If you have high blood pressure, you're in good【C1】______. Hypertension affects 67 million Americans, including nearly two-thirds of people over age 60. But it isn't an inevitable part of the aging【C2】______It's better to think of it as【C3】______sodium poisoning. And, there's a way to prevent the problem—and to save many, many lives. A lifetime of【C4】______too much sodium (mostly in the form of table salt) raises blood pressure, and high blood pressure kills and disables people by【C5】______strokes and heart attacks. In the United States, according to best estimates,【C6】______sodium is killing between 40,000 and 90,000 people and running up to $20 billion in medical costs a year. Americans on average【C7】______about 3,300 milligrams of sodium per day, but experts recommend less than 2,300 milligrams—and less than 1,500 milligrams for people over age 50, black people, or those who already have hypertension, diabetes or kidney disease, which【C8】______a majority of American adults. Either【C9】______is far below where most Americans are now. The reason that nearly everyone eats【C10】______too much sodium is that our food is loaded with it, and often where we don't【C11】______or expect it. Of course ham and canned soup are full of salt, but so are many foods that are【C12】______: A blueberry cake can have more than double the salt of a serving of potato chips.【C13】______healthy-sounding food can pack【C14】______sodium loads. Many restaurant main courses have far more sodium than is recommended for an【C15】______day. Doctors warn people with high blood pressure to go on a low-salt diet, but that's virtually impossible in today's world,【C16】______nearly 80 percent of the sodium that Americans eat comes in【C17】______and restaurant food. You can't take it out. And【C18】______everyone, not just people with hypertension【C19】______over food labels, should be taking in less sodium. The only way to prevent millions of Americans from developing high blood pressure is for companies and restaurants to stop loading up their food with sodium. It's not easy,【C20】______it isn't impossible either.

【正确答案】 B

【答案解析】解析：本句指出应把高血压看作是钠中毒(sodium poisoning)。根据常识可知，我们几乎每天都会摄入钠，这是一个长期的过程，体内积累的钠即便超标也是逐渐增加的。另外，第二段出现的A lifetime of．．．too much sodium也可以判断出，高血压是长期的、日积月累的钠摄入过量造成的，所以B项chronic“慢性的，长期的”符合。

【正确答案】 B

【答案解析】解析：either表示“两者之一的”，指代上句中提及的：对于普通人专家建议的量是低于2,300毫克，对于上述五类人建议低于1，500毫克。where most Americans are now对应上句3,300 milligrams of sodium per day，即美国人现在的人均量是约3,300毫克，2,300毫克及1，500毫克这两个目标都远远低于现今的3,300毫克。B项target“目标”符合语义逻辑。