19．No one is glad to hear that his body has to be cut open by a surgeon（外科医生） and part of it taken out．Today，however，we needn't worry about feeling pain during the operation．The sick person falls into a kind of sleep，and when he awakes，the operation is finished．But these happy conditions are fairly new．It is not many years since a man who had to have operation felt all its pain．
Long ago，operation had usually to be done while the sick man could feel everything．The sick man had to be held down on a table by force while the doctors did their best for him．He could feel all the pain if his leg or arm was being cut off，and his fearful cries filled the room and the hearts of those who watched．
Soon after 1770，Josept Priestley discovered a gas which is now called"laughing gas"．Laughing gas became known in America．Young men and women went to parties to try it． Most of them spent their time laughing，but one man at a party，Horace Wells，noticed that people didn't seem to feel pain when they were using this gas．He decided to make an experiment on himself．He asked a friend to help him．
Wells took some of the gas，and his friend pulled out one of Well's teeth． Wells felt no pain at all．
As he didn't know enough about laughing gas，he gave a man less gas than he should have．The man cried out with pain when his tooth was being pulled out．
Wells tried again，but this time he gave too much of the gas，and the man died．Wells never forgot this terrible event．
9．Long ago，when the sick man was operated on，heB．
A．could feel nothing
B．could feel all the pain
C．could not want anything
D．could do anything
10．Using the laughing gas，the people did not seem toD．
A．he afraid of anything
B．be ill
C．want to go to the parties
D．feel pain
11．If a man took less laughing gas than he should have when an operation went on，heC．
A．felt nothing
B．would die
C．still felt pain
D．felt very comfortable
12．One who took too much of the laughing gasA．
A．would die
B．would laugh all the time
C．would never feel pain
D．would be very calm．
分析 本文属于说明文阅读，作者通过这篇文章主要向我们描述了麻醉剂的由来，Horace Wells在一次偶然的聚会发现一种可以使人感受不到疼痛的气体，经过多次试验，他发现适当使用可用于手术，然而过少则不起作用，过量则导致死亡．
解答 9．B．细节理解题．根据文章第二段"Long ago，operation had usually to be done while the sick man could feel everything"可知很久以前，当那个病人动手术时，他可以感受到所有的痛苦；故选B．
10．D．细节理解题．根据文章第三段"but one man at a party，Horace Wells，noticed that people didn't seem to feel pain when they were using this gas"可知使用笑气人们会感觉不到痛苦；故选D．
11．C．细节理解题．根据文章第五段"he gave a man less gas than he should have．The man cried out with pain when his tooth was being pulled out"可知如果一个人手术时少了一点笑气，他就应该动手术仍感到疼痛；故选C．
12．A．细节理解题．根据文章最后一段"Wells tried again，but this time he gave too much of the gas，and the man died"可知使用太多的气体会导致人死亡；故选A．
点评 本题考查人物故事类阅读理解．这类阅读理解是高考常考题材，要求考生要在通读全文，把握大意的基础上结合题目及上下文语境做出正确的判断．
