4、      An aspirin a day keeps the doctor away. Aspirin has long been praised as a wonder drug and has been in your family since you can remember. Not only does it cure pain, it also lowers the risk of heart attack and stroke (中風(fēng)). But taking the pills daily may not work for everyone.

      Although taking an occasional aspirin or two is safe for most adults to use for headaches,body aches or fever, daily use of aspirin can have serious side effects. Up to 60 per cent of us,both healthy people and those being treated for all types of heart disease, may have some level of resistance to aspirin' s benefits.

      Aspirin keeps platelets(血小板) from sticking, lowering the risk of clotting(結(jié)塊). People who are aspirin - resistant still get pain relief but not the full blood - thinning effects.

      How do you know whether you' re resistant? New blood tests can help your doctor decide whether to give you a different medicine, especially if you' re at risk or are being treated for heart disease. The tests aren' t yet widely available, but it doesn' t hurt to ask.

      People taking aspirin daily should limit the amount of alcohol they drink because of its additional blood - thinning effects and potential to upset your stomach. Thus you should not have more than one drink if you' re a woman or two dr/nks a day if you' re a man. Does daily aspirin treatment differ between men and women? Recent studies have focused on the effects of aspirin in women, finding that its effects differ between the sexes, and for women, between age groups.

     All in all, aspirin is still an effective, affordable and simple option for many people at risk of heart attack and stroke. Though it is readily available, always check with your doctor before starting daily aspirin treatment.

 

66. Aspirin has got the reputation of a wonder drug because __  

     A. an aspirin a day keeps the doctor away

     B. it can make people feel less painful

     C. it helps to prevent heart attacks and strokes

     D. it doesn' t have any serious side effects

67. Which of the following statements about aspirin is TRUE?  

     A. Aspirin does have blood - thinning effects.

     B. If you are resistant to aspirin, you won' t feel pain.

     C. People taking aspirin won't suffer from heart attacks.

     D. 60 per cent of people couldn' t benefit from Aspirin.

68. What do we know about the blood tests mentioned in the fourth paragraph?   

     A. The new examination doesn' t hurt at all.

     B. The tests only help aspirin - resistant people.

     C. Doctors do the tests to test new medicines.

     D. Only some people have ever taken the tests.

69. We can/cam from the passage that __  

     A. drinking alcohol will make people feel uncomfortable

      B. drinking alcohol could influence the function of aspirin

      C. alcohol has much greater effects than aspirin on blood - thinning

      D. people should not drink any alcohol while taking aspirin daily

70. What does the writer think of taking aspirin daily?  

      A. People should be careful to make this decision.

      B. This treatment is effective, affordable and simple.

      C. It could be used to cure heart attack and stroke.

      D. Old women should not start this kind of treatment.