1 . 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 |
2 . Healthy human skin is covered with bacteria (细菌) that are quick to settle in an open wound. To prevent these organisms from spreading through the body, which can permanently injure or kill a person, the infected wound may need to be cleaned and treated with antibiotics. Medical professionals typically identify infections by unwrapping and observing a wound or by swabbing (用拭子擦拭) it and conducting a laboratory test. But removing a wound dressing can slow down the healing process. Plus, observations are subjective, while swab tests take time and require that a patient be physically present.
To address these issues, some research teams are developing devices that sit under bandages and continuously monitor indirect signs of infection, such as changes in wound temperature or acidity. And scientists at the National University of Singapore have now created an even more direct infection sensor.
This sensor can detect an enzyme (酶) called DNase. The enzyme acts as a reliable infection indicator because disease-causing bacteria produce it in large amounts inside wounds, whereas bacteria on healthy skin do not—so testing for the substance reduces the chance of a false positive result. Furthermore, DNase builds up before other infection signs appear. The new alert system, nicknamed the“wireless infection detection on wounds” (WINDOW) sensor, was detailed in Science Advances.
WINDOWs enzyme-sensing parts rely on a material called DNAgel. There searchers developed a particular kind of DNAgel that remains stable in watery environments, such as the human body, but begins to break down in the presence of DNase. They connected this gel (凝胶) to a chip that senses when the gel responds by sending a signal to a smartphone.
Thus far, the team has exposed the DNAgel to wound swabs from 18 people’s wounds to see how much the material degraded in the presence of the bacteria. There searchers also used the device on six living lab mice whose wounds were exposed to the same bacterial species, and it successfully detected infections.
1. What is the first paragraph mainly about?| A．The harm of common wounds. |
| B．The treatment of infected wounds. |
| C．The intervention on wound healing. |
| D．The dilemma of infection observation. |
| A．By comparing wound acidity. |
| B．By detecting the DNase enzyme. |
| C．By measuring the bacteria amount. |
| D．By observing changes in wound color. |
| A．It will cut down the length of infection-treating. |
| B．It could reduce the cost of infection observation. |
| C．It can monitor wounds continuously and remotely. |
| D．It might help conduct laboratory tests on wounds. |
| A．Innovations in Wound Infection Detection |
| B．Removing the Dangers of Open Wounds |
| C．Recognizing the Role of DNase in Healing |
| D．Challenges in Wound Care and Treatment |
The once-futuristic idea of sequencing every newborn child’s DNA to screen for genes that could shape their future health is being put to two major tests. The United Kingdom this week announced plans to sequence the genomes(基因组)of 100, 000 newborns for about 200 rare genetic diseases starting next year. In New York City, a similar project
The goal is to catch treatable diseases that standard newborn screening cannot detect.
But sequencing the full genomes of new-borns raises a host of ethical questions, including
In many countries,
4 . Researchers say a new electrical device placed in three paralyzed patients has helped them walk again. The lower bodies of the three patients were left paralyzed after they suffered spinal (脊柱的) cord injuries. But a device implanted in the spinal cord was able to send electrical signals to the muscles to permit them to stand, walk and exercise.
Scientists have discovered that neurons—which receive and send signals for muscle movements—often still work in injured patients with serious spinal cord injuries. However, past research into spinal cord injuries has centered on the stimulation of neurons. Now in the latest experiment led by Gregoire Courtine and Jocelyne Bloch of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, three paralyzed men were implanted a new electrical device designed to copy an action of the brain, in which it sends signals to the spinal cord that result in muscle movement. When the spinal cord receives the brain signals, it stimulates a collection of nerve cells that can activate different muscles.
The researchers reported that all three patients who got the spinal cord implants were able to take their first steps within an hour after receiving them. Over the next six months, the patients regained the ability to take part in more advanced walking activities, the study found. They were also able to ride bicycles and swim in community settings.
Unlike other attempts to help paralyzed patients walk by stimulating nerves through the back of the spine, Courtine said that his team redesigned the devices so signals would enter the spine from the sides. This method permits more direct targeting and activation of spinal cord areas, he said.
The team then developed artificial intelligence (AI) systems linked to the device. The AI controls electrodes on the device to send signals to stimulate individual nerves that control muscles needed for walking and other activities. However, because the patients’ muscles were weak from not being used, they needed help with supporting their weight, the researchers said. It also took some time for them to learn to work with the technology. Still, Bloch said, “The more they train, the more they start lifting their muscles, the more fluid it becomes.”
1. What can be inferred from paragraph 2?| A．Courtine and Bloch have found that neurons in paralyzed patients still work. |
| B．The new electrical device can imitate the brain to send signals to the spinal cord. |
| C．Three paralyzed men recovered with the help of a new electrical device. |
| D．Stimulating the neurons is the focus of the latest research into spinal .cord injuries. |
| A．By stimulating nerves through the back of the spine. |
| B．By using the AI system. |
| C．By making signals enter the spine from the sides. |
| D．By sending the signals to the brain. |
| A．Every garden has its weeds. |
| B．Put the cart (运货马车) before the horse. |
| C．It's hard to please all. |
| D．Practice makes perfect. |
| A．To report the consequence of spinal cord injuries. |
| B．To introduce the findings of a recent research. |
| C．To compare a recent research with other previous researches. |
| D．To recommend a treatment for paralyzed patients. |
