Common-cold Sense¹

   You can" t beat it, but you don"t have Jo join it.² 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 ³. 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 one⁴.

    Children are the most common way cold viruses are spread to adults，because they have more colds than adults 一 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.⁵

    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.⁶ The highest concentration of cold viruses ⁷ 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 ⁸ every cold. So, what works when a coughing, sneezing, runny nose ⁹ 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 remedies¹⁰ worth trying. Hot mixtures of sugar (or honey)， lemon, and water have real benefits.

词汇：

rhinovirus/"raɪnəʊ,vaɪrəs/ n.鼻病毒

preferably /"prefrəblɪ/ adv.更可取地，更好地

infect /ɪn"fekt/ vt.传染，侵染，感染

virus /"vaɪrəs/ n.病毒

disinfectant /dɪsɪn"fekt(ə)nt/ n.消毒剂，杀菌剂

immune /ɪ"mjuːn/ adj.免疫的，有免疫力的

prescription/prɪ"skrɪpʃ(ə)n/n.诀窍；处方，药方

sneeze /sniːz/ vi.打喷嚏

remedy /"remɪdɪ/n.治疗，治疗法，药品

thumbnail /"θʌmneɪl/n.拇指甲

注释：

1. 标题“common-cold sense”实际上是在单词“commonsense”（常识）中插入cold (感冒）一词,意为“关于感冒的常识”。

2. "You can"t beat it, but you don"t have to join it. ”字面上的意思是“你无法打败它，但你并不 是非得加入它的行列不可”，实际上指的是目前尚没找到彻底对付感冒的办法，但至少我们 可以试图预防感冒。

3.  …being cold doesn"t have anything to do with getting one.动名词短语“being cold"意思是 “感到冷”，在句中作主语；动词短语“not have anything to do with something"意思是“与某 事无关”，在句中作谓语；最后一个不定代词“one”指的是“一种感冒”，作宾语。整句话的 意思是“受凉和得感冒并没有什么因果关系”。

4. ... medical science is better at telling you how to avoid getting one than how to get rid of one.医学与其说能教你如何摆脱感冒，不如说它能告诉你如何预防感冒。

5.Being infected by one makes you immune to it — but only it.被一种病毒感染过后使你对它 产生免疫力——但只是对这种（病毒）而言。be immune to sth.意思是“对某物有免疫力” 或“不受某事的影响”。

6.From another person"s hand to your harld and then to your nose or eyes is the most common route.这是一个倒装句，按照正常语序句子应该是The most common route is from another person"s hand to your hand and then to ybur nose or eyes,意为“最普通的（传染）途径是从 别人的手传到你的手中，再传到你的鼻子或眼睛里去”。

7.The highest concentration of cold viruses ：感冒病菌最集中的地方

8.ward off：避开，防止

9.runny nose：流鼻涕

10.folk remedies: 土药方，偏方

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 D:you wash your hands too often

—The weather is too cold（）March this year.
—It was still（）when I came here years ago.

A:for colder B:in cold C:in hot D:for hotter

—The weather is too cold ______ March this year.
—It was still ______ when I came here years ago.

A:for colder B:in cold C:in hot D:for hotter

—The weather is too cold（）March this year.
—It was still（）when I came here years ago.

A:for colder B:in cold C:in hot D:for hotter

—The weather is too cold ______ March this year.
—It was still ______ when I came here years ago.

A:for colder B:in cold C:in hot D:for hotter

—The weather is too cold ______ March this year.
—It was still ______ when I came here years ago.

A:for colder B:in cold C:in hot D:for hotter