Whattypesofpeoplewereincludedintheresearch?
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
Everyyear,about10millionofthe150millionworkersintheEuropeanCommunityareaffectedbyincidents,”accidents”ordiseasesatwork.
FelicityLawrence
ThursdayDecember28,2006
TheGuardian
1.ConsumersaretobepresentedwithtworivalnewyearadvertisingcampaignsastheFoodStandardsAgencygoespublicinitsbattlewiththeindustryoverthelabellingofunhealthyfoods.
2.TheGuardianhaslearnedthattheFSAwilllaunchaseriesof10-secondtelevisionadvertsinJanuarytellingshoppershowtofollowared,amberandgreentrafficlightlabellingsystemonthefrontoffoodpacks,whichisdesignedtotackleBritain’sobesityepidemic.
3.Thecampaignisadirectresponsetoaconcertedattemptbyleadingfoodmanufacturersandretailers,includingKellogg’sandTesco,toderailthesystem.Theindustryfearsthattrafficlightswoulddemoniseentirecategoriesoffoodsandcouldseriouslydamagethemarketforthosethatarefatty,saltyorhighinsugar.
4.TheUKmarketforbreakfastcerealsisworth£1.27bnayearandthemanufacturersfearitwillbeseverelydentedifredlightlabelsareputonpackagingdrawingattentiontothefactthatthemajorityarehighinsaltand/orsugar.
5.Theindustryisplanningamajormarketingcampaignforacompetinglabellingsystemwhichavoidscolour-codinginfavourofinformationaboutthepercentageof"guidelinedailyamounts"(GDAs)offat,saltandsugarcontainedintheirproducts.
6.Thebattleforthenation’sdietcomesasnewrulesontelevisionadvertisingcomeintoforceinJanuarywhichwillbaradvertsforunhealthyfoodsfromcommercialbreaksduringprogrammesaimedatchildren.SourcesattheTVregulatorsarebracedforalegalchallengefromtheindustryandhavedescribedthelobbyingeffortstoblockanynewadbanorcolour-codedlabellingas"themostferociouswe’veeverexperienced".
7.Ofcom’schiefexecutive,EdRichards,said:"Wearepreparedtofaceuptoanylegalactionfromtheindustry,butweverymuchhopeitwillnotbenecessary."TheFSAsaiditwasexpectinganonslaughtfromtheindustryinJanuary.SeniorFSAofficialssaidthemanufacturers’effortstoundermineitsproposalsonlabellingcouldthreatentheagency’scredibility.
8.TerrenceCollis,FSAdirectorofcommunications,dismissedclaimsthattheproposalswerenotbasedonscience."WehavesomeofthemostrespectedscientistsinEurope,bothwithintheFSAandinourindependentadvisorycommittees.ItisunjustifiedandnonsensicaltoattacktheFSA’sscientificreputationandtotrytoundermineitscredibility."
9.TheFSAisunderstoodtohavebriefeditsadagency,United,beforeChristmas,andwillaimtoairadsthatare"non-confrontational,humorousandfactual"asacounterweighttoindustry’seffortsaboutthesametime.Theagency,however,willhaveatinyfractionofthebudgetavailabletotheindustry.
10.GavinNeath,chairmanofUnileverUKandpresidentoftheFoodandDrinkFederation,hassaidthattheindustryhasmadeenormousprogressbutcouldnotacceptred"stop"signsonitsfood.
11.AlastairSykes,chiefexecutiveofNestléUK,saidthatundertheFSAproposalsallhiscompany’sconfectioneryandmostofitscerealswouldscoreared."Arewesayingpeopleshouldn’teatconfectionery?We’redrivenbyconsumersandwhattheywant,andmuchofwhatwedohasbeentomakeourproductshealthier,"hesaid.
12.ChrisWermann,directorofcommunicationsatKellogg’s,said:"Inprinciplewecouldneveraccepttrafficlightlabelling."
13.TherivallabellingschemeintroducedbyKellogg’s,Danone,Unilever,Nestlé,KraftandTescoandnowfavouredby21manufacturers,usesanindustry-devisedsystembasedonidentifyingGDAsofkeynutrients.TescosaysithastestedbothtrafficlightsandGDAlabelsinitsstoresandthatthelatterincreasedsalesofhealthierfoods.
14.ButtheFSAsaiditcouldnotlivewiththisGDAsystemalonebecauseitwas"notscientific"oreasyforshopperstounderstandataglance.
Questions1-6
AnswerthequestionsbelowusingNOMORETHANTHREEWORDSfromthepassageforeachanswer.
1.Whenwillinstructionsbegivenonreadingthecolor-codedlabels?
2.Wherecancustomersfindtheredlightlabels?
3.WhatproblemistheFSAtryingtohandlewiththelabelingsystem?
4.Whichproductsellswellbutmaynotbehealthy?
5.Whatinformation,accordingtothemanufacturers,canbelabeledonproducts?
6.Whatcannotbeadvertisedduringchildren’sprogrammes?
Questions7-13
Usetheinformationinthetexttomatchthepeople(listedA-E)withtheopinions(listed7-13)below.Writetheappropriateletter(A-E)forquestions1-7.
NBYoumayuseanylettermorethanonce.
AEdRichard
BTerrenceCollis
CGavinNeath
DAlastairSykes
EChrisWermann
7.Generallywewillnotagreetousetheredlightlabels.
8.ItisunreasonabletodoubtifFSAistrustworthy.
9.Wearetryingtomeetourconsumers’needs.
10.Thefoodindustryhasbeenimprovinggreatly.
11.Thecolor-codedlabelingsystemisscientific.
12.OurproductswillbelabeledunhealthybytheFSA.
13.Wearereadytoconfrontthemanufacturers.