(  ) 6. A. to infect        B. infecting           C.  infected          D. infect

(  ) 7. A. off                B. away                 C. out                   D. in

(  ) 8. A. To prevent     B. To protect          C. To prepare         D. To prefect

(  ) 9. A. wash             B. washing            C. to wash             D. washed

(  ) 10. A. free             B. available           C. useful               D. helpful

(  ) 11. A. assistance     B. resistance          C. consistence        D. preference

(  ) 12. A. monthly              B. weekly              C. daily                 D. yearly

(  ) 13. A. pieces          B. states                C. conditions         D. cases

(  ) 14. A. developed    B. developing        C. big                   D. small

(  ) 15. A. lose             B. losses                C. loose                 D. lost

(  ) 16. A. For             B. Because             C. While               D. Whether

(  ) 17. A. /                 B. which               C. do                    D. who

(  ) 18. A. Little           B. Much                C. Few                  D. Lot

(  ) 19. A. affective      B. effective            C. attractive           D. aggressive

(  ) 20. A. about           B. of                     C. for                    D. to

Flu (which is short for influenza) is a highly infectious disease, the cause of which is a very tiny organism known as a virus. Several types of flu are recognized, depending on the type of virus that causes the disease.

Flu can often cause problems in breathing, and general infection of the lung. With elderly and weak people, these added complications often produce serious results. The virus, if not properly treated, can weaken the body so that patient may develop more serious illnesses, such as pneumonia and bronchitis. When people catch flu, they often complain of a headache or a sore throat. They usually have a fever and their temperature rises from the normal 37℃ (98.6) to about 39.5℃ (103). Sometimes a person has a dry hacking cough and aching joints.

Today many doctors use drugs that fight the disease. And scientists have also developed vaccines that help to prevent it. If the patient has proper treatment, and complete rest in bed, the virus is normally beaten within a week to ten days.

How does flu spread so quickly? When the infected person breathes out, sneezes or coughs, he gives out droplets of moisture in the breath from his mouth or nose. These remain in the air for some time. Flu viruses are present in these droplets. If a person sneezes in a crowd or poorly ventilated place, such as a lift, viruses can easily be carried from an infected person to a healthy person. This is known as droplet infection. The healthy person will breathe in the viruses given out by the infected person.

There are three main types of virus that cause flu, which are called type A, B and C. type A is the most powerful of the three, and undergoes minor changes in its genetic material every few years. The new form of the virus is called a strain. The new strain is not affected by the current vaccines. It is said to be “resistant” to them. So doctors must be continually producing new vaccines to combat the new strains of virus.