Directions: Fill in each blank with a proper word chosen from the box. Each word can be used only once. Note that there is one word more than you need.
How do Cigarettes Affect the Body?
Cigarettes aren’t good for us. But how exactly do cigarettes harm us? Let’s look at what happens as their ingredients make their way through our bodies, and how we benefit 【小题1】 when we finally give up smoking.
Inside the airways and lungs, smoke increases the 【小题2】 of infections as well as long - lasting diseases. It does this by damaging the tiny hair - like tissues which keep the airways clean. That’s one of the reasons smoking can lead to oxygen loss and 【小题3】 of breath.
Within about 10 seconds, the bloodstream carries a stimulant called nicotine to the brain, creating the 【小题4】 sensations which make smoking highly addictive. Nicotine and other chemicals from the cigarette, at the same time, cause tightness of blood tubes, restricting blood flow. These effects on blood tubes lead to 【小题5】 of blood tube walls, increasing the possibility of heart attacks and strokes.
Many of the chemicals inside cigarettes can activate dangerous 【小题6】 in the body’s DNA that make cancers form. In fact, about one of every three cancer deaths in the United States is caused by smoking. And it’s not just lung cancer. Smoking can cause cancer in multiple tissues and organs, as well as damaged eyesight and 【小题7】 bones. It makes it harder for women to get pregnant. And in men, it can cause long-term damages of body functions.
But for those who quit smoking, there’s a huge positive upside with almost 【小题8】 and long-lasting physical benefits. A day after ceasing, heart attack risk begins to decrease as blood pressure and heart rates 【小题9】. Lungs become healthier after about one month, with less coughing. After ten years, the chances of developing fatal lung cancer go down by 50%, probably because the body’s ability to repair DNA is once again restored.
There’s no point pretending this is all easy to achieve. Quitting can lead to anxiety and depression. But fortunately, such effects are usually 【小题10】. Advice and support groups and moderate intensity exercise also help smokers stay cigarette - free. That’s good news, since quitting puts you and your body on the path back to health.
