Question

Why do some people flush when they drink alcohol? This effect is a common reaction to alcohol among East Asians. It affects about 36 percent of Japanese, Chinese and Koreans.

For many, even a small amount of alcohol can cause unpleasant effects. Most commonly, their face, neck and sometimes their whole body turn red. People might also feel uncomfortable and sick to their stomach. They might experience a burning sensation, increased heart rate, shortness of breath and headaches.

The cause is a genetic difference that they are born with called an ALDH2 deficiency (缺乏). It prevents their bodies from treating alcohol the way other people do. But the effects might be more serious than just a red face. Researchers warn of a link between this condition and an increased risk of cancer of the esophagus (食道) from drinking alcohol.

The more alcohol people with this deficiency drink, the greater their risk is. In Japan and South Korea, for example, many people have the deficiency but still drink heavily. Researchers found that these drinkers develop a form of esophageal cancer six to ten times more often than those without the deficiency.

Esophageal cancer is one of the deadliest cancers. It can be treated when found early, but once it grows the chances of survival drop sharply. The researchers estimate that at least five hundred forty million people have the deficiency, about eight percent of the world’s population.

Philip Brooks is a researcher at the National Institute in the United States. He says it is important to educate people about the link between the alcohol flushing effect and esophageal cancer. He says doctors should ask East Asian patients about their experiences with facial flushing after drinking alcohol. Those with a history of it should be advised to limit their alcohol use. They should also be warned that cigarette smoking works with the alcohol in a way that further increases the risk of esophageal cancer.

1.The underlined word “flush” in Paragraph 1 probably means “_________”.

A．walk unsteadily                         B．turn red in the face

C．appear unpleasant                      D．talk more than usual

2.The second paragraph is mainly about _________.

A．the cause of the effects of alcohol

B．Asians and alcohol

C．the advantages of drinking alcohol

D．unpleasant effects caused by alcohol

3.We can infer from the passage that _________.

A．about 36 percent of Japanese, Chinese and Koreans are heavy drinkers

B．the ALDH2 deficiency may be passed on from generation to generation

C．unpleasant effects occur only when people with this deficiency drink a lot

D．only some East Asians have the ALDH2 deficiency

4.Esophageal cancer is one of the deadliest cancers because _________.

A．it can’t be treated at all

B．it is hard to be discovered early

C．it is hard to cure once it has developed

D．people are usually addicted to alcohol

Answer

1.B

2.D

3.B

4.C

【解析】

试题分析：

1.推断题。从第2段Most commonly, their face, neck and sometimes their whole body turn red.可知，他们的脸、脖子有时候整个身体都会变红。故选B。

2.主旨归纳题。从第2段第一句可知，甚至小量的酒也会引起不舒服的反应。第2段后文全部讲到的是不适的症状。故选B。

3.推断题。从第一段中可知脸红影响了36%的日本人、中国人和韩国人。并非这些人酗酒。排除A。第三段第一句，原因是与生俱来的基因的差异，这种差异被叫做ALDH2先天性缺乏，故它有可能是遗传的。B正确。第二段第一句可知少量的酒也有可能导致不适，排除C。文章并没有说只有东亚人有这种缺陷，故排除D。

4.细节题。第五自然段，It can be treated when found early, but once it grows the chances of survival drop sharply.食道癌可以在早期发现时治愈，一旦进一步发展了就很难以治愈，故选C。

考点：说明文