练习 | CNN 新闻:A Miserable Flu Season

练习 | CNN 新闻:A Miserable Flu Season

1.4分钟 2655 156wpm

令人烦恼的流感季。

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CNN 新闻:A Miserable Flu Season
新型流感病毒

燕山大学 刘立军 宋葳 编写

◆TRANSCRIPT


H1N1 and H3N2 are examples of what?

Asteroids, flu strains, chicken breeds or robots?

With an H4 hemagglutinin and an N4 neuraminidase, these are examples of strains of the flu.

AZUZ: And a flu strain circulating in the U.S. this year, like the one that hit Australia last year, is a nasty one. Widespread flu activities are being reported in every part of the continental U.S. at the same time. This is the first year that`s happened in the 13 years that the Centers of Disease Control has been monitoring the flu.

One reason: these year`s vaccine doesn`t appear to be very effective against the actual flu virus that`s spreading.

Experts predict it will be about 30 percent effective. In recent years, the vaccine has been 40 and 50 percent effective, though there was an exception in the 2014 to 2015 season when the vaccine was only 19 percent effective, according to the CDC. And "The New York Times" reports that this season is looking a lot like that one.

The hopeful news is that experts think the flu season maybe hitting its worst point and that it`s starting to level off. But it takes weeks for flu activity that actually slow down.

Adapted from 流感季

◆VOCABULARY

1. hemagglutinin n. 红细胞凝聚素; 血凝素

2. neuraminidase n. 神经氨(糖)酸苷酶,唾液酸苷酶

3. level off: to stay at a steady level of development or progress after a period of sharp rises or falls (经过急剧的涨落后)保持平稳发展。例如:Sales have levelled off after a period of rapid growth.   
销售经过一段时间的快速增长后呈稳定状态。

4. slow down: (使) 放慢; (使) 减速 If something slows down or if something slows it down, it starts to move or happen more slowly.

◆QUESTIONS
Listen to the news and choose the best answer to each question you hear.


(Q1) According to the CDC, what's the percentage of the “effectiveness” of the vaccine in the 2014 to 2015 season?

(A) Only 19 percent.
(B) About 30 percent.
(C) About 40 percent.
(D) About 50 percent.

(Q2) What's the good news of the flu season according to the experts?
(A) It's moving to Australia.
(B) It's disappearing in New York.
(C) It's starting to level off.
(D) It's starting to slow down.

◆KEY

(Q1) A。细节题。命题出处:Experts predict it will be about 30 percent effective. In recent years, the vaccine has been 40 and 50 percent effective, though there was an exception in the 2014 to 2015 season when the vaccine was only 19 percent effective, according to the CDC.

(Q2) C。细节题。命题出处:The hopeful news is that experts think the flu season maybe hitting its worst point and that it`s starting to level off. But it takes weeks for flu activity that actually slow down.

  • 时长:1.4分钟
  • 语速:156wpm
  • 来源:刘立军 宋葳 2018-03-29