VOA慢速英语20060724a

DEVELOPMENT REPORT - Fighting Malaria¹ in Africa From Your Home ComputerBy Jill Moss²

Broadcast: Monday, July 24, 2006

This is the VOA Special English Development Report.

Personal computers can spend a lot of time doing nothing. But scientists keep finding reasons for computers connected to the Internet to stay busy. And maybe even help the world.


A boy suffering from severe malaria in Sudan

Now researchers at the Swiss Tropical Institute have developed a program called MalariaControl.net. The idea is to use surplus computing³ power to test how well a vaccine⁴ and other malaria interventions⁵ might work in Africa. The findings could help direct the best use of resources.

The World Health Organization estimates that almost one million people each year die from malaria. Most of them are young children in Africa south of the Sahara Desert.

The scientists say their research with mathematical models could take up to forty years on their own computers. Now imagine thousands of computers worldwide, working together and linked to the University of Geneva over the Web. They might be able to do the job in just a few months.

MalariaControl.net is another example of volunteer computing. This is based on the idea that most computers are inactive most of the time. During these times when they are not being used, they can help solve complex scientific or engineering problems.

Volunteers download a program from a Web site. Usually, the software works as a screensaver. Every so often, using the Internet, the program uploads results or downloads more information to be processed.

In nineteen ninety-nine, scientists launched the SETI@home project developed at the University of California, Berkeley. SETI is the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence. The search involves listening by radio telescope for signals from space. Computers process the information collected. The software has been downloaded onto millions of personal computers worldwide.

Now the idea of SETI@home has led to Africa@home. The Web site is africaathome.net. This is a site for volunteer computing projects involving humanitarian⁶ issues in Africa.

The first project, MalariaControl.net, is still early in its development. By last week the scientists had reached a target of about two thousand users. They said they would not accept new users for the next few weeks.

And that's the VOA Special English Development Report. You can find a link to Africa@home and transcripts⁷ of our reports at our Web site, www.unsv.com. This is Shep O'Neal.

1 malaria   

n.疟疾

参考例句：

• He had frequent attacks of malaria.他常患疟疾。
• Malaria is a kind of serious malady.疟疾是一种严重的疾病。

2 moss   

n.苔，藓，地衣

参考例句：

• Moss grows on a rock.苔藓生在石头上。
• He was found asleep on a pillow of leaves and moss.有人看见他枕着树叶和苔藓睡着了。

3 computing   

n.计算

参考例句：

• to work in computing 从事信息处理
• Back in the dark ages of computing, in about 1980, they started a software company. 早在计算机尚未普及的时代（约1980年），他们就创办了软件公司。

4 vaccine   

n.牛痘苗，疫苗；adj.牛痘的，疫苗的

参考例句：

• The polio vaccine has saved millions of lives.脊髓灰质炎疫苗挽救了数以百万计的生命。
• She takes a vaccine against influenza every fall.她每年秋季接种流感疫苗。

5 interventions   

n.介入，干涉，干预( intervention的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Economic analysis of government interventions deserves detailed discussion. 政府对经济的干预应该给予充分的论述。 来自辞典例句
• The judge's frequent interventions made a mockery of justice. 法官的屡屡干预是对正义的践踏。 来自互联网

6 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

7 transcripts   

n.抄本（ transcript的名词复数 ）；转写本；文字本；副本

参考例句：

• Like mRNA, both tRNA and rRNA are transcripts of chromosomal DNA. tRNA及rRNA同mRNA一样，都是染色体DNA的转录产物。 来自辞典例句
• You can't take the transfer students'exam without your transcripts. 没有成绩证明书，你就不能参加转学考试。 来自辞典例句