The virus "Ebola" is named after the Ebola River in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo. That's where the virus was discovered in 1976. A per?son can only get Ebola through direct contact with an in?fected person's bodily fluids, for example, sweat or spit. Additionally, the virus can get into your body through your eyes and mouth if those areas come into contact with something that contains the bodily fluids of an infected person. That's why health care workers are supposed to keep themselves completely covered while treating patients.

The deadliest Ebola outbreak is spreading fast in West Africa, taking over 900 lives so far. The health systems in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia are severe?ly lacking resources, and health care workers may not have access to adequate protective clothing when work?ing in rural clinics, where the proper protections are lac?king. Since Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia share a border, it's easier for people to move from one country to another, increasing the risk for disease spread. Infec?ted people may be kept separate with other people infec?ted with the disease, making this kind of contact easier.

The virus has a 2-to-21-day incubation(潜伏)peri?od. It is systemic and can move to and affect every part of the body, causing direct damage to organs and inter?nal bleeding. This causes shock, dropping a person's blood pressure and causing multi-system organ failure.

For now, all doctors can do is treat the symptoms and provide supportive care like monitoring heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing while making sure the patients' fluids are supplied. Sometimes patients are given antibiotics(抗生素)to treat other possible infections. The hope is to make the patients pull through the infec?tion so their immune systems can eventually clear the vi?rus. The people who survive Ebola have created enough antibodies to kill it. This is harder to achieve in rural health systems in West Africa that are tasked with trea?ting thousands of patients with poor resources.

There are several promising drugs and vaccines in development, but since Ebola is less common―and re?search about it is not well funded―there is no drug or vaccine that has been approved for use in humans. Many of the other drugs and vaccines have not yet been tested in humans. The WHO (World Health Organization) is meeting next week to discuss whether experimental treatments should be used during this outbreak.

1.    According to the passage, Ebola spreads through

A. polluted air       B.  bodily fluids

C.  flying birds     D.  river water

2.    Which is not the possible reason why Ebola spreads in West Africa quickly?

A.    The health resources are poor.

B.    Infected people are kept together.

C.    The protective clothing is adequate.

D.    Three western countries share a border.

3.    Why have there been no cures used for Ebola in hu?mans so far?

A.    The drugs for Ebola are being developed now.

B.    Ebola is rare and its research money is lacking.

C.    Ebola does far more harm to patients than aids.

D.    The WHO hasn't decided whether to use them.

4.    Which of the following can be the best title?

A.    Help the poorest West Africa

B.    No cure for the virus "Ebola"

C.    The deadliest Ebola outbreak

D.    Introduction to the virus "Ebola"

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