英语听力精选进阶版 7322

全球医学专家警告说未受抗生素影响的细菌对现代医学构成了严重威胁。他们在《柳叶刀》（The Lancet）杂志上发表的一篇文章中呼吁世界各地的人们一同对抗此威胁。

The experts warn we're at the dawn of a post-antibiotic era. Immediate¹ global action is needed, they say, if dire² consequences are to be avoided within just a few years.

This would involve cutting down on the unnecessary prescription³ of antibiotics⁴ and providing incentives⁵ to pharmaceutical⁶ companies to develop new drugs. Research would be needed into how antibiotics in farming affect the growth of drug-resistant strains of bacteria.

The experts warn that without effective antibiotics, treatments ranging from minor⁷ surgery to current cancer chemotherapy regimes could become impossible and that deaths from infections in developed countries might return to levels last seen in the early 20th century.

They also say healthcare costs would probably spiral, as we'd be forced to resort to newer, more expensive drugs and stay in hospital for longer when recovering from illness.

Quiz 听力测验

1. True or false? Health experts want doctors to stop giving out unnecessary prescriptions⁸.

True. Experts want them to cut down on the unnecessary prescription of antibiotics.

2. What should pharmaceutical companies be given to develop new drugs?

Incentives.

3. In relation to this story, what happened in the early 20th century that we might see again?

The level of deaths from infections in developed countries.

4. Why might healthcare costs increase if no action is taken?

People would have to use more expensive drugs and stay in hospital for longer when recovering from illness.

Glossary 词汇表

post-antibiotic era 后抗生素时代

dire consequences 可怕的后果

prescription 处方，药方

incentives 奖励措施，奖励机制

drug-resistant strains 耐药性菌株

effective 有效的

treatments 治疗

regimes 方法

spiral 急剧增长

to resort to 诉诸于，求助于

1 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

2 dire   

adj.可怕的，悲惨的，阴惨的，极端的

参考例句：

• There were dire warnings about the dangers of watching too much TV.曾经有人就看电视太多的危害性提出严重警告。
• We were indeed in dire straits.But we pulled through.那时我们的困难真是大极了，但是我们渡过了困难。

3 prescription   

n.处方，开药；指示，规定

参考例句：

• The physician made a prescription against sea- sickness for him.医生给他开了个治晕船的药方。
• The drug is available on prescription only.这种药只能凭处方购买。

4 antibiotics   

n.（用作复数）抗生素；（用作单数）抗生物质的研究；抗生素，抗菌素( antibiotic的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• the discovery of antibiotics in the 20th century 20世纪抗生素的发现
• The doctor gave me a prescription for antibiotics. 医生给我开了抗生素。

5 incentives   

激励某人做某事的事物( incentive的名词复数 )； 刺激； 诱因； 动机

参考例句：

• tax incentives to encourage savings 鼓励储蓄的税收措施
• Furthermore, subsidies provide incentives only for investments in equipment. 更有甚者，提供津贴仅是为鼓励增添设备的投资。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

6 pharmaceutical   

adj.药学的，药物的；药用的，药剂师的

参考例句：

• She has donated money to establish a pharmaceutical laboratory.她捐款成立了一个药剂实验室。
• We are engaged in a legal tussle with a large pharmaceutical company.我们正同一家大制药公司闹法律纠纷。

7 minor   

adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修

参考例句：

• The young actor was given a minor part in the new play.年轻的男演员在这出新戏里被分派担任一个小角色。
• I gave him a minor share of my wealth.我把小部分财产给了他。

8 prescriptions   

药( prescription的名词复数 )； 处方； 开处方； 计划

参考例句：

• The hospital of traditional Chinese medicine installed a computer to fill prescriptions. 中医医院装上了电子计算机来抓药。
• Her main job was filling the doctor's prescriptions. 她的主要工作就是给大夫开的药方配药。