You can't
beat it, but you don't have to join it. Maybe it got the name "common cold"
because it's more common in winter. The fact is, though, being cold doesn't have
anything to do with getting one. Colds are caused by the spread of rhinoviruses,
and, at least so far, medical science is better at telling you how to avoid
getting one than how to get rid of one. Children are the most
common way cold viruses are spread to adults, because they have more colds than
adults—an average of about eight per year. Why do kids seem so much more easily
to get colds than their parents? Simple. They haven't had the opportunity to
become immune to many cold viruses. There are more than 150
different cold viruses, and you never have the same one twice. Being infected by
one makes you immune to it—but only it. Colds are usually
spread by direct contact, not sneezing or coughing. From another person's hand
to your hand and then to your nose or eyes is the most common route. The highest
concentration of cold viruses anywhere is found under the thumbnails of a boy,
although the viruses can survive for hours on skin or other smooth
surfaces. Hygiene is your best defense. Wash your hands
frequently, preferably with a disinfectant soap, especially when children in
your household have colds. But even careful hygiene won't ward off every cold.
So, what works when a coughing, sneezing, runny nose strikes?
The old prescription of two aspirins, lots of water, and bed rest is a good
place to start. But you'll also find some of the folk remedies worth trying. Hot
mixtures of sugar (or honey), lemon, and water have real benefits.
单选题
According to the essay, you may have a cold because ______.
A. the weather is too cold
B. the spread of rhinoviruses gets people infected
C. another person's coughing passes the cold to you
单选题
The best way to keep yourself from getting colds is ______.
A. to keep yourself clean
B. to use a disinfectant soap
C. to take two aspirins every day
D. to drink lots of water
【正确答案】
A
【答案解析】[解析] 第五段的第一句话“Hygiene is your best defense.”意思是“卫生是你的最佳防御”，与A项相吻合，因此A项是正确答案。同一段中提到的用消毒肥皂洗手，虽然也是保持卫生的手段之一，但仅仅是一个具体措施，不是全部措施，所以B项不是正确答案。C项提到的服用阿司匹林是治感冒的手段之一，而非预防手段(况且没有说“一天服两片”)。D项提到的多喝水在文中也指治疗手段，所以C项和D项都不是正确答案。
单选题
Children have more colds because ______.
A. they are usually infected about eight times each year
B. they are not immune to many cold viruses yet
C. they never wash their hands so that their thumbnails are dirty