Foot-and-Mouth Disease

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09 英国农业部正试图阻止口啼疫蔓延

DATE=3-6-01
TITLE=AGRICULTURE REPORT - Foot-and-Mouth Disease¹
BYLINE=George Grow

(Start at 58")This is the VOA Special English AGRICULTURE REPORT.
(1)Agriculture officials in Britain are attempting to stop the spread of foot-and-mouth (2)disease. The disease was found in pigs last month at a meat production center in (3)Essex, east of London. More cases have been reported among farm animals in Scotland² and Northern Ireland. The disease has been found in more than thirty areas in Britain. Officials have ordered the killing³ of at least eleven-thousand animals.
Britain and the European Union have banned (4)exports of live animals, milk and meat products until the crisis⁴ ends. British (5)officials also have asked the (6)public not to visit farm areas to avoid spreading the (7)virus that causes the disease.
Foot-and-mouth disease is one of the animal diseases⁵ that farmers fear most. The disease spreads widely and quickly. It can cause severe production and economic losses.
Foot-and-mouth disease affects cows, deer, goats, pigs and sheep. Affected⁶ animals develop cuts in their mouths and on their feet. Many affected animals recover. However, the disease weakens⁷ them. The disease is not considered dangerous to people. But people can carry the virus on their clothing and shoes.
Experts say the virus can live for long periods in the body of an animal and in animal products and wastes. The virus also is able to survive in the air and in water and (8)fields.
Experts say foot-and-mouth disease spreads quickly unless it is discovered early and stopped (9)immediately. They say farmers can support efforts to (10)prevent its spread. Experts urge farmers to watch for signs of the disease, such as an animal having difficulty walking. Another sign is large amounts of (11)fluid leaking from the mouth. Farmers should immediately report any unusual sign of disease to local experts or disease control officials.
There are at least seven forms of the foot-and-mouth virus. One or more (12)versions⁸ can attack animals at the same time. An animal can suffer repeated attacks of the disease. This is because natural resistance⁹ to one form of the virus does not protect it against other versions.
Foot-and-mouth disease is one of the most difficult animal (13)infections to control. The disease is found in many parts of the world. Different forms of the virus have been identified in Africa, Asia, Europe and South America.
This VOA Special English AGRICULTURE REPORT was written by George Grow.

(1) agriculture[ 5A^rikQltFE ]n.农业, 农艺, 农学
(2) disease[ di5zi:z ]n.疾病, 弊病
(3) Essex[ 5esiks ]n.艾塞克斯(英国英格兰东南部的郡)
(4) export[ 5ekspC:t ]vt.输出n.出口货, 输出, 出口, 出口商品v.出口
(5) official[ E5fiFEl ]n.官员, 公务员adj.职务上的, 公务的, 官方的, 正式的
(6) public[ 5pQblik ]n.公众, (特定的)人群, 公共场所adj.公众的, 公共的, 公立的, 公用的
(7) virus[ 5vaiErEs ]n.[微]病毒, 滤过性微生物, 毒害, 恶毒
(8) field[ fi:ld ]n.原野, 旷野, 领域, (一块)田地, 牧场, 域, 战场, 运动场vt.把(谷物等)暴晒于场上, 使上场
(9) immediately[ i5mi:djEtli ]adv.立即, 马上, 直接地
(10) prevent[ pri5vent ]v.防止, 预防
(11) fluid[ 5flu(:)id ]n.流动性, 流度adj.流动的, 不固定的, 可改变的, 可另派用场的, 流畅的
(12) version[ 5vE:FEn ]n.译文, 译本, 翻译
(13) infection[ in5fekFEn ]n.[医] 传染, 传染病, 影响, 感染

1 disease   

n.疾病，弊端

参考例句：

• The doctors are trying to stamp out the disease.医生正在尽力消灭这种疾病。
• He fought against the disease for a long time.他同疾病做了长时间的斗争。

2 Scotland   

n.苏格兰

参考例句：

• He has been hiking round Scotland for a month.他围着苏格兰徒步旅行了一个月。
• Scotland is to the north of England.苏格兰在英格兰之北。

3 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

4 crisis   

n.危机，危急关头，决定性时刻，关键阶段

参考例句：

• He had proved that he could be relied on in a crisis.他已表明，在紧要关头他是可以信赖的。
• The topic today centers about the crisis in the Middle East.今天课题的中心是中东危机。

5 diseases   

n.疾病( disease的名词复数 )；弊端；恶疾；痼疾

参考例句：

• Smoking is a causative factor in several major diseases. 抽烟是引起几种严重疾病的病因。
• The illness frequently coexists with other chronic diseases. 这种病往往与其他慢性病同时存在。

6 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。

7 weakens   

v.（使）削弱， （使）变弱( weaken的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• "Cousins shouldn't marry, even second cousins. It weakens the strain. "表兄妹不应该结婚，就是从表兄妹也不应该，那会削弱血统的。 来自飘（部分）
• The burlesque element weakens the serious portions of the book. 书里的戏谑成分使严肃部分受到损害。 来自辞典例句

8 versions   

n.译本( version的名词复数 )；版本；（个人对事件的）描述；（原物的）变体

参考例句：

• There are two versions of the game, a long one and a short one. 这游戏有两个版本，一长一短。
• When both versions of the story were collated,major discrepancies were found. 在将这个故事的两个版本对照后，找出了主要的不符之处。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 resistance   

n.抵抗力，反抗，反抗行动；阻力，电阻；反对；adj.抵抗的

参考例句：

• Very little resistance was put up by the enemy.敌人没怎么进行抵抗。
• An aircraft has to overcome the resistance of the air.飞机须克服空气的阻力。