1 . With artificial intelligence (AI) seemingly working its way into every technology out there, one area where it’s considered particularly promising is in helping doctors. And already, AI is entering some doctors’ offices.
Dr. Michael Mansour of Massachusetts General Hospital is an early user who’s helped by a form of AI that could someday change the way doctors get information. When a patient comes in with unknown infection (感染), Mansour turns to a computer program called UpToDate. It’s a common tool, with more than 2 million users at 44,000 health care organizations in over 190 countries. Basically, it’s Google for doctors — searching a huge database (数据库) of articles written by experts in the field, who are all getting information from the latest research.
Wolters Kluwer Health, the company that makes UpToDate, is trying to incorporate (整合) AI so that doctors can have more of a conversation with the database.
Some doctors hope to use AI to comb through a patient’s medical history before an appointment (预约). In some cases, Dr. June-Ho Kim, who directs a program on primary care at Ariadne Labs, says AI technology may also help primary care doctors look after patients without the help of specialists. “It will free up specialists’ time to focus on more difficult cases that they need to really home in on, rather than the ones that could be answered through a few questions,” he says.
Dr. Marc Succi, who was a co-worker of Kim, says, “AI will finally prove to be a trusted medical tool. AI won’t replace doctors, but doctors who use AI will replace doctors who do not. It will become very common just like designing a PPT on a computer. It’s that level of leap.”
1. How does UpToDate help a doctor?| A．It looks after patients. | B．It does a temperature test. |
| C．It offers useful information. | D．It leads patients to doctors. |
| A．Concentrate on. | B．Adapt to. |
| C．Waste time on. | D．Have interest in. |
| A．The difficulty of writing. | B．The user-friendlines s of AI. |
| C．The importance of a doctor. | D．The advantages of office software. |
| A．AI in the Field of Medicine | B．The Challenges of AI |
| C．Changes That AI Has Brought | D．Doctors at Home or in the Office |
Acupuncture (针灸) is a traditional Chinese medical practice of treating
The effectiveness of acupuncture left Reston such a deep
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) began to sponsor some of their top
3 . 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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 |
4 . Researchers have developed a material made of collagen protein (胶原蛋白) from pig’s skin, which resembles the human cornea (眼角膜) and restored vision to 20 people. The promising result of the trial brings hope to people suffering from corneal blindness.
An estimated 12.7 million people around the world are blind due to their corneas being damaged or diseased. Their only way of regaining vision is to receive a transplanted cornea from a human donor. But just one in 70 patients receives a cornea transplant. Furthermore, most of them live in low and middle-income countries in which access to treatments is very limited.
To avoid the above disadvantages of traditional cornea treatment, the researchers used collagen protein from pig’s skin. “It is possible to develop a biomaterial that meets all the criteria for being used as human implants (移植物), which can be mass-produced and reach more people with vision problems,” said Professor Neil Lagali. While donated corneas must be used within two weeks, the bioengineered corneas can be stored for up to two years before use. The pig skin used is a byproduct of the food industry, making it easy to access.
The researchers have also developed a new surgical method for treating the disease. No stitches (缝针) are needed with this new method. In a pilot study, 14 of the 20 participants were blind before the operation. After two years, all of the patients regained their sight. Three of the Indian participants who had been blind had perfect vision after the operation.
The researchers also want to study whether the technology can be used to treat more eye diseases, and whether the implant can be adapted to the individual for even greater effectiveness.
1. What is the disadvantage of traditional cornea treatment?| A．Serious side effects. | B．Low availability rate. |
| C．Poor medical equipment. | D．Complicated surgical process. |
| A．It has higher production costs. | B．It can be stored for much longer. |
| C．It is able to be used for several times. | D．It can help people prevent vision problems. |
| A．Successful. | B．Ineffective. | C．Convenient. | D．Controversial. |
| A．To spread knowledge about cornea donation. |
| B．To show the difficulties of treating blindness. |
| C．To call on people to protect their eyes properly. |
| D．To present a new breakthrough in the medical field. |
These days, doctors are using a new approach to healing, which is called tapping. This approach combines
By simply tapping points along the body while
Acupuncture opens energy highways in the body by sticking thin needles into the skin. Tapping takes a similar approach, but uses touch instead of needles
Everyone may have experienced some sort of emotional discomfort in their lives.
6 . You’ve probably heard the saying, “Laughter is the best medicine.” Comedy on Referral has taken that idea and run with it, using standup comedy to help treat people struggling with depression and anxiety in partnership with the NHS.
The idea stemmed from comedian Angie Belcher’s experiences of teaching comedy at Bristol University. She found that students often told her how much stronger and more resilient (恢复力强的) they were thanks to standup comedy.
Inspired, she teamed up with the NHS in Bristol to create a six-week comedy course for patients struggling with depression in January 2022. Following the success of this initial course, Comedy on Referral won NHS funding to help men at risk of killing themselves in London.
Belcher will work alongside psychologists and men who have experienced self-killing events to use comedy as a form of therapy (疗法).
Talking to The Bristol Post, Belcher said, “Past depressions are perfect for comedy. Comedy doesn’t come from the happy, perfect moments of your life, but from our everyday struggles and major life events. People who’ve been through big life experiences such as the death of a close relation and ill health often can’t wait to tell me their story, mostly because there’s always something strangely funny about the situation.”
Research has shown that laughter has positive psychological effects, such as decreasing levels of cortisol (the stress hormone) and increasing endorphins (chemicals making you feel relaxed).
It can even have physiological benefits, although less research has been done in this area. Current research has linked laughter and humour with increased levels of pain tolerance as well as short-term cardiovascular (心血管的) benefits. More research is needed to prove these findings.
Nonetheless, the mental health benefits of regular laughter are widely accepted, and using comedy to treat mental health struggles could be a real breakthrough in the treatment of mental health.
1. Why is the saying used at the beginning of the text?| A．To attract readers’ attention. | B．To introduce the topic. |
| C．To demonstrate a theory. | D．To present a statement. |
| A．She set up a new company for the struggling patients. |
| B．She took an effort to run after the success of her course. |
| C．She created a six-week comedy course for related patients. |
| D．She raised money to help men at risk of killing themselves. |
| A．Bringing the depressed at ease. | B．Making struggling patients energetic. |
| C．Building up the patients’ willpower. | D．Ensuring the patients to be pain-free. |
| A．Using Standup Comedy Improves Wellbeing |
| B．Depression and Anxiety Can Be Cured Now |
| C．The Initial Course Proves to Be Successful |
| D．Laughter Is Actually Being Used as Medicine |
7 . Around 3,000 school-based health centers operate in more than 30 states all around the U.S. offering primary and preventive care for students who live in medically underserved areas. Starting at the centers that treat flu, asthma, diabetes and other common illnesses, they provide vaccinations (疫苗接种) and screen for dental, vision and hearing problems, and some provide mental health care. These clinics bring services to children who need them most and who have the greatest risk of falling behind in school because their health needs go unmet.
The pandemic was hard on existing school-based health centers, and it’s time for government at all levels, to recognize that all children need accessible and affordable health care. As lawmakers draw up budgets, reallocate (重新分配) funds and begin a new school year, existing clinics should be able to operate without budgetary fears, more dollars should go to school-based clinics, and more community partners should participate financially and physically in efforts to bring health care to the kids who lack it.
Yet most school communities that could desperately use such clinics lack them. In 2021 $5 million was appropriated (拨专款) to support new and expanded services at school-based health centers. That money funded 25 facilities only—yet the program got more than 2,000 applications. And fewer than half of U.S. states currently fund school health centers. Although the clinics can also bill Medicaid (医疗补助制度) and insurance for students who have coverage, they need stable funding for operating expenses, including hiring well-trained staff.
Many existing centers had to close temporarily or permanently during the pandemic for lack of funding. One bright spot is that more than 60 percent of the centers began offering telehealth services, broadening their reach. Getting kids the care they need where they need it has always made sense, and it`s more urgent than ever. The time is right to expand school-based health centers to all underserved students.
1. What does the first paragraph mainly talk about?| A．The role of school-based clinics. | B．The common school-age illnesses. |
| C．The number of school-based clinics. | D．The medical service in underserved areas. |
| A．Build more primary schools. | B．Set up free health care centers. |
| C．Prevent the pandemic effectively. | D．Support in-school clinics financially. |
| A．It is more than enough. | B．It is just a small amount. |
| C．It serves other purposes. | D．It includes training fees. |
| A．We need more health clinics at schools. |
| B．Students’ physical and mental health equally matter. |
| C．The pandemic impacts existing health centers greatly. |
| D．Schools are committed to helping kids get more health care. |
8 . Scientists have transfused lab-made red blood cells into a human volunteer in a world-first trial that experts say has major potential for people with hard-to-match blood types or conditions such as sickle cell (镰状细胞) disease. The research could someday mean an end to long searches for compatible (兼容的) donors or dangerous transfusion reactions.
The experimental transfusion was done at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge, England, as part of a collaborative (合作的) effort among UK scientists to understand how lab-made blood transfusions could work.
The scientists took whole blood from donors in a UK database and separated out the stem cells. These are the body’s raw materials — the cells from which all specialized cells, like a red blood cell, can generate. The researchers grew red blood cells from those stem cells and transfused them into two healthy volunteers. The transfusions involved only a tiny amount of blood: the equivalent of one or two teaspoons. A standard blood transfusion would involve many hundred times that amount. This stage of the trial involves two mini transfusions at least four months apart, one with a standard donation of red cells and the other with lab-made cells from the same donor.
The researchers are closely monitoring the volunteers to determine whether the process was safe. They say there have been with “no side effects” so far. They’re also watching how long the lab-grown cells last compared with an infusion (灌输) of standard red blood cells. Red blood cells typically last about 120 days, but a transfusion from a standard donation contains cells that are a variety of ages because the bone marrow (骨髓) continuously makes these cells.
Previous tests have shown that manufactured cells function like normal cells and that these lab-made cells are likely to survive longer overall while in circulation. This study will determine for the first time whether that’s true. Further trials will be necessary to determine whether there could be a clinical use of this lab-grown product.
The research could eventually make a difference to people with sickle cell disease, those who develop antibodies (抗体) against most donor blood types, or those with genetic disorders in which their body can’t make red blood cells or the blood cells they make don’t work well.
1. What function is expected of the lab-made red blood cells transfusion?| A．It may make it easier to get blood donors. |
| B．It may grow red blood cells from the stem cells. |
| C．It may end the dangerous transfusion reactions. |
| D．It may develop antibodies against many donor blood types. |
| A．It is widely considered not safe despite many experiments. |
| B．The two mini transfusions shouldn’t be carried out closely together. |
| C．The researchers transfused stem cells into volunteers to monitor them. |
| D．A standard blood transfusion only need to involve a tiny amount of blood. |
| A．The process of lab-made blood transfusions proves safe so far. |
| B．Lab-made cells survive longer overall than normal cells in circulation. |
| C．There are two mini transfusions with lab-made cells in the experiment. |
| D．The stem cells, as the body’s raw materials, can’t produce red1 blood cells. |
| A．A small amount of blood can make a difference. |
| B．Lab-made cells outweigh normal cells in a transfusion. |
| C．Lab-made cells can contribute to blood-related diseases. |
| D．Lab-made cell transfusions can replace normal blood donations. |
9 . Horseback riding might not seem like a typical New York City activity, but one program has several horse farms throughout the city’s busy districts. GallopNYC provides lessons to veterans(老兵) and people with disabilities — horseback riding is their therapy(疗法).
Olivia Diver visits the GallopNYC location in the Howard Beach neighborhood in Queens. Diver has only been riding horses for a few months, but says she’s already felt the benefits. “It helped me come out of my comfort zone and be less shy and less in my shell,” she said. Trying something new shows her she can accomplish other things as well.
James Wilson,executive director at GallopNYC, says there are many ways horses can be therapeutic. “The horse sees the world in the way somebody with post-traumatic stress disor-der (PTSD) might see the world, in a really guarded, sort of anxious way,” he explained. “So,somebody with PTSD and a horse can sort of partner together and see the world in the same way and kind of take care of each other.” Horses can also help with physical disabilities. After two years of therapeutic riding, a teenager, who had so little core strength that his mother had to be in the bathtub with him, had enough core strength that he could be in the shower by himself. Wilson said, “The movement of the horse will loosen up muscles that might be really tight. And the movement helps stimulate other body parts and other muscles that you might not use. ”
“CallopNYC has about 1,000 people on is waitlist for lessons, but prioritizes people with disabilities and veterans. We believe that everybody benefits from the time on a horse, so if you want to ride a horse, come on, let’s go,” Wilson said. Lessons are $55, but the non-profit fundraises to help cover or lower the cost for customers who may need support.
1. Why does GallopNYC offer the lessons?| A．To make horse riding typical in NYC. |
| B．To provide part-time jobs for veterans. |
| C．To promote disabled people’s incomes. |
| D．To offer a cure to special groups. |
| A．She has learned new life skills. |
| B．She has found her comfort zone. |
| C．She has gained much confidence. |
| D．She has changed her attitude to horses. |
| A．GallopNYC’s leader. | B．The effect of the therapy. |
| C．Profit James Wilson has got. | D．Ways of guarding people’s anxiety. |
| A．It is well received. | B．It is highly profitable. |
| C．It needs to be more creative. | D．It takes ages to see the results. |
10 . Every fall, like clockwork, Linda Krentz of Beaverton, Oregon, felt her brain go on strike. “I just couldn’t get going in the morning,” she says. “I’d get depressed and gain 10 pounds every winter and lose them again in the spring.” Then she read about seasonal affective disorder, a form of depression that occurs in fall and winter, and she saw the light literally. Every morning now she turns on a specially constructed light box for half an hour and sits in front of it to trick her brain into thinking it’s still enjoying those long summer days. It seems to work.
Krentz is not alone. Scientists estimate that 10 million Americans suffer from seasonal depression and 25 million more develop milder versions. But there’s never been definitive proof that treatment with very bright lights makes a difference. After all, it’s hard to do a double-blind test when the subjects can see for themselves whether or not the light is on. That’s why nobody has ever separated the real effects of light therapy from placebo (安慰剂) effects.
Until now, in three separate studies published last month, researchers report not only that light therapy works better than a placebo but that treatment is usually more effective in the early morning than in the evening. In two of the groups, the placebo problem was resolved by telling patients they were comparing light boxes to a new anti-depressant device that gives off negatively charged ions (离子). The third used the timing of light therapy as the control.
Why does light therapy work? No one really knows. “Our research suggests it has something to do with shifting the body’s internal clock,” says psychiatrist Dr. Lewey. The body is programmed to start the day with sunrise, he explains, and this gets later as the days get shorter. But why such subtle shifts make some people depressed and not others is a mystery.
That hasn’t stopped thousands of winter depressives from trying to heal themselves. Light boxes for that purpose are available without a doctor’s prescription. That bothers psychologist Michael Terman of Columbia University. He is worried that the boxes may be tried by patients who suffer from mental illness that can’t be treated with light. Terman has developed a questionnaire to help determine whether expert care is needed.
In any event, you should choose a reputable manufacturer. Whatever product you use should give off only visible light, because ultraviolet light damages the eyes. If you are photosensitive (对光敏感的), you may develop a rash. Otherwise, the main drawback is having to sit in front of the light for 30 to 60 minutes in the morning. That’s an inconvenience many winter depressives can live with.
1. What is the probable cause of Krentz’s problem?| A．An unexpected gain in body weight. |
| B．Unexplained impairment of her nervous system. |
| C．Weakening of her eyesight with the setting in of winter. |
| D．Poor adjustment of her body clock to seasonal changes. |
| A．There is definitive proof of its effect. |
| B．It serves as a kind of placebo. |
| C．It is considered as a relatively effective therapy. |
| D．It hardly produces any effects. |
| A．Winter depressives will be addicted to using light boxes. |
| B．No mental patients would bother to consult psychiatrists. |
| C．Inferior light boxes will give off harmful ultraviolet lights. |
| D．Light therapy could be misused by certain mental patients. |
| A．Winter depressives prefer light therapy in spite of its inconvenience. |
| B．Light therapy increases the patient’s photosensitivity. |
| C．Eye damage is a side effect of light therapy. |
| D．Light boxes can be programmed to correspond to shifts in the body clock. |
