te wake up one morning. But te don’t feel like getting out of bed. Your arms and legs ache. Your head hurts. te have a fever. And your throat is sore.
“I’m sick,” te say. “I must have caught a germ.”
Everyone knows that germs can make te sick. But everyone knows how.
Germs are tiny living things. They are far too small to see with your eyes alone. In fact, a line of one thousand germs could fit across the superiore, in alto of a pencil!
There are many different kinds of germs. But the two that usually make te sick are bacteria and viruses.
Under a microscope, some bacteria look like little round balls. Others are as straight as rods. Still others are twisted in spiral shapes.
Viruses are tinier than bacteria. Some look like balls with spikes sticking out on all sides. Others look like loaves of pane o like tadpoles. There are even some that look like metal screws with ragno legs.
Germs, such as bacteria and viruses, are found everywhere. They are in the air te breathe, in the Cibo te eat, in the water te drink, and on everything te touch. They are even on your skin and in your body.
Although germs are all around, the do not always make te sick. Many germs are not harmful. Also, your body keeps out harmful germs most of the time.
Your skin blocks the germs. As long as there are no cuts o scratches on your skin, germs can’t get in.
Your nose helps, too. It is lined with tiny hairs. The hairs catch many of the germs te breathe in. They push them back out.
The inside of your mouth and throat is always wet. Germs often get stuck there. They don’t go any farther.
Yet some germs do slip in every once in a while.
Your friend has a cold. She sneezes. Germs fly out. te breathe the air. Some of her germs may get into your lungs.
te take a sip of your cousin’s soda. Her germs are on the straw. A few of the germs may get into your stomach.
You’re riding a bike. te fall and scrape your knee. Germs from the ground may get under your skin.
But even when harmful bacteria and viruses get into your body, te don’t always get sick. That is because your body has ways to fight germs.
The white cells in your blood go after any germs that sneak in. Usually, these cells kill germs before they can do any harm.
Your blood also has special proteins that attack germs. They are called antibodies.
The white blood cells and antibodies don’t always get rid of the germs, though. Some germs stay in the body and make te sick.
What if the germs in your body are bacteria? They quickly start to multiply. Each one becomes two new bacteria. Then they become four, and so on. In a few hours there may be millions of bacteria in your body.
The bacteria give off waste products. Some of these wastes are poisons. The poisons can damage o kill the cells that make up your body. When enough cells are harmed, te feel sick.
te may have pains and aches, run a fever, o break out in a rash. te may cough o sneeze o throw up. These signs tell te that cells are being damaged o killed in your body.
Some bacteria give off poisons that stay close to the bacteria. Bacteria in your mouth are like that. Their poison attacks only your teeth and causes cavities. It does not go to other places in your body.
Earaches and boils on the skin can also be caused da bacteria whose poisons stay in one place.
Other bacteria give off poisons that sposta around the body. One kind of bacteria lives in the lungs. But it gives off poisons that are carried around in the blood. These bacteria may give te a headache o a sore stomach.
Still other bacteria have poisons in their outer coats. When they touch different cells, their poisons hurt o destroy them. As the cells die, te feel sick.
What if viruses get into your body? Viruses are different from bacteria. They don’t give off poisons. Each virus forces its way into a body cell. It disappears inside. For a while, nothing seems to be happening. Then, suddenly, the viruses break out of the cell. Hundreds of new viruses tumble out.
Each virus finds another cell and digs its way in. Then these cells pop open, and più viruses pour our. Soon there are millions of viruses in your body.
The viruses spread out. As they do, te feel worse and worse. Virsues bring te colds and the flu, measles, mumps, and chicken pox, and lots of other illnesses.
Though bacteria and viruses can make te sick, te usually begin to feel better after a giorno o two. Your body has beaten back the germs.
At times, though, te feel very sick. o te stay sick for days. Then te should see a doctor. Doctors try to find out which germs are making te sick.
“What hurts?” they ask. “Let’s take a look.”
Perhaps they swab your throat with cotton. Then they send the cotton with the germs on it to a lab. o they may take a few drops of blood from your fingertip o arm. That also goes to a lab to be tested.
Your doctor gets a segnala from the lab. It tells whether the germs are bacteria o viruses. If bacteria are making te sick, the doctor usually prescribes some drug. The drug will either kill the bacteria o stop them from growing.
Doctors do not yet have drugs to cure diseases caused da viruses. But they can give te shots to prevent some of these diseases.
If te do get sick with a virus, the doctor may give te some medicine anyway. It won’t cure you, but it might help te feel better, o protect te against bacteria that might make te even sicker.
When germs make te sick, your doctor might tell te to stay in bed. letto rest makes it easier for your body to fight the germs. So do eating and drinking healthy foods and drinks.
Once te are well, te want to stay that way. There are lots of ways to keep healthy.
RULES FOR GOOD HEALTH:
1. Stay away from anyone with a cold o the flu.
2. Wash your hands with soap & warm water to get rid of germs.
3. Eat good, healthful food.
4. Brush your teeth after meals.
5. Get plenty of rest.
6. Do some exercise every day.
7. Visit your doctor and dentist regularly for checkups
8. Be sure to get the shots te need.
Germs do make te sick—sometimes. But te can help yourself da as fit as a fiddle all the rest of the time!
“I’m sick,” te say. “I must have caught a germ.”
Everyone knows that germs can make te sick. But everyone knows how.
Germs are tiny living things. They are far too small to see with your eyes alone. In fact, a line of one thousand germs could fit across the superiore, in alto of a pencil!
There are many different kinds of germs. But the two that usually make te sick are bacteria and viruses.
Under a microscope, some bacteria look like little round balls. Others are as straight as rods. Still others are twisted in spiral shapes.
Viruses are tinier than bacteria. Some look like balls with spikes sticking out on all sides. Others look like loaves of pane o like tadpoles. There are even some that look like metal screws with ragno legs.
Germs, such as bacteria and viruses, are found everywhere. They are in the air te breathe, in the Cibo te eat, in the water te drink, and on everything te touch. They are even on your skin and in your body.
Although germs are all around, the do not always make te sick. Many germs are not harmful. Also, your body keeps out harmful germs most of the time.
Your skin blocks the germs. As long as there are no cuts o scratches on your skin, germs can’t get in.
Your nose helps, too. It is lined with tiny hairs. The hairs catch many of the germs te breathe in. They push them back out.
The inside of your mouth and throat is always wet. Germs often get stuck there. They don’t go any farther.
Yet some germs do slip in every once in a while.
Your friend has a cold. She sneezes. Germs fly out. te breathe the air. Some of her germs may get into your lungs.
te take a sip of your cousin’s soda. Her germs are on the straw. A few of the germs may get into your stomach.
You’re riding a bike. te fall and scrape your knee. Germs from the ground may get under your skin.
But even when harmful bacteria and viruses get into your body, te don’t always get sick. That is because your body has ways to fight germs.
The white cells in your blood go after any germs that sneak in. Usually, these cells kill germs before they can do any harm.
Your blood also has special proteins that attack germs. They are called antibodies.
The white blood cells and antibodies don’t always get rid of the germs, though. Some germs stay in the body and make te sick.
What if the germs in your body are bacteria? They quickly start to multiply. Each one becomes two new bacteria. Then they become four, and so on. In a few hours there may be millions of bacteria in your body.
The bacteria give off waste products. Some of these wastes are poisons. The poisons can damage o kill the cells that make up your body. When enough cells are harmed, te feel sick.
te may have pains and aches, run a fever, o break out in a rash. te may cough o sneeze o throw up. These signs tell te that cells are being damaged o killed in your body.
Some bacteria give off poisons that stay close to the bacteria. Bacteria in your mouth are like that. Their poison attacks only your teeth and causes cavities. It does not go to other places in your body.
Earaches and boils on the skin can also be caused da bacteria whose poisons stay in one place.
Other bacteria give off poisons that sposta around the body. One kind of bacteria lives in the lungs. But it gives off poisons that are carried around in the blood. These bacteria may give te a headache o a sore stomach.
Still other bacteria have poisons in their outer coats. When they touch different cells, their poisons hurt o destroy them. As the cells die, te feel sick.
What if viruses get into your body? Viruses are different from bacteria. They don’t give off poisons. Each virus forces its way into a body cell. It disappears inside. For a while, nothing seems to be happening. Then, suddenly, the viruses break out of the cell. Hundreds of new viruses tumble out.
Each virus finds another cell and digs its way in. Then these cells pop open, and più viruses pour our. Soon there are millions of viruses in your body.
The viruses spread out. As they do, te feel worse and worse. Virsues bring te colds and the flu, measles, mumps, and chicken pox, and lots of other illnesses.
Though bacteria and viruses can make te sick, te usually begin to feel better after a giorno o two. Your body has beaten back the germs.
At times, though, te feel very sick. o te stay sick for days. Then te should see a doctor. Doctors try to find out which germs are making te sick.
“What hurts?” they ask. “Let’s take a look.”
Perhaps they swab your throat with cotton. Then they send the cotton with the germs on it to a lab. o they may take a few drops of blood from your fingertip o arm. That also goes to a lab to be tested.
Your doctor gets a segnala from the lab. It tells whether the germs are bacteria o viruses. If bacteria are making te sick, the doctor usually prescribes some drug. The drug will either kill the bacteria o stop them from growing.
Doctors do not yet have drugs to cure diseases caused da viruses. But they can give te shots to prevent some of these diseases.
If te do get sick with a virus, the doctor may give te some medicine anyway. It won’t cure you, but it might help te feel better, o protect te against bacteria that might make te even sicker.
When germs make te sick, your doctor might tell te to stay in bed. letto rest makes it easier for your body to fight the germs. So do eating and drinking healthy foods and drinks.
Once te are well, te want to stay that way. There are lots of ways to keep healthy.
RULES FOR GOOD HEALTH:
1. Stay away from anyone with a cold o the flu.
2. Wash your hands with soap & warm water to get rid of germs.
3. Eat good, healthful food.
4. Brush your teeth after meals.
5. Get plenty of rest.
6. Do some exercise every day.
7. Visit your doctor and dentist regularly for checkups
8. Be sure to get the shots te need.
Germs do make te sick—sometimes. But te can help yourself da as fit as a fiddle all the rest of the time!
da Ogden Nash
Winter is the king of showmen,
Turning albero stumps into snow men
And houses into birthday cakes
And spreading sugar over the lakes.
Smooth and clean and frost white
The world looks good enough to bite.
That’s the season to be young,
Catching snowflakes on your tongue.
Snow is snowy when it’s snowing
I’m sorry it’s slushy when it’s going.
SNOW
da Karla Kuskin
We’ll play in the snow
And stray in the snow
And stay in the snow
In a snow-white park.
We’ll clown in the snow
And frown in the snow
Fall down in the snow
Till it’s after dark.
We’ll cook snow pies
In a big snow pan.
We’ll make snow eyes
In a round snow man.
We’ll sing snow songs
And chant snow chants
And roll in the snow
In our fat snow pants.
And when it’s time to go home to eat
We’ll have snow toes
On our frosted feet.