Screen Test

    1. Every year millions of women are screened with X-rays to pick up signs of breast cancer. If this happens early enough, the disease can often be treated successfully. According to a, survey published last year, 21 countries have screening programmes. Nine of them,  including Australia,Canada, theUSandSpain, screen women under 50.

    2. But the medical benefits of screening these younger women are controversial, partly because the radiation brings a small risk of inducing cancer. Also, younger women must be given higher doses of X-rays because their breast tissue is denser.

    3. Researchers at the Polytechnic University¹ of Valencia analysed the effect of screening more than 160, 000 women at 11 local clinics. After estimating the women’s cumulative dose of radiation, they used two models to calculate the number of extra cancers this would cause.

    4. The mathematical model recommended byBritain’s National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB)predicted that the screening programme would cause 36 cancers per 100,000 women, 18 of them fatal. The model preferred by the UN Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation led to a lower figure of 20 cancers.

    5. The researchers argue that the level of radiation-induced cancers is “not very significant” compared to the far larger number of cancers that are discovered and treated. TheValenciaprogramme, they say, detects between 300 and 450 cases of breast cancer in every 100,000 women screened.

    6. But they point out that the risk of women contracting cancer from radiation could be reduced by between 40 and 80 percent if screening began at 50 instead of 45, because they would be exposed to less radiation. The results of their study, they suggest, could help “optimise the technique” for breast cancer screening.

    7. “There is a trade-off between the diagnostic benefits of breast screening and its risks,” admits Michael Clark of the NRPB. But he warns that the study should be interpreted with caution. “On the basis of the current data, for every 10 cancers successfully detected and prevented there is a risk of causing one later in life. That’s why radiation exposure should be minimised in any screening programme.”

词汇：

polytechnic / ,pɒlɪ’teknɪk/ adj．多工艺的

cumulative / ’kju:mjʊlətɪv/ adj．递增的

radiological / ,reɪdɪəʊ’lɒdʒɪk / adj．放射性的

contract / ’kɒntrækt/ vt．感染

optimise /’ɒptɪmaɪz / vt．最大限度地完善

trade-off [ˈtreɪdɔ:f] n．平衡

注释：

Polytechnic University:理工大学

B harmful

C save a life

D still open to debate

E reduce the risk of radiation triggering a cancer

Advantages of screening women under 50 are________________.

A:A B:B C:C D:D E:E F:F

The Safeness of IUDs¹ for HIV-positive² Women

    1. Women infected with the most common form of HIV may safely use the intrauterine device (IUD)for contraception, provided they see a doctor regularly, new study findings suggest.

    2. World Health Organization guidelines currently state that, in general, HIV-infected women should avoid IUDs. “Those guidelines were essentially made on theoretical concerns, and there are really very little data on what contraceptive is appropriate for HIV-infected women,³” said the lead author Dr. Charles S. Morrison in North Carolina⁴.

    3. Morrison and colleagues gathered information on IUD-related complications at 1, 4 and 24 months after placement of the device in 636 women living in Nairobi, Kenya⁵. Of these women, 156 had HIV infection. Participating physicians did not know the patients’ HIV status. There was “little difference in any side effects in HIV-infected women compared with HIV-uninfected women, suggesting that the IUD is likely an appropriate method for HIV-infected women,” Morrison said. “This is an important issue, because there are now 16 million women living with HIV and a lot of them have a critical need for contraception,” he added.

    4. The researchers did find⁶ that women with infections such as gonorrhea or chlamydia at the study’s outset were at increased risk of IUD complications, confirming current guidelines suggesting that women with sexually transmitted diseases not use IUDs.⁷

    5. In addition, there was no difference in the amount of virus the HIV-positive women were releasing from their cervix, or shedding⁸, at the beginning of the study compared with 4 months after the IUD was inserted, the researchers reported in the August issue of the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. Conversely, some studies have shown a relationship between increased cervical HIV shedding and the use of oral contraceptives.

    6. “What this study suggests is that you need to avoid IUD use in women with a cervical infection but not women with HIV infection,”Morrison said. “Women with cervical infections are at increased risk of complications: women with HIV infection are not.”

词汇：

intrauterine/ˌintrəˈju:tərin/ adj.子宫内的

outset/ˈautset/ n.开头，最初

contraception/ˌkɔntrəˈsepʃən/ n.节育，避孕

cervix/ˈsɜ:vɪks/ n.颈，宫颈(pl. cervices 或 cervixes)

contraceptive/ˌkɔntrəˈseptɪv/ adj.避孕的;  n.避孕工具，避孕药物

shedding/ˈʃediŋ/ n.脱落物

complication/ˌkɔmpliˈkeiʃən/n. 并发症

obstetrics/ɔbˈstetrɪks，əb-/n. 产科学

gonorrhea/ˌɡɔnəˈri:ə/n. 淋病

gyn(a)ecology/ˌgaɪnəˈkɒlədʒi/ n. 妇科学

chlamydia/kləˈmidiə/ n. 衣原体(pl. chlamydiae)

cervical/ˈsə:vikəl/ adj. 颈的（如宫颈的）

注释:

1.IUD = IUCD (为intrauterine contraceptive device的首字母缩写)：宫内节育器

2.HIV-positive：人类免疫缺陷病毒检查阳性HIV为human immunodeficiency virus 的首字母缩写。

3. ... and there are really very little data... for HIV-infected women...: 有关什么样的避孕物品适合于感染了人类免疫缺陷病毒妇女，资料真的很少……本句中what引导的从句是on的宾语从句。

4.North Carolina：北卡罗来纳州

5.Nairobi, Kenya：肯尼亚的内罗毕

6.  ...did find...：的确发现了……did在这里用做强调的助动词。例如：Do be careful! 一定要细心！He did accomplish the task in time.他的确按时完成了任务。

7. ... confirming current guidelines... not use IUDs. ……这就进一步证实了现行指南的意见，即患有性传播疾病的妇女不应该使用宫内节育器。本句中confirming是分词，作结果状语。suggesting也是分词，作current guidelines的定语。suggesting后面that引导的是宾语从句，其谓语使用了虚拟语气，等于should not use。

B if they go to see the doctor at regular intervals

C  what a relationship between increased cervical HIV shedding and the use of oral contraceptives

D that sexually transmitted diseases may increase the risk of IUD complications

E if they are HIV carriers

According to current guidelines, women should not use IUDs ______.

A:A B:B C:C D:D E:E F:F

The Safeness of IUDs¹ for HIV-positive² Women

    1. Women infected with the most common form of HIV may safely use the intrauterine device (IUD)for contraception, provided they see a doctor regularly, new study findings suggest.

    2. World Health Organization guidelines currently state that, in general, HIV-infected women should avoid IUDs. “Those guidelines were essentially made on theoretical concerns, and there are really very little data on what contraceptive is appropriate for HIV-infected women,³” said the lead author Dr. Charles S. Morrison in North Carolina⁴.

    3. Morrison and colleagues gathered information on IUD-related complications at 1, 4 and 24 months after placement of the device in 636 women living in Nairobi, Kenya⁵. Of these women, 156 had HIV infection. Participating physicians did not know the patients’ HIV status. There was “little difference in any side effects in HIV-infected women compared with HIV-uninfected women, suggesting that the IUD is likely an appropriate method for HIV-infected women,” Morrison said. “This is an important issue, because there are now 16 million women living with HIV and a lot of them have a critical need for contraception,” he added.

    4. The researchers did find⁶ that women with infections such as gonorrhea or chlamydia at the study’s outset were at increased risk of IUD complications, confirming current guidelines suggesting that women with sexually transmitted diseases not use IUDs.⁷

    5. In addition, there was no difference in the amount of virus the HIV-positive women were releasing from their cervix, or shedding⁸, at the beginning of the study compared with 4 months after the IUD was inserted, the researchers reported in the August issue of the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. Conversely, some studies have shown a relationship between increased cervical HIV shedding and the use of oral contraceptives.

    6. “What this study suggests is that you need to avoid IUD use in women with a cervical infection but not women with HIV infection,”Morrison said. “Women with cervical infections are at increased risk of complications: women with HIV infection are not.”

词汇：

intrauterine/ˌintrəˈju:tərin/ adj.子宫内的

outset/ˈautset/ n.开头，最初

contraception/ˌkɔntrəˈsepʃən/ n.节育，避孕

cervix/ˈsɜ:vɪks/ n.颈，宫颈(pl. cervices 或 cervixes)

contraceptive/ˌkɔntrəˈseptɪv/ adj.避孕的;  n.避孕工具，避孕药物

shedding/ˈʃediŋ/ n.脱落物

complication/ˌkɔmpliˈkeiʃən/n. 并发症

obstetrics/ɔbˈstetrɪks，əb-/n. 产科学

gonorrhea/ˌɡɔnəˈri:ə/n. 淋病

gyn(a)ecology/ˌgaɪnəˈkɒlədʒi/ n. 妇科学

chlamydia/kləˈmidiə/ n. 衣原体(pl. chlamydiae)

cervical/ˈsə:vikəl/ adj. 颈的（如宫颈的）

注释:

1.IUD = IUCD (为intrauterine contraceptive device的首字母缩写)：宫内节育器

2.HIV-positive：人类免疫缺陷病毒检查阳性HIV为human immunodeficiency virus 的首字母缩写。

3. ... and there are really very little data... for HIV-infected women...: 有关什么样的避孕物品适合于感染了人类免疫缺陷病毒妇女，资料真的很少……本句中what引导的从句是on的宾语从句。

4.North Carolina：北卡罗来纳州

5.Nairobi, Kenya：肯尼亚的内罗毕

6.  ...did find...：的确发现了……did在这里用做强调的助动词。例如：Do be careful! 一定要细心！He did accomplish the task in time.他的确按时完成了任务。

7. ... confirming current guidelines... not use IUDs. ……这就进一步证实了现行指南的意见，即患有性传播疾病的妇女不应该使用宫内节育器。本句中confirming是分词，作结果状语。suggesting也是分词，作current guidelines的定语。suggesting后面that引导的是宾语从句，其谓语使用了虚拟语气，等于should not use。

B if they go to see the doctor at regular intervals

C  what a relationship between increased cervical HIV shedding and the use of oral contraceptives

D that sexually transmitted diseases may increase the risk of IUD complications

E if they are HIV carriers

The new study maintains that the IUD is a safe contraceptive method for HIV-infected women ______.

A:A B:B C:C D:D E:E F:F

Pregnant Women Warned About ACE¹ Inhibitor

    1. Some of the most commonly used medicines for high blood pressure are drugs called ACE inhibitors. Doctors have given these drugs to patients for twenty-five years. A government study in the United Statesfound that the use almost doubled between 1995 and 2000.

    2. Doctors have known for years that women should not take ACE inhibitors during the last six months of pregnancy. The medicine can injure the baby. ACE inhibitors, though, have been considered safe when taken during the first three months. But a New study has found that women who take these drugs early in their pregnancy still increase the risk of birth disorders². The study shows that, compared to others, their babies were almost three times as likely to be born with major problems.³ These included problems with the formation of the brain and nervous system and holes in the heart.

    3. The researchers say they found no increased risk in women who took other blood pressure medicines during the first three months. Researchers atVanderbiltUniversityinTennesseeandBostonUniversitydid the study. The New England Journal of Medicine⁴ published the results. The researchers studied the records of almost thirty thousand births between 1985 and 2000. Two hundred nine babies were born to women who took ACE inhibitors during the first three months of their pregnancies. Eighteen of the babies, or almost nine percent, had major disorders.

    4. ACE inhibitors are often given to patients with diabetes. But diabetes during pregnancy can result in birth defects. So the study did not include any women known to be diabetic⁵. ACE inhibitors suppress a protein called angiotensin-converting enzyme, or ACE. This enzyme produces a chemical in the body that makes blood passages narrow. The drugs increase the flow of blood so pressure is reduced.

    5. New drugs are tested on pregnant animals to see if they might cause birth defects in humans. But experts say these tests are not always dependable. The United States Food and Drug Administration⁶ helped pay for the study. The F. D. A. says women who might become pregnant should talk with their doctor about other ways to treat high blood pressure.

词汇：

pregnant /"pregnənt/ adj.怀孕的

warn /wɔːn/ vt.警告

inhibitor /ɪn"hɪbɪtə/n. 抑制剂

pregnancy /"pregnənsɪ/ n.怀孕

diabetes ( = diabetes mellitus) /,daɪə"biːtiːz/ n.糖尿病

diabetic /daɪə"betɪk/ adj.糖尿病的；n.糖尿病患者

suppress /sə"pres/ vt.抑制

protein /"prəʊtiːn/ n.蛋白（质)

dependable /dɪ"pendəb(ə)l/ adj.可靠的

注释：

1.ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme):血管紧张肽转化酶

2.birth disorders:先天性疾病

3.The study shows that, compared to others, their babies were almost three times as likely to be born with major problems.这项研究表明,与其他婴儿相比,这些婴儿在出生时患大病的可能性几乎是他们的三倍。problem在医学文献中常常用来指疾病。

4.New England Journal Medicine:《新英格兰医学杂志》。New England是美国东北六州(Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island 和Connecticut)的总称。

5.birth defect ( = congenital defect):先天性缺陷,先天性缺损

B for pregnant women to take during their last six months of pregnancies

C that their likelihood to suffer major problems is two times higher than other babies

D with their doctors about how to treat their problems

E because diabetes during pregnancy may sometimes lead to birth defects

F. though their mothers took ACE inhibitors during their first three months of pregnancies

FDA. suggests that pregnant women with high blood pressure should consult ____________.

A:A B:B C:C D:D E:E F:F

Screen Test

    1. Every year millions of women are screened with X-rays to pick up signs of breast cancer. If this happens early enough, the disease can often be treated successfully. According to a, survey published last year, 21 countries have screening programmes. Nine of them,  including Australia,Canada, theUSandSpain, screen women under 50.

    2. But the medical benefits of screening these younger women are controversial, partly because the radiation brings a small risk of inducing cancer. Also, younger women must be given higher doses of X-rays because their breast tissue is denser.

    3. Researchers at the Polytechnic University¹ of Valencia analysed the effect of screening more than 160, 000 women at 11 local clinics. After estimating the women’s cumulative dose of radiation, they used two models to calculate the number of extra cancers this would cause.

    4. The mathematical model recommended byBritain’s National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB)predicted that the screening programme would cause 36 cancers per 100,000 women, 18 of them fatal. The model preferred by the UN Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation led to a lower figure of 20 cancers.

    5. The researchers argue that the level of radiation-induced cancers is “not very significant” compared to the far larger number of cancers that are discovered and treated. TheValenciaprogramme, they say, detects between 300 and 450 cases of breast cancer in every 100,000 women screened.

    6. But they point out that the risk of women contracting cancer from radiation could be reduced by between 40 and 80 percent if screening began at 50 instead of 45, because they would be exposed to less radiation. The results of their study, they suggest, could help “optimise the technique” for breast cancer screening.

    7. “There is a trade-off between the diagnostic benefits of breast screening and its risks,” admits Michael Clark of the NRPB. But he warns that the study should be interpreted with caution. “On the basis of the current data, for every 10 cancers successfully detected and prevented there is a risk of causing one later in life. That’s why radiation exposure should be minimised in any screening programme.”

词汇：

polytechnic / ,pɒlɪ’teknɪk/ adj．多工艺的

cumulative / ’kju:mjʊlətɪv/ adj．递增的

radiological / ,reɪdɪəʊ’lɒdʒɪk / adj．放射性的

contract / ’kɒntrækt/ vt．感染

optimise /’ɒptɪmaɪz / vt．最大限度地完善

trade-off [ˈtreɪdɔ:f] n．平衡

注释：

Polytechnic University:理工大学

B harmful

C save a life

D still open to debate

E reduce the risk of radiation triggering a cancer

Advantages of screening women under 50 are________________.

A:A B:B C:C D:D E:E F:F

Screen Test

    1. Every year millions of women are screened with X-rays to pick up signs of breast cancer. If this happens early enough, the disease can often be treated successfully. According to a, survey published last year, 21 countries have screening programmes.  Nine of them, including Australia,Canada, theUSandSpain, screen women under 50.

    2. But the medical benefits of screening these younger women are controversial, partly because the radiation brings a small risk of inducing cancer. Also, younger women must be given higher doses of X-rays because their breast tissue is denser.

    3. Researchers at the Polytechnic University¹ of Valencia analysed the effect of screening more than 160, 000 women at 11 local clinics. After estimating the women’s cumulative dose of radiation, they used two models to calculate the number of extra cancers this would cause.

    4. The mathematical model recommended byBritain’s National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB)predicted that the screening programme would cause 36 cancers per 100,000 women, 18 of them fatal. The model preferred by the UN Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation led to a lower figure of 20 cancers.

    5. The researchers argue that the level of radiation-induced cancers is “not very significant” compared to the far larger number of cancers that are discovered and treated. TheValenciaprogramme, they say, detects between 300 and 450 cases of breast cancer in every 100,000 women screened.

    6. But they point out that the risk of women contracting cancer from radiation could be reduced by between 40 and 80 percent if screening began at 50 instead of 45, because they would be exposed to less radiation. The results of their study, they suggest, could help “optimise the technique” for breast cancer screening.

    7. “There is a trade-off between the diagnostic benefits of breast screening and its risks,” admits Michael Clark of the NRPB. But he warns that the study should be interpreted with caution. “On the basis of the current data, for every 10 cancers successfully detected and prevented there is a risk of causing one later in life. That’s why radiation exposure should be minimised in any screening programme.”

词汇：

polytechnic /,pɒlɪ"teknɪk/ adj.多工艺的

cumulative /"kjuːmjʊlətɪv/ adj.递增的

radiological /redɪo"lɑdʒɪkəl/ adj.放射性的

contract /"kɒntrækt/ vt.感染

optimize /"ɑptɪmaɪz/ vt.最大限度地完善

trade-off n.平衡

注释：

B harmful

C save a life

D still open to debate

E reduce the risk of radiation triggering a cancer

Advantages of screening women under 50 are________________.

A:A B:B C:C D:D E:E F:F

Screen Test

    1. Every year millions of women are screened with X-rays to pick up signs of breast cancer. If this happens early enough, the disease can often be treated successfully. According to a, survey published last year, 21 countries have screening programmes.  Nine of them, including Australia,Canada, theUSandSpain, screen women under 50.

    2. But the medical benefits of screening these younger women are controversial, partly because the radiation brings a small risk of inducing cancer. Also, younger women must be given higher doses of X-rays because their breast tissue is denser.

    3. Researchers at the Polytechnic University¹ of Valencia analysed the effect of screening more than 160, 000 women at 11 local clinics. After estimating the women’s cumulative dose of radiation, they used two models to calculate the number of extra cancers this would cause.

    4. The mathematical model recommended byBritain’s National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB)predicted that the screening programme would cause 36 cancers per 100,000 women, 18 of them fatal. The model preferred by the UN Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation led to a lower figure of 20 cancers.

    5. The researchers argue that the level of radiation-induced cancers is “not very significant” compared to the far larger number of cancers that are discovered and treated. TheValenciaprogramme, they say, detects between 300 and 450 cases of breast cancer in every 100,000 women screened.

    6. But they point out that the risk of women contracting cancer from radiation could be reduced by between 40 and 80 percent if screening began at 50 instead of 45, because they would be exposed to less radiation. The results of their study, they suggest, could help “optimise the technique” for breast cancer screening.

    7. “There is a trade-off between the diagnostic benefits of breast screening and its risks,” admits Michael Clark of the NRPB. But he warns that the study should be interpreted with caution. “On the basis of the current data, for every 10 cancers successfully detected and prevented there is a risk of causing one later in life. That’s why radiation exposure should be minimised in any screening programme.”

词汇：

polytechnic /,pɒlɪ"teknɪk/ adj.多工艺的

cumulative /"kjuːmjʊlətɪv/ adj.递增的

radiological /redɪo"lɑdʒɪkəl/ adj.放射性的

contract /"kɒntrækt/ vt.感染

optimize /"ɑptɪmaɪz/ vt.最大限度地完善

trade-off n.平衡

注释：

B harmful

C save a life

D still open to debate

E reduce the risk of radiation triggering a cancer

Advantages of screening women under 50 are________________.

A:A B:B C:C D:D E:E F:F