Question

Most American teenagers can’t wait to get rid of their “mental mouth” nickname(绰号). They count down the days they can finally take their braces （牙箍）off. However, trendy teenagers in Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand can’t wait to get them on, even if they don’t need them.

Braces are the latest teenage fashion trend in Southeast Asia. Having a mouthful of metal has become so popular with Asian teens that there have been reports of many teens wearing fake （假冒的）braces. Many Asian beauty shops are now offering to put in cheap fake braces. There are even cheaper do-it-yourself braces such as “ Hello Kitty,” Mickey Mouse” or others for a price of around $100.

Braces are considered a sign of wealth in Southeast Asia. A real set of braces in Bangkok, the capital city of Thailand, for example, will cost around $ 1,200, which is a large amount for the country with a GDP（国内生产总值）of $345 billion ( a billion is 1,000 million), compared to the US which had a GDP of $1,506 Trillion ( a Trillion is 1,000 billion) last year.

While Asian teens may think that their colorful fake braces are cool, experts say that these trendy fashion braces can cause illness and can even lead to death. According to the New York Daily News, fake fashion braces have already been linked to the deaths of two teens in Thailand.A 17-year-old in the northeast city of Khon Kaen died from heart failure caused by a thyroid infection （甲状腺感染）from a pair of fake fashion braces. Police also linked the death of another 14-year-old girl in Chonburi to a pair of fashion braces she had brought from an illegal shop.

Although the government is giving warnings about fake braces, the trend has been going strong for at least four years. What’s worse, the trend for fake braces shows no sign of slowing down.

1.In general, US teens consider braces _____________.

A.Comfortable             B. interesting

C. useless                D. ugly

2.Teens in Southeast Asia wear fake braces mainly to _______.

A. follow fashion          B.protect their teeth

C.show their DIY ability    D.Prove their social position

3.Why does the author compare Thailand’s GDP with that of the US?

A. To explain the importance of the GDP.

B. To show the high cost of Braces in Thailand.

C. To describe the development of Thailand.

D. To introduce the capital city of Thailand.

4.According to Paragraph 4, fake braces_______.

A.are very dangerous.        B. need to be improved

C. can treat tooth diseases. D. cost as much as real ones.

Answer

1.D

2.A

3.B

4.A

【解析】

试题分析：本文讲述了各个国家对牙套的看法，以及假的牙套对人体造成的伤害。

1.D细节理解题。根据文中Most American teenagers can’t wait to get rid of their “mental mouth” nickname(绰号)，可知美国的小孩子觉得牙套很丑，故选D。

2.A细节理解题。根据文章第二段Braces are the latest teenage fashion trend in Southeast Asia，可知在南亚是很流行的，故选A。

3.B推理判断题。根据第三段的分析可知，这里讲述了各国的GDP是用来讲述牙套在Thailand的昂贵，故选B。

4.A细节理解题。根据第四段中While Asian teens may think that their colorful fake braces are cool, experts say that these trendy fashion braces can cause illness and can even lead to death，可知假的牙套很危险可能会使人生病并且死亡，故选A。

考点：日常生活类短文阅读。