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A

Americans are proud of their variety and individuality （個性）， yet they love and respect few things more than a uniform， whether it is the uniform of an elevator operator or the uniform of a five?-star general. Why are uniforms so popular in the United States？

Among the arguments for uniforms， one of the first is that in the eyes of most people they look more professional than civilian clothes. People have become conditioned to expect superior quality from a man who wears a uniform. The television repairman who wears uniform tends to inspire more trust than one who appears in civilian clothes. Faith in the skill of a garage mechanic is increased by a uniform. What easier way is there for a nurse， a policeman， a barber， or a waiter to lose professional identity （身份） than to step out of uniform？

Uniforms also have many practical benefits. They save on other clothes. They save on laundry bills. They are tax-deductible （可免稅的）. They are often more comfortable and more durable than civilian clothes.

Primary among the arguments against uniforms is their lack of variety and the consequent loss of individuality experienced by people who must wear them. Though there are many types of uniforms， the wearer of any particular type is generally stuck with it， without change， until retirement. When people look alike， they tend to think， speak， and act similarly， on the job at least.

Uniforms also give rise to some practical problems. Though they are long-lasting， often their initial expense is greater than the cost of civilian clothes. Some uniforms are also expensive to maintain， requiring professional dry cleaning rather than the home laundering possible with many types of civilian clothes.

1. It is surprising that Americans who respect variety and individuality ___ .

A. judge a man by his clothes

B. hold the uniform in high regard

C. enjoy wearing different clothes more than a uniform

D. respect an elevator operator as much as a general in uniform

2. People are used to thinking that a man in uniform ___ .

A. suggests quality work

B. loses his social identity

C. appears to be more practical

D. looks better than a person in civilian clothes

3. What is the chief function of a uniform？

A. To make the wearer catch the public eye.

B. To provide practical benefits to the wearer.

C. To inspire the wearers confidence in himself.

D. To provide the wearer with a professional identity.

4. According to the text， people wearing uniforms ______ .

A. enjoy greater popularity

B. tend to lose their individuality

C. have little or no individual freedom

D. solve some practical problems more easily

B

Something in chocolate could be used to stop coughs and lead to more effective medicines， say UK researchers.

Their study found that theobromine （可可堿）， found in cocoa， was nearly a third more effective in stopping coughs than codeine （可待因）， which was considered the best cough medicine at present.

The researchers who published their results online said the discovery could lead to more effective cough treatment. “While coughing is not necessarily harmful， it can have a major effect on the quality of life， and this discovery could be a huge step forward in treating this problem，” said Professor Peter Barnes.

Ten healthy volunteers were given theobromine， codeine or placebo （安慰劑）， a pill that contains no medicine， during the experiment. Neither the volunteers nor the researchers knew who received which pill. The researchers then measured levels of capsaicin （辣椒素）， which is used in research to cause coughing and as a sign of how well the medicine are stopping coughs.

The team found that， when the volunteers were given theobromine， the capsaicin need to produce a cough was around a third higher than in the placebo group. When they were given codeine they need only slightly higher levers of capsaicin to cause a cough compared with the placebo.

The researchers said that theobromine worked by keeping down a nerve activity， which caused coughing. They also found that unlike some standard cough treatments， theobromine caused no side effects such as sleepiness.

5. What can we learn about theobromine？

A. Its harmful to peoples health.

B. Its the best headache medicine.

C. It may cause people to feel tired.

D. It can be a more effective cure for coughs.

6. What was used in the experiment to cause coughing？

A. Theobromine. B. Codeine.

C. Capsaicin. D. Placebo.

7. We can learn from the text that volunteers in the experiment ___ .

A. were divided into three groups

B. were patients with bad coughs

C. received standard treatments

D. suffered little side effects

8. What is the best title for the text？

A. Codeine： A New Medicine

B. Chocolate May Cure Coughs

C. Cough Treatment： A Hard Case

D. Theobromine Can Cause Coughs