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TOEFL
Reading Comprehension
Passage 11 |
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Directions:
In this section you will read a passage which is followed by several questions
about it.
For the questions you are to choose the one best answer, (Рђ), (Р’), (C), or (D),
to each question.
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People who suffer from excessive drowsiness during the daytime may be
victims of a condition known as "narcolepsy." While most people may feel sleepy
while watching TV or after eating a meal, narcoleptics may fall asleep at unusual
or embarrassing times. They may doze while eating, talking, taking a shower, or
even driving a car. Victims can be affected in one of two ways. Most narcoleptics
have several sleeping spells during each day with alert periods in between.
A minority of others feel drowsy almost all the time and are alert for only brief
intervals.
There are no reliable data showing how many people have narcolepsy. Some
estimates put the number as high as 300,000 in the United States alone. The cause
of this illness has not been identified, although recent research suggests that the
problem may stem from an immune system reacting abnormally to the brain's
chemical processes. There is currently no cure for narcolepsy, so sufferers of this
condition can only have their symptoms treated through a combination of
counseling and drugs. |
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