| A．See a doctor. | B．Stay in bed. | C．Go to work. |
1. Why was the man on the roof yesterday?
| A．To cool himself. | B．To repair it. | C．To put something on it. |
| A．By having an X-ray. |
| B．By taking his temperature. |
| C．By looking at his throat and ear. |
| A．Do more exercise. | B．Get some rest. | C．Drink more water. |
| A．Three times a day. | B．Twice a day. | C．Once a day. |
3 . Thousands of lives have been saved by giving blood-thinning drugs to people with a heart condition that leaves them at risk of a stroke (中风), according to the head of the NHS.
Since January 2022, about 460,000 people in England who suffer from atrial fibrillation (AF)—a dangerously irregular heart rate—have begun taking one of four anticoagulant (抗凝血的) drugs that are proved to reduce stroke risk. Speedy introduction of the drugs has kept 4,000 people alive who would otherwise have died and prevented about 17,000 strokes, according to Amanda Pritchard. Strokes kill about 27,000 people a year in England and lead to about 120,000 being taken to hospital.
A drive to encourage take-up of the drugs means 90% of the 1.5 million people in England with AF are using them. That should result in fewer strokes, which are a leading cause of death and disability, given that AF causes about one in five strokes.
“The rapid introduction of these drugs is a big step forward in providing the best possible care for patients with heart disease”, Pritchard, the leader of NHS (National Health Service) England, will say in a speech today at the King’s Fund health experts’ yearly conference.
The drugs, called direct oral anticoagulants, help keep blood from coagulating, therefore reducing the risk of a clot (凝块) developing and causing a stroke. In 2021 the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommended that doctors use four anticoagulant drugs.
Dr Maeva May, the Stroke Association’s director, thought of the widespread use of the drugs as “fantastic news”, because AF accounts for one in five strokes and strokes in people with AF are more likely to result in death or serious disability.
NHS England has used its spending power to cut deals with the makers of the four drugs, which has made them much more widely available. The British Heart Foundation praised the NHS’s “great progress towards its goal of reducing stroke deaths”.
1. What is the purpose of listing numbers in paragraph 2?| A．To attract the readers’ attention to strokes. |
| B．To introduce the specific information about AF. |
| C．To show the necessity to introduce anticoagulant drugs. |
| D．To summarize the steps towards reducing deaths. |
| A．By identifying signs of strokes. | B．By reducing blood pressure. |
| C．By keeping heart beating. | D．By preventing blood clotting. |
| A．NHS England plays a big role in popularizing anticoagulant drugs. |
| B．NHS England made a healthy profit on the deal with drug makers. |
| C．The British Heart Foundation managed to cut stroke deaths in England. |
| D．The British Heart Foundation worked with NHS England to fight stroke. |
| A．A breakthrough in stroke prevention. |
| B．NHS England’s life-saving conference. |
| C．How to identify signs of a heart attack. |
| D．How to test the effects of anticoagulant drugs. |
4 . A new breakthrough in material science could revolutionize medical implants. Scientists at Southeast University in China have developed a piezoelectric material that is not only highly effective but also biodegradable. This innovation surpasses previous biodegradable options by a factor of 13 in terms of piezoelectric performance.
Piezoelectric materials have the unique ability to convert mechanical energy into electrical energy. This property makes them ideal for various medical implants, like pacemakers and drug delivery devices. However, traditional options lack biodegradability, necessitating a second surgery for removal after serving their purpose. This additional procedure can be expensive and carries inherent surgical risks.
The newly developed material, the discovery of which was led by Zhang Hanyue and Professor Xiong Rengen, is a kind of ferroelectric molecular crystal. The crystal offers the remarkable combination of both piezoelectricity and biodegradability. Notably, the material boasts a piezoelectric coefficient (d33) of approximately 138 picocoulombs per newton, a significant 13-fold increase compared to previous biodegradable materials.
Furthermore, the material is conveniently combined with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), granting it high flexibility and biocompatibility within the body. This translates to safe implantation that can eventually dissolve naturally, eliminating the need for removal surgery.
The researchers envision this innovative material being utilized in a diverse range of next-generation medical implants. This research, published in the March 29 issue of Science magazine, represents a significant leap forward in the field of medical implants. Media outlets in China called the discovery a landmark breakthrough since the discovery of the piezoelectric effect by the Curie brothers in 1880.
1. What makes piezoelectric materials suitable for medical implants?| A．Their ability to convert electrical energy into mechanical energy. |
| B．Their biodegradability after serving their purpose. |
| C．Their unique ability to convert mechanical energy into electrical energy. |
| D．Their low cost and ease of availability. |
| A．increases the piezoelectric coefficient by 13 times |
| B．is only suitable for pacemakers |
| C．requires a second surgery for removal |
| D．lacks flexibility and biocompatibility |
| A．improve its piezoelectric performance |
| B．make it biodegradable |
| C．enhance its flexibility and biocompatibility |
| D．reduce its cost of production |
| A．It was the first piezoelectric material to be developed |
| B．It surpasses previous biodegradable options significantly |
| C．It was discovered by Chinese scientists |
| D．It has been mentioned in Science magazine |
5 . The U.S. Food and Drug Administration(FDA) has approved a new class of hearing aid devices, which do not require a medical exam. That means Americans will be able to buy hearing aids later this year without seeing a doctor or receiving a medical examination.
The devices are designed for adults with mild to moderate hearing problems. The FDA estimates that the hearing aids could help nearly 30 million adults in the United States, but only about one-fifth of people with hearing problems use the devices currently.
“Today’s action by the FDA represents a significant milestone in making hearing aids more cost-effective and accessible,” Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, told reporters on Tuesday. The FDA first proposed the rule change for hearing aids last year and the new rules will take effect in the middle of October. The move follows years of pressure from medical experts and others to make the devices less costly and easier to get.
However, cost is still a barrier right now. Americans can pay more than $5,000 for hearing aids, which is for the device itself and fitting services. Private insurance coverage is also limited for the devices. And government insurance for older people, known as Medicare, does not pay for them. Medicare only pays for hearing tests.
“The requirement to see a specialist was not only a burden and an annoyance for many consumers but also it actually created a competitive barrier to entry,” said Brian Deese, a White House economic adviser. Deese added that the government estimates that Americans could save as much as $2,800 for a set of hearing aids if they want to buy them.
But FDA officials noted that the savings will depend on when producers launch products and how much they cost. “It’s very hard to predict exactly what we’ll see and when,” said Dr. Jeffrey Shuren, the FDA’s medical device chief. Shuren added officials expected to see increased competition from new producers and new products from existing hearing aid makers.
1. Who probably use the new hearing aid devices?| A．The people who cannot afford medical fee. |
| B．The 20 percent of people who can pay for them. |
| C．The people who needn’t be examined by doctors. |
| D．The adults whose hearing problems are not serious. |
| A．Hearing tests for free. | B．More pressure from medical experts. |
| C．Lower cost of the hearing devices. | D．More private insurance coverage. |
| A．Seeing a specialist was unaccessible. |
| B．Seeing a specialist was a troublesome experience. |
| C．The government will save much medical expense. |
| D．Americans will pay more money for medical care. |
| A．When the cost will be reduced is uncertain. | B．Existing hearing aid makers can benefit most. |
| C．Officials will decide the price of the hearing aids. | D．New producers will succeed in the competition. |
Chinese acupuncture, also known as the art of “magic needles”, is
How does it work? Special thin needles a replaced in the
Due to its unique contribution, Chinese acupuncture
7 . First Aid: To the bone
With summer in full swing and kids excited to head outdoors to play, the possibility of getting injured isn’t a distant possibility. When the injury takes a more serious tone, such as a sprain or a fracture, it’s important to know what to do and not to panic.
How do we tell the difference between a sprain and a fracture?
It is difficult to differentiate as both conditions result in swelling around the injury, bruising of the skin and both feel pretty painful. The best thing to do is to treat the injury as if it is a fracture.
How many types of fracture are there?
Generally, there are two types. Closed fracture is when there is a break in the bone but no damage to the skin or tissue. There will be swelling or skin discolouration at the site of the injury and the injured limb (肢体) cannot move. Open or compound fractures are more obvious as there is a break in the bone, bleeding, and an open wound near the fracture. There is a risk of bacteria getting into the bone, which can cause infection, so seek treatment promptly.
What should parents do?
Parents should:
1. Take clothing off the injured area.
2. If there is no open wound, apply an ice pack to relieve pain and swelling.
3. If a bone fracture is suspected, make a simple splint (夹板) with a board or folded newspapers to immobilise the limb.
4. For open fractures, do not wash the wound or push in any bone that’s sticking out as this causes infection. If the wound continues to bleed, use a clean cloth and press the wound to stop the bleeding. Do not straighten the deformed or curved limbs.
5. If the injury is to the head, neck or back, do not move your child and call 999 immediately.
1. Who is the text intended for?| A．Surgeons. | B．Parents. | C．Children. | D．Teachers. |
| A．Broken skin. |
| B．Cracked bone. |
| C．Risk of infection. |
| D．Immobile limb. |
| A．By putting ice pack on the wound. |
| B．By repositioning the broken bone. |
| C．By moving the injured person to safety. |
| D．By applying pressure to stop the bleeding. |
8 . DNA testing is one of modern medicine’s most significant breakthroughs. Today, anyone can receive personalized information about their genes (基因) and ancestry with just a little saliva (唾液). Now, a Seattle-based company is working to bring equally deep analysis to the trillions of proteins within our bodies.
Nautilus Biotechnology, a company founded in 2016 by Seattle’s Sujal Patel and the San Francisco Bay Area’s Parag Mallick, is developing a device to identify and count 95% of the different types of proteins in a biological sample.
Human cells can contain roughly 20,000 different types of proteins, with crucial functions ranging from digestion to disease protection. Each cell has a varying amount of each protein. The company wants to measure the key machinery (机制) inside cells with a level of detail that has never been done before. Existing tools, it says. can only measure up to 8% of the different types of proteins in blood samples.
So why count proteins at all? Research shows healthy cells and diseased cells have differing amounts and forms of each protein. For example, cancer cells may have more of Protein A than Protein B. Knowing that might help in two ways: First, doctors could look for higher Protein A levels to detect cancer early. Second, researchers could better design drugs to target Protein A.
Nautilus says such protein measurements, which are unique to every person and change throughout people’s lives, will not only help doctors identify more specific forms of disease but also help pharmaceutical (制药) companies find more precise drugs with fewer side effects.
While other companies also are building new protein analysis machines, experts and prospective customers have expressed excitement over Nautilus’s approach. Mallick, chief scientist of Nautilus and the brain behind its technology, is confident: “It’s not every day when you get…to work on something. That’s the opportunity to change all of biology.”
1. What is the Seattle-based company doing?| A．Trying to count the amounts of blood cells. |
| B．Examining DNA for personalized information. |
| C．Developing a device to analyze people’s proteins. |
| D．Revealing more about our ancestry with DNA testing. |
| A．Precise drugs are guaranteed. | B．Cell analysis techniques develop fast. |
| C．Proteins are much easier to be analyzed. | D．Protein amounts and forms vary from cell to cell. |
| A．Disease monitoring and machine design | B．Disease detection and drug development. |
| C．Disease prevention and targeted treatment. | D．Disease treatment and side effect prevention. |
| A．Combining DNA Testing with Protein Analysis | B．Setting a New Example of Medical Solution |
| C．Creating Opportunities for Changing Biology | D．Analyzing Proteins for New Medical Breakthrough |
9 . The U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA） has approved a debatable Alzheimer's treatment, the first that promises to slow the disease's destruction in the brain.
The drug, aducanumab, is also the first new Alzheimer's treatment approved since 2003.However, in 2019, aducanumab was nearly abandoned after it appeared unlikely to succeed in two clinical trials. But after reanalyzing more data, the drug's developer Biogen saw signs indicating the drug might work, and decided to pursue FDA approval.
Still, today's decision concerns some doctors and scientists because they aren't convinced that the drug actually works. Approving a drug that's not effective would offer patients false hope, those experts argue. “This is a great day for Biogen but a dark day for the field of Alzheimer's research,” says Michael Greicius, a neurologist at Stanford. Pushing forward on the “illusion of progress,” he says, “will come at a cost to genuine progress in finding an effective treatment for this destructive disease.”
Others disagree that the evidence is slim, and are excited about having a new tool to fight a disease that has escaped an effective treatment for so long. “We have been waiting decades for this,” says Maria Carrillo, an expert at the Alzheimer's Association. A drug that delays decline due to Alzheimer's promises patients “to sustain independence and to hold onto memories longer,” she says.
The drug targets the sticky protein—A-beta（淀粉样蛋白). Some researchers suspect that in Alzheimer's, A-beta confuses connections between nerve cells and damages brain tissue, ultimately causing Alzheimer's symptoms. But that idea is still unsettled. Brain scans reveal that aducanumab is effective at reducing A-beta in the brain. What's less clear is whether this reduction comes with consistent improvements in people's quality of life.
1. What does paragraph 2 mainly tell us about aducanumab?| A．Its bitter failure in clinical trials. |
| B．Its tough path to getting recognized. |
| C．Its medical value in treating Alzheimer's. |
| D．Its challenging process of being produced. |
| A．Proof. | B．Significance. | C．Prospect. | D．Misunderstanding. |
| A．Unconcerned. | B．Doubtful. | C．Positive. | D．Intolerant. |
| A．A-beta in human body should be removed. |
| B．Aducanumab has potentially serious side effects. |
| C．A-beta's decrease improves people's quality of life. |
| D．Further tests on aducanumab need to be carried out. |
1. What is the man's problem?
| A．He has a backache. |
| B．He took too many pills. |
| C．He lost contact with his doctor. |
| A．He is very polite. |
| B．He is seriously ill. |
| C．He can't afford a full checkup. |
