单选题
The common cold is the world"s most widespread illness, which is probably why there are more myths about it than any of the other
plagues
(瘟疫) that flesh is heir to.
The most widespread
fallacy
(谬误，谬论) of all is that colds are caused by cold. They are not. They are caused by viruses passed on from person to person. You catch a cold by coming into contact, directly or indirectly, with someone who already has one. If cold causes colds, it would be reasonable to expect the Eskimos to suffer from them permanently. But they do not. And in isolated arctic regions explorers have reported being free from colds until coming into contact again with infected people from the outside world by way of packages and mail dropped from airplanes.
During the First World War soldiers who spent long periods in the trenches, cold and wet, showed no "increased" tendency to catch colds.
In the Second World War prisoners at the notorious Auschwitz concentration camp, naked and starving, was astonished to find that they seldom had colds.
At the Common Cold Research Unit in England, volunteers took part in experiment in which they submitted to the discomforts of being cold and wet for long stretches of time. After taking hot baths, they put on bathing suits, allowed themselves to be
doused
(浸泡) with cold water, and then stood about dripping wet in drafty rooms. Some wore wet socks all day while others exercised in the rain until close to exhaustion. Not one of the volunteers came down with a cold unless a cold virus was actually dropped in his nose.
If, then, cold and wet have nothing to do with catching colds, why are they more prevalent in the winter? Despite the most painstaking research, no one has yet found the answer. One explanation offered by scientists is that people tend to stay together indoors more in cold weather than at other time, and this makes it easier for cold viruses to be passed on.
No one has yet found a cure for the cold. There are drugs and pain suppressors such as aspirin, but all they do is relieve the symptoms.
单选题
Why there are more myths about the common cold than any other human disease?
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】[解析] 根据题干中的there are more myths about将本题出处定位于第1段。
第1段提到，感冒是世界上最普遍的疾病，这也许正说明了为什么与人类身受其害的任何其他疾病相关的传闻相比，有关感冒的故事更多。反之，与人类身受其害的任何其他疾病相关的传闻相比，有关感冒的故事更多，是因为感冒是世界上最普遍的疾病。A和C原文均未提及；D正好与原文相反。
单选题
Which of the following is true, according to the passage?
【正确答案】
D
【答案解析】[解析] 根据设题按照文章顺序进行的规律将本题出处定位于第2段。
第2段第3、4句提到，感冒是通过病毒在人群中传播的。人们患感冒是因为他们直接或间接地接触了感冒患者。因此，人们在与患感冒的人接触后有可能也会患上感冒。由本段倒数第二、三句提到的“假如寒冷能引起感冒，那么按此逻辑，爱斯基摩人就理应常年患感冒了。但事实并非如此”可排除A；由该段第1、2句提到的“最常见的一种错误观点是感冒是寒冷引起的。其实不然”可排除B；C是针对倒数第二段最后一句中的stay together indoors设置的干扰，文中说的是，冬天人们一起待在屋子里，这导致感冒病毒更容易传播，因此导致感冒的应该是病毒，而不是人们待在屋子里。
单选题
During the First World War, soldiers who spent long periods in cold and wet trenches ______.
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】[解析] 根据题干中的during the First World War, soldiers, spent long periods和cold and wet trenches将本题出处定位于第3段。
第3段提到，那些在一战期间长时间待在寒冷潮湿的战壕里的战士并没有显得更容易患上感冒。C是对showed no "increased" tendency to catch colds的同义转述。其他三项均与题意不符，予以排除。