人教高中英语高二上UNIT7-1

Xiaohua is 12 and lives in a province in South China. She is a happy girl who smiles a lot and likes to talk to her friends after school. People who see Xiaohua would never guess that she is one of millions of children in the world living and dying² with AIDS.
       AIDS is a disease³ that breaks down the body's immune⁴ system and leaves a person defenceless against infections⁵ and illnesses. Most people who have AIDS manage to survive only a few years after they get the disease. For some, medicine can help keep them alive, but the treatment is expensive and does not cure them.
       People get AIDS after having been infected with HIV. HIV spreads through blood and other body liquids. People transmit⁶ HIV by having unprotected sex, by receiving infected blood transfusions⁷ or, as in Xiaohua's case, through birth. Xiaohua's mother contracted⁸ HIV when she was 28, and she died of AIDS only three years after Xiaohua was born. Xiaohua's mother did not know that she had AIDS until Xiaohua was born. Xiaohua's father, who also has AIDS, takes care of her, but Xiaohua misses her mother. "I wish I could remember more about my mum," Xiaohua says, "I wish that she were here with me and that we weren't sick."
       Thousands of children become infected with HIV every day. In 2002, 800,000 children under 15 became infected; the total number of infected children in the world was 3.2 million. The disease is spreading fast in Africa and parts of Asia, mainly because of a lack of proper health care, prevention⁹ and education. As with most diseases¹⁰ and disasters, the young suffer the most.
       For children like Xiaohua there is little hope. The drugs that are available are much too expensive. Xiaohua knows that she will die before she has a chance to grow old, but she does not let that knowledge discourage¹¹ her. Instead, she has decided¹² to use the limited time she has left to do something to help others. She spends much of her time telling others about her disease and encouraging people to learn how to protect themselves. She also goes to visit other AIDS patients in hospitals across the country to support them and cheer them up. "If I were to live long enough to have a job, I would choose to be a doctor, helping¹³ these AIDS patients," Xiaohua says.
      The disease is not the only thing that AIDS patients suffer from. They also have to deal with people's fear of the disease. Many people do not know very much about AIDS and are afraid that any contact with people who have AIDS is dangerous. Xiaohua is trying to change this by creating a network of patients and doctors that can persuade hospitals and companies to spend more money on AIDS research and education. "I wish people would find out the facts," she says, "and not act as if I were a bad or dangerous person." When she talks to people about her disease, she and Dr¹ Wang, an AIDS specialist¹⁴ who helps Xiaohua, often tell people that the most dangerous thing is not knowing about the disease. They explain how AIDS spreads and let people know that it is safe to shake hands, talk, and eat with someone who has AIDS. People often ask what they can do to help. "If I were you," Xiaohua says, "I would give an AIDS patient a hug. That is the best way to show that you care and that we don't have to feel lonely."
      Xiaohua has learnt to live with HIV and the fact that she will one day develop AIDS. She knows that her life will not be as long as her classmates', but she will not let the disease destroy her happiness. "My life may have to be short," she says, "but there's no reason why it can't be beautiful."
 

 

1 Dr   

n.医生，大夫；博士(缩)（= Doctor）

参考例句：

• Dr.Williams instructs us in botany.威廉博士教我们植物学。
• The ward of the hospital is in the charge of Dr.Green.医院的这间病房由格林医生负责。

2 dying   

adj.垂死的，临终的

参考例句：

• He was put in charge of the group by the dying leader.他被临终的领导人任命为集团负责人。
• She was shown into a small room,where there was a dying man.她被领进了一间小屋子，那里有一个垂死的人。

3 disease   

n.疾病，弊端

参考例句：

• The doctors are trying to stamp out the disease.医生正在尽力消灭这种疾病。
• He fought against the disease for a long time.他同疾病做了长时间的斗争。

4 immune   

adj.免疫的，有免疫力的，不受影响的，免除的

参考例句：

• I am immune from the disease,for I had it once.我对这病有免疫力，因为我已得过一次了。
• Be immune from corruption.拒腐蚀，永不沾。

5 infections   

传染，感染( infection的名词复数 )； 传染病

参考例句：

• rising rates of MRSA infections in hospitals 医院中抗甲氧西林金黄色葡萄球菌感染病例不断增长的发生率
• Malnourished children are more likely to succumb to infections. 营养不良的儿童更有可能死于感染。

6 transmit   

vt.播送，发射；传送，传递，传染

参考例句：

• A telegram will be the quickest way to transmit the message.打电报将是传递这个信息的最快途径。
• These symbols transmit a message in a simple and direct manner.这些标志用最简单直接的方式传达出一个信息。

7 transfusions   

n.输血( transfusion的名词复数 )；输液；倾注；渗透

参考例句：

• Still, transfusions have apparently never spread the disease, even among hemophiliacs. 还有，输血很明显从未传播过这种病，即使在血友病人之间也是如此。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 口蹄疫疯牛病
• Blood transfusions are a special, limited example of tissue transplantation. 输血是一个特殊的、有限制的组织移植的例子。 来自辞典例句

8 contracted   

adj.合同所规定的

参考例句：

• How many of the companies have contracted in so far? 到目前为止已有多少公司承诺加入呢？
• The builders have contracted for three bridges this year. 今年这些建筑工人已经承包了三座新桥梁。

9 prevention   

n.阻止，妨碍，预防

参考例句：

• They have begun to do the prevention of crime.他们已经开始防止犯罪行为。
• Prevention of forest fires is up to you.森林防火是你们的责任。

10 diseases   

n.疾病( disease的名词复数 )；弊端；恶疾；痼疾

参考例句：

• Smoking is a causative factor in several major diseases. 抽烟是引起几种严重疾病的病因。
• The illness frequently coexists with other chronic diseases. 这种病往往与其他慢性病同时存在。

11 discourage   

vt.使泄气，使沮丧；阻拦，劝阻

参考例句：

• Don't let one failure discourage you.勿因一次失败而气馁。
• We discourage smoking in this school.在这所学校里我们劝阻吸烟。

12 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

13 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

14 specialist   

n.（医学）专家，专科医生；专家；专业人员

参考例句：

• She is a specialist in English.她是一位英语专家。
• The peasants looked up to him as a specialist.农民们尊他为专家。