1.Thefailureofahigh-profilecholesteroldrughasthrownaspotlightonthecomplicatedmachinerythatregulatescholesterollevels.Butmanyresearchersremainconfidentthatdrugstoboostlevelsof'good'cholesterolarestilloneofthemostpromisingmeanstocombatspirallingheartdisease.
2.DrugcompanyPfizerannouncedon2Decemberthatitwascancellingallclinicaltrialsoftorcetrapib,adrugdesignedtoraiseheart-protectivehigh-densitylipoproteins(HDLs).Inatrialof15000patients,asafetyboardfoundthatmorepeoplediedorsufferedcardiovascularproblemsaftertakingthedrugplusacholesterol-loweringstatinthanthoseinacontrolgroupwhotookthestatinalone.
3.Thenewscameasakickintheteethtomanycardiologistsbecauseearliertestsinanimalsandpeoplesuggesteditwouldlowerratesofcardiovasculardisease."Therehavebeennoredflagstomyknowledge,"saysJohnChapman,aspecialistinlipoproteinsandatherosclerosisattheNationalInstituteforHealthandMedicalResearch(INSERM)inPariswhohasalsostudiedtorcetrapib."Thiscancellationcameasacompleteshock."
4.TorcetrapibisoneofthemostadvancedofanewbreedofdrugsdesignedtoraiselevelsofHDLs,whichferrycholesteroloutofartery-cloggingplaquestotheliverforremovalfromthebody.Specifically,torcetrapibblocksaproteincalledcholesterolestertransferprotein(CETP),whichnormallytransfersthecholesterolfromhigh-densitylipoproteinstolowdensity,plaque-promotingones.Statins,incontrast,mainlyworkbyloweringthe'bad'low-densitylipoproteins.
Underpressure
5.Researchersarenowtryingtoworkoutwhyandhowthedrugbackfired,somethingthatwillnotbecomeclearuntiltheclinicaldetailsarereleasedbyPfizer.Onehintliesinevidencefromearliertrialsthatitslightlyraisesbloodpressureinsomepatients.Itwasthoughtthatthismildproblemwouldbeoffsetbytheheartbenefitsofthedrug.Butitispossiblethatitactuallyprovedfatalinsomepatientswhoalreadysufferedhighbloodpressure.Ifbloodpressureistheexplanation,itwouldactuallybegoodnewsfordrugdevelopersbecauseitsuggeststhattheproblemsarespecifictothiscompound.OtherprototypedrugsthatarebeingdevelopedtoblockCETPworkinaslightlydifferentwayandmightnotsufferthesamedownfall.
6.ButitisalsopossiblethatthewholeideaofblockingCETPisflawed,saysMotiKashyap,whodirectsatherosclerosisresearchattheVAMedicalCenterinLongBeach,California.WhenHDLsexcretecholesterolintheliver,theyactuallyrelyonLDLsforpartofthisprocess.SoinhibitingCETP,whichpreventsthetransferofcholesterolfromHDLtoLDL,mightactuallycauseanabnormalandirreversibleaccumulationofcholesterolinthebody."You'reblockingaphysiologicmechanismtoeliminatecholesterolandeffectivelyconstipatingthepathway,"saysKashyap.Goingup
7.Mostresearchersremainconfidentthatelevatinghighdensitylipoproteinslevelsbyonemeansoranotherisoneofthebestroutesforhelpingheartdiseasepatients.ButHDLsarecomplexandnotentirelyunderstood.Oneapproveddrug,calledniacin,isknowntobothraiseHDLandreducecardiovascularriskbutalsocausesanunpleasantsensationofheatandtingling.Researchersareexploringwhethertheycanbypassthissideeffectandwhetherniacincanlowerdiseaseriskmorethanstatinsalone.Scientistsarealsoworkingonseveralothermeanstobumpuphigh-densitylipoproteinsby,forexample,introducingsyntheticHDLs."Theonlythingweknowisdeadinthewateristorcetrapib,notthewholeideaofraisingHDL,"saysMichaelMiller,directorofpreventivecardiologyattheUniversityofMarylandMedicalCenter,Baltimore.
Questions7-13
Matchtorcetrapib,HDLs,statinandCETPwiththeirfunctions(Questions8-13)..WritethecorrectletterA,B,CorDinboxes8-13onyouranswersheet.NBYoumayuseanylettermorethanonce.
7.Ithasbeenadministeredtoover10,000subjectsinaclinicaltrial.
8.Itcouldhelpridhumanbodyofcholesterol.
9.Researchersareyettofindmoreaboutit.
10.Itwasusedtoreducethelevelofcholesterol.
11.AccordingtoKashyap,itmightleadtounwantedresultifit'sblocked.
12.Itproducedcontradictoryresultsindifferenttrials.
13.ItcouldinhibitLDLs.Listofchoices
A.TorcetrapicB.HDLSC.StatinD.CETP
7.A
8.B
9.B
10.C
11.D
12.A
13.C
暂无解析
Tobeginwith,"muzak"(音乐广播网)wasintendedsimplytocreateasoothing(安慰)atmosphere.Recently,however,it'secomebigbusiness—thanksinparttorecentresearch.Dr.RonaldMilliman,anAmericanmarketingexpert,hasshownthatmusiccanboostsalesorincreasefactoryroductionbyasmuchasathird.But,ithastobelightmusic.Afastonehasnoeffectatallonsales.Slowmusiccanincreasereceiptsby38%.Thisisprobablybecauseshoppersslowdownandhavemoreopportunitytospotitemstheyliketobuy.Yet,slowmusicisn'talwaysanswer.Dr.Millimanfound,forexample,thatinrestaurantsslowmusicmeantcustomerstooklongertoeattheirmeals,whichreducedoverallsales.Sorestaurantsownersmightbewelladvisedtoplayup-tempomusictokeepthecustomersmoving—unlessofcourse,theresultingindigestionleadstocomplaints!
练习:
1.Thereasonwhybackgroundmusicissopopularisthat______.
A.itcanhaveapowerfuleffectonthosewhohearit
B.itcanhelptocreateasoothingatmosphere
C.itcanboostsalesorincreasefactoryproductionerywhere
D.itcanmakecustomerseattheirmealsquickly
2.Backgroundmusicmeans________.
A.lightmusicthatcustomersenjoymostB.fastmusicthatmakespeoplemovefast
C.slowmusicthatcanmakecustomersenjoytheirmeals
D.themusicyouarelisteningtowhileyouaredoingomething
3.Restaurantownerscomplainaboutbackgroundmusicbecause______.
A.itresultsinindigestion
B.itincreasestheirsales
C.itkeepscustomersmoving
D.itdecreasestheirsales
4.Theword"up-tempomusic"probablymeans_____.
A.slowmusic
B.fastmusic
C.lightmusic
D.classicalmusic
-----Wouldyoumindmyusingyourpen?
-----_______________.
-----Tinahadnothingforbreakfast,____________she?
-----_____________.Shehadsomebreadandmilk.
-----Dad,lookatthebuilding.Itisonfire.
-----Call119____________mobilephonerightnow
newweapontofightcancer
1.Britishscientistsarepreparingtolaunchtrialsofaradicalnewwaytofightcancer,whichkillstumoursbyinfectingthemwithviruseslikethecommoncold.
2.Ifsuccessful,virustherapycouldeventuallyformathirdpillaralongsideradiotherapyandchemotherapyinthestandardarsenalagainstcancer,whileavoidingsomeofthedebilitatingside-effects.
3.LeonardSeymour,aprofessorofgenetherapyatOxfordUniversity,whohasbeenworkingonthevirustherapywithcolleaguesinLondonandtheUS,willleadthetrialslaterthisyear.CancerResearchUKsaidyesterdaythatitwasexcitedbythepotentialofProfSeymour’spioneeringtechniques.
4.Oneofthecountry’sleadinggeneticists,ProfSeymourhasbeenworkingwithvirusesthatkillcancercellsdirectly,whileavoidingharmtohealthytissue."Inprinciple,you’vegotsomethingwhichcouldbemanytimesmoreeffectivethanregularchemotherapy,"hesaid.
5.Cancer-killingvirusesexploitthefactthatcancercellssuppressthebody’slocalimmunesystem."Ifacancerdoesn’tdothat,theimmunesystemwipesitout.Ifyoucangetavirusintoatumour,virusesfindthemaverygoodplacetobebecausethere’snoimmunesystemtostopthemreplicating.Youcanregarditasthecancer’sAchilles’heel."
6.Onlyasmallamountofthevirusneedstogettothecancer."Theyreplicate,yougetamillioncopiesineachcellandthecellburstsandtheyinfectthetumourcellsadjacentandrepeattheprocess,"saidProfSeymour.
7.Preliminaryresearchonmiceshowsthatthevirusesworkwellontumoursresistanttostandardcancerdrugs."It’saninterestingpossibilitythattheymayhaveanadvantageinkillingdrug-resistanttumours,whichcouldbequitedifferenttoanythingwe’vehadbefore."
8.Researchershaveknownforsometimethatvirusescankilltumourcellsandsomeaspectsoftheworkhavealreadybeenpublishedinscientificjournals.Americanscientistshavepreviouslyinjectedvirusesdirectlyintotumoursbutthistechniquewillnotworkifthecancerisinaccessibleorhasspreadthroughoutthebody.
9.ProfSeymour’sinnovativesolutionistomaskthevirusfromthebody’simmunesystem,effectivelyallowingthevirusestodowhatchemotherapydrugsdo-spreadthroughthebloodandreachtumourswherevertheyare.Thebighurdlehasalwaysbeentofindawaytodelivervirusestotumoursviathebloodstreamwithoutthebody’simmunesystemdestroyingthemontheway.
10."Whatwe’vedoneismakechemicalmodificationstothevirustoputapolymercoataroundit-it’sastealthviruswhenyouinjectit,"hesaid.
11.Afterthestealthvirusinfectsthetumour,itreplicates,butthecopiesdonothavethechemicalmodifications.Iftheyescapefromthetumour,thecopieswillbequicklyrecognisedandmoppedupbythebody’simmunesystem.
12.Thetherapywouldbeespeciallyusefulforsecondarycancers,calledmetastases,whichsometimesspreadaroundthebodyafterthefirsttumourappears."There’sanawfulstatisticofpatientsinthewest...withmalignantcancers;75%ofthemgoontodiefrommetastases,"saidProfSeymour.
13.Twovirusesarelikelytobeexaminedinthefirstclinicaltrials:adenovirus,whichnormallycausesacold-likeillness,andvaccinia,whichcausescowpoxandisalsousedinthevaccineagainstsmallpox.Forsafetyreasons,bothwillbedisabledtomakethemlesspathogenicinthetrial,butProfSeymoursaidheeventuallyhopestousenaturalviruses.
14.Thefirsttrialswilluseuncoatedadenovirusandvacciniaandwillbedeliveredlocallytolivertumours,inordertoestablishwhetherthetreatmentissafeinhumansandwhatdoseofviruswillbeneeded.Severalmoreyearsoftrialswillbeneeded,eventuallyalsoonthepolymer-coatedviruses,beforethetherapycanbeconsideredforuseintheNHS.Thoughtheapproachwillbeexaminedatfirstforcancersthatdonotrespondtoconventionaltreatments,ProfSeymourhopesthatonedayitmightbeappliedtoallcancers.
Questions1-6
Dothefollowingstatementsagreewiththeinformationgiveninthereadingpassage?Forquestions1-6write
TRUEifthestatementagreeswiththeinformation
FALSEifthestatementcontradictstheinformation
NOTGIVENifthereisnoinformationonthisinthepassage
1.Virustherapy,ifsuccessful,hasanadvantageineliminatingside-effects.
2.CancerResearchUKisquitehopefulaboutProfessorSeymour’sworkonthevirustherapy.
3.Viruscankillcancercellsandstopthemfromgrowingagain.
4.Cancer’sAchilles’heelreferstothefactthatvirusmaystaysafelyinatumorandreplicate.
5.Toinfectthecancercells,agooddealofvirusesshouldbeinjectedintothetumor.
6.Researchesonanimalsindicatethatviruscouldbeusedasanewwaytotreatdrug-resistanttumors.
Question7-9
Basedonthereadingpassage,choosetheappropriateletterfromA-Dforeachanswer.
7.Informationaboutresearchesonviruseskillingtumorcellscanbefound
(A)onTV
(B)inmagazines
(C)oninternet
(D)innewspapers
8.Totreattumorsspreadingoutinbody,researcherstryto
(A)changethebody’immunesystem
(B)injectchemotherapydrugsintobloodstream.
(C)increasetheamountofinjection
(D)disguisethevirusesonthewaytotumors.
9.Whenthechemicalmodifiedvirusintumorreplicates,thecopies
(A)willsoonescapefromthetumorandspreadout.
(B)willbewipedoutbythebody’simmunesystem.
(C)willbeimmediatelyrecognizedbytheresearchers.
(D)willeventuallystopthetumorfromspreadingout.
Questions10-13
Completethesentencesbelow.Chooseyouranswersfromthelistofwords.Youcanonlyuseeachwordonce.
NBTherearemorewordsinthelistthanspacessoyouwillnotusethemall.
Inthefirstclinicaltrials,scientistswilltryto……10……adenovirusandvaccinia,soboththeviruseswillbelesspathogenicthanthe……11…….Theseuncoatedviruseswillbeapplieddirectlytocertainareastoconfirmsafetyonhumanbeingsandtheright……12……needed.Theexperimentswillfirstlybe……13……tothetreatmentofcertaincancers