Malaria, the world's most widespread parasitic(寄生虫引起的) disease, kills as many as three million people every year—almost all of whom are under five, very poor, and African. In most years, more than five hundred million cases of illness result from the disease, although exact numbers are difficult to assess because many people don't (or can't) seek care. It is not unusual for a family earning less than two hundred dollars a year to spend a quarter of its income on malaria treatment, and what they often get no longer works. In countries like Tanzania, Mozambique, and the Gambia, no family, village, hospital, or workplace can remain unaffected for long.

   Malaria starts suddenly, with violent chills, which are soon followed by an intense fever and, often, headaches. As the parasites multiply, they take over the entire body. Malaria parasites live by eating the red blood cells they infect (感染). They can also attach themselves to blood vessels in the brain. If it doesn't kill you, malaria can happen again and again for years. The disease passed on to humans by female mosquitoes infected with one of four species of parasite. Together, the mosquito and the parasite are the most deadly couple in the history of the earth—and one of the most successful. Malaria has five thousand genes, and its ability to change rapidly to defend itself and resist new drugs has made it nearly impossible to control. Studies show that mosquitoes are passing on the virus more frequently, and there are more outbreaks in cities with large populations. Some of the disease's spread is due to global warming.

    For decades, the first-choice treatment for malaria parasites in Africa has been chloroquine, a chemical which is very cheap and easy to make. Unfortunately, in most parts of the world, malaria parasites have become resistant to it. Successful alternatives that help prevent resistance are already available, but they have been in short supply and are very expensive. If these drugs should fail, nobody knows what would come next.

According to paragraph 1, many people don't seek care because___.

they are too poor

it is unusual to seek care

they can remain unaffected for long

there are too many people suffering from the disease

People suffering from malaria___.

have to kill female mosquitoes

have ability to defend parasites

have their red blood cells infected

have sudden fever, followed by chills

Which of the following may be the reason for the wide spread of the disease?

Its resistance to global warming.

Its ability to pass on the virus frequently.

Its outbreaks in cities with large populations.

Its ability to defend itself and resist new drugs.

It can be inferred from the passage that___.

no drugs have been found to treat the disease

the alternative treatment is not easily available to most people

malaria has developed its ability to resist parasites

nobody knows what will be the drug to treat the disease

Which of the following questions has NOT been discussed in the passage?

How can we know one is suffering from malaria?

How many people are killed by malaria each year?

Why are there so many people suffering from malaria7

What has been done to keep people unaffected for long7

Mules

       Although the top men in smuggling（走私）business must work together, most of a syndicate’s（集团）small fry, especially the mules, know only their immediate contacts. If caught there is little they can give away. A mule probably will not even know the name of the person who gives him his instructions, nor how to get in touch with him. Usually he even does not know the person to whom he has to make delivery. He will be told just to sit tight in a certain hotel or bar until someone contacts him. In this way if he is blown, coming through airport customs he cannot unwittingly lead agents to the next link in the chain. All the persons at the receiving end do is to hang around the airport among the waiting crowd, and see that the mule comes through safely. If he does not, he is dimply written off（报废；注销）as a loss. To make identification of mules easier, several syndicates have devised their own “club ties” so that a mule wearing one can immediately be picked out.

       Mules often receive careful training before embarking on their first journey. One Beirut organization, for example, uses a room with three airline seats in it. There the trainee mules sit for hours on end wearing weighted smuggling vests beneath their clothes, so that they become accustomed to standing up after a long flight in a natural way, and without revealing what they are carrying. An outfit in Brussels maintained a comfortable apartment where the mules could relax and get a firm grip on themselves on the night before their first journey; they were helped to dress before setting out for the airport in the morning. More often than not a courier will not know precisely where he is going or what flight number is until he is actually handed his tickets at the airport. This prevents the careless boast in some bar or to a girl friend the night before.

       Mules occasionally run off with the goods to keep the profit themselves. As insurance against this, a syndicate often sends a high-up on the same plane to keep a wary eye on couriers, particularly new ones. Even then things can go badly wrong. One international currency smuggler who was having trouble getting money out of Britain was offered help by a group of men who said they were in a position to “fix thing” – for a fee of course. Foolishly, the smuggler agreed to accept their help. When he got to London’s Heathrow Airport, he handed over to one of the men a black suitcase containing nearly $90,000 in cash, destined for Frankfurt. Just to keep an eye on things, the smuggler went along on the same plane. When they landed at Frankfurt he was handed back his suitcase. He beat a straight path to the men’s toilet, opened the case, and found only old clothes. The courier had switched suitcase en route, but the smuggler could hardly run to the police and complain that “the man who was smuggling money out of England for me has stolen it.”

What is a “mule”?

A A person who sends smuggling goods for a syndicate is called mule.

B A person in charge of smuggling goods is called mule.

C A person who makes delivery for a syndicate is called mule.

D A person who receives instructions from a smuggler is called mule.

The sentence “if he is blown” in line (6) is closest in meaning to

A if he is arrested.                  B if he is recognized, but not necessarily arrested.

C if he is recognized and arrested.     D if he runs away.

Why does the author give an example in the last paragraph?

A To show how a smuggler is caught. 

B To show a smuggler is afraid of the police.

C To show to keep a wary eye on couriers is useless.

D To show mules may keep the profit for themselves.

how does a mule work?

A Jointly.                   B Independently.

C consciously.               D Separately.