1、专业英语四级（阅读理解）模拟试卷 2及答案与解析 0 The many hours children spend indoors playing computer games or watching television may be to blame for a resurgence of rickets. Scientists say that rickets is becoming “disturbingly common“ among British children. The disease is caused by chronic vitamin D deficiencies, w
2、hich can be triggered by long periods out of natural sunlight and a poor diet. Writing in the British Medical Journal, Professor Simon Pearce and Tim Cheetham, of Newcastle University, called for milk and other food products to be supplemented with vitamin D in an attempt to counteract the problem.
3、Vitamin D is produced naturally when the skin is exposed to sunlight, and is also found in a small number of foods, in-eluding oily fish, liver and egg yolks. Recent studies show that incidence of rickets, a disease previously linked with poverty in Victorian Britain or malnutrition in the developin
4、g world, is increasing. More than 20 new cases are discovered every year in Newcastle alone. Children with rickets do not grow properly and can develop bow legs. Professor Pearce said: “Kids tend to stay indoors more these days and play on their computers instead of enjoying the fresh air. This mean
5、s their vitamin D levels are worse than in previous years.“ Dr. Cheetham, a senior lecturer in paediatric endocrinology, added: “I am dismayed by the increasing numbers of children we are treating with this entirely preventable condition. Fifty years ago many children would have been given regular d
6、oses of cod liver oil, but this practice has all but died out.“ Vitamin D deficiency has also been linked to cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, cancers and the weakening of bones in adults. Half of all adults in Britain are estimated to suffer vitamin D deficiency in the winter and spring one
7、in six severely so, with the problem worse in Scotland and the North of England. Asian populations and individuals who cover much of their skin for religious reasons are also at increased risk. Professor Pearce added: “We believe that a more robust approach to statutory food supplementation with vit
8、amin D, for example in milk, is needed in the UK, as this measure has already been introduced successfully in many other countries in similar parts of the world.“ The Food Standards Agency has resisted calls for mandatory supplementation, insisting that “most people should be able to get all the vit
9、amin D they need from their diet and by getting a little sun“ . It advises pregnant or breastfeeding women, and people over 60 to take 10 micrograms of vitamin D each day. “Taking 25 micrograms or less of vitamin D supplements a day is unlikely to cause any harm,“ it says. A study of 520,000 people
10、from ten European countries, including Britain, has suggested that vitamin D supplements could also cut the risk of developing bowel cancer by 40 per cent. The research, led by Mazda Jenab, of the International Agency for Research on Cancer in France, confirmed the findings of earlier studies, which
11、 found that high blood levels of the vitamin were associated with a lower risk of colorectal cancer. However, the researchers said that it was unclear whether taking vitamin D supplements would provide better protection against developing cancer than the average levels that can be achieved with a ba
12、lanced diet combined with regular exposure to sunlight. 1 According to scientists, the common occurrence of rickets among children is caused by （ A） Long hours of playing outdoor games （ B） Insufficient exposure to natural sunshine and improper diet （ C） Vitamin D （ D） Television programs 2 Vitamin
13、D can be founded in all the following substances EXCEPT_. （ A） sunlight （ B） oily fish （ C） liver （ D） egg yolks 3 In Paragraph 4, the word “so“ refers to_. （ A） have rickets （ B） have no rickets （ C） do outdoor exercises （ D） have no sufficient Vitamin D 4 The researchers believe that_. （ A） taking
14、 Vitamin D supplements is better than keep a balanced diet （ B） vitamin D supplements can reduce the risk of developing bowel cancer （ C） the findings are not consistent with previous studies （ D） high blood levels of the vitamin will cause colorectal cancer 5 In Paragraph 6, “mandatory“ can be repl
15、aced by_. （ A） voluntary （ B） compulsory （ C） on-demand （ D） legal 5 Did you sleep well last night? Or did you wake up feeling fatigued and sluggish perhaps even wondering if you really slept at all? Getting a good nights sleep requires more than crawling into bed and closing your eyes.Understanding
16、 your sleep behavior and preparing for a sound slumber can help make sure every night is a good night for sleeping. “Sleep is a behavior and, like all behaviors, it varies greatly among people,“ explains Dr. Carol Landis, sleep researcher and associate professor in biobehavioral nursing and health s
17、ystems at the University of Washington School of Nursing. “The greatest differences occur in the timing of sleep and the amount of sleep the factors which are most important in determining whether you will wake up feeling rested.“ Research has found that people sleep better at different times during
18、 their daily cycle. For example, some people function better if they go to sleep early and rise early, while others feel more rested if they stay up late and sleep in. “Many people dont pay attention to the timing of their sleep,“ Landis notes. “Yet delaying or altering the time you go to sleep can
19、have a major impact on how you feel when you wake up.“ The amount of sleep the average adult needs each night also varies. Some people may be fine with six hours sleep, while others need up to nine hours per night. Landis points out that those who follow a regular sleep schedule are more apt to func
20、tion better on fewer hours, but she adds that most adults need at least six hours of sleep each night. “A persons sleeping patterns arent set in concrete,“ Landis stresses. Gradually altering the timing of sleep can help change sleep patterns. An “evening person“ who needs to get to work early in th
21、e morning can try upping the time they go to bed by 30 minutes every few days. Within a few weeks, this slow adjustment will help “reset“ the internal body clock. In addition to maintaining a regular daily sleep schedule, Landis offers the following tips on practicing good sleep hygiene: 1) Avoid st
22、imulants including cigarettes, caffeinated beverages and food such as chocolate in the late afternoon and evening. 2) Finish exercising at least two hours before going to sleep. Exercise increases body temperatures and has an arousing effect, making it more difficult to easily fall asleep. 3) Dont s
23、leep in a warm environment. A drop in a persons body temperature is important at the onset of deep sleep. People who sleep in a well-heated room or use an electric blanket may not sleep as soundly. 6 Which of the following can be a proper title for this passage? （ A） Amount of Sleep and Its Effects
24、（ B） How to Get a Good Sleep （ C） Time of Sleep and Its Effects （ D） Dreams and Sleep 7 What does the word “slumber“ mean in Paragraph 1? （ A） Fatigue （ B） Laziness （ C） Sleep （ D） Body 8 According to Dr. Carol Landis,_. （ A） people should sleep early and rise up early （ B） an adult needs at least n
25、ine hours daily for sleep （ C） sleeping patterns are changeable （ D） sleeping behaviors of human beings are pretty much alike 9 Which of the following will definitely have some impact on the quality of your sleep? （ A） Delay or change your regular sleeping time. （ B） Stay up late. （ C） Go to bed ear
26、ly. （ D） Sleep in. 10 Which factor is conducive to better sleep according to the suggestions given in the passage? （ A） Coco Cola. （ B） Cigarettes. （ C） Exercise. （ D） Relatively low temperature. 10 What causes a sore throat? Many things can cause a sore throat. These causes include infections with
27、viruses or bacteria and allergies. You should see your doctor right away if you have a sore throat with a high fever, if you have problems breathing or swallowing, or if you feel very faint. If you have a sore throat and a fever, but you just feel mildly ill, you should visit your doctor within the
28、next day or two. How does the doctor decide if I need antibiotics? The decision to prescribe antibiotics might be based only on your history and physical exam. Antibiotics usually are prescribed only for patients who might have “strep throat,“ an infection caused by a bacteria called Streptococcus.
29、A patient with strep throat might have a sore throat with fever that starts suddenly, without a cough or cold symptoms. Strep throat is very common in children from 5 to 12 years of age. The exam might show a red throat, with pus on the tonsils and swollen neck glands. If you have these signs, the d
30、octor may do other tests to see if you need an antibiotic. Why not just give everyone antibiotics? Antibiotics have a small risk of causing an allergic reaction every time they are given. Some of these reactions are serious. Antibiotics can also cause other side effects, such as an upset stomach or
31、diarrhea. An even more serious problem is that bacteria can become resistant to antibiotics if these medicines are used frequently in a lot of people. Then antibiotics wouldnt be able to cure peoples illnesses. To prevent this from happening, doctors try to prescribe antibiotics only when they will
32、help. Antibiotics only help when sore throat is caused by bacteria. Antibiotics dont help when sore throat is due to viruses, which are the cause of the common cold. If my doctor doesnt give me antibiotics, what can I do to feel better? It will take several days for you to feel better, no matter wha
33、t kind of sore throat you have. You can do several things to help your symptoms. If you have a fever or muscle aches, you can take a pain reliever like acetaminophen (Tylenol), aspirin or ibuprofen (Advil). Your doctor can tell you which pain reliever will work best for you. Cough drops or throat sp
34、rays may help your sore throat. Sometimes gargling with warm salt water helps. Soft cold foods, such as ice cream and popsicles, often are easier to eat. Be sure to rest and to drink lots of water or other clear liquids, such as Sprite or 7-Up. Dont drink drinks that have caffeine in them (coffee, t
35、ea, colas or other sodas). Should I be concerned about any other symptoms that occur after I visit my doctor? Sometimes symptoms change during the course of an illness. Visit your doctor again if you have any of the following problems: Fever that does not go away in five days Throat pain that gets s
36、o bad you cant swallow Inability to open your mouth wide A fainting feeling when you stand up Any other signs or symptoms that concern you 11 Strep throat_. （ A） is a bacterial infection （ B） is a virus infection （ C） always comes with a cough and cold （ D） is rarely treated with antibiotics 12 Whic
37、h is NOT a common side effect of taking antibiotics? （ A） Upset stomach. （ B） Diarrhea. （ C） Sleepiness. （ D） Allergic reaction. 13 Which of the following is not recommend to make a sore throat feel better? （ A） Cough drops （ B） Drinking plenty of water （ C） Drinking coffee and tea （ D） Gargling wit
38、h salt water 14 If you have seen your doctor once for your symptoms, you should see him or her again if （ A） you have throat pain that gets so bad you cant swallow （ B） you have a fainting feeling when you stand up （ C） you have a fever that does not go away in five days （ D） any of the above sympto
39、ms occur 15 Which of the following statements is TRUE according to this passage? （ A） Antibiotics will cure any sore throat. （ B） The common cold is caused by a bacteria. （ C） You should see your doctor at the first sign of a sore throat. （ D） Taking antibiotics too much can be a bad idea. 15 Antoni
40、o Sanz might as well have won the lottery. In 1965, when the small, curly-haired Spaniard was 10, an American professor asked his parents if she might take the boy to the U.S. and enroll him in public school. They agreed. America seemed to offer a brighter future than the dairy farms where his fathe
41、r worked in the foothills north of Madrid. Sanz left, but came back to Spain every summer with stories from Philadelphia and boxes of New World artifacts: Super Balls, baseball cards, and Bob Dylan records. His real prize, though, was English. Sanz learned fast, and by senior year he outscored most
42、of his classmates in the verbal section of the Scholastic Aptitude Test. In those days, back in his hometown of Colmenar Viejo, English seemed so exotic that kids would stop him on the street and ask him to say a few sentences. By the time he graduated from Hamilton College in Clinton, N.Y., and mov
43、ed back to Spain, American companies there were nearly as excited. He landed in Procter we dont still quite understand why those over 65 seem to have a lot of resistance to this particular virus. I think its going to take a while for the scientists to figure this out what exactly is going on with th
44、is disease. While there have been some recent reports that the vast majority of cases have been relatively mild, what the scientists are quick to say is that the severe cases are more severe than many of them have ever seen. I mean, the penetration is more rapid, its more devastating, it fills the l
45、ungs. So, yes, its pretty mild most of the time, but when its bad its really bad. But what exactly it is that triggers that, we dont know. RD:What can be done about public mistrust of vaccines? KS:There are groups out there that insist that vaccines are responsible for a variety of problems despite
46、all scientific evidence to the contrary. We have reached out to media outlets to try to get them to not give the views of these people equal weight in their reporting to what science has shown and continues to show about the safety of vaccines. RD: Ill just close by asking if theres something you wo
47、uld like to add. KS: Well, knowing that this is going to be a February article, I think one of our challenges is to make sure that people understand that what we saw this fall was a second wave of HIN1. We have an opportunity to get out ahead of what easily could be a third wave. There are lot of sc
48、ientists who feel that if were successful, if we continue the vaccination program into the new year and get as many people vaccinated as possible, we really might avert what various experts believe may be a more vicious strain in the later winter months when flu season is really underway. 21 Whats K
49、athleen Sebelius attitude to the American governments response to the H1N1 epidemic? （ A） Disappointed and angry. （ B） Indifferent and objective. （ C） Biased and critical. （ D） Satisfied and proud. 22 According to KS, the reason that some healthy people died of H1N1 is_. （ A） that they have contracted other diseases at the same time. （ B） that H1N1 is fatal. （ C） that their bodies are weaker than others. （ D） still a myth to the scientists. 23 It can be inferred from the passage that many people_._. （ A） are
