英语听力精选进阶版 13715

 New face, new future

Summary

29 March 2012

A thirty-seven year old American man injured in a 1997 gun incident has successfully undergone what doctors say is the most extensive face transplant ever performed. The operation took place at the University of Maryland and the lead surgeon says the patient will now get his life back.

Reporter

Laura Trevelyan

Report

Richard Lee Norris has spent the last fifteen years living as a recluse¹, wearing a mask to hide the severe injuries he received from a gun accident. Now surgeons at the University of Maryland medical centre have given Mr Norris a new face - his teeth, tongue and jaw² are also new.

The thirty-six-hour operation was, say the doctors who performed it, the most extensive face transplant ever. The first such operation was performed in France in 2005, on a woman who was mauled by her dog. 

The University of Maryland's transplant research has been funded by the US navy. Surgeons hope they can soon begin operating on military patients wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan. The US government estimates that 200 wounded troops might be eligible³ for face transplants. 

Richard Lee Norris is, say his doctors, recovering well after the surgery. He's brushing his teeth and shaving, and has regained⁴ his sense of smell.

1 recluse   

n.隐居者

参考例句：

• The old recluse secluded himself from the outside world.这位老隐士与外面的世界隔绝了。
• His widow became a virtual recluse for the remainder of her life.他的寡妻孤寂地度过了余生。

2 jaw   

n.颚，颌，说教，流言蜚语；v.喋喋不休，教训

参考例句：

• He delivered a right hook to his opponent's jaw.他给了对方下巴一记右钩拳。
• A strong square jaw is a sign of firm character.强健的方下巴是刚毅性格的标志。

3 eligible   

adj.有条件被选中的；(尤指婚姻等)合适(意)的

参考例句：

• He is an eligible young man.他是一个合格的年轻人。
• Helen married an eligible bachelor.海伦嫁给了一个中意的单身汉。

4 regained   

复得( regain的过去式和过去分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地

参考例句：

• The majority of the people in the world have regained their liberty. 世界上大多数人已重获自由。
• She hesitated briefly but quickly regained her poise. 她犹豫片刻，但很快恢复了镇静。