英语听力精选进阶版 7319

科学家们新发现了11种导致老年痴呆发病的危险基因。这是迄今为止全球最大规模的老年痴呆症调研项目。来自15个国家，共5万多人参与了此次抽样调研。

Alzheimer's disease is a growing burden around the world. Yet basic questions such as what causes it or how to diagnose it remain unanswered. A global team of scientists searched through the DNA¹ of more than 50,000 people in the hunt for clues. The study, published in Nature Genetics, identified 11 new genes² on top of the ten already discovered. All can increase the chances of developing the dementia.

One of the lead scientists, Professor Julie Williams from Cardiff University, said working out the genes' role in Alzheimer's could lead to treatments. "It's not, you know, 21 different theories about Alzheimer's. They are forming patterns so we can look at a few different processes and try and understand those and then produce treatments from there."

Those patterns centre on the immune system, how the body deals with cholesterol³ and how cells in the brain transport material. But this is the first step. Further studies are now needed to identify precisely⁴ what is going wrong and to begin the slow process of converting the findings into treatments.

Quiz 听力测验

1. True or false? Nobody knows why people develop Alzheimer's disease.

True.

2. How many people took part in the study?

More than 50,000.

3. What do scientists need to do to find a treatment?

They need to discover what each of the newly-discovered genes do.

4. What system of the body could be involved in the development of Alzheimer's disease?

The immune system and the brain cells.

Glossary 词汇表

burden 负担、包袱

hunt 寻找

working out 找出

patterns 规律

immune system 免疫系统

precisely 准确地

converting 转换

1 DNA   

(缩)deoxyribonucleic acid 脱氧核糖核酸

参考例句：

• DNA is stored in the nucleus of a cell.脱氧核糖核酸储存于细胞的细胞核里。
• Gene mutations are alterations in the DNA code.基因突变是指DNA密码的改变。

2 genes   

n.基因( gene的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• You have good genes from your parents, so you should live a long time. 你从父母那儿获得优良的基因，所以能够活得很长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Differences will help to reveal the functions of the genes. 它们间的差异将会帮助我们揭开基因多种功能。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 生物技术的世纪

3 cholesterol   

n.（U）胆固醇

参考例句：

• There is cholesterol in the cell of body.人体细胞里有胆固醇。
• They are determining the serum-protein and cholesterol levels.他们正在测定血清蛋白和胆固醇的浓度。

4 precisely   

adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地

参考例句：

• It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。
• The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。