1 . “Going wireless is the future for just about everything!” That is a quote from scientist Sreekanth Chalasani, and we can’t help but agree. Realizing this, a team of scientists has made a breakthrough toward wirelessly controlling human cells using sound, in a technique called “sonogenetics (声遗传学).” This concept may seem strange but let us explain.
Basically, the term “sonogenetics” means using ultrasound (超声波) to change the behavior of cells in a non-invasive manner. “We already know that ultrasound is safe, and that it can go through bone, muscle and other tissues, making it the ultimate tool for controlling cells deep in the body,” says Chalasani.
Low-frequency ultrasound waves can target a particular protein that is sensitive to the signal. This research, published in Nature Communications, focused on TRPA1. When this protein is stimulated through the ultrasound waves, it also stimulates the cells which carry it. What type of cell is being stimulated depends on the outcome. For example, a muscle cell may contract with stimulation, or a neuron (神经元) in the brain will fire. In this experiment, scientists genetically marked cells with an increased concentration of TRPA1, making them the key targets of the ultrasound waves.
Currently, treating conditions like Parkinson’s disease requires scientists to implant electrodes (电极) in the brain which stimulate certain disordered cells. Researchers hope that sonogenetics can one day replace these invasive treatments.
In the future, the team wants to adjust the placement and amount of TRPAI around the body using the gene treatment. Gene delivery techniques have already been shown to be successful in humans, such as in treating blindness. Therefore, it’s just a case of adjusting this theory to a different sound-based setting.
“Gene delivery techniques already exist for getting a new gene—such as TRPA1—into the human heart,” Chalasani says. “If we can then use an external ultrasound device to activate those cells, that could really change pacemakers.” There is still a while to go before this treatment can become a reality. The future for sonogenetics, though, looks bright.
1. What’s working principle for sonogenetics?| A．Using medicine interventional therapies. |
| B．Changing cells’ shape with new equipment. |
| C．Controlling cells in a non-invasive manner. |
| D．Using a kind of unique medical composition. |
| A．Change the concentration of the protein. |
| B．Find target cells for treatment precisely. |
| C．Analyze the protein sensitive to the sign. |
| D．Choose the type of cell to be stimulated. |
| A．It can be applied to other fields besides medicine. |
| B．It may replace some traditional medical therapies. |
| C．It will totally transform gene delivery techniques. |
| D．It has succeeded in curing diseases like blindness. |
| A．Can cells be controlled by sound? |
| B．How is sonogenetics clinically used? |
| C．Are gene delivery techniques available? |
| D．What are applications of sonogenetics? |
2 . Everybody should have some first aid techniques,because accidents and medical emergencies can happen anywhere at any time and in such an urgent situation lives can be saved. St. John First Aid courses give you the knowledge and confidence to provide effective first aid whenever it is needed.
First Aid Level 1
Ideal for anyone who wants to learn basic first aid or needs to renew their first aid qualification (资格). Courses can be held at St. John or your workplace.
Fee: $162 (includes GST)
Duration: eight hours
First Aid Level 2
Includes all course content from First Aid Level 1,plus an additional half day. Ideal for special first aiders,health and safety managers and anyone who needs a first aid qualification.
Fee: $235 (includes GST)
Duration: twelve hours
Pre-Hospital Emergency Care (PHEC)
Advanced training for first aiders who already hold unit standards 6400 and 6402. Ideal for people who require advanced first aid skills or a pre-hospital emergency care qualification for their work.
Fee: $635 (includes GST)
Duration: three days
Child First Aid
Ideal for parents,grandparents and other family caregivers.A recognized qualification for childcare workers.
Fee: $65 (includes GST)
Duration: four hours
Outdoor First Aid
First aid response to accidents and medical emergencies in the wilderness. For groups of eight or more.
Duration: one to two days depending on experience
Sports First Aid
First aid response to common sports injuries and medical emergencies. Includes ACC injury prevention advice.
Fee: $65 (includes GST)(If you are a trainer, you can get a 20% discount.)
Duration: eight hours
1. If you are going to camp,which course should you choose in advance?| A．Child First Aid. | B．Sports First Aid. |
| C．First Aid Level 1. | D．Outdoor First Aid. |
| A．$162 | B．$78 | C．$65 | D．$52 |
| A．First aid in childcare. | B．Basic emergency care. |
| C．Advanced first aid skills. | D．Injury prevention methods. |
| A．The doctor hurt the woman’s teeth. |
| B．There is a little hole in one of the woman，s teeth. |
| C．The woman likes sweets too much. |
This year’s Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine has been awarded to Tu Youyou (co-winner),
Tu Youyou, a
| A．At home. | B．In a car. | C．In a hospital. |
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 . When you’re sitting on an examining table, it’s easy to forget all the questions that brought you in to see the doctor in the first place. Maybe you thought your physician would ask you about something, but they didn’t, so you weren’t sure if you should bring it up. Or a symptom (症状) felt like a big deal to you, but they brushed it off. How to get the best care from your physician?
Prepare for an appointment
Most patients feel that the doctor is all-knowing, and that in the medical relationship they are powerless.
If you feel dismissed by your doctor, don’t hesitate to voice your opinions. Some helpful phrases can be used in those moments: “This is limiting my life,” and “I think that there’s something going on and I’m having a hard time putting it together. I need your help.” You can also ask for a referral (转诊) to see another specialist and bring a friend or family member to your next appointment to ask questions or take notes.
Take information home with you
Taking written or recorded information home with you can help you remember information and instructions any time you need to. Your doctor is a good source of accurate information you can trust. You can take home with you the notes that you have taken during the appointment.
Follow up with your doctor
| A．Ask follow-up questions. |
| B．Here’s how to talk to your physician. |
| C．Your doctor can write all instructions down for you. |
| D．But your physician can’t read your mind. |
| E．Make sure to follow any instructions your doctor gave you. |
| F．Here are some tips on making the most of a diagnosis (诊断). |
| G．You can also take home any written instructions from your doctor. |
| A．He has a cold. | B．He hurts his head. | C．He coughs badly. |
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) isn’t
10 . Some people look forward to getting braces (牙箍) on their teeth, thinking they look cool. Other people avoid visiting the orthodontist (正齿医生). But anyone who benefits from the orthodontist’s trade today should be thankful for the progress this science has made over the centuries.
Remains of crooked (弯曲的) human teeth date back tens of thousands of years. Greek and Roman texts describing the treatment of irregular teeth by the application of pressure date back as far as the fifth century B. C. Archaeological evidence indicates even earlier use of orthodontic appliances, including man-made objects found in considerable burial (埋葬的) sites in ancient Italy. Another early attempt at braces may have been discovered on Egyptian mummies with recognizable metal bands around their teeth. Thus, from at least 1,000 BC, it was known that teeth move in response to pressure.
Techniques for correcting dental (牙齿的) irregularities did not advance much until the eighteenth century. French dentists led the way to building orthodontic practice on scientific foundations. The greatest contribution came from Pierre Fauchard. In 1728, Fauchard published the first general study of dentistry. In it, he described the process of straightening. He made smooth (光滑的) a crooked tooth to create space around it. Then he repositioned the tooth using a tool called a “pelican”. And he bound it to its neighbors and let it set. French and English dentists improved on Fauchard’s work through the eighteenth century. Patients of Fauchard’s treatment may have been grateful when the work was completed. While many of them faced the treatment with fear and cried during the procedures, there were many Frenchmen who flooded to Fauchard to improve their looks with dental work.
Pioneering European orthodontists introduced new techniques and instruments in the nineteenth century. By midcentury, American dentists began to take the lead in research and invention. Electricity changed the operating room completely, and the proper medicine made surgery less painful. John Farrar developed guidelines for using tools to move teeth by applying force on a regular basis.
The twentieth century saw improvement in the materials and methods of orthodontics. But the basic principles of the science were developed during the days of Fauchard.
1. What’s the public’s attitude toward Fauchard’s treatment?| A．Objective. | B．Fearful. | C．Unconcerned. | D．Positive |
| A．Americans relieved the pain from the treatment. |
| B．Americans repositioned the tooth using a “pelican”. |
| C．Americans introduced new techniques and instruments. |
| D．Americans published the first general study of dentistry. |
| A．Straight History of Orthodontics |
| B．Advanced Techniques in Orthodontics |
| C．Thanks for the Progress in Orthodontics |
| D．Establishment of Professional Orthodontics |
| A．In an interview report. | B．In a private diary. |
| C．In a medical journal. | D．In a graduation essay. |
