第一篇：
　　Calling for Safe Celebrations This Fourth of July (C级)
　　Last Fourth of July, Pete, a 14-year-old, was enjoying the lit-up skies and loud booms from the fireworks being set off in his neighborhood. Suddenly, the evening took a terrible turn. A bottle rocket shot into his eye, immediately causing him terrible pain. His family rushed him to the emergency room for treatment. As a result of the injury, Pete developed glaucoma and cataracts. Today, Pete has permanent vision loss in his injured eye because of his bottle rocket injury.
　　June is Fireworks Eye Safety Awareness Month, and through its EyeSmart campaign the American Academy of Ophthalmology wants to remind consumers to leave fireworks to professionals. “There is nothing worse than a Fourth of July celebration ruined by someone being hit in the eye a bottle rocket,” said Dr. John C. Hagan, clinical correspondent for the Academy and an ophthalmologist at Discover Vision Centers in Kansas City. “A safe celebration means letting trained professionals handle fireworks while you enjoy the show.”
　　According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, more than 9,000 fireworks-related injuries happen each year. Of these, nearly half are head-related injuries, with nearly 30 percent of these injuries to the eye. One-fourth of fireworks eye injuries result in permanent vision loss or blindness. Children are the most common victims of firework abuse, with those fifteen years old or younger accounting for 50 percent of fireworks eye injuries in the Unites States. Dr. Hagan estimates that his practice sees more than 30 injuries each year from fireworks.
　　Even fireworks that many people consider safe represent a threat to the wyes. For children under the age of five, apparently harmless sparklers account for one-third of all fireworks injuries. Sparklers can burn at nearly 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
　　练习：
　　1.What happened to Pete last Fourth of July?
　　A) He was burned in a house fire.
　　B) He was caught in a rain.
　　C) He was injured in a fight.
　　D) He was hit in the eye.
　　2. The American Academy of Ophthalmology calls on consumers to
　　A) celebrate the Fourth of July with fireworks.
　　B) leave fireworks to professionals in their celebrations.
　　C) stop celebrating the Fourth of July altogether.
　　D) set off fireworks together with trained professionals.
　　3. How many fireworks eye injuries occur in the US each year?
　　A) About 9,000.
　　B) About 4,500.
　　C) About 1,350.
　　D) About 30.
　　4. Fireworks eye injuries can result in each of the following EXCEPT
　　A) blindness.
　　B) permanent vision loss.
　　C) glaucoma and cataracts.
　　D) head-related injuries.
　　5. Which is NOT true of sparklers?
　　A) They are harmless to children.
　　B) They are considered safe by many people.
　　C) They are a threat to the eyes.
　　D) They can burn at very high degrees.
　　答案：1.D
　　2.B
　　3.C
　　4.D
　　5.A　　
第一篇： 呼吁今年7月4日为安全国庆
　　去年七月四日，彼德，一个14岁的男孩正在他所住的街区欣赏照亮的天空和放烟花的巨响。突然，可怕的事情发生在这个夜里。一只爆竹射进他的眼里，他马上感到剧痛。他的家人急忙把他送入急诊室治疗。由于这次受伤，彼德患上了青光眼和白内障。今天，彼德那只伤眼已经由于那次爆竹的伤害而永久失明了。
　　六月是烟火与眼睛安全意识月，美国眼科学会通过自己的亮眼运动提醒消费者让专业人员去放烟火。“没有什么比7月4日欢度国庆因某人被爆竹炸伤眼睛而遭到破坏更糟糕的了，” 约翰.C. 哈根医生(学会的临床通讯员兼萨斯城的探索视力中心的一名眼科学家)，说道：“安全的庆祝活动就是让专业人员放烟火，而你作观赏者。”
　　根据美国消费者产品安全委员会的统计，每年由烟花爆竹导致的伤害事故超过9，000起。其中，将近一半是头部受伤，而头部受伤者中约30%是眼伤。四分之一的烟火眼伤导致了永久性失明。儿童是烟火燃放不慎最普遍的受害者。在美国50%的烟火眼伤者都是15岁及15岁以下的孩子。哈根医生估算他每年在临床实践上能遇到三十多起由烟花炮竹引起的伤害。
　　即使是那些人们认为安全的烟花对眼睛也是一种呢威胁。对于五岁以下的儿童，看起来无害的烟火棒导致的伤害占所有烟火伤害的三分之一。事实上烟火棒燃烧的温度能接近华氏2000度。