Do you know that it is your own immune system working against the virus that makes you uncomfortable when getting a cold, but not the virus itself? So when you have got a strong immune system and the virus is strong enough too, you will possibly get terrible cold symptoms( 症状) ?

Vitamin C won't stop a cold

It is claimed that Vitamin C helps by increasing white blood cells. However, many tests have shown that it does not prevent colds. At best, it only slightly reduces the rime of symptoms.

Staying indoors won't protect you

One of the most likely sources of cold viruses is your computer mouse or desk. A study of the cold virus in offices found that 47% of desktops, 46% of computer mice and 45% of telephones had cold viruses on them.

Wrapping up warm won't protect you

Colds are more common in autumn and winter. That's because the cool, wet and cold weather drives people indoors, where viruses may more easily jump from one person to another. And the distinct peak in colds(感冒高峰) is in September and early January, which is likely due to the return of students to schools and colleges after the summer and winter vacation.

Old granny's chicken soup is right

Granny's chicken soup is an old cure for colds since a long time ago. Scientists say it is true. Chicken soup does help cure a cold. Many canned soups are just efficient as homemade ones.

1. It is ______ that makes you uncomfortable when getting a cold.

A. the virus itself                    B. Vitamin C

C. the terrible cold symptom            D. your own immune system

2. "Staying indoors won't protect you" tells us that ______ indoors.

A. there are many desks                 B. there are many telephones

C. there are many cold viruses          D. there are many computer mice

3.The distinct peak in colds is in September and early January. That's because______.

A. it's in autumn and winter               

B. the weather is cool, wet and cold

C. students return to schools and colleges 

D. viruses can jump from one person to another more easily

4.Many canned soups are just efficient as homemade ones. The underlined word "efficient" means _____ in Chinese.

A. 有效的     B. 美味的     c. 值钱的     D. 方便的

Imagine the situation. You are driving along a desert or on a mountain. You have no idea where you are. You passed the last house two hours ago. Then your car breaks down. It is night and it is cold. You have no mobile phone. What do you do? Well, next time take a GPS with you. This invention may be able to help you. It is a device(装置) which uses satellites (卫星) to find the user’s position(位置). It can find your position to within 20 metres. A GPS cannot start your car, but at least you will know where you are.
GPS, which means Global Positioning System, is a small radio receiver. It looks like a mobile phone. You can hold it in your hand, or put in your pocket. It is sometimes put into a watch or a telephone. We also find GPS devices in cars, planes, or boats. Some of these devices have electronic maps, so you know where you are. For example, in a city they can tell you the name of the street.
There are three parts to the Global Positioning System. The first part is the receiver. You can hold it in your hand, or have it fixed into your car, plane, etc. The second part is a group of satellites orbiting the Earth. The receiver contacts at least four of the satellites and calculates(计算) its position. The third part of the system is a network of ground stations. They are all over the world. They control the satellites and make sure they are working well.
Some people think that in the future the GPS will be as common as the mobile. They are becoming cheaper and more and more accurate(精确的). There are also new uses for the GPS. Perhaps they will become like watches. Everyone will have one and you will never be lost again.
【小题1】According to the passage, with the help of the GPS, people __________.

When Christie Andrews was born, she weighed less that half of one kilogram. Her heart was the size of a large coin. Her mother said Christie was so small that she could hold her in the palm of one hand.

         Christie couldn’t breathe without a machine to give her oxygen. If she had been born 20 years earlier, she would probably have died at once. She needed two operations, but she survived without serious damage.

         Twenty years ago , 90% of all premature(早产) babies died. Today, doctors manage to save four out of every five, because they have better machines for breathing and better ways to feed the babies.

         But saving Christie’s life cost more than $ 400,000. In some cases, doctors spend 1 million dollars saving a single child. The parents usually don’t have enough money to pay. The government, an insurance company or the hospital picks up the bill. Even after a baby goes home from the hospital, it may require medical care.

         Some people think it makes more sense to spend money saving 10 adults who have cancer or other diseases than saving one small baby. But nobody wants to be the doctor who has to tell parents to their faces, “Sorry, I won’t save your new child.”

1. Parents don’t pay their babies’ hospital bills because        .

A. they don’t have enough money

B. they would rather save cancer patients

C. doctors don’t care if the babies die

D. it makes more sense to have a bigger baby

2.The true cost of saving a baby may be even more than 1 million because        .

A. oxygen machine are expensive

B. the baby may require medical care after it leaves the hospital

C. doctors always charge more than they should

D. four out of five premature babies can now be saved

3.From the story we know that saving a cancer patient        .

A. is easier than saving a baby                           B. is harder than saving a baby

C. is cheaper than saving a baby                      D. is more common than saving a baby

4.The main idea of the article is        .

A. doctors must never decide whether to save babies or cancer patients

B. doctors are able to save premature babies, but the cost is very high

C. having a premature baby was cheaper and safer 20 years ago

D. Christie survived because the hospital paid her bills