56 自然原因导致夏季食物中毒比率偏高
DATE=6-12-01
TITLE=AGRICULTURE REPORT - Food Poisoning in Summer
BYLINE=George Grow
(Start at 59")This is Steve Ember with the VOA Special English AGRICULTURE REPORT.
June is the start of summer in northern areas of the world. Reports of food poisoning increase in warm weather. The Food Safety and (1)Inspection Service has (2)released (3)information on the problem. The Service is an (4)agency of the United States Department of Agriculture. It offers suggestions to keep food safe in warm weather.
Natural causes can increase food poisoning cases in the summer. (5) Bacteria can grow faster in warm weather. Uncooked meat may contain harmful (6) organisms that cause people to become sick.
Another reason for the increase in food poisoning in the summer is human activity. People spend more time outside and away from home in warm weather. Many people bring food to eat outside in parks or at the beach. Others cook meals outdoors in open fires near their homes or on camping trips.
Unwashed hands are a leading cause of the spread of bacteria. People should wash their hands with hot water and soap before touching food. It is important to find clean water when eating away from home. If there is none, make sure to bring water for preparation and cleaning. Or carry clean, wet washcloths for cleaning hands and surfaces.
Bacteria also can spread when food is transported, prepared and served. Make sure to keep uncooked meat cold until it is cooked. Do not let (7)liquid from uncooked meat touch other foods. Wash objects that held the meat before using again for cooked food.
Heating food for a long time at high temperatures will kill harmful bacteria. But you cannot judge if food is cooked completely by looking at its color. Experts advise people to use a (8) thermometer when cooking. Food thermometers measure the exact temperature of the food being cooked. They help (9) guarantee that food is cooked to a safe temperature. Thermometers also can prevent food from being cooked too long and becoming too dry.
Keeping food at an unsafe temperature also can lead to food poisoning. Some foods left outside in warm weather for more than two hours may not be safe to eat. Experts say such foods should be kept in (10) containers with ice to keep them cold. And, foods should be kept in the coolest part of a (11) vehicle, away from sunlight, whenever possible.
This VOA Special English AGRICULTURE REPORT was written by George Grow. This is Steve Ember.
(1) inspection [ ?????????? ]n.检查, 视察
(2) release [ ????????] vt.发表
(3) information [ ?????????????]n.报告, 消息,信息
(4) agency [ ????????? ]n.机构
(5) bacteria [??????????] n.细菌
(6) organism [ ??????????] n.生物体, 有机体
(7) liquid [ ??????? ]n.液体
(8) thermometer [?????????] n.温度计, 体温计
(9) guarantee [??????????] n.保证, 保证书vt.保证, 担保
(10) container [?????????] n.容器(箱,盆,罐,壶,桶,坛子)
(11) vehicle [ ???????] n.交通工具, 车辆, 媒介物, 传达手段
57 这种动物是人类的祖先吗？
DATE=6-13-01
TITLE=SCIENCE REPORT - Ancestor of Humans
BYLINE=Jill Moss
(Start at 59")This is Steve Ember with the VOA Special English Science Report.
Scientists have discovered an extremely small animal they believe could have been the (1) ancestor of all (2) mammals, including humans. The animal lived one-hundred-ninety-five million years ago. It weighed only about two grams. Yet researchers say it had important qualities that link it to mammals. Mammals are warm-blooded animals that feed their young milk from their bodies.
A team of American and Chinese researchers discovered (3) ancient remains of the animal's head bone in southwestern China. Zhe-Xi Luo of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History led the researchers. Their findings were published last month in Science magazine.
The scientists say the animal was one of the smallest mammals that ever lived. But they say the animal's brain was large compared to other mammals. Mister Luo said the ancient animal had to be very smart because it was able to survive in a world controlled by huge (4) dinosaurs.
The researchers named the tiny animal Hadrocodium wui, which means "large and full head" in the Greek language. Scientists say Hadrocodium was only a little bigger than the smallest mammal now in existence - the (5) bumblebee (6) bat of Thailand.
Mister Luo says Hadrocodium probably ate insects. And it probably had to eat all the time because of its small size. Researchers also believe the ancient animal had to hide during the day when dinosaurs were hunting. This meant Hadrocodium was able to keep a (7) continuous body temperature in the cold night air.
The researchers compared Hadrocodium's skull to other ancient and modern-day mammals. They say Hadrocodium could be the closest known ancestor of living mammals.
The researchers discovered that the ancient animal had middle ear bones that separated from the lower (8) jawbone. This is an important quality that separates mammals from the cold-blooded animals called (9) reptiles. The researchers also discovered that Hadrocodium had a large head bone. This suggests that its (10)expanding brain may have pushed the middle ear bones away from the jaw. Mister Luo say the ancient remains of Hadrocodium prove that some qualities of mammals developed about forty-five-million years earlier than they had believed.
This VOA Special English Science Report was written by Jill Moss. This is Steve Ember.
(1) ancestor [ ????????] n.祖先, 祖宗
(2) mammal [ ??????] n.哺乳动物
(3) ancient [????????] adj.远古的, 旧的
(4) bumblebee [ ??????????] n.[动]大黄蜂
(5) bat [???] n.蝙蝠
(6) dinosaur [?????????] n.恐龙
(7) continuous [???????????] adj.连续的, 持续的
(8) jawbone [?????????] n.颚骨, 下颚骨
(9) reptile [ ????????] n.爬虫动物, 卑鄙的人 adj.爬行的, 爬虫类的, 卑鄙的
(10) expand [ ?????????]vt.使膨胀
58 对赌博时大脑活动情况的研究
DATE=6-14-01
TITLE=SCIENCE REPORT ?Gambling and the Brain
BYLINE=George Grow
(Start at 0'11") This is Steve Ember with the VOA Special English SCIENCE REPORT.
Many people get excited about games of chance, especially when they win.
Scientists now have evidence that the brains of people who expect to win money (1) react much like those of people taking the (2) drug (3) cocaine. They found that the idea of winning money activates areas of the brain that deal with (4) processes and (5) rewards. The scientists say this may help to explain why some people depend on (6) illegal drugs, (7) gambling or other activities.
Scientists in Boston, Massachusetts; (8) Princeton, New Jersey and (9) Montreal, Canada organized the study. Their findings were reported in the publication Neuron.
Hans Breiter of Massachusetts General Hospital led the study. He and his team (10) demonstrated that different parts of the brain are involved in studying the possibility of receiving a gain or loss. Many of these same areas of the brain also react when the (11) individual wins or loses money.
The study (12) involved twelve men who played a game that involved winning or losing money. The scientists used a process called high-field functional (13) magnetic (14) resonance (15) imaging to measure brain activity in the men.
The twelve players each were given fifty dollars. They were told they might lose some or all of the money, keep it, or increase it. Each man was shown computer images of (16) spinners or (17) pointers. The spinners moved in (18) circles and could land in one of three areas. Each area had a different (19) monetary value.
The players watched the spinners move in circles for six seconds and then land in one of the areas. The scientists measured brain activity in each man while the spinners were moving and after they had stopped.
Changes in brain activity were linked to the amount of money involved. Brain activity increased as the amount of money increased.
The scientists say the brain activity they observed was similar to that in earlier studies of people using drugs. Doctor Breiter says the results may support the theory that gambling may be similar to drug (20) dependence.
Massachusetts General Hospital reports that scientists may use brain tests in the future to measure what people like and do not like. Future studies also may help scientists understand the development of (21) disorders such as drug dependency and other problems.
This VOA Special English SCIENCE REPORT was written by George Grow. This is Steve Ember.
(1) react [??????] vi.起反应, 起作用, 反抗, 起反作用
(2) drug [????] n.毒品
(3) cocaine [???????] n.可卡因
(4) process [???????] n.过程, 作用, 方法, 程序, 步骤
(5) reward [???????] n.报酬, 奖金
(6) illegal [????????] adj.违法的, 不合规定的
(7) gambling [????????] n.赌博
(8) Princeton [ ?????????] n.普林斯顿
(9) Montreal [???????????] n. 蒙特利尔（加拿大）
(10) demonstrate [ ????????????] vt.示范, 证明, 论证 vi.示威
(11) individual [?????????????] n.个人, 个体
(12) involved [????????] adj.有关的
(13) magnetic [?????????] adj.磁的, 有磁性的, 有吸引力的
(14) resonance [ ?????????] n.共鸣, 回声
(15) imaging [????????] [计] 成像
(16) spinner [ ??????] n.[计]微调控制项
(17) pointer [ ???????] n.指示器
(18) circle [ ??????] n.圆周, 圆形物
(19) monetary [ ?????????] adj.货币的, 金钱的
(20) dependence [??????????] n.依靠, 依赖
(21) disorder [????????] n.杂乱, 混乱, 无秩序状态
59 美国科学家正试图培育抗叶锈病小麦
DATE=6-19-01
TITLE=AGRICULTURE REPORT - Developing Wheat Resistant to Leaf Rust BYLINE=George Grow
(Start at 59") This is Bill White with the VOA Special English AGRICULTURE REPORT.
American research scientists are using information from (1) genetic material to make wheat more (2) resistant to leaf (3) rust. The researchers have identified small pieces of genetic material in wheat plants that are linked to leaf rust resistance. These markers are made of genetic material called D-N-A. The researchers plan to use these markers to develop wheat with (4) longer-lasting resistance to the disease.
Gina Brown-Guedira of the Agricultural Research Service identified the genetic markers in (5) wheat. Her team in Manhattan, Kansas is collecting the information. Agricultural Research magazine published a report on the project.
Leaf rust is a threat to wheat production in many areas of the United States. More than five percent of all hard winter wheat grown in the north central part of the country was lost to leaf rust during the Nineteen-Nineties. The disease cost farmers about one-hundred-fifty-million dollars in crop losses each year. The disease also seriously affects the quality of products made from wheat flour.
A (6) fungus causes wheat leaf rust. Plants infected with the organism develop small (7) reddish or orange (8) spores on their leaves.
In the past, researchers developed wheat plants with different resistance levels to wheat leaf rust. Such plants had only a single leaf rust resistance gene. The plants usually began to lose their (9) effectiveness against the disease after a few years.
Mizz Brown-Guedira is (10) combining leaf rust resistance found in two ancestors of modern wheat. One plant, known as goatgrass, grows in areas from (11) Afghanistan to (12) Syria. The other comes from (13) Iran, (14) Iraq and Turkey. The researchers hope genes from the two plants can be combined and moved into plant cells. They say such cells could be used to develop wheat resistant to the disease.
Scientists currently must study genetic material in a plant to confirm the (15) presence of more than one resistance gene. Such genetic studies are a slow process, however.
Mizz Brown-Guedira and her team can test a plant for the presence of several D-N-A markers that are linked to the resistance genes. They say their research can speed the work of developing plants with resistance genes.
This VOA Special English AGRICULTURE REPORT was written by George Grow. This is Bill White.
(1) genetic [?????????] adj.遗传的, 起源的
(2) resistant [??????????] adj.抵抗的, 有抵抗力的
(3) rust [????] n.铁锈
(4) longer-lasting adj. 持久的
(5) wheat [????] n.小麦, 小麦色, 淡黄色, 朴实的人
(6) fungus [ ???????]n.菌类, 蘑菇
(7) reddish [??????] adj.微红的, 略带红色的
(8) spore [????] n.孢子
(9) effectiveness [???????????] n.效力
(10) combine [????????] v.(使)联合, (使)结合
(11) Afghanistan [???????????] n.阿富汗(西南亚国家)
(12) Syria [??????] n.叙利亚共和国(西南亚国家)
(13) Iran [??????] n.伊朗
(14) Iraq [??????] n.伊拉克共和国
(15) presence [ ???????] n.存在
60 测试新药安慰剂的疗效
DATE=6-21-01
TITLE=SCIENCE REPORT - Placebo Effect Study
BYLINE=Nancy Steinbach
(Start at 59") This is Bill White with the VOA Special English Science Report.
Many Special English Science Reports discuss medical studies that test the (1) effect of a new (2) drug. Usually, a large number of people is divided into two groups. One group takes the medicine being tested. The other takes an (3) inactive substance called a "placebo."
The word "placebo" is Latin for "I shall please." Placebo (4) pills are usually made of sugar. No one knows which group is taking which substance. In such testing, the drug must perform better than the placebo to prove that it is (5) effective.
However, the people who take the placebos often report improvements in their health. This is known as "the placebo effect" - pain that is eased or stopped by an inactive substance. Doctors have reported that the placebo effect can be used in (6) treatment. For example, a doctor tells a patient that a new drug will stop her pain. The pill is only sugar. But the patient does not know that. She takes the pill and says the pain is gone.
Belief in this placebo effect began with a medical study published in Nineteen-Fifty-Five. It said treatment with a placebo made patients feel better thirty-five percent of the time. Experts think this is because the patients believed they were getting an effective treatment. A new study, however, questions the placebo effect.
(7) Danish researchers at the (8) University of Copenhagen and the Nordic Cochrane Center did the new study. They reported the results in The New England Journal of Medicine. They examined more than one-hundred studies from around the world (9) involving placebos. More than eight-thousand people were involved in the studies. They suffered from among forty different medical (10) disorders.
The researchers found little evidence of (11) healing as the result of placebo use. They found no effect at all on (12) measurements such as (13) blood pressure or (14) cholesterol levels. They found evidence of a placebo effect only when patients reported feeling better.
The researchers said this improvement may have had nothing to do with the placebo at all. Or the patients may have been trying to please their doctors. The researchers said placebos should be used only for research purposes and not for treatment.
Experts say more studies are needed to show whether or not the placebo effect exists.
This VOA Special English Science Report was written by Nancy Steinbach and This is Bill White.
(1) effect [??????] n.结果, 效果, 作用
(2) drug [????] n.药, 麻药, 麻醉药
(3) inactive [????????] adj.无行动的, 不活动的, 停止的, 怠惰的
(4) pill [???] n.药丸
(5) effective [????????] adj.有效的
(6) treatment [??????????] n.治疗
(7) danish [???????] adj.丹麦的
(8) University of Copenhagen n. 哥本哈根大学
(9) involving [?????????] vbl.包括,使...陷于
(10) disorder [????????] n.杂乱, 混乱, 无秩序状态
(11) healing [???????] n.康复, 复原
(12) measurement [?????????] n.测量法, 度量
(13) blood pressure n. 血压
(14) cholesterol [????????????] n.胆固醇
