SCIENCE IN THE NEWS #2136 - Digest

19 科技新闻摘要（八）

DATE=8-7-01
TITLE=SCIENCE IN THE NEWS #2136 - Digest
BYLINE=Staff
 
VOICE ONE:
This is Bob Doughty¹.
VOICE TWO:
And this is Steve Ember with Science in the News, a VOA Special English program about recent developments in science. Today, we tell about a mysterious creature called the Loch Ness monster. We tell about an operation for childbirth. And we tell about a way for developing countries to get medical information from the Internet computer system.
((THEME))
VOICE ONE:
Many groups of people have ancient stories about huge frightening creatures called (1)monsters. However, the existence of such animals has never been proven scientifically. One of the most well-known mystery animals is the Loch Ness monster. It is said to live in a lake in (2)Scotland² called Loch Ness. For years, people have searched and studied the lake. But they have never found any unusual creature.
Now, an Italian scientist may have finally discovered what makes the Loch Ness monster seem to appear. Luigi Piccardi says (3)earthquakes under the lake cause the waters to roll and shake strongly. This makes people believe there is a huge powerful animal in the water.
Mister³ Piccardi presented his study of the Loch Ness monster at a geology⁴ conference in Edinburgh, Scotland recently. He studies the (4)origin, history and (5)structure of the Earth. Mister Piccardi uses the science of geology to help explain (6)ancient traditional stories.
VOICE TWO:
The scientist says the first known writing about the Loch Ness monster was in the seventh century. The document (7)described a terrible animal that arrived "with a strong shaking" and left "shaking herself." Mister Piccardi explains that Loch Ness is directly over an active (8)fault line. This line is the (9)division between two pieces of the Earth.
An earthquake happens when these pieces move against each other. The quake happens along the fault line. These movements of the Earth cause loud noises. The quakes also cause the water to shake strongly. Mister Piccardi says this may be why ancient people said there was a monster under the water.
VOICE ONE:
An American scientist disagrees. Robert Rines is the head of the (10)Academy of (11)Applied Science in Concord⁵, New Hampshire. He says Mister Piccardi's theory does not explain every (12)sighting of the Loch Ness monster. Mister Rines says that in Nineteen-Seventy-Two, he saw an animal in the Scottish lake that looked like the back of an elephant.
The scientist led a team to study the lake in Nineteen-Ninety-Seven. They used sound waves to search Loch Ness. Mister Rines says they recorded something in the water. He began another larger study of Loch Ness with expert underwater scientists last month. He says they are using the most modern underwater (13)equipment in the world.
Other scientists have used strong lights and underwater (14)cameras to search for the Loch Ness monster. But they have found no strong (15)evidence of the creature.
VOICE TWO:
Some scientists agreed that earthquakes are the most believable (16)explanation of the Loch Ness monster mystery. They say geology has been used to explain other ancient stories. For example, the Jewish⁶ and Christian⁷ holy book, the Bible⁸, includes a story of a flood that covered the whole Earth. A man named Noah was one of the few people who survived. Scientists say there was a real (17)flood in the Black Sea area that explains that ancient story.
Mister Piccardi also has studied ancient religious places around the (18)Mediterranean Sea. He says (19)similar stories of monsters are linked to places where earthquakes and other earth movements have happened. This scientific explanation may end the mystery that has interested people for such a long time.
((MUSIC BRIDGE))
VOICE ONE:
You are listening to the Special English program SCIENCE IN THE NEWS on VOA. This is Bob Doughty with Steve Ember in Washington.
((MUSIC BRIDGE))
A new study suggests that women who have given birth by a medical operation called a (20)cesarean section may want to use that method in later (21)pregnancies⁹.
A cesarean section is also called a c-section. It is an operation to remove the baby through a cut in the woman's (22)abdomen. A doctor may (23)perform a c-section when the baby is not in the right position to come through the (24)vagina. A woman may also have a c-section if she is not (25)progressing fast enough in the childbirth process. Or a doctor may perform a c-section if there are signs that the health of the baby or mother is in danger.
VOICE TWO:
The New England (26)Journal of Medicine published the new study about cesarean sections. Scientists examined the hospital records of about twenty-thousand women in the state of Washington. The records were from Nineteen-Eighty-Seven to Nineteen-Ninety-Six. All the women had given birth to their first child by a cesarean section. The women also had a second child during the same time period.
The study said women who attempted a vaginal birth after a c-section were three times as likely to suffer a (27)tear in their (28)uterus as those who had a second c-section. The rate was fifteen times as high among women who were given (29)hormones to help ready the uterus for labor¹⁰.
VOICE ONE:
For many years, doctors believed that women who had c-sections should always repeat the operation for later pregnancies. Doctors thought the healed¹¹ cut from the first operation would weaken¹² the uterus. They believed that the labor of childbirth could cause the uterus to tear. This condition is rare but extremely dangerous. It can kill the mother, the child, or both.
However, in the Nineteen-Eighties, support grew for (30)attempting a vaginal birth after a c-section. Studies then suggested that women could safely have a vaginal birth after having an earlier c-section.
((MUSIC BRIDGE))
VOICE TWO:
Six major publishers have announced an agreement to provide developing countries with medical publications¹³ on the Internet computer system. The agreement includes about one thousand of the top medical publications in the world. Some of the six publishers also plan to place medical books on the Internet in a similar way.
The World Health Organization asked the publishers to take the action so doctors and researchers in poor countries could (31)improve health care in their nations. The agreement is expected to help at least six-hundred institutions in one-hundred developing countries. These include (32)universities, medical schools, hospitals and research centers. The program also includes teaching¹⁴ people how to find the medical information using a computer. It will go into (33)effect in January.
VOICE ONE:
Scientific (34)magazines have published medical research for more than fifty years. But many medical schools in developing countries cannot get the publications. One W-H-O official says most American medical schools get one thousand or more publications. Most medical schools in developing countries get fewer than one hundred.
One reason is cost. Most scientific publications cost between two hundred and one-thousand-five-hundred dollars a year. Some cost even more. An extreme example is the magazine "(35)Brain Research." It costs seventeen-thousand dollars a year. It is among the publications included under the new agreement. More than sixty of the poorest countries will receive the publications on the Internet for free. More than thirty other countries will pay a reduced cost for the scientific magazines.
VOICE TWO:
The publications will be on the Internet in a special place being created by the W-H-O. It will (36)guarantee security¹⁵ and provide search tools. The W-H-O also is concerned that some countries still will not be able to get the information because they do not have computers.
(37)Officials say they are working on a plan to solve that problem. They plan to ask (38)technology companies for help in providing more computers for researchers in developing countries.
W-H-O director Gro Harlem Brundtland says the agreement is the biggest step ever taken to (39)equalize health information among rich and poor countries.
((THEME))
VOICE ONE:
This SCIENCE IN THE NEWS program was written by Doreen Baingana, Caty Weaver¹⁶ and Nancy Steinbach. It was produced by Cynthia Kirk. This is Bob Doughty.
VOICE TWO:
And this is Steve Ember. Join us again next week for more news about science in Special English on the Voice of America.

(1)  monster [mRnst[] n. 怪物, 妖怪
(2)  Scotland [skRtl[nd] n. 苏格兰(英国的一部分,在不列颠北部)
(3) earthquake [5E:Wkweik] n. 地震, [喻]在震荡, 在变动
(4) origin [RriVin] n. 起源, 由来, 起因, 出身, 血统, [数]原点
(5) structure [strQktF[] n. 结构, 构造, 建筑物; vt. 建筑, 构成, 组织
(6) ancient [eiF[nt] adj. 远古的, 旧的
(7)  describe [di'skraib] vt. 描写, 记述, 形容, 形容; v. 描述
(8)  fault [fR:lt] n. 过错, 缺点, 故障, 毛病; vt. 挑剔
(9) division [di'viV([)n] n. 分开, 分割, 区分, 除法, 公司, (军事)师, 分配, 分界线
(10)  academy [['kAd[mi] n. (高等)专科院校, 研究院, 学会, 学术团体, 学院
(11)  Applied Science n.应用科学
(12) sight [sait] n. 视力, 视觉, 见, 瞥见, 视域, 眼界
(13) equipment [i'kwipm[nt] n. 装备, 设备, 器材, 装置, 铁道车辆,
(14) camera [kAm[r[] n. 照相机
(15) evidence [e'vid[ns] n. 明显, 显著, 明白, 迹象, 根据, [物]证据, 证物
(16) explanation [ekspl['neiF([)n] n. 解释, 解说, 说明, 辩解, 互相讲明
(17) flood [flQd] n. 洪水, 水灾, (因雨)涨潮, [诗]水; vt. 淹没, 使泛滥, 注满,
(18) Mediterranean [medit['reini[n] n. 地中海,地中海沿岸的居民; adj. 地中海的,
(19) similar [simil[] adj. 相似的, 类似的
(20) cesarean [si'ze[ri[n] adj. 凯撒的, 皇帝的
(21) pregnancy [pregn[nsi] n. 怀孕
(22) abdomen [Abd[m[n] n. 腹, 腹部
(23) perform [p[:'fRm] vt. 履行, 执行, 表演, 演出; v. 完成任务
(24) vagina [v['dVain[] [动]鞘, [解]阴道, [植]叶鞘
(25) progress [prRgres] n. 前进, 进步, 发展; vi. 前进, 进步, 进行
(26) journal [5dVE:nl] n. 定期刊物, 杂志, 航海日记, 分类账
(27) tear [te[] vi. 流泪, 撕破, 猛冲, 飞奔, 被撕破; vt. 扯, 撕, 撕破, 戳破,
(28) uterus [jU:t[r[s] n. [解]子宫
(29) hormone [hR:m[Jn] n. 荷尔蒙, 激素
(30) attempt [['tempt] n. 努力, 尝试, 企图; vt. 尝试, 企图
(31) improve [im'pru:v] v. 改善, 改进
(32) universities [jUni'v:siti] n. (综合)大学
(33) effect [i'fekt] n. 结果, 效果, 作用, 影响, (在视听方面给人流下的)印象;
(34) magazine [mAg['zi:n] n. 杂志, 期刊, 军火库, 弹药库, (枪、炮的)弹仓, 胶卷盒
(35)  brain [brein] n. 脑, 头脑
(36)  guarantee [gAr[n'ti] n. 保证, 保证书, 担保, 抵押品; vt. 保证, 担保
(37) official [['fiF([)l] n. 官员, 公务员; adj. 职务上的, 公务的, 官方的, 正式的
(38) technology [tek'nRl[dVi] n. 工艺, 科技, 技术
(39) equalize [i:kw[laiz] vt. 使相等, 补偿

 

1 doughty   

adj.勇猛的，坚强的

参考例句：

• Most of successful men have the characteristics of contumacy and doughty.绝大多数成功人士都有共同的特质：脾气倔强，性格刚强。
• The doughty old man battled his illness with fierce determination.坚强的老人用巨大毅力与疾病作斗争。

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 mister   

n.(略作Mr.全称很少用于书面)先生

参考例句：

• Mister Smith is my good friend.史密斯先生是我的好朋友。
• He styled himself " Mister Clean ".他自称是“清廉先生”。

4 geology   

n.地质学，（某地）地质

参考例句：

• The students went to study the geology of that region.学生们去研究那个地区的地质情况。
• In his lecture on geology,he touched on the subject of climate.他在关于地质学的报告中，也涉及气候问题。

5 concord   

n.和谐；协调

参考例句：

• These states had lived in concord for centuries.这些国家几个世纪以来一直和睦相处。
• His speech did nothing for racial concord.他的讲话对种族和谐没有作用。

6 Jewish   

adj.犹太人的，犹太民族的

参考例句：

• The coin bears a Jewish symbol.硬币上有犹太标记。
• They were two Jewish kids;I was friendly with both of them.他们是两个犹太小孩；我同他们都很要好。

7 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

8 bible   

n.《圣经》；得到权威支持的典籍

参考例句：

• According to the Bible we are all the seed of Adam.根据《圣经》所说的，我们都是亚当的后裔。
• This dictionary should be your Bible when studying English.学习英语时，这本字典应是你的主要参考书。

9 pregnancies   

怀孕，妊娠( pregnancy的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Since the wartime population needed replenishment, pregnancies were a good sign. 最后一桩倒不失为好现象，战时人口正该补充。
• She's had three pregnancies in four years. 她在四年中怀孕叁次。

10 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

11 healed   

v.（使）愈合( heal的过去式和过去分词 )；治愈；（使）结束；较容易忍受

参考例句：

• The surgeon healed the soldier's bullet wound in the leg. 医生治好了那位士兵腿部的枪伤。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The doctor applied an unguent to the wound,which speedily healed it. 医生给伤口涂了些油膏，伤口很快就愈合了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 weaken   

v.(使)变弱，(使)虚弱

参考例句：

• You can weaken the tea by adding water.你可以加水把茶弄得淡一些。
• We never weaken our efforts in face of difficulties.我们在困难面前从不软化我们的努力。

13 publications   

n.发表( publication的名词复数 )；公布；出版；出版物

参考例句：

• The related publications are far too numerous to list individually. 相关出版物太多，没法一一列举。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• A detailed list of our publications is available on request. 我们的出版物有一份详细的目录备索。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 teaching   

n.教学，执教，任教，讲授；(复数)教诲

参考例句：

• We all agree in adopting the new teaching method. 我们一致同意采取新的教学方法。
• He created a new system of teaching foreign languages.他创造了一种新的外语教学体系。

15 security   

n.安全，安全感；防护措施；保证(金)，抵押(品)；债券，证券

参考例句：

• A security guard brought him down with a flying tackle.一名保安人员飞身把他抱倒。
• There was tight security at the airport when the President's plane landed.总统的专机降落时，机场的保安措施很严密。

16 weaver   

n.织布工；编织者

参考例句：

• She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快，而且布的质量很好。
• The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。