作者：謝林

One of the most dangerous drugs for pregnant women to consume is alcohol. Because alcohol is delivered quickly into the blood and passes quickly into the tissues and membranes(細胞膜), the human fetus(胎兒)is particularly vulnerable(易受傷害的) to its effects.

As a pregnant woman drinks alcohol, the alcohol is passed into her bloodstream almost at the same time. Moreover, because the bloodstream of the fetus is closely tied to that of the mother, the alcohol passes directly into the bloodstream of the fetus as well.

And, what is more, the quantity of alcohol in the fetus is exactly the same as in the mother. For the mother, this amount is not a problem because her liver can remove one ounce of alcohol from her system per hour. However, the fetus's liver is not completely developed (how developed it is depends on its stage of development). The rate at which it is able to get rid of the alcohol from the blood of the fetus is much slower.

Finally, the alcohol will be returned to the mother's system by passing across the placenta(胎盤), but this process is slow. By the time this takes place, major neurological(神經學上的) damage may have already occurred. Research has shown that as little as one drink of alcohol can produce permanent damage to the fetus.

Babies born after exposure to alcohol generally show facial distortion(扭曲), inability to concentrate, and difficulty in remembering. Simply speaking, it is very important that pregnant women avoid alcohol.

1. How much time can it be inferred that it takes alcohol to enter a woman's bloodstream after she takes a drink?

A. About one hour.

B. A few seconds.

C. Several minutes.

D. At least 24 hours.

2. It can be inferred that the development of a fetus liver depends on ________.

A. how many months pregnant the mother is

B. how much alcohol the mother has consumed

C. how large the fetus is

D. how well the mother has taken care of the fetus

3. What is the main topic of this passage?

A. Women and drugs.

B. The dangers of pregnancy.

C. The fetus and alcohol.

D. Drinking and the human body.

4. Which one of the following was NOT mentioned as a sign of fetal alcohol syndrome (并發癥)?

A. Disfigurement of the face.

B. Concentration difficulties.

C. Increased aggression.

D. Memory problems.

[答案與解析]

1. B。推斷題。根據短文第二段第一句可得出答案。

2. A。推斷題。根據短文第三段可得出答案。

3. C。主旨題。綜合全文意思,短文闡述的是"懷孕婦女飲酒對胎兒的危害"。

4. C。事實確認題。短文最后一段列舉了受到酒精影響的嬰兒出生以后所表現的三種癥狀。根據三種癥狀可得出答案。