【短文原文】

Many people catch a cold in the springtime and/or fall. It makes us wonder: if scientists can send a man to the moon, why can't they find a cure for the common cold? The answer is easy. There are literally hundreds of kinds of cold viruses out there. You never know which one you will get, so there isn't a cure for each one.

When a virus attacks your body, your body works hard to get rid of it. Blood rushes to your nose and brings congestion with it. You feel terrible because you can't breathe well, but your body is actually 'eating' the virus. Your temperature rises and you get a fever, but the heat of your body is killing the virus. You also have a runny nose to stop the virus from getting to your cells. You may feel miserable, but actually your wonderful body is doing everything it can to kill the cold.

Different people have different remedies for colds. In the United States and some other countries, for example, people might eat chicken soup to feel better. Some people take hot baths and drink warm liquids. Other people take medicines to stop the fever, congestion, and runny nose.

There is one interesting thing to note - some scientists say taking medicines when you have a cold is actually bad for you. The virus stays in you longer because your body does not have a way to fight it and kill it. Bodies can do an amazing job on their own. There is a joke, however, on taking medicine when you have a cold. It goes like this:

It takes about 1 week to get over a cold if you don't take medicine, but only 7 days to get over a cold if you take medicine.

【阅读测试】

根据原文，判断对错：True or False

1. There is a cure for the common cold.

2. There are 22 different cold viruses in the world.

3. Heat in your body kills viruses.

4. Congestion means your head feels hot.

5. Some people eat chicken soup to feel better when they have a cold.

6. Scientists always think taking medicine is good when you have a cold.

7. Bodies work hard to try to get rid of viruses.

【生词注释】

literally：实际上
virus：病毒
to get rid of：去除
congestion：拥挤；充血
miserable：可怜的
remedy：疗法
liquid：液体
to get over：克服；熬过

【测试答案】

1. F 2. F 3. T 4. F 5. T 6. F 7. T

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