Spring is here and temperatures are heating up. That means cases of tick-borne (蜱传播的) illnesses, particularly Lyme disease, are on the rise. And the problem is only being worsened by drawn-out warmer weather across a wider area of the country, 【小题1】 (drive) by climate change. The warming climate enables ticks to become active 【小题2】 (early) in the spring and then remain active later into the autumn or winter months.

Blacklegged ticks 【小题3】 (be) not insects and they can carry more than a dozen rare 【小题4】 (disease). But the most common by far is Lyme disease. Typical signs of the illness include fever, headache, tiredness, muscle and joint pain and red spots on skin.

Ticks draw blood from an animal host that can contain B.burgdorferi (伯氏疏螺旋体). An infected tick attaches to a human by digging its mouth into the flesh 【小题5】 it can feast for three to ten days. 【小题6】 takes at least 24 hours for Lyme bacteria to start swimming out in the saliva the tick drips into its host.

Melissa Prustinsk, a research scientist at the New York State Department of Health, 【小题7】 (warn) that it could be difficult to detect Lyme disease signs. “People often mistake them 【小题8】 the flu or even COVID-19,” she said. If you start to experience Lyme disease signs, don’t wait around to spot the tick before 【小题9】 (contact) a physician. “It’s better to be safe than sorry, 【小题10】 (especial) if you have spent time outdoors and know that there’s the potential that you could have received the tick bites,”she advised.

Technology is amazing when it keeps people connected but it comes at a price. Staring down at your phone or computer for long periods of time【小题1】(put) great tension (紧张) on your neck. You might feel pain in your neck and shoulders. When【小题2】 (leave) untreated, it leads to what is called “tech neck”.

【小题3】(fortunate), there are a few simple steps to help you.【小题4】(begin) with, limit the amount of time you spend on your phone or computer. Develop the habit of taking【小题5】three-minute break every 15-20 minutes when you use your phone or computer. Do neck exercises meanwhile.

It is equally important to use proper【小题6】(equip) for computer work. Having an adjustable chair is【小题7】(benefit). It helps you maintain the good posture and provides adequate support for your neck while you are sitting. It is also recommended【小题8】you buy neck support pillows and neck collars. They may help relieve your pain and allow your neck to recover slowly over time.

If your tech neck problems keep worsening, then it is time to seek help【小题9】a qualified health professional. As a general rule, the sooner you seek treatment, the【小题10】(likely) it is that you will succeed in treating the problem.

Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at Stanford Hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liza who was suffering 【小题1】 a rare and serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion (传输) from her five-year-old brother, 【小题2】 had amazingly survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies (抗体) needed to beat the illness. The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked 【小题3】 boy if he would be willing 【小题4】(give) his blood to his sister. I saw him hesitate for only a moment before making a 【小题5】(decide) and saying, “Yes, please do it if it will save Liza.”

As the transfusion progressed, he lay in a bed next to his sister and smiled, 【小题6】(see) the color returning to her 【小题7】(cheek). Then his smile faded and his face 【小题8】(grow) pale. He looked up at the doctor and asked in a frightened voice, “Will I start to die right away?” Being young, the boy didn’t understand the doctor 【小题9】(correct), he thought he was going to have to give 【小题10】(she) all his blood.