1 Every 45 seconds,someone in America has a stroke.Every 3.1 minutes,someone dies of one.Stroke killed an estimated 167,661 people in 2000 and is the nation’s third leading cause of death,ranking behind diseases of the heart and all forms of cancer.Stroke is a leading cause of serious,long-term disability in the United States.

    2 Stroke is a type of cardiovascular(心血管的)disease.It affects the arteries(动脉)leading to and within the brain.A stroke occurs when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients(营养物)to the brain is either blocked by a clot(凝块)or bursts.When that happens,part of the brain cannot get the blood(and oxygen)it needs,so it starts to die.

    3 The brain is an extremely complex organ that controls various body functions.If a stroke occurs and blood flow can’t reach the region that controls a particular body function,that part of the body won’t work as it should.If the stroke occurs toward the back of the brain,for instance,it’s likely that some disability involving vision will result.The effects of a stroke depend primarily on the location of the obstruction(阻塞)and the extent of brain tissue affected.

    4 The American Stroke Association has identified several factors that increase the risk of stroke.The more risk factors a person has,the greater the chance that he or she will have a stroke.Some of these you can’t control,such as increasing age,family health history,race,and prior stroke.But you can change or treat other risk factors to lower your risk.Factors resulting from lifestyle or environment can be modified with a healthcare provider’s help.Some of these include:high blood pressure,current smoking,heart disease,and high red blood cell count.

    5 A stroke can happen to anyone at any moment.In fact about 600,000 people have strokes every year.For many years,there was no hope for those suffering a stroke.However,recent breakthroughs have led to new treatments.For the treatments to work,the person must get to a hospital immediately.

    23.Paragraph 2 ______.

    24.Paragraph 3 ______.

    25.Paragraph 4 ______.

    26.Paragraph 5 ______.

    A.Effects of a stroke

    B.Annual cost of stroke in the US

    C.Definition and description of a stroke

    D.Breakthroughs in treatment

    E.Risk factors of stroke

    F.Warning signs of a stroke

    27.When a stroke occurs,the arteries leading to ______and within the brain.

    28.A person’s vision is likely to be affected if a stroke______.

    29.Some people can reduce their risk of stroke if they______.

    30.New treatments are now available to people who______.

    A.suffer from a stroke

    B.will be affected

    C.change their lifestyles

    D.will take placeＷww.KaＯ8.CC

    E.occurs at the back of his/her brain

    F.controls various body functions

    答案：23.C24.A25.E26.D27.B28.E29.C30.A

【2】Geology and Health

　　The importance of particular metals in the human diet has been realized within the past few decades, and the idea that geology might be related to health has been recognized for a number of elements such as iodine, zinc and selenium. For example, soils with low iodine contents produce crops, and animals deficient in iodine. A lack of iodine in the human diet leads to some serious diseases.

　　The ultimate source of metals within the human body is rocks, which weather into soil, gaining or losing some of their chemical constituents. The crops we eat selectively remove from the soil the elements that they require for growth. The water we drink contains trace elements leached from rock and soil. Thus the geology and geochemistry of the environments have effects on the chemistry and health of plants, animals and people.

　　So far there is no data to suggest that people living on metal-rich soils experience a potential health hazard. The levels of metals within naturally contaminated soils are generally not high enough to cause serious health problems. Living on metal-rich soils does not represent a health risk unless large quantities of soil are digested or metal-rich dust is inhaled. However, small children are particularly exposed to metal-rich topsoil in playgrounds and gardens. They are also the most likely ones to eat potentially dangerous metal-rich soil.

　　Heavy metals are persistent; they do not break down to other chemicals in the environment. Industrially polluted sites usually undergo intensive clean-up and rehabilitation because heavy metals are a health concern once they enter the food chain. Some trace metals are alleged to cause cancer and are also known to cause poisoning.

　　In contrast, naturally contaminated soils have not been subject to risk assessment studies and rehabilitation measures, despite the fact that they frequently possess metal concentrations well above those of such polluted by humans and above environmental quality criteria.

　　There is a vital need to understand the potential risks and long-term health effects of living on naturally contaminated soils. Future environmental investigations of naturally polluted soils should concentrate on the potential pathways of metals into the food chain and human body. Geologists should be part of such studies as they can provide the essential background information on rock and soil chemistry as well as the chemical forms of heavy metal pollution.

　　A. No evidence to indicate bad effects of naturally contaminated soil

　　B. Potential hazards of human contaminated soils

　　C. Research on channels of heavy metals getting into human food chain

　　D. Geology and health problems

　　E. Rocks-the ultimate source of soil pollution

　　F. Long- term health effects on children

　　1. Paragraph 1

　　2. Paragraph 3

　　3. Paragraph 4

　　4. Paragraph 6

　　A. industrially polluted soils

　　B. rock and soil chemistry

　　C. naturally polluted soils

　　D. the pathways of metals into the food chain

　　E. the element of iodine

　　F. the persistence of heavy metals

　　5. Some serious diseases is connected with deficiency of ……

　　6. It is extremely necessary to study the long-term effects caused by living on ……

　　7. Geologists are indispensable in the research project on geology and health due to their knowledge on……

　　8. Industrially contaminated sites usually require a thorough clean-up due to ……

　　答案: D A B C E C B F  

【3】Breaking the News about Your Diagnosis

　　1 When I was diagnosed with breast cancer nearly a year ago， I found myself at a loss for words at first. Over time， however， I developed some pointers (点子)， which I hope will help others.

　　2 During the first few weeks of emotional “aftershocks” (余悸) from the diagnosis， I found myself unable to utter the word “cancer”。 Still， I wanted to share the news with my relatives and friends who already knew that I'd had a biopsy (活检) and were anxiously awaiting my telephone call. I did the best I could， which is all anyone can do in this situation. When I called them， I said， “What we feared has happened.” They immediately knew what I meant.

　　3 Nearly a year after my diagnosis， I find myself more comfortable telling people “I was diagnosed with cancer” instead of saying “I have cancer.” On some deep level， I don't want to “own” this illness. Choose language that suits you when you share your new. And keep in mind that there is no one “right” way of doing this.

　　4 Most people， after hearing your announcement， will be curious about the next step. They may wonder if you will be undergoing radiation therapy (诊疗) and/or chemotherapy (化疗)。 They may wonder where and when you will have surgery. Answer their questions as best you can， but keep in mind that “I don't know right now” or “I'm still in too much shock to think about that” are good answers.

　　5 Wait until the initial wave of strong emotions has passed before telling the children in your life. Don't overwhelm (使不知所措) very young children with too much information. Assure them that， even if you will be in the hospital for a while， they will see you every day and they will be cared for. Older children may already fear the word “cancer”， so be prepared to reassure them. Emphasize the positive steps that doctors will be taking to treat your illness.

　　1 Paragraph 2

　　2 Paragraph 3

　　3 Paragraph 4

　　4 Paragraph 5

　　A Break the news as calmly as possible to children

　　B Break the news at your own pace

　　C Share the good news with your friends

　　D Choose language that suits you

　　E Follow your doctor's advice

　　F Be prepared for people's curiosity

　　5 You can break the news about your diagnosis without saying

　　6 When breaking the news about your diagnosis， you can have

　　7 After hearing about your diagnosis， people will ask questions

　　8 Very young children won't feel comfortable

　　A your own choice of words

　　B the word “cancer”Ｗww.KaＯ8.CC

　　C the positive steps

　　D about the next step

　　E on too many answers

　　F with too much information

　　【参考答案】

　　1. B 2. D 3. F 4. A 5. B 6. A 7. D 8. F