Cholera is a water-borne disease that is spread through polluted water and food. Cholera is an illness caused by the bacterium. It produces a poison that causes a painless , watery diarrhea( 痢疾) that can quickly lead to severe dehydration（脱水） and death if treatment is not given. Most persons infected with cholera do not become ill, although the bacterium is present in their waste for 7-14 days. When this illness does strike, more than 90% of the time is not severe and is difficult to tell from other types of diarrhea. Less than 10% of sick persons develop cholera with signs of moderate or severe dehydration.
A person may get cholera by drinking water or eating food polluted with the cholera bacterium. The disease can spread rapidly in areas without the proper treatment of drinking water. The cholera bacterium may also live in the environment in dirty rivers and coastal waters. Shellfish eaten raw have been a source of cholera. Therefore, the disease is not likely to spread directly from one person to another.
Cholera can be simply and successfully treated by immediate replacement of the fluid and salts lost through diarrhea. Patients can be treated by being given a mixture of sugar and salt to be mixed with water and drunk in large amount. Antibiotics(抗生素) shorten the course and decrease the severity of the illness. To avoid cholera, we should eat well-cooked food instead of raw food.
小题1:If a person infected with cholera less than 7 days，he would probably .
A. die B. become sick C remain healthy D suffer from watery diarrhea
小题2:Which statement is true according to the passage?
A Cholera can spread directly from one person to another.
B. Eating raw food can help stop cholera.
C. Cholera is caused by watery diarrhea.
D. Polluted water and food can help spread cholera.
小题3: Cholera can be treated by .
A．replacing the blood in the body.
B．eating a lot of water mixed with sugar and salt and using antibiotics.
C．eating a large amount of sugar and salt
D．drinking a lot of water and eating a large amount of food.小题4:In order to avoid cholera, people should .
A inject antibiotics B eat the food thoroughly cooked
C eat raw food D. avoid meeting other people
