Recently hand-foot-mouth disease has spread across China. In the past three months, there have been about 41,846 cases （病例） in 30 provinces and regions. The number is increasing. Eighteen Chinese children have died of the disease so far this year.

    What causes the disease and why is it dangerous?

    Hand-foot-mouth disease is a common childhood illness. It mainly affects children under the age of 10. It gets its name from the rash （疹子） that develops on the hands and feet. It can also cause blisters （水泡） in your mouth.

    A child who has the disease will usually have a fever, a runny nose and sore throat. He or she doesn’t want to eat or drink because of pain in the mouth.

    Hand-foot-mouth disease is mostly not serious. The fever and rash clear within a few days. But in some cases, the virus （病毒） affects the heart, lungs or brain. This puts the child’s life in danger.

    A virus causes hand-foot-mouth disease. The disease spreads easily where a lot of young children are together, such as in a child-care center. Sometimes it can also affect teenagers and adults.

   In order not to pass on the virus, good hygiene （衛(wèi)生） is important. We should wash our hands as often as possible. Especially we should wash our hands before meals and after going to the toilet.

1. More than __________ people have caught hand-foot-mouth disease this year.

    A．thirty thousand                                         B．forty thousand

C．four million                                               D．fourteen thousand

2. Hand-foot-mouth disease __________.

    A．is a kind of cancer                                    B．isn’t dangerous at all  

C．can cause death                                        D．will disappear soon

3. A patient of hand-foot-mouth may __________.

    A．eat more                                                  B．have blisters in the mouth  

C．have rash on the face                                D．eat less

4. From the passage, we know that the hand-foot-mouth disease __________.

    A．spreads easily among the young children     B．will not affect adults

    C．didn’t happen in China                    D．starts from villages

5. __________ can help us to keep away from the hand-foot-mouth disease.

    A．Passing on the virus                                  B．Taking children to the child-care center

    C．Keeping your hands clean                      D．Not going to public places