申論題

 1. Please SUMMARIZE the following article into 200 to 250 words  and design FIVE cloze test questions  and THREE reading comprehension questions  respectively, based on your REWRITTEN passage. 

（閱測題請至少出一題混合題型。克漏字與閱測題皆須附上答案。）

The original text:

       People must breathe in order to live. The process of breathing ("respiration", in medical
terminology) is critical because it is the sole mechanism through which vital gasses such as oxygen and
carbon dioxide can move between the air and the blood. When someone breathes in, oxygen is removed
from the air and dissolved into the blood where it is used as fuel by the body's cells. When someone
breathes out, cellular waste products like carbon dioxide are removed from the blood and exhaled back
out into the air. This complex transfer of gasses takes place in the lungs and involves a number of
structures associated with the lungs that help move gasses between the lungs and the air: the bronchi
(airways or passages within the lungs), and the alveoli (tiny air sacs composed of special membranes
found at the end of the bronchi at which point the transfer of gases between the blood and the air
occurs).
      Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD for short) occurs when permanent blockages form
within the pulmonary system (the term "pulmonary" refers to the lungs and respiratory system) that
interfere with the transfer of vital gasses. To be diagnosed with COPD means that some portion of one's
bronchi or alveoli have become permanently obstructed, reducing the volume of air that can be
handled by the lungs. As this process progresses, the overall efficiency of the gas exchange process is
reduced.
      There are two underlying disorders that can cause COPD: Emphysema and chronic Bronchitis.
      Bronchitis is literally an inflammation of the bronchi. The walls of the bronchi inside the lungs
become inflamed, and this inflammation decreases the bronchi's diameter so that less air is able to flow
through than normal. The inflammation process promotes excessive production of mucus. Bronchial
mucus, which serves to keep the airways clean and free of bacteria, is produced under normal
conditions. However, the excessive mucus produced in bronchitis is thicker and more difficult to cough
up than normal, and acts to clog the airways and inhibit lung capacity.
Emphysema also reduces the efficiency of the gas exchange process, only in a different manner.
      Emphysema affects the alveoli, specifically their sensitive membranes through which the gas exchange process occurs. Emphysema causes alveolar membranes to lose elasticity, become brittle, and then actually rip and tear. Broken alveolar membranes cannot be regenerated by the body. Each time alveolar membranes burst, more surface area within the lung necessary for gas transfer is permanently lost. As this process progresses, it becomes very difficult for patients to exhale because their weakened airways threaten collapse the harder they try to breathe out. The heart tries to compensate for the loss of oxygen available in the bloodstream by pumping harder and faster, a process associated with other serious complications including heart failure.
      Asthma is another respiratory disease that may be associated with COPD but which is not itself
classified as COPD. People who have asthma have highly sensitive bronchi that are more reactive to
environmental irritants like smoke, dust and pollen than are the bronchi of people who do not have
asthma. During an asthma attack, asthma patients' bronchi swell and narrow in a manner similar to
what occurs in bronchitis, restricting the volume of gasses that can be transferred between the blood
and the air. At this time, the exact relationship between asthma and COPD is unclear. However, there is
some evidence to support the "Dutch Hypothesis" that both asthma and COPD have common genetic
origins and may represent different expressions of a similar disease process. The jury is still out on
whether the Dutch Hypothesis is accurate or not, but numerous researchers believe that it is at least
partially true that asthmatic people may have a heightened genetic vulnerability for COPD.