The year 2018 will mark the 100th anniversary of the deadliest influenza outbreak in history. It is estimated that the influenza pandemic(瘟疫) of 1918 killed more than 50 million people around the world. Other estimates go much higher. Because of a lack of medical recordkeeping, we may never know the exact number.
The influenza was a fast killer. Some victims died within hours of their first symptoms. Others died after a few days. “Their lungs filled with liquid and they choked to death.”The 1918 flu pandemic was also different from other outbreaks. It struck many young, healthy people. Viruses usually affect sick or old people.
Although modern medicine effectively controls many diseases, influenza remains difficult to protect against. The World Health Organization estimates that every year influenza kills 250,000 to 500,000 people around the world. Each year, medical scientists develop flu vaccines(疫苗) which offer immunity(免疫)from some influenza viruses. But they can only guess which form of the virus will spread.
Health officials remain concerned about another flu pandemic. New forms of the flu virus appear regularly. One example was the “swine flu”or H1N1 outbreak in 2009. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Infectious Diseases in the United States says that virus caused a true pandemic.
To stop the next pandemic, scientists are now researching how to create a universal influenza vaccine. In October 2017, Vanderbilt University Medical Center in the US announced the Universal Influenza Vaccine Initiative. The university said researchers are leading an international effort to develop a universal influenza vaccine that will protect everyone against all forms of the flu anywhere in the world. The university added that researchers will begin tests in early 2018, and the Human Vaccines Project, a publicprivate partnership, is funding the project. However, until a universal influenza vaccine is available, today's seasonal flu vaccine remains important.
2018将是历史上最致命的流感爆发的第100周年纪念。1918年的流感大流行导致全世界超过5 000万人死亡。可见流感病毒比战争更致命。为了阻止下一次大流行， 科学家们正在研究如何制造一种通用流感疫苗。
1．What do we know about the influenza in 1918?
A．It swept across the whole Europe.
B．No one survived the first few days.
C．It killed the largest number of people.
D．It struck only young and healthy people.
答案：C
解析：细节理解题。根据The year 2018 will mark the 100th anniversary of the deadliest influenza outbreak in history. It is estimated that the influenza pandemic (瘟疫) of 1918 killed more than 50 million people around the world.得知2018将是历史上最致命的流感爆发的第100周年纪念。科学家估计， 1918年的流感大流行导致全世界超过5 000万人死亡。故选C。
2．Why is influenza difficult to protect against?
A．It spreads too rapidly.
B．It is quite easy to catch.
C．No vaccine is available.
D．It's hard to judge the form of virus.
答案：D
解析：细节理解题。根据Each year, medical scientists develop flu vaccines... But they can only guess which form of the virus will spread. 得知每年， 医学科学家都在研制流感疫苗。但他们只能猜测病毒的哪种菌株会传播。可以推断出流感仍然难以抵御是因为专家不能确定病毒的形式，故选D。
3．What does the author want to tell by mentioning H1N1 in 2009?
A．New forms of flu virus keeps appearing.
B．It was the most serious in recent years.
C．It was caused by the same flu virus of 1918.
D．The H1N1 virus was deadly as well.
答案：A
解析：推理判断题。根据Health officials remain concerned about another flu pandemic. New forms of the flu virus appear regularly. One example was the “swine flu” or H1N1 outbreak in 2009.得知卫生官员仍对另一场流感大流行感到担忧。新的流感病毒菌株定期出现。其中一个例子是2009年的“猪流感”或甲型H1N1流感疫情。得知举例是为了说明新的流感病毒还在不断出现，故选A。
4．What can we learn about the universal influenza vaccine?
A．The development is quite costly.
B．It will be used all over the world.
C．It can protect against all forms of flu.
D．It will soon come into use in 2018.
答案：C
解析：推理判断题。根据The university said researchers are leading an international effort to develop a universal influenza vaccine that will protect everyone against all forms of the flu anywhere in the world...得知研究人员正在“领导国际社会努力研制一种通用流感疫苗，以保护每个人抵御世界上任何地方的流感病毒”，故选C。
