环球英语 — 184：Deadly Allergies

　　Voice 1
Thank you for joining us for Spotlight¹. I’m Ruby² Jones.
Voice 2
And I’m Joshua Leo. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 1
Lucy Parry was getting ready to leave her home. It was a spring day in 2007. Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain. A wasp³, a flying insect, had stung⁴ her. For most people this may not have been a big problem. But for Lucy this was a serious problem. Her blood pressure started to drop quickly. She struggled to walk to the drug store. But when she arrived, she did not receive the help she needed. She tells of her experience:
Voice 3
“I arrived at the nearby drug store, but when I asked for something they told me to drive myself to the emergency room at the hospital. I could not believe what they were telling me. My heart had started racing⁵ and my head was tingling⁶. She even said I was feeling sick because I was frightened and told me to calm down. It was then that I fell to the ground.”
Voice 2
But fear was not the cause of Lucy’s problem. It was an “allergy⁷”. Lucy is “allergic⁸” to the poison from insect stings⁹. This means that her body reacts to the chemicals released¹⁰ by particular insects. Lucy could have died if she had not received help from a doctor. Lucy is not the only person to have strong reactions like this. People all over the world suffer from severe allergies¹¹.
Today’s Spotlight is on deadly allergic reactions.
Voice 1
Many people in the world have allergies. You may even have an allergy. An allergy is a reaction to a particular substance. Many people are allergic to things such as the yellow pollen¹² dust from flowers and plants, animal hair, or dust. When a person is near the substance, he may get a wet nose. His eyes may become red. His skin may itch¹³. These are common reactions. Usually allergies like this are not fun to experience. But they are not usually very dangerous.
Voice 2
For some people allergies can be deadly. Their body’s reaction is much more serious. They experience anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis is a medical term. It is a severe kind of allergic reaction. Many things are signs of anaphylaxis. A person may have trouble breathing. His brain becomes affected¹⁴. He may experience pain in his stomach. His blood pressure may drop quickly. He may even become unconscious, he appears to be sleeping but he is not. The person’s body thinks that the chemicals from the substance are a dangerous chemical. His body acts against the chemical. The results can be deadly.
Voice 1
But what are some of the things that cause anaphylaxis? Some of the most common causes for allergic anaphylaxis are foods. Some people are allergic to nuts, the small hard seeds from trees and plants. Other people are allergic to shellfish, animals with hard shells that live in the water. People may also be allergic to foods such as milk, eggs, particular fish, and even to a substance in bread.
Voice 2
Each year in America alone, about one hundred and fifty [150] people die from allergic reactions to foods. Brenton Shivley was one of those people. Brenton was sixteen [16] years old. His mother says that her son was always very careful about what he ate. He had a peanut allergy. A peanut is really a kind of fruit from a plant. It looks like a seed. On September one 2006, Brenton was at a friend’s house. There he ate a cookie, a small sweet piece of food. His mother tells what happened:
Voice 4
“He took a bite of the cookie and he said to his friend ‘I should not have eaten that.’ Brenton should have asked about what was in it but he did not.”
Voice 1
The cookie Brenton ate contained peanuts. In minutes, Brenton started to experience anaphylaxis. And in an hour he was dead.
Voice 2
So what can people with allergies do to prevent such serious reactions? In most cases there is no cure for an allergy. The best method of protection is avoidance. If a person knows what he is allergic to, he must try very hard to avoid it. Parents of children with allergies must also be very careful. They must read what substances are in foods their children eat. It is also important that other people know about the allergy. If a person’s friends and family know about an allergy, they can help the person to avoid it.
Voice 1
But if a person does have an allergic reaction, there are ways to make it less dangerous. Doctors say that anyone with a severe allergy should keep an EpiPen with them all the time. An EpiPen is a small device¹⁵ that injects the chemical epinephrine into the body. Epinephrine slows the body’s allergic reaction. If a person starts to have an allergic reaction, she can inject herself with epinephrine. This gives her time to seek medical help.
Voice 2
The first step to prevent severe allergic reactions is to know if you have an allergy. It is possible to have a severe allergy but not even know it. If you, or someone you know shows any unusual reactions to a food or insect bite, seek help. You can go to a doctor. The doctor will ask many questions about the allergic reaction. She may even do a test on your skin. These tests will help you discover the details of your allergy.
Voice 1
Over the past fifteen [15] years, doctors have seen an increase in allergy patients. They are not sure why more people are having allergic reactions. But they encourage people everywhere to become more educated about allergies. Lucy Parry agrees with the doctors. Allergy education would have helped when she walked into the drug store. She said later:
Voice 3
“I could have died. What surprised me was the lack of knowledge about what was happening.”
Voice 2
Allergies are very common. Someone you know may have a severe allergy. If you know someone with an allergy, you can offer to help them. Offer to become more educated. Ask them what you can do if they experience a reaction. You may be able to help save their life.
 

1 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

2 ruby   

n.红宝石，红宝石色

参考例句：

• She is wearing a small ruby earring.她戴着一枚红宝石小耳环。
• On the handle of his sword sat the biggest ruby in the world.他的剑柄上镶有一颗世上最大的红宝石。

3 wasp   

n.黄蜂，蚂蜂

参考例句：

• A wasp stung me on the arm.黄蜂蜇了我的手臂。
• Through the glass we can see the wasp.透过玻璃我们可以看到黄蜂。

4 stung   

螫伤，刺伤( sting的过去式和过去分词 )； 感到剧痛； 激怒； 使不安

参考例句：

• I was stung on the arm by a wasp. 我的胳膊给黄蜂蜇了一下。
• Her arm was beginning to swell up where the bee had stung her. 她胳膊给蜜蜂蜇了，肿了起来。

5 racing   

n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的

参考例句：

• I was watching the racing on television last night.昨晚我在电视上看赛马。
• The two racing drivers fenced for a chance to gain the lead.两个赛车手伺机竞相领先。

6 tingling   

v.有刺痛感( tingle的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• My ears are tingling [humming; ringing; singing]. 我耳鸣。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• My tongue is tingling. 舌头发麻。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

7 allergy   

n.(因食物、药物等而引起的)过敏症

参考例句：

• He developed an allergy to pollen.他对花粉过敏。
• The patient had an allergy to penicillin.该患者对青霉素过敏。

8 allergic   

adj.过敏的，变态的

参考例句：

• Alice is allergic to the fur of cats.艾丽斯对猫的皮毛过敏。
• Many people are allergic to airborne pollutants such as pollen.许多人对空气传播的污染物过敏，比如花粉。

9 stings   

螫伤处( sting的名词复数 )； （某些昆虫的）毒刺； （身体或心灵的）剧痛； （警察为抓捕罪犯而设的）圈套

参考例句：

• Falsehood like a nettle stings those who meddle with it. 谎言似荨麻，玩弄会刺手。
• This cream contains a mild analgesic to soothe stings and bites. 这种乳膏含有一种性能平和的止痛剂，能缓解被螫咬后的疼痛。

10 released   

v.释放( release的过去式和过去分词 )；放开；发布；发行

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
• With hindsight it is easy to say they should not have released him. 事后才说他们本不应该释放他，这倒容易。

11 allergies   

n.[医]过敏症；[口]厌恶，反感；（对食物、花粉、虫咬等的）过敏症( allergy的名词复数 )；变态反应，变应性

参考例句：

• Food allergies can result in an enormous variety of different symptoms. 食物过敏会引发很多不同的症状。 来自辞典例句
• Let us, however, examine one of the most common allergies; hayfever. 现在让我们来看看最常见的变态反应的一种--枯草热。 来自辞典例句

12 pollen   

n.[植]花粉

参考例句：

• Hummingbirds have discovered that nectar and pollen are very nutritious.蜂鸟发现花蜜和花粉是很有营养的。
• He developed an allergy to pollen.他对花粉过敏。

13 itch   

n.痒，渴望，疥癣；vi.发痒，渴望

参考例句：

• Shylock has an itch for money.夏洛克渴望发财。
• He had an itch on his back.他背部发痒。

14 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

15 device   

n.器械，装置；计划，策略，诡计

参考例句：

• The device will be in production by the end of the year.该装置将于年底投入生产。
• The device will save much time and effort for us.这种装置会使我们节省大量时间和气力。