英语听力—环球英语 520 Treating Tuberculosis

　　Voice 1
Hello. I’m Marina Santee.
Voice 2
And I’m Ruby¹ Jones. Welcome to Spotlight². This programme uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 3
Every second, someone, somewhere develops it.
Voice 4
One third of the world’s population is infected with its bacteria.
Voice 3
Every minute, three people die from it.
Voice 4
But - there is a drug powerful enough to stop it.
Voice 1
What is it? TB, tuberculosis³. TB is a disease caused by bacteria. The bacteria is called bacilli. It can attack any part of the body. But usually it attacks the lungs. It restricts the oxygen supply. TB often results in pneumonia⁴. In the end, a person dies because oxygen can no longer travel around the body.
Voice 2
However, usually the body is able to fight TB bacteria to stop them growing. The immune system, the body’s natural defense⁵ system, prevents the bacteria from harming the body. The bacteria remain alive in the body, but they do not do anything. This is called TB infection. A person with TB infection cannot spread the bacteria. And they do not feel or act like they are sick. But the infection may develop into the TB disease at any time. It may happen when the immune system is weaker. For example, it may happen when a person has another sickness, like malaria⁶, or HIV. The TB bacteria grow and develop into the disease.
Voice 1
When someone has the TB disease they can spread it to other people. TB in the lungs or throat can be very infectious. The bacteria can spread easily to other people. It spreads in the same way as the common cold - through the air. A person coughs, or sneezes. People nearby breathe in the TB bacteria. And then they become infected.
Voice 2
A person with the TB disease needs treatment. If he does not get it, he can infect another ten to fifteen people each year. And, the sad truth is that many people do not get the treatment they need. So they do infect other people. The people closest to them are most at risk - such as family members.
Voice 1
Kheair lives in the Sindh area of Southeast Pakistan. Two of his children had TB. He said,
Voice 3
‘When my children were first sick we went to the hospital. We spent a lot of money on treatment. We went to specialist doctors. I spent everything. I used to have a business and a store. Now, all I have left is this home.’
Voice 2
Doctors gave Kheair’s children drugs to treat TB. After three months Kheair had no more money. The doctors said the children could stop the treatment. But the World Health Organisation⁷ says that TB patients must take the drugs for eight months - not three. The doctors did not tell Kheair this. Maybe they did not know. So the TB bacteria did not die. Instead, the bacteria changed - developed. It became stronger. Now, drugs would not be able to kill the bacteria. The disease would be able to ‘resist’ the drugs. It would become ‘drug resistant⁸.’ Both of Kheair’s children died. But before they died they infected their sister Sangita. They also passed it to her brother Santosh.
Voice 1
Kheair did not know what to do. He did not have any more money for treatment. He heard about a church-based TB control programme. Aid group Tear Fund supports it. The programme offers people free treatment. So Kheair went to speak to them. And they were willing to help him.
Kheair’s children began treatment immediately. He said that his son Santosh is reacting well to the drugs. But the future does not look as hopeful for Sangita. Kheair said,
Voice 3
‘Sangita has had three treatments of drugs. And they have failed three times. She seems to be resistant. And she will die from TB.’
Voice 1
Imrose is the chief medical worker at the church-based project. He explained,
Voice 5
‘There is a resistant TB bacteria in Sangita. It may spread through the family. They only have two rooms. They all sleep together there. Kheair knows that he may lose another child. And he is very worried. Sangita is only eighteen. And she may die soon.’
Voice 2
Imrose has deep care and concern for his patients, like Sangita. He says,
Voice 3
‘Before my work I pray with my team for my patients. I also pray with my patients - three or four times a day.’
Voice 1
Imrose loves to help patients like Sangita with their physical needs. But he also cares about their emotional and spiritual needs. He says,
Voice 3
‘My Christian⁹ faith is very helpful in my work.’
Voice 1
Imrose and the other workers would like to make TB a disease of the past. It is not an impossible desire. There is an effective drug for TB. And it is powerful enough to destroy the disease.
Voice 2
The drug is called antibiotic¹⁰ streptomycin. Nobel scientists developed this drug in the nineteen forties. In 1944 doctors tried and tested the drug. On November the twentieth of that year, they gave the drug to a patient with severe TB. The bacteria disappeared! The patient fully¹¹ recovered! It was the first time a drug had beaten the killer¹² disease! It was life saving news. But this discovery did not reach poorer nations of the world. And over 50 years later, it still has not. The international community has reacted very slowly to the TB crisis in the developing world.
Voice 1
Why is this? Maybe it is the cost - and not just the cost of the treatment. Some people say there is also a personal cost. There is a risk in helping¹³ people with TB. Doctor Bill McKelvie is head of the TB control programme in the Sindh area. He said,
Voice 5
‘We see the danger of intervening. That is all part of reaching and touching¹⁴ people. You cannot do this work from a distance. You must get close to people. And if you are not willing to do that, there is nothing you can do for them.’
Voice 2
Doctor Bill McKelvie compares TB with the infectious skin disease leprosy. He says both diseases begin with the same bacteria - they have the same root. And people with both diseases receive hostile treatment. Doctor McKelvie talks of the way Jesus acted with lepers in the Christian Bible. He says,
Voice 5
‘People considered lepers to be unclean. They had to cover their faces and shout, “Unclean.” Jesus reached out and touched the man with leprosy. He made him clean. Too often we are not willing to do this. Jesus did not have to touch the man. He can cure from a distance. Yet for this person, it was not just the cleansing¹⁵, the curing of the disease. It was also the reaching out and touching. I want to be like Jesus. I want to reach out and touch these people.’
‘People die of TB. And they do not need to. It is a totally curable disease. The only reason we have so many deaths is that people do not care enough. They do not make sure that sufferers get the treatment they require. From the Christian beliefs of love and mercy, you just cannot let these people die.’
 

1 ruby   

n.红宝石，红宝石色

参考例句：

• She is wearing a small ruby earring.她戴着一枚红宝石小耳环。
• On the handle of his sword sat the biggest ruby in the world.他的剑柄上镶有一颗世上最大的红宝石。

2 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

3 tuberculosis   

n.结核病，肺结核

参考例句：

• People used to go to special health spring to recover from tuberculosis.人们常去温泉疗养胜地治疗肺结核。
• Tuberculosis is a curable disease.肺结核是一种可治愈的病。

4 pneumonia   

n.肺炎

参考例句：

• Cage was struck with pneumonia in her youth.凯奇年轻时得过肺炎。
• Pneumonia carried him off last week.肺炎上星期夺去了他的生命。

5 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

6 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。

7 organisation   

n.组织，安排，团体，有机休

参考例句：

• The method of his organisation work is worth commending.他的组织工作的方法值得称道。
• His application for membership of the organisation was rejected.他想要加入该组织的申请遭到了拒绝。

8 resistant   

adj.(to)抵抗的，有抵抗力的

参考例句：

• Many pests are resistant to the insecticide.许多害虫对这种杀虫剂有抵抗力。
• They imposed their government by force on the resistant population.他们以武力把自己的统治强加在持反抗态度的人民头上。

9 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。

10 antibiotic   

adj.抗菌的；n.抗生素

参考例句：

• The doctor said that I should take some antibiotic.医生说我应该服些用抗生素。
• Antibiotic can be used against infection.抗菌素可以用来防止感染。

11 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

12 killer   

n.杀人者，杀人犯，杀手，屠杀者

参考例句：

• Heart attacks have become Britain's No.1 killer disease.心脏病已成为英国的头号致命疾病。
• The bulk of the evidence points to him as her killer.大量证据证明是他杀死她的。

13 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

14 touching   

adj.动人的，使人感伤的

参考例句：

• It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。
• His letter was touching.他的信很感人。

15 cleansing   

n. 净化(垃圾) adj. 清洁用的 动词cleanse的现在分词

参考例句：

• medicated cleansing pads for sensitive skin 敏感皮肤药物清洗棉
• Soap is not the only cleansing agent. 肥皂并不是唯一的清洁剂。