False medical news can lead to patients’ experiencing greater side effects through the “nocebo effect (反安慰剂效果)”. Sometimes patients benefit from an intervention simply because they believe they will- -that’s the placebo effect. The nocebo effect is the opposite: Patients can experience negative effects just because they expect them. This is very true of statins. In blinded trials, patients who get statins are no more likely to report feeling muscle aches than patients who get a placebo. Yet, in clinical practice, according to one study, almost a fifth of patients taking statins report side effects, leading many to discontinue the drugs.
What else is on the fake news hit list? As always, vaccines. False concerns that the vaccine for the virus called human papilloma virus causes seizures (癫痫) and other side effects reduced coverage rates in Japan from 10 percent to less than 1 percent in recent years.
Cancer is another big target for pushers of medical misinformation — many of whom are making money off alternative therapies. “Though most people think cancer tumors are bad, they’re actually the way your body attempts to contain the harmful cells,” one fake news story reads. It suggests that surgery increases the risk of spreading harmful cells.
Silicon Valley needs to own this problem. When human health is at risk, perhaps search engines, social media platforms and websites should be held responsible for promoting or hosting fake information. The scientific community needs to do its part to educate the public about key concepts in research, such as the difference between observational studies and higher quality randomized trials.
Finally, journalists can do a better job of spreading accurate information. News sites are more likely to cover catchy observational studies than randomized controlled trials, perhaps because the latter are less likely to produce surprising results. Such coverage can overstate benefits, claiming for example, that statins could cure cancer; it can unduly emphasize potential risks, such as suggesting a misleading connection with dementia, a serious mental disorder.
1. What does the writer imply about the side effects of statins?A.They are common in certain patients. |
B.They aren’t like those of placebos. |
C.They don’t really exist. |
D.They disappear very soon. |
A.The public should put more trust in news coverage. |
B.Silicon Valley ought to take the blame for the fake medicine. |
C.The scientific community ought to involve the public in research. |
D.Journalists should be objective while reporting medical news. |
A.on a small scale | B.overly | C.as likely as not | D.universally |
A.To warn readers against fake medical news on the Internet. |
B.To encourage journalists to report more positive news events. |
C.To tell readers what role the “nocebo effect” plays in treating disease. |
D.To teach readers how to distinguish truths from fake news. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】Rates of anti-dining syndrome in newborns surged in recent years, but a newer approach to caring for newborn babies exposed to drugs during pregnancy gets them out of the hospital sooner and with less medication. Newborns in drug withdrawal may experience upset stomach, miserable crying and extreme discomfort. Researchers looked at the impacts of the ESC (Eat, Sleep, Console care) approach on 1,300 infants at 26 US hospitals, and compared them with the current standard for caring for infants exposed to drugs.
ESC encourages involvement from parents, and prioritizes care that doesn’t involve medication, breastfeeding, for example. The usual approach involves a nurse measuring a baby’s withdrawal symptoms before providing treatment.
Compared to usual care, use of the ESC approach substantially decreased time until those infants were medically ready for discharge, without increasing specified harmful outcomes.
The infants assessed with the ESC method were discharged after eight days on average, compared with almost 15 days for the infants who were cared for by the standard approach. Additionally, infants in the ESC care group were 63% less likely to receive drug medication — 19.5% received medication compared with 52% in the group receiving usual care.
The current approach to usual care is a very comprehensive and nurse-led way of assessing the infant, whereas the ESC approach involves the mom in the way that you assess the infant, and allows the mom to try her best to comfort the infants and see if the infant is able to be consoled or is able to eat or is able to sleep.
“So, in that way, it’s a little bit more functional, like looking at the abilities of the infants versus how severely the infant is affected. Assessment results determine whether a baby should receive medication to control withdrawal symptoms,’’ said Baker, the director of the NIH HEAL Initiative, which provides funds to researchers studying ways to relieve the country’s drug health crisis.
1. Which of the followings can’t be listed as the difference between the current and ESC approach?A.The method in removing the drug withdrawal syndrome. |
B.The time when the newborns are discharged form treatment. |
C.The contribution the mom made in assessing how the syndrome progressed. |
D.The tough time the infants experienced in discharging the sufferings. |
A.Impacts of ESC approach on the infants. | B.Infants with drug withdrawal syndrome. |
C.Hospitals caring for those infants. | D.Researchers who conducted the study. |
A.Figuring out how the infants can recover themselves. |
B.Looking at what is affecting the infants severely. |
C.The pace in which hospitals are implementing the care approach. |
D.The rules nurses and moms are playing in dealing with the emergency. |
A.Parents should be convinced of the effective approach. |
B.All infants with the infectious syndrome will recover with its help. |
C.Maybe fewer of the severe infants should receive medication-based treatment. |
D.The current standard should be more comprehensive in practical treatment. |
【推荐2】Imagine a simple blood test that could flag most kinds of cancers at the earliest, most curable stage. Liquid biopsies could, in theory, detect a tumor (肿瘤) well before it could be found by touch, symptoms or imaging. Blood tests could avoid the need for surgeons to cut tissue samples and make it possible to reveal cancer hiding in places needles and scalpels cannot safely reach. They could also determine what type of cancer is taking root to help doctors decide what treatment might work best to destroy it.
Liquid biopsies are not yet in hand, because it is hard to find definitive cancer signals in a tube of blood, but progress in recent years has been impressive. Last year the journal Science published the first big prospective study of a liquid biopsy for DNA and proteins from multiple types of cancers. Though far from perfect, the blood test called CancerSEEK found 26 tumors that had not been discovered with conventional screenings.
Liquid biopsies can rely on a variety of biomarkers in addition to tumor DNA and proteins, such as free-floating cancer cells themselves. But what makes the search difficult, Ana Robles, a cancer biologist of the National Cancer Institute, explains, is that “if you have an early-stage cancer or certain types of cancer, there might not be a lot of tumor DNA,” and tests might miss it. The ideal blood test will be both very specific and very sensitive so that even tiny tumors can be found. To tackle this challenge, CancerSEEK looks for cancer-specific mutations (突变) on 16 genes, and for eight proteins that are linked to cancer and for which there are highly sensitive tests.
Simple detection is not the only goal. An ideal liquid biopsy will also determine the likely location of the cancer so that it can be treated. “Mutations are often shared among different kinds of cancer, so if you find them in blood, you don’t know if that mutation is coming from a stomach cancer or lung cancer,” says Anirban Maitra, a cancer scientist at the Anderson Cancer Center. To solve that problem, some newer liquid biopsies look for changes in gene expression. Such changes, Maitra notes, are “more organ-specific”.
On the nearer horizon are liquid biopsies to help people already diagnosed with cancer. Last year the government approved the first two such tests, which scan for tumor DNA so doctors can select mutation-targeted drugs. Scientists are working on blood tests to detect the first signs of cancer recurrence (复发) in patients who have completed treatment. This work is moving fast, but does it save lives?
That is the question companies such as Thrive and Grail must answer for their broadly ambitious screening tests. “These companies have to prove that they can detect early cancer and, more important, that the early detection can have an impact on cancer survival,” Maitra observes.
1. According to the passage, liquid biopsies are expected toA.flag cancer and determine the treatment |
B.detect cancer signals from a sample of blood |
C.take images of tumors and prevent potential cancers |
D.show types of cancer by measuring the amount of proteins |
A.Signs of cancer recurrence are not detectable. |
B.Different kinds of cancer have different gene mutations. |
C.Biomarkers are much more reliable than tumor DNA and proteins. |
D.Organ-specific cancers will be identified through changes in gene expression. |
A.liquid biopsies can discover tumors conventional screenings can’t find |
B.liquid biopsies can improve the application of mutation-targeted drugs |
C.liquid biopsies can help save the lives of those with cancer |
D.liquid biopsies can be developed for cancer prevention |
【推荐3】People in Australia have been really cautious about using natural or alternative treatments compared to other places, according to Dr. Paul Laver, a professor at the University of Sydney. He thinks this is because doctors in Australia have always been very powerful, and they are unwilling to let others take their place. In many other countries, regular treatments and these alternative treatments have worked closely together for a long time. For example, in Germany, medicines made from plants account for 10%of the country’s medicine sales. In the United States, more people visited these alternative therapists (治疗专家) than regular doctors in 1990.
During the past 20 years, more people in Australia have started to like these alternative treatments. In a 1983 national health survey, 1.9% of people say they had contacted alternative therapists like chiropractors or herbalists. By 1990, this figure had risen to 2.6% of the population. Rather than criticizing this trend, increasing numbers of doctors in Australia, especially the younger ones, are starting to work with alternative therapists or take courses themselves, particularly in acupuncture and herbalism. Part of the motivation was financial, Dr Laver said. The bottom line is that most doctors don’t want to lose patients. If they see potential patients going elsewhere, they might want to be able to offer a similar service.
In 1993, Dr. Laver did a survey in Sydney and found that people who went to alternative health therapists were usually those who hadn’t been helped much by regular medicine. These people liked the holistic approach of their alternative therapists, and the friendly, concerned and detailed attention they had received, which they didn’t always get from regular doctors.
The survey suggested that people visited alternative therapists for various problems like muscle pains, stomach issues, and emotional stress etc. It suggested that calling it “complementary medicine” might be better because people use it alongside regular medicine, d especially when regular medicine doesn’t seem to help.
1. Traditionally, how have Australian doctors differed from doctors in other countries?A.They’ve resisted alternative therapists. |
B.They’ve provided alternative medicines. |
C.They’ve worked with alternative therapists. |
D.They’ve had less power than alternative therapists. |
A.doctors’ salaries are decreasing | B.younger doctors are in more demand |
C.doctors are receiving more complaints | D.doctors are choosing to learn new skills |
A.Regular doctors were not available in their area. |
B.People received more care from alternative therapists. |
C.Alternative therapists had better medical equipment. |
D.People paid much higher expenses for regular doctors. |
A.Challenges Faced by Regular Doctors |
B.The Rise of Alternative Therapies in Australia |
C.Financial Motivation Behind Doctors’ Choices |
D.The Development of Medical Practices Worldwide |
【推荐1】Billionaire Sir Christopher Hohn expects the greatest “demand disruption (中断)” for oil since the 1970s shock to cause an increase in renewable energy investment.
He said high oil prices are “a positive thing” for the climate as the energy crisis results in a “dramatic speed-up” in decarbonisation (碳减排). “The whole world should now be focused on seeking alternatives, whether they’re renewables or hydrogen fuels. All of these things are far more economic.”
He pointed to the recent boost of EU (欧盟) for renewable energy funding, as part of a plan to reduce imports of gas. Even as oil and gas companies obtain record profits from the high prices at present, Hohn said climate-focused investors will ultimately benefit from the energy price shock.
“The oil price increase leads to plans for accelerated decarbonisation,” said Hohn. “I personally believe that we’ll have demand disruption as we had in the 70s, and that there will be a dramatic acceleration in decarbonisation. I actually view it as a positive thing.”
Hohn has pressured companies to give shareholders a vote on their climate plans. Spanish airport operator Aena and aircraft manufacturer Airbus improved their emissions (排放) tar-gets as a result. Hohn has also pushed for stricter regulation on corporate climate promises. “Corporate decarbonisation isn’t going to happen through voluntary methods,” Hohn said.
Hohn is also backing a new rating agency that will grade company emissions strategies, through his charity, the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation. The Climate Action-plan Rating Centre (Climate-Arc) will analyse public company data and publish climate plan ratings.
Investors often struggle to analyse corporate climate plans. “Because though some organizations declare their commitment to environmental protection, they actually do the opposite,” Hohn said, “I expect a large proportion of companies will get graded F if they’re not doing enough. Even companies with net zero emissions targets have failed to set out plans about how to reach those goals. The impact is going to be a bit like, ‘the emperor has no clothes’.”
1. Why are high oil prices a positive thing according to Hohn?A.They will reduce energy demand. |
B.They will bring economic benefits. |
C.There will be a shift to clean energy. |
D.There will be a reduction in energy imports. |
A.Climate regulation should be stricter. |
B.Decarbonisation should be voluntary. |
C.Emissions targets should be debated. |
D.Climate plans should be informed to the public. |
A.The method of avoiding being graded F. |
B.The suggestion about helping investors. |
C.The method of reaching zero emissions targets. |
D.The suggestion about reducing carbon emissions. |
A.Energy crisis—a hard nut |
B.Energy crisis—a wake up call |
C.Energy crisis—a cruel circle |
D.Energy crisis—a cause of economic depression |
【推荐2】Keeping a busy social life among lots of friends may keep people thinner than spending hours doing some exercises, according to scientists. They say that socialising and meeting with friends help increase levels of brown fat in the body which burns calories(卡路里)to produce heat.
Living in an exciting social environment was found to reduce fat in mice's belly by half over four weeks, even if they ate more. US researchers say that social excitement aids weight loss by turning white fat into brown. White fat stores calories and makes us fatter, while brown burns energy to produce heat. Turning white fat into brown is extremely difficult,normally requiring long- term stay in cold conditions or exciting part of the body's nervous system.
However, scientists from Ohio State University now think that having a busy social life is an even more effective way of changing white fat into brown. The team came up with their theory by studying the effects of various living environments on mice. Those, who lived alongside a greater number of mice, had more space and toys to excite themselves and then lost far more weight over the course of the study than their “couch potato" fellows.
Study author, Dr Matthew During, whose team's findings appear in the journal Cell Metabolism, said, "I'm still amazed at the degree of fat loss that occurs." Explaining how new technology had threatened face-to-face socialising, he added, "It's not just a sedentary(久坐 的)lifestyle and high calorie foods, but an increasing lack of social activities." Co-author Dr Lei Cao said,"Loneliness is a potential factor for cancer and death; it's equal to cigarette smoking to a certain extent. Social activities are very vital.,,
1. What information can we get from the first two paragraphs?
A.Brown fat stores calories and makes us fatter. |
B.It doesn't take long to turn white fat into brown. |
C.Social excitement helps gain more weight. |
D.Brown fat can burn energy to produce heat. |
A.Levels of brown fat can be increased by socialising. |
B.The mice lacking social life lose more weight. |
C.The research findings haven't been published so far. |
D.Dr Matthew During wasn't convinced of the result. |
A.the fat in mice's belly was reduced because of the relaxing environment |
B.a sedentary lifestyle and high calories foods influence people's social life |
C.surfing the Internet may influence people's face-to-face communication |
D.cancer and death are mainly caused for lack of social life |
A.Brown fat is beneficial to people's health. |
B.Socialising is unnecessarily important in people's daily life. |
C.White fat can be changed into brown fat. |
D.Socialising contributes to people's losing weight. |
【推荐3】In department stores and closets all over the world, they are waiting. Their outward appearance seems rather appealing because they come in a variety of styles, textures and colors. But they are ultimately the biggest deception that exists in the fashion industry today. What are they? They are high heels (鞋跟) a woman's worst enemy (whether she knows it or not). High heel shoes are the downfall of modern society. Fashion myths have led women to believe that they are more beautiful or fashionable wearing heels, but in reality, heels cause troubles. Women should fight the high heel industry by refusing to use or purchase them in order to save the world from unnecessary physical and psychological suffering.
To be fair, it must be noted that there is a positive side to high heels. First, heels are excellent for aerating (使空气进入) grassland. Anyone who has ever worn heels on grass knows what I am talking about. A simple trip around the yard in a pair of those babies gets rid of all the need to call for a lawn care expert, and provides the perfect-sized holes to give any grassland oxygen without all those messy chunks of dirt lying around. Second, heels are quite useful for defending against oncoming enemies, who can easily be scared away by threatening them with a pair of these sharp, deadly fashion items.
Regardless of such practical uses for heels, the fact remains that wearing high heels is harmful to one's physical health, Talk to any podiatrist (足病医生), and you will hear that the majority of their business comes from high-heel-wearing women. High heels are known to cause problems such as deformed feet and torn toenails. The risk of severe back problems and twisted or broken ankles is three times higher for a high heel wearer than for a flat shoe wearer. Wearing heels also creates the threat of getting a heel caught in a narrow sidewalk gap and being thrown to the ground-possibly breaking a nose, back, or neck. And of course, after wearing heels for a day, any woman knows she can look forward to a night of pain as she tries to comfort her swollen, aching feet.
1. Despite the disadvantages, women still like high heels because of .A.the different uses of high heels | B.their purpose to show off their wealth |
C.the rich variety of high heel styles. | D.their wish to improve their appearance. |
A.To show their small size. | B.To show their colorful appearance. |
C.to show women's love for them. | D.To show they are strong. |
A.are a threat to lawns | B.are harmful to women's health |
C.will not always make women beautiful | D.are not useful as a way of protection |
A.see through the very nature of fashion | B.refuse to buy the fashionable products |
C.go to a podiatrist regularly for advice | D.avoid following the latest fashion |
【推荐1】At a conference last week, I received an interesting piece of advice: “Assume we are wrong.” When Nosek recommended that I and other scientists assume that we were wrong, he was sharing a strategy that he’s employed in his own lab—a strategy for changing the way we respond to criticism.
Assuming that we are wrong is not so foreign to science. Many of our past scientific theories have been wrong, so surely many of our current theories will turn out to be wrong, too. That doesn’t mean we haven’t made progress, but it does suggest that there is always room for improvement.
One worry about this approach is that it could discourage scientists, because trying to be less wrong might be a less effective encouragement than the promise of being right. Another concern is that a strategy that works well with scientists might not work when it comes to communicating science with the public.
Despite these worries, I still like Nosek’s suggestion because it builds in humility (谦卑) (“There are things I do not know!”) along with a sense that we can do better (“There are things I do not know yet!”). It also builds in a sense of community—we’re all in the same boat when it comes to falling short of getting things right. Perhaps the focus on a shared goal—our goal as scientists and humans of being less wrong—can help make up for the harms in scientific motivation or communication.
I also like Nosek’s advice because it isn’t limited to science. Trying to be less wrong—rather than more right—could be a beneficial way to communicate our aims across a variety of contexts, whether it’s a daily argument or a business decision. I may be wrong about who did the dishes last night, or about what is the best investment; if I begin from the assumption that I can be wrong and I’m trying to be less wrong, any challenge may not appear so threatening.
1. What did Nosek most likely want to tell the participants at the conference?A.Facing criticism is a very important part of life. |
B.Taking a step back is a good way to face criticism. |
C.Confidence is necessary for daily communication. |
D.Assuming that we are wrong is foreign to scientists. |
A.The popularity of Nosek’s idea. | B.The concerns about Nosek’s strategy. |
C.Our natural response to criticism. | D.The problems with scientific theories. |
A.Approving. | B.Conservative. | C.Doubtful | D.Uninterested. |
A.A diary entry. | B.A biography. | C.A news report. | D.A lab’s instruction. |
【推荐2】I've just got to talk about this problem I'm having with my postman. It all began a year ago,after the birth of his first child. Not wanting to appear rude,I asked him about the baby. The next week,not wanting him to think I had asked out of mere politeness the week before. I asked all about the baby again. Now I can't break the habit. I freeze whenever I see him coming. The words "How's the baby?"come out on their own. It holds me up. It holds him up. So why can't I stop it?The answer is that I want him to like me. Come to think of it,I want everyone to like me.
My sister had the same problem with the caretaker of her block of flats: " All he ever does is complain;he talks at me rather than to me,never listen to a word I say,and yet for some reason I'm always really nice to him. I'm worried in case I have a difficulty one day,and he won't lift a finger to help. "
What about at work?Richard Lawton,a management trainer,warns: "Those managers who are actually liked by most of their staff are always those to whom being liked is not the primary goal. The qualities that make managers popular are being honest with staff,treating them as human beings and observing common politeness like saying hello in the morning. "To explain the point,Richard mentions the story of the company chairman who desperately wanted to be liked and who,after making one of his managers fired,said with moist(湿润的)eyes that he was so,so sorry the man was leaving. The employee replied" "If you were that sorry,I wouldn't be leaving. "The lesson being,therefore,that if you try too hard to be liked,people won't like you.
The experts say it all starts in childhood. "If children feel they can only get love from their parents by being good,"says Zelda West-Meads,a marriage guidance consultant,"they develop low self-confidence and become compulsive(难以抑制的)givers. "But is there anything wrong in being a giver,the world not being exactly short of takers?Anne Cousins believes there is. "There is a point at which giving becomes unhealthy,"she says.
"It comes when you do things for others but feel bad about it. "
I am now trying hard to say to people" I feel uncomfortable about saying this,but. . ",and tell myself" Refusal of a request does not mean rejection of a person" and I find I can say almost anything to almost anyone.
1. Why does the author ask the postman about his baby?A.He is interested in the baby. |
B.He wants to create a good impression. |
C.He wants to be always polite to him. |
D.It's a way to start a chat with great politeness. |
A.She doesn't want to risk displeasing him. |
B.She doesn't pay attention to him. |
C.He often refuses to help her. |
D.He is impatient of her overreaction. |
A.help the staff with their problems |
B.make sure the staff do not lose their jobs |
C.encourage the staff to be polite to each other |
D.do not make too much effort to be liked |
A.If you tell the truth, it will not make people like you less. |
B.If you take time to talk to people, they will like you better. |
C.You should avoid unpleasant situations where possible. |
D.You shouldn't refuse other people's requests for help. |
A.To show how to let others like you more. |
B.To prove how to create a harmonious atmosphere. |
C.To encourage people to have more self-confidence. |
D.To suggest ways of dealing with difficult people. |
【推荐3】I remember watching my first rental (租赁的)movie when I was a kid. My aunt owned a video store and we borrowed a VHS copy of Poltergeist.
In 2004, I was 33 years old, living in Bend and looking for a part-time job to help support our family. My best friend, Mary, a saleswoman at the Blockbuster, suggested I might like working with her at the Blockbuster, and I’ve been here ever since. Back then, there were five Blockbusters in Bend alone. The movie-rental business was at its peak (顶点): we were still storing VHS tapes but DVDs were also coming in, and both were doing well.
When it became clear that DVD was going to replace VHS, I got very excited because those cassettes were so big and heavy. I often dropped them on my feet. Even then, I never dreamed I would end up managing the last store in town.
For me, the best thing about this job is the people. I love chatting to customers and hearing their opinions on movies. Now I’m the manager, however. I have all kinds of other responsibilities, like handling mountains of paperwork. I’m a bit like an old policeman in a movie who hates the desk job and longs to go back to the beat (巡逻区域). I hate being the manager.
The final store closures happened so fast. At the end of 2017, there were seven Blockbusters left in the US, but by early 2019 there was only our store and one other store in Australia, in the world. Since March when only our store remained, things have been crazy. The local community has been surprisingly supportive, and people have come from all over the world to rent movies: we’ve set up close to 5,000 new memberships. Most of them are regulars.
I’ll be sad to see the end of video stores. We have several years left on our lease (租期)and, as long as we can continue to pay our staff, we’11 stay open. Becoming the last store has given the business a push and we’re selling Blockbuster souvenirs. I’ve watched enough movies to realize there’s an end to everything, but hopefully the ending of this story is a long way off.
1. What can we learn about the Blockbuster?A.It was quite popular in the past. | B.It was mainly found in America. |
C.It provided many part-time jobs for kids. | D.It offered workers high salaries. |
A.It’s troublesome. | B.It’s low-paid. |
C.It’s boring. | D.It’s challenging. |
A.Because few people want to work in Blockbusters. |
B.Because many Blockbusters have broken down. |
C.Because VHS tapes and DVDs became hard to buy. |
D.Because their store became popular unexpectedly. |