6 . A man with advanced Parkinson’s disease (帕金森氏症) is now able to walk almost normally again thanks to electrodes implanted (电极植入) in his spinal cord (脊椎), researchers said on Monday. The medical first was achieved by Swiss researchers who had previously pioneered similar breakthroughs to help disabled people walk again.

“This could be a game-changing technology to help bring back movement in people with advanced Parkinson’s,” said David Dexter, research director at Parkinson’s UK.

Marc Gauthier, the 62-year-old patient who lives in France, has suffered from the brain disorder for about 30 years. Like more than 90 percent of people with advanced Parkinson’s, Mar c has had great difficulty walking. What are known as “freezing” experiences — during which patients are unable to move for a limited time, putting them at risk of falling — are particularly awful, Marc told AFP.

Much remains unknown about Parkinson’s disease, making treatment difficult. But the disease can seriously affect the lives of patients, sometimes keeping them to bed or a wheelchair. So when the opportunity came to go through an operation in Switzerland, Marc gladly accepted the chance.

“Now I can do whatever I want,” Marc says. “I can go for a walk and go out shopping by myself.” He adds that he can now walk much more easily — he is even planning a trip to Brazil — but it still requires concentration, particularly when climbing upstairs.

The Swiss team, led by surgeon Jocelyne Bloch and neuroscientist Gregoire Courtine , implanted a complex system of electrodes called a “neuroprosthesis (神经假体)” at important points along Marc’s spinal cord. The neuroprosthesis was first tested on animals, and then implanted in Marc, who has used it for roughly eight hours a day over nearly two years.

The Swiss team has expanded their experiment to a group of six Parkinson’s patients, aiming to know how it could help others, given the disease affects people in different ways. However, treatment using the implant could be quite expensive, potentially limiting how many patients would have access.

1. What is David Dexter’s attitude to the Swiss breakthrough?

A．Unconcerned.

B．Doubtful.

C．Positive.

D．Unclear.

2. What can Marc do after the surgery?

A．Volunteer as a tour guide in Brazil.	B．Run to his heart’s content.
C．Go to the supermarket alone.	D．Make a phone call while climbing the stairs.

3. What do we know about the surgery?

A．It was first tested on Marc Gauthier.	B．It is hardly affordable for ordinary people.
C．It has been performed on many patients.	D．It was done by researchers in the UK.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．A Spinal Implant Allows a Parkinson’s Patient to Walk Again

B．Parkinson’s Patients Have to Deal With Difficulties in Life

C．Swiss Experts Have Created a Drug to Treat Parkinson’s

D．New Technology Prevents People From Developing Parkinson’s

7 . Scientists have discovered a new way of administering oxygen to the blood which could allow people to stay alive without breathing. The procedure, which works by injecting oxygen molecules enclosed in fatty molecules directly into the bloodstream, could extend an extra 30 minutes of life when they cannot breathe.

John Kheir, a doctor of the Boston Children’s Hospital, was inspired to begin his groundbreaking research after he experienced a patient’s tragic death, according to Science Daily. He was operating on a young girl whose pneumonia led to deadly brain damage after doctors were unable to place her on a breathing machine in time to save her.

In response, Dr Kheir started working on the idea of inserting oxygen directly into the blood. Early experiments showed that the intervention could in theory be very successful, he said, “We drew each other’s blood, mixed it in a test. tube with the microparticles, and watched blue blood turn immediately red, right before our eyes.” However, injecting pure oxygen into the bloodstream in gas form failed miserably when it was attempted 100 years ago, as it formed dangerous bubbles in the veins.

Much of Dr Kheir’s research therefore involved finding a substance which could surround the oxygen and allow it to be suspended in a liquid for injection into the body. He found that using fatty molecules was the best way to keep oxygen after using sound waves to trap the two substances together into small particles that can only be seen with the help of a. microscope. The particles were then made up into a liquid which is very heavily oxygenated—carrying “three to four times the oxygen content of our own red blood cells”, according to Dr Kheir.

When used on humans, the oxygen could probably last for up to 30 minutes, though injecting it for any longer could damage the patient’s blood. “This is a short-term oxygen substitute—a way to safely inject oxygen gas to support patients during a critical few minutes,” Dr Kheir said. He added that he thought the technique could become routine for doctors dealing with emergency situations.

1. What is the second paragraph mainly about?

A．John Kheir made a mistake in an operation.

B．An incident enlightened John Kheir’s research.

C．John Kheir failed to inject oxygen to a girl’s blood.

D．A young patient died tragically in John Kheir’s research.

2. What problem may lead to the failure of previous trials?

A．The blue blood can turn red only in theory.

B．The microparticles fail to mix with oxygen.

C．Administering oxygen to the blood is difficult.

D．Oxygen gas inserted may cause more serious problems.

3. How did Dr Kheir solve the problem to successfully inject oxygen to the blood?

A．To surround oxygen molecules with fat.	B．To use sound waves to turn gas into liquid.
C．To involve more oxygen into red blood cells.	D．To find a liquid with the aid of a microscope.

4. What is Dr Kheir’s attitude towards the new way?

A．Unclear.

B．Doubtful.

C．Subjective.

D．Hopeful.

8 . Ms. McIntyre, 38, worked as a publisher. She suffered brain cancer and her health got worse despite some medical treatment. But she realized that in a way, she was luckier than some other people. She had insurance to help pay for her medical care. But Ms. McIntyre and her husband, Mr. Gregory, knew that many people with cancer face tough decisions because of the costs of medical care and wind up owing far more than they can pay.

Though her health was failing, Ms. McIntyre decided to help pay off the medical debts of as many people as she possibly could. The couple began donating money to a group called RIP Medical Debt, which is committed to working to pay off the unpaid medical debts of others. The group can pay off medical bills for about 100 times less money than they cost. In other words, for every 100 donated, the group can pay off 10,000 in unpaid medical bills.

Unfortunately, Ms. McIntyre passed away before long. Mr. Gregory posted a message for Ms. McIntyre on her social media accounts. “If you’re reading this, I have passed away,” the post began. Then the post explained, “To celebrate my life, I’ve arranged to buy up others’ medical debts and then destroy the debts.”

The couple had set up a page on a website to raise money for this purpose. They had hoped to raise about $20,000. Nevertheless, Ms. McIntyre’s last post attracted a lot of attention. The donations on her web page quickly passed the total goal. In less than a week, the site had raised 10 times more than expected and the donations are still coming in. By November 22, 2023, Ms. McIntyre’s web page had raised over $627,000, or enough money to pay off about $60 million in medical debts.

Mr. Gregory planned a special event in December to celebrate Ms. McIntyre’s life and to announce how many millions of dollars of medical debts her efforts had paid for.

1. Why did Ms. McIntyre feel luckier than some other people?

A．The doctors eventually cured her.	B．Her disease didn’t become worse.
C．She had a decent job before being ill.	D．She had security about medical care.

2. How did Ms. McIntyre and her husband help others?

A．By paying for their daily debts.	B．By giving away money to them.
C．By ridding them of debts from treatments.	D．By purchasing medical insurance for them.

3. What is paragraph 4 mainly about?

A．The public involvement.	B．The couple’s commitment.
C．The operation of a website.	D．The increase of medical debts.

4. Which of the following words can best describe Ms. McIntyre?

A．Humorous and elegant.	B．Influential and understanding.
C．Cautious and promising.	D．Enthusiastic and adaptable.

9 . Online Annual Refresher

This interactive yearly refresher course provides first aiders with an opportunity to practice and update their skills as qualified first aiders, at any time while their first aid certificates (证书) are valid (有效的).

Course description

Employers are legally required to ensure their first aiders are competent and maintain their skills throughout the three years in which their certificates are valid.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) strongly recommends that first aiders attend a refresher course once every year during this three-year period.

Course content

Session (阶段) 1:

Choking — 30 minutes to complete.

After this session, you will be able to help an individual who is choking.

Session 2:

Chest Pains — 30 minutes to complete.

After this session, you will be able to help an individual who is experiencing chest pains.

Session 3:

Severe Bleeds — 45 minutes to complete.

After this session, you will be able to help an individual who is bleeding severely.

Session 4:

Recovery Position — 45 minutes to complete.

After this session, you will be able to help an individual who is unresponsive and breathing normally.

Session 5:

Basic Life Support & AED (Automated External Defibrillator) — 30 minutes to complete.

After this session, you will be able to help an individual who is unresponsive and not breathing normally.

Booking details

Please click this button below if you are the person who wishes to buy and sign up for the course. You will be directed to our Learner Management System where you will be asked to login or register for an account. You will then be given the option to buy access to the course.

1. What is HSE’s suggestion for first aiders?

A．Buying a four-year first aid course.

B．Attending an yearly refresher course.

C．Updating identity information regularly.

D．Downloading their certificates from the Internet.

2. At which session can first aiders learn how to help people with chest pains?

A．Session 1.

B．Session 2.

C．Session 3.

D．Session 4.

3. What is the text?

A．A news report.	B．A diary entry.
C．A research article.	D．An advertisement.