An allergy (过敏反应) is a strong reaction to a substance. Many things can cause allergies. The most common cause is pollen (花粉), which is usually produced by trees in the spring, grasses in the summer and weeds in the fall, as part of their reproductive process.

     Other causes include organisms, chemicals, plants and dead skin particles (微粒) from dogs and cats can also cause allergic reactions. So can insect stings and some food.

     The most common kind of allergic reactions is itchy (痒的), watery eyes and a blocked or watery nose. Allergies can also cause red, itchy skin. Some reactions can be life-threatening, for example, when breathing passages become blocked.

     It is not always easy to avoid allergies. Drugs may offer an effective treatment. Another treatment used in some cases is called immunotherapy (免疫疗法). A patient is injected with small amounts of the allergy-causing substance. The idea is that larger and larger amounts are given over time until the patient develops a resistance in his body.

     In the United States, experts estimate that up to 8% of young children have food allergies. Every year these allergies cause about 30,000 cases with severe reactions that require immediate treatment. It can result in breathing trouble and in some cases death. It is said that about 100 to 200 people will die. It says most of the reactions are caused by peanuts and tree nuts like walnuts.

      People can also be allergic to medicines. The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology says about 10% of bad reactions to commonly used medicines are allergic. In other words, a person’s immune system overreacts and produces an allergic reaction. The most common reactions include skin rashes (皮疹), itching, breathing problems and swelling in areas such as the face.

Allergies seldom occur in winter because ______.

  A. plants don’t flower in cold weather      B. people usually wear thick clothes

  C. pollen is active below freezing point     D. the weather is not too cold for viruses

What will happen if one’s breathing passages get blocked?

  A. It is nothing serious.                 B. One’s life is at risk.

  C. One has to be sent to hospital.         D. One is sure to breathe easily.

According to immunotherapy, the patient is supposed to ______.

  A. take some medicines to produce antibodies

  B. have immediate operations

  C. be given the allergy-causing substance until he develops a resistance

  D. be exposed to enough allergy-causing substances

The best title would be “________”.

  A. The ABCs of Allergies                 B. The Cause of Allergies

  C. The Treatment of Allergies              D. The Prevention of Allergies

     An allergy (过敏反应) is a strong reaction to a substance. Many things can cause allergies. The most common cause is pollen (花粉), which is usually produced by trees in the spring, grasses in the summer and weeds in the fall, as part of their reproductive process.
Other causes include organisms, chemicals, plants and dead skin particles (微粒) from dogs and cats can also cause allergic reactions. So can insect stings and some food.
The most common kind of allergic reactions is itchy (痒的), watery eyes and a blocked or watery nose. Allergies can also cause red, itchy skin. Some reactions can be life-threatening, for example, when breathing passages become blocked.
It is not always easy to avoid allergies. Drugs may offer an effective treatment. Another treatment used in some cases is called immunotherapy (免疫疗法). A patient is injected with small amounts of the allergy-causing substance. The idea is that larger and larger amounts are given over time until the patient develops a resistance in his body.
In the United States, experts estimate that up to 8% of young children have food allergies. Every year these allergies cause about 30,000 cases with severe reactions that require immediate treatment. It can result in breathing trouble and in some cases death. It is said that about 100 to 200 people will die. It says most of the reactions are caused by peanuts and tree nuts like walnuts.
People can also be allergic to medicines. The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology says about 10% of bad reactions to commonly used medicines are allergic. In other words, a person’s immune system overreacts and produces an allergic reaction. The most common reactions include skin rashes (皮疹), itching, breathing problems and swelling in areas such as the face.
【小题1】 Allergies seldom occur in winter because ______.

When Dean Arnold got his first job, he was miserable Each time he went to work, he coughed and he couldn’t breathe. Working in a bakery when you are allergic（过敏的）to flour can be painful.

   But Arnold stayed with the National Biscuit Company for ten years. He was a businessman and he helped them improve production. At last his health problems became too serious. He left and formed his own company.

   With his wife and mother, he founded Arnold Bakery. They tried new recipes,（调制法）,changing the kind and amount of flour used. This enabled Arnold to work there without too much pain The bread, made with unbleached（未漂白的）flour, was baked in brick oven.（烤箱）

   They began by baking two dozen loaves. The bread was sold door to door for fifteen cents a loaf. Winning customers to his usual, old fashioned bread took time. But Arnold. Struggling against his allergy, built his bakery into one of the largest in the United States.

According to context, the underlined word “miserable” means     

A. quite pleased     B. rather unhealthy    C. too lucky    D. very unhappy

A good title for the passage would be       

A. A Sick Baker              B. A Brick Oven Bread Baker

C. An Old Fashioned Baker     D. How to Overcome Allergy

Dean left the National Biscuit Company because he      

A. suffered from allergy to flour       B. didn’t like the job

C. wanted to form his own company    D. wanted to make more money

Which of the following is not mentioned in the passage?

A. Arnold’s bread was baked in a brick oven

B. Arnold’s bread was made with unbleached flour

C. Arnold’s bread was sold at a low price

D. Arnold’s bread was of poor quality

From the passage we can conclude that Arnold was       

A. determined      B. brave      C. unusual     D. unhealthy

Many blind people use guide dogs to help them get safely from place to place and to warn them of danger. But what can blind people do if they are allergic（过敏的）to dogs or just don’t like them? For some people, the answer is provided by the Guide
Horse Foundation.
Janet and Don Burleson founded the organization in 1999. They began training miniature horses to help guide blind people. Miniature horses look just like regular horses, only much smaller. They are generally less than 34 inches tall.
Cuddles was the foundation’s first guide horse in full service（服务）. She became 45-year-old Dan Shaw’s helper. Shaw has an eye disease and his sight is very poor. One night, while filling out a form to get a guide dog, Shaw heard a news story on TV about people training horses to guide the blind. Shaw loves horses and wanted a guide animal that would live a long time. He applied（申请）, and a year later, Cuddles and Shaw began training as a team.
On a trip to New York, Cuddles helped Shaw safely tour Times Square, a very busy part of the city at night. The next day, Cuddles calmly rode the elevator with Shaw to the crowded top of the Empire State Building, a famous tall building. Cuddles even guided Shaw on the boat ride to the Statue of Liberty（自由女神像）, and traveled on the subway system.
Shaw says that he is very lucky to have Cuddles. He believes that Cuddles has changed his life for the better by giving him the chance to do things himself and making him feel much more confident about himself

1. 1.

   The Guide Horse Foundation __________

   1. A.
      was set up by one person
   2. B.
      has different kinds of horses
   3. C.
      trains horses to guide blind people
   4. D.
      has a history of several hundred years
2. 2.

   According to the text, miniature horses __________

   1. A.
      live a shorter life than guide dogs
   2. B.
      are much smaller than regular horses
   3. C.
      are more friendly to people than dogs
   4. D.
      are different from regular horses in many ways
3. 3.

   We know from the text that Dan Shaw __________

   1. A.
      became blind at age 45
   2. B.
      has a great love for horses
   3. C.
      heard about guide horses from a friend
   4. D.
      got a guide horse as soon as he applied
4. 4.

   Cuddles changed Dan Shaw’s life by __________

   1. A.
      making him famous
   2. B.
      helping to calm him
   3. C.
      giving him confidence
   4. D.
      helping him start an organization
5. 5.

   The text is written to tell us that __________

   1. A.
      special animals can help people do seemingly impossible things
   2. B.
      blind people are brave to face many challenges
   3. C.
      horses are better than dogs as guide animals
   4. D.
      New York City is a magical city