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It was a red-letter day in the history of medicine-“Target Zero Day”, May 8th, 1980, marking the complete removal of smallpox, a terrifying disease. It was untreatable but, luckily, it turned out that vaccination (接种疫苗) provided good protection- -and that mass immunization (免疫) could wipe out the small- pox virus by blocking its spread.

According to legend, vaccination was invented by Dr Edward Jenner. Jenner showed that healthy children vaccinated with cowpox, a mild infection of cattle, could not catch smallpox. He was supposedly inspired by a comment from a local milkmaid, but there is evidence that the idea came from a medical friend, John Fester, who had experimented with cowpox. Nevertheless, Jenner deserves credit for introducing vaccination into the medical mainstream with his paper published in 1798.

In 1966, 160 years after the prediction that vaccination would clean off the disease, the World Health Organization launched its Smallpox Eradication Programme. This heroic 1-year drive was directed by two American public health doctors, DA Henderson and Bill Forge. Their hardships were enormous: One WHO official even promised to eat a tyre if smallpox was removed; Henderson promised to send him the tyre and wished him good appetite. But Henderson and Foege's hard work paid off--three years after the last smallpox case was informed (to make sure no outbreaks had been missed) Target Zero Day was declared.

40 years on, should we remember Target Zero Day? First, to celebrate victory of preventative medicine and freedom from a cruel disease. Then, we must remember the victims of smallpox. It had previously killed 1 in 12 worldwide. In 1914, a Canadian professor warned against forgetting smallpox, which was fast disappearing from North America. It went on to kill at least another 250 million people -- three times more than both world wars combined. Target Zero Day also reminds us of undefeated infections, including polio, measles, malaria, and of course the coronavirus Covid-19. Let's recognize Target Zero Day for what it is: a milestone in world history and a monument to the art of the possible.

1.What inspired Jenner to invent the vaccination?

A.A medical friend. B.A local milkmaid.

C.Cattle. D.Children.

2.What is the writer's purpose of mentioning the WHO official's promise?

A.To introduce the support from the WHO.

B.To stress the importance of good appetite.

C.To suggest the difficulty in removing smallpox.

D.To show his determination to carry on the drive.

3.Where can you find the figures that best support “smallpox is a terrifying disease?

A.In paragraph 1. B.In paragraph 2.

C.In paragraph 3. D.In paragraph 4.

4.What message does the text convey?

A.A promise made is a debt unpaid. B.A trouble shared is a trouble halved.

C.Something is better than nothing. D.Nothing is impossible to a willing heart.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题

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