Catching a common cold in the summertime can be even more miserable than suffering the average winter cold. Although a person is four times more likely to catch a cold in the more frigid months of the year, cold viruses are in the environment seven days a week, and 365 days a year. The common cold never takes a holiday, although it may end up destroying yours.
The common cold can be caused by any one of hundreds of different viruses. That's why there is no vaccine (疫苗). In the warm and wet summer months, it is harder for airborne illnesses to spread, since water drops in the air are attracted to tiny viruses, weighing them down and ultimately grounding them. The influenza (流行性感冒) virus survives better in chilly, rather than warm weather. This is why influenza is a winter illness.
The common cold, although it can be spread through the air, is more often spread through touch. People are also more often in close, indoor contact during colder months, making it easier to spread viruses both by air and by touch.
Summer colds do still occur. The air in airconditioned environments dries out your nose, where cold viruses grow, making it easier for them to influence your health. On hot days, people flock to airconditioned environments. The workplace is one example, where many people repeatedly touch the same objects, leaving behind viruses.
How to prevent a summer cold? One of the easiest and best defenses against many types of diseases that spread by touch is thorough and frequent hand washing. Clean frequentlytouched surfaces in the home or in the office, such as doorknobs, handles, and light switches. When the weather is nice, spend time outdoors enjoying summer!
1. What can we learn from the first paragraph?| A．It is near impossible for people to catch a cold in summer. |
| B．Cold viruses exist around us all the time. |
| C．People are more likely to catch a cold during a holiday. |
| D．Summer colds are totally different from winter colds. |
| A．survive better in dry environments |
| B．spread more quickly through touch |
| C．prefer outdoor environments to indoor environments |
| D．spread more easily in summer |
| A．How to cure a cold. |
| B．What causes a cold. |
| C．Where to stay in summer. |
| D．Why people get summer colds. |
| A．use airconditioners less frequently |
| B．wash your hands every time you touch the doorknob |
| C．do outdoor activities |
| D．go to crowded places less often |
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【推荐1】Bryan started snapping pictures of his son, Noah, from the moment he was born. When Noah was about three months old, Bryan noticed something odd. The flash on the digital camera created the typical red dot in the center of Noah's left eye, but the right eye had a white spot at the center, almost as if the flash was being reflected back at the camera by something.
A white reflection instead of a red one is a telltale sign of retinal cancer, and that is exactly what Noah had. He endured months of chemotherapy and radiation, but doctors ultimately could not save his eyes. Retinoblastoma, the scientific name of Noah's tumor, is treatable if caught early.
Bryan couldn't help but wonder whether there were signs he'd missed. He went back over every baby picture of Noah he could find and discovered the first white spot in a photo taken when Noah was 12 days old. As time went on, it appeared more frequently. By the time he was four months old, it was showing up in 25 percent of the pictures taken of him per month.
It was too late for Noah's eyes, but Bryan was determined to put his hard-won insights to good use. He created a database that charted the cancer's appearance in every photo. He also collected photos and compiled the data from eight other children with retinoblastoma. Armed with that data, he began to work with his colleagues to develop a smartphone app that can scan the photos in the user's camera roll to search for white eye and can be used as a kind of ophthalmoscope.
Called White Eye Detector, it is now available for free on Google Play and in Apple's App Store, “I just kept telling myself, I really need to do this,” Bryan told People. “This disease is tough to detect. Not only could this software save vision, but it can save lives.”
1. Why did the flash on the digital camera create a white spot in the center of Noah's right eye?| A．He had a red dot in his left eye. | B．He was suffering from retinoblastoma. |
| C．He experienced chemotherapy and radiation. | D．He had his eyes shone into by white light. |
| A．When he was born. | B．When he was 3 months old. |
| C．When he was 12 days old. | D．When he was 4 months old. |
| A．He delivered them to hospitals. | B．He looked back at them to discover the first spot. |
| C．He took advantage of them to invent a software. | D．He put them away for commercial use. |
| A．The symptoms of retinoblastoma | B．The misfortune of a boy |
| C．The treatment of a tumor | D．The birth of an app |
【推荐2】In a study comparing 46 severe COVID-19 patients with 460 matched controls, researchers found the mental impacts of the severe COVID-19 six months later can be the equivalent (等量) to aging 20 years—going from 50 to 70 years old—or losing 10 IQ points.
The experiment involved 46 people who’d gone to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge as a result of the COVID-19 between March and July 2020. An average of six months after their infection, researchers supervised them using a testing tool called Cognitron to see how they were doing in areas such as memory, attention, reasoning, anxiety, and depression.
The researchers didn’t have test results from before these individuals fell ill with the COVID-19 to compare to. Instead, they did the next best thing, and compared their results against a matched control group of 460 people. These results were then mapped to see how far they deviated (偏离) from expected scores for their age and demographic, based on 66,008 members of the general public. The results showed that those who’d survived the severe COVID-19 were less accurate and had longer response times than the general public. The magnitude of cognitive (认知的) loss was similar to the effects of aging between 50 and 70 years of age—and equivalent to losing 10 IQ points.
The somewhat good news is that there were some signs of recovery—but it was gradual at best. What’s still not fully understood is why and how the SARS-CoV-2 virus causes this cognitive decline. But the researchers suggest the likely criminal isn’t direct infection, but a combination of factors: including reduced oxygen or blood supply to the brain, clotting of vessels and microscopic bleeds.
There’s also mounting evidence that the body’s own immune and inflammatory response may be having a significant impact on the brain.
1. What is the author’s purpose in writing paragraph 1?| A．To show the research result. |
| B．To debate the research purpose. |
| C．To explain the research method. |
| D．To describe the research process. |
| A．Got tired of. | B．Joined in. | C．Made use of. | D．Watched over. |
| A．To ensure the subjects’ safety. |
| B．To test the subjects’ physical health. |
| C．To measure the subjects’ mental state. |
| D．To check the subjects’ living surroundings. |
| A．The cause of the COVID-19. |
| B．The way the virus affects cognitive decline. |
| C．The influence of cognitive decline. |
| D．The effect of getting the COVID-19. |
【推荐3】China has passed its peak of the COVID-19 outbreak, with new cases trickling down to single digits and overall epidemic（流行病）situation improving. The order of life and production is being restored at an increasing pace.
However, it gets worse abroad. The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S surged to 13,350 on Sunday and 188 Americans have died. The economy is taking a hit, such as the New York Stock Exchange and airline business. "We started seeing very sharp declines," Gary Kelly, the CEO of Southwest Airlines, said on CNBC weeks ago, "It has a 9/11-like feel."
In China, to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus. China has launched a people's war against the epidemic, adopting the strictest and most thorough measures. Foreign countries are also joining in China's efforts to combat the epidemic.
Whereas, the USA president Trump previously said at the start of a business roundtable in New Delhi, "a problem that's going to go away." He also heaped praise on Chinese President Xi Jinping in dealing with the pneumonia（肺炎）-like disease. Director of Harvard Global Health Institute Ashish Jha warned that the epidemic is the most possible cause that can accidentally kill millions of Americans, but also the one that sees the least preparation.
Chinese Ambassador to the United Kingdom Liu Xiaoming said that since the outbreak of the coronavirus, China has donated masks and supplies, for example to Iran and Italy, Japan and South Korea. It has engaged in global cooperation and shared information in a timely manner with the world, including the USA, on the genetic sequence of the virus and on vaccine development. United Nations Secretary- General Antonio Guterres on Monday praised China's contribution, noting that Chinese people are making efforts for all of humanity. Liu said, "We have been open, transparent and responsible in tackling the virus because we believe in a community with a shared future for mankind."
1. Why did Gary Kelly said "It has a 9/11-like feel" in the second paragraph?| A．Both the two events are related to flights. |
| B．People don't dare to take planes during the outbreak. |
| C．The outbreak of novel coronavirus has caused huge losses. |
| D．The terror caused by novel coronavirus hangs over the USA. |
| A．Trump comforted China that the disease would soon be killed. |
| B．America defeated the disease with ease at the early stage. |
| C．Trump made reasonable remarks on China's efforts against the virus. |
| D．America didn't previously intend to get ready for the infectious disease. |
| A．being cooperative with other countries |
| B．being humanitarian to the whole world |
| C．being quick-minded with effective measures |
| D．being generous in sharing medical treatments |
