英语听力文摘 English Digest 693 摇头丸会对大脑产生怎样的作用？

What Does Ecstasy¹ Do To Your Brain?

If you’ve read or heard the news you’ve probably heard about a drug called ecstasy, or “e” for short. Favored by users for its intensely pleasurable high, and condemned² by the government for the neurological harm it can cause, ecstasy has become the drug of choice for many.

So just what is ecstasy, and what does it do?

Ecstasy directly affects serotonin, a brain chemical involved in many functions, including regulating emotions. Happiness, for instance, is caused in part by the release of serotonin in the brain.

Ecstasy forces brain cells to unleash³ all their serotonin at once, effectively flooding the brain with a substance that causes intense feelings of happiness. Ecstasy users report feeling incredibly happy and carefree for up to six hours on the strength of one pill.

Non-Addictive? Not True!

Although advocates claim that the drug is non-addictive, in truth it is far from harmless. Overloading⁴ the brain with serotonin makes the user feel great for a while, but after all the serotonin is used up and the high wears off, depression can set in.

What’s worse, besides regulating emotions, serotonin also helps control body temperature. Since many ecstasy users attend raves⁵, or all-night dance parties, lack of temperature control can lead to dangerous overheating. And what’s even more troubling is that by forcing cells to secrete⁶ serotonin, ecstasy reshapes those cells. Because the change in shape may be permanent, some scientists fear that prolonged ecstasy use causes brain damage.

Temporary Fix

So although ecstasy may sound great, the risks really outweigh⁷ the temporary pleasures.

Want to be happy? Great. But you won’t find lasting⁸ happiness in a six hour fix.

1 ecstasy   

n.狂喜，心醉神怡，入迷

参考例句：

• He listened to the music with ecstasy.他听音乐听得入了神。
• Speechless with ecstasy,the little boys gazed at the toys.小孩注视着那些玩具，高兴得说不出话来。

2 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

3 unleash   

vt.发泄，发出；解带子放开

参考例句：

• They hope to create allies to unleash against diseases,pests,and invasive species.他们希望创造出一些新群体来对付疾病、害虫和一些有侵害性的物种。
• Changing water levels now at times unleash a miasma of disease from exposed sewage.如今，大坝不时地改变水位，从暴露的污水释放出了疾病瘴气。

4 overloading   

过载，超载，过负载

参考例句：

• Enables multiple users to search the site without overloading the server. 使多个用户搜索网站，而无需超载的服务器上。
• The driver got stripped down again for overloading his trunk. 那位卡车司机因为超载又受到责备。

5 raves   

n.狂欢晚会( rave的名词复数 )v.胡言乱语( rave的第三人称单数 )；愤怒地说；咆哮；痴心地说

参考例句：

• She raves about that singer. 她醉心地谈论那位歌手。 来自辞典例句
• His new play received raves in the paper. 他的新剧本在报纸上受到赞扬。 来自辞典例句

6 secrete   

vt.分泌；隐匿，使隐秘

参考例句：

• The pores of your body secrete sweat.身上的毛孔分泌汗液。
• Squirrels secrete a supply of nuts for winter.松鼠为准备过冬而藏坚果。

7 outweigh   

vt.比...更重，...更重要

参考例句：

• The merits of your plan outweigh the defects.你制定的计划其优点胜过缺点。
• One's merits outweigh one's short-comings.功大于过。

8 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。