天花是一种可怕的疾病，人们与它斗争了很长时间。人类是怎样把天花彻底根除的呢？
The world's last known case of smallpox（天花）was reported in Somalia，the Horn of Africa，in October 1977．The victim was a young cook called Ali Maow Maalin．His case became a landmark in medical history，for smallpox is the first communicable disease ever to be got rid of．
The smallpox campaign（战役） to free the world of smallpox has been led by the World Health Organization．The Horn of Africa was one of the last few smallpox areas in the world，when the WHO sponsored（赞助）the Smallpox Eradication Program（SEP）which began there in 1971．
Vaccination（种牛痘）was used to reduce the widespread incidence of the disease，but the success of the campaign depended on the work of volunteers（志愿者）．There were men paid by the day，who walked hundreds of miles in search of information about possible smallpox cases．By September 1976 the SEP made its first report that no new cases had been reported．But it was short-lived．A three-year-old girl called Amina Salat，from a dusty village in the Ogaden had given smallpox to a young visitor．Leaving the village the visitor walked into Somalia．There he infected 3，000 people，among them had been the cook，Ali．It was further 14 months before no further cases was reached．The WHO declared that the world is entirely free from smallpox．
1．Ali Maow Maalin's case was very important because he was the ____．
A．first smallpox patient in the Horn of Africa
B．first to be vaccinated for smallpox
C．last patient of smallpox in the world
D．last victim who died of smallpox
2．According to the passage，played a major role in preventing smallpox spreading．
A．the World Health Organization
B．the work of some volunteers
C．Smallpox Eradication Program
D．Somalian government
3．The volunteers were paid in order to ____．
A．find out information about the case of smallpox
B．increase the widespread incidence of smallpox
C．cure sufferers of smallpox
D．become members of the World Health Organization
4．Which of the following is true about the cause of the smallpox breaking out in Somalia？
A．A girl called Amina Salat gave smallpox to a young cook．
B．A young visitor infected with smallpox visited Somalia and gave it to a lot of people．
C．A Somalian infected smallpox to many people in Somalia．
D．A cook Ali gave smallpox to 3，000 people in Somalia．
5．Which is the best title for this passage？
A．WHO and Smallpox
B．Smallpox
C．The Last Case of Smallpox
D．How the Battle against Smallpox Was Won？
答案与解析：
1．C。根据文章第一段的最后一句：His case became a landmark in medical history，for smallpox is the first communicable disease ever to be got rid of．最后一个天花病例成为医学史上划时代意义的里程碑。
2．A。文章的第二段指出：The smallpox campaign（战役）to free the world of smallpox has been led by the World Health Organization．这说明世界卫生组织在根除天花病中起主导作用。
3．A。根据文章第三段第二句：There were men paid by the day，who walked hundreds of miles in search of information about possible smallpox cases．这与A项意义一致。
4．B。根据文章的最后一段：A three-year-old girl called Amina Salat，from a dusty village in the Ogaden had given smallpox to a young visitor．Leaving the village the visitor walked into Somalia．There he infected 3，000 people，among them had been the cook，Ali．索马里天花病的爆发是由一个旅游参观者传播给索马里引起的。
5．D。全篇文章谈的是天花病怎样在世界上被消除的，故选D。
