Do you have a sore throat, a running nose and a headache? Do you keep coughing and sneezing? If you do, the chances are that you have a cold or perhaps flu--- but which one? Although both colds and flu are caused by viruses, they are very different illnesses.
Colds, which usually last about a week, affect the nose most. They commonly cause a runny nose and sneezing. Sometimes, they cause a headache, a cough and slightly aching muscles.
Flu is much more serious illness and is caused by different group of viruses. People with flu usually get all the symptoms described above. However, they also get a high fever, a dry cough and much worse aching. Fever is one of the typical symptoms of the flu for all ages. The symptoms also last much longer. Sometimes they don’t disappear for at least two weeks.
Flu can be a deadly disease. The elderly, who are weaker and less healthy than most younger people, can die from flu. This is one reason why old people are advised to have a flu injection before the start of winter when flu is most common. This injection is inexpensive and definitely worth it.
If you have a cold or flu, you must always deal with used tissues carefully. Don’t leave dirty tissues on your desk or on the floor. Someone else has to pick these up and viruses could be passed on. And finally, remember to cover your nose and mouth when you sneeze！You don’t want to see the small drop of liquids blown out of your nose and mouth when you sneeze, do you? Disgusting, eh? Now you can understand why it’s a good idea to cover your nose and mouth when you sneeze!
小题1: In paragraph 4, we learn that ______.
A．flu injection can cause death
B．most old people die from flu
C．flu is most common in summer
D．flu can kill old people easily小题2:Dealing with used tissues properly is important because ______.
A．it helps keep your classroom tidy
B．people hate picking up dirty tissues
C．it prevents the spread of colds and flu
D．picking up lots of tissues is hard work小题3:Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A．Both colds and flu last the same time.
B．Both colds and flu can be prevented by injection.
C．Both colds and flu are caused by the same viruses.
D．Both colds and flu have an aching symptom.小题4:Which is probably the best title for the passage?
A．Cold or Flu?
B．The Different Symptoms of a Cold and Flu
C．Prevention Is Better Than Cure
D．Cover Your Nose and Mouth When Sneezing
小题1:D
小题2:C
小题3:D
小题4:A
这是一篇科普类文章，向我们介绍了伤风感冒colds和流行性感冒flu不同的病因和症状，比如：高烧是流感的特征之一，而伤风感冒一般不发烧等。此外，还介绍了感冒病毒的特征、给人们带来的危害以及我们在预防感冒病毒的过程中应注意的问题：对于体质较差的人群，要提前注射预防针；此外，在打喷嚏时要注意捂住嘴和鼻子，以防病毒的扩散和传播。
小题1:D细节推断题。第四段的“Flu can be a deadly disease. The elderly...， die from flu.”告诉我们， can 流行性感冒是一种致命的疾病，它可以造成年老体弱者的死亡，由此可以推断答案是D。
小题2:C细节理解题。文章最后一段前三句话告诉我们“在擤鼻涕和打喷嚏时及时使用纸巾捂住鼻子和嘴可以阻止感冒病毒的传播be passed on”。故选答案 C，prevent the spread of...意思是“阻止……的传播”。
小题3:D细节推断题。由文章对两种类型感冒特征的描述可以看出，只有 D 项描述的是伤风感冒和流感共有的特点：有疼痛的症状。colds：cause a headache，...slightly aching muscles 第二段；Flu：also get...much worse aching。
小题4:A标题概括题。综观全文可以看出，文章重点向我们介绍了伤风感冒和流行性感冒的症状、病因以及预防，所以只有 A 项最而能概括全文。 B 选项只谈到伤风感冒和流感的不同症状；选项只 C谈到伤风感冒和流感的预防比治疗重要；选项D只谈到打喷嚏时应该怎样做；这三项都在文章中有所涉及，但它们都是围绕文章主题的几个细节方面，而不是文章的大意。