CNN 2012-04-04

 It's Friday. I'm Carl Azuz. This is CNN student news.

 

Earlier this week, we ask you to discuss your memory method. Remember that? Well, today we are going to share some of what you have to say.

 

First up, though, the governor of Colorado has suspended any controlled burns in the state. That's when a fire is set on purpose to clear away brush. The governor made that decision because of this. It's a wild fire in the area near Denver, started out as a controlled burn, but erupted into something much larger. Firefighters have brought thousands of gallons of chemicals on the fire, trying to get the thing under control. Two people have died because of it. Dozens of houses have been destroyed or damaged. A family shot this video as it escaped from the fire. It might look like the middle of the night. It's actually during the day. The smoke from the fire is what made things so dark. And you can see the differences as the car gets past the flames. The whole family made it out okay.

 

From Colorado we are heading to Afghanistan. Last week, US military convoy¹ was driving through a province in the northeastern part of Afghanistan. Some kids were in the road. So a few of the soldiers got out of their vehicles to move the kids out of the way. Denis W was one of those soldiers. He noticed a vehicle moving toward an Afghan girl who went back to pick something up in the road. W grabbed² the girl, got her out of the way, saved her life and sacrificed his. W was a member of the Rhode Island National Guard. The state is honoring him by flying its flag at half staff until his funeral on Monday.

 

Our next stop is the North Sea, which separates the United Kingdom from part of Europe. Nearly 240 workers had to be taken off an oil rig³ there because of a leak, but not an oil leak. It was a gas leak. Officials say it seems to have started when workers were sealing a well in the North Sea. The danger with the gas leak is that gas catches fire more easily than oil does. Yesterday, experts were considering whether to wait for the gas to stop leaking on its own or whether they should drill a relief well or try to plug up the leak.

 

Just the Facts. Autism refers to a series of developmental disorders⁵. These usually appear in children before they are three years old. Children with autism generally struggle with social interaction, language and behavior. There isn't a cure for autism, but treatment has been shown to offer significant help.

 

Doctors haven't identified any one specific thing that causes autism, because it's a series of disorders and because no two children with autism are alike. There're probably many possible causes. According to a new report, doctors do know that the number of children with aurism is increasing. Doctor SG explores how the numbers have changed, why it's significant and what might be some of the reasons for the increase.

 

Frankie S is a ninth grader who loves to play chess on his iPad. And he is trying to pass the test for his drivers' permit. Frankie also has autism. As you may know, that's a neural⁶ developmental disorder⁴ that affects language, behaviour and social skills. Boys make up the vast majority of cases. What you may not know is that 12 years ago, the centers for disease control and prevention began to estimate the total number of cases in the United States. They based it on account of 8-year-old children with autism in select communities. If you look back in the years 2000 and 2002, it was about 1 child in 150 with autism. Two years later, 1 in 125. Then, 1 in 110. And now the latest report, as in 2008, the last time, an estimate was performed, 1 in 88 children has autism. That's a 78 percent increase just over the last decade. And the question on a lot of people's minds is why.

 

"How much of that increase is a result of better tracking, and how much of it is a result of actual increase? We still don't know."

 

Researchers have discovered many genes⁷ linked to autism. But in most cases, genes are only one part of the equation⁸. And genes alone wouldn't change that fast in just 10 years. There are something else that triggers⁹ the problem.

 

"We are talking about infections. We are talking about social conditions. And we are talking about exposures to toxicants, things in the environment."

 

Researchers are still looking for answers. But what they do know is that diagnosing¹⁰ children early is critical. As was the case with Frankie S.

 

"Frankie was diagnosed¹² when he was 15 months old. He immediately began to get speech therapy and occupational therapy and physical therapy. He was placed in a group with kids who were typically developing."

 

All that hard work is paying off. Frankie is now 15. He attends a regular high school and plays on the football team.

 

"We can diagnose¹¹ autism at two years of age almost always by 90 percent of the children by three certainly. And we actually can diagnose at 18 months in many children."

 

But according to this new report, most cases are diagnosed late after age 2 or 3. That's when therapies __ shown to help the most, especially with speech and communication.

1 convoy   

vt.护送，护卫，护航；n.护送；护送队

参考例句：

• The convoy was snowed up on the main road.护送队被大雪困在干路上了。
• Warships will accompany the convoy across the Atlantic.战舰将护送该船队过大西洋。

2 grabbed   

v.抢先，抢占( grab的过去式和过去分词 )；（尤指匆忙地）取；攫取；（尤指自私、贪婪地）捞取

参考例句：

• He was grabbed by two men and frogmarched out of the hall. 他被两个男人紧抓双臂押出大厅。
• She grabbed the child's hand and ran. 她抓住孩子的手就跑。

3 rig   

n.装备，帆具，服装；v. 装配，装扮，垄断

参考例句：

• They rig their domestic markets in favour of local businesses.他们操纵国内市场以使当地企业受益。
• Our camping rig includes cooking pots and sleeping bags.我们的野营装备包括锅子和睡袋。

4 disorder   

n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调

参考例句：

• When returning back,he discovered the room to be in disorder.回家后，他发现屋子里乱七八糟。
• It contained a vast number of letters in great disorder.里面七零八落地装着许多信件。

5 disorders   

n.混乱( disorder的名词复数 )；凌乱；骚乱；（身心、机能）失调

参考例句：

• Reports of anorexia and other eating disorders are on the increase. 据报告，厌食症和其他饮食方面的功能紊乱发生率正在不断增长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The announcement led to violent civil disorders. 这项宣布引起剧烈的骚乱。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 neural   

adj.神经的，神经系统的

参考例句：

• The neural network can preferably solve the non- linear problem.利用神经网络建模可以较好地解决非线性问题。
• The information transmission in neural system depends on neurotransmitters.信息传递的神经途径有赖于神经递质。

7 genes   

n.基因( gene的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• You have good genes from your parents, so you should live a long time. 你从父母那儿获得优良的基因，所以能够活得很长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Differences will help to reveal the functions of the genes. 它们间的差异将会帮助我们揭开基因多种功能。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 生物技术的世纪

8 equation   

n.方程式，等式，等同

参考例句：

• The solution can be expressed by a mathematical equation.答案可用一个数学方程式来表示。
• This equation is known as the ideal gas law.这个等式被叫做理想气体定律。

9 triggers   

（枪）扳机( trigger的名词复数 )； 引爆器； 扳柄； [电子学]起动线路

参考例句：

• The rapid movement of an object towards the eye triggers the blink reflex. 快速朝眼前移动物体，就会引起眨眼反应。
• Some people say that violent movies are potential triggers for juvenile delinquency. 一些人说暴力影片可能引起青少年犯罪。

10 diagnosing   

诊断( diagnose的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The conference also heard reports on improved methods of diagnosing cancers. 会议还听取了关于诊断癌症新方法的报告。
• One should be alert to involvement of other organ systems in diagnosing these entities. 诊断这些疾病时，应警惕其它器官系统受到连累。

11 diagnose   

vt.诊断，判断

参考例句：

• It provides a new method for early diagnose of breast cancer.为临床早期诊断乳腺癌提供一个新的检查手段。
• What more will you want to know to diagnose this problem?要弄清这个问题，你还需要知道些什么？

12 diagnosed   

诊断( diagnose的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Some foetal malformations cannot be diagnosed until late in pregnancy. 有些胎儿的畸形部位得等到妊娠后期才能诊断出来。
• He diagnosed the trouble that caused the engine to knock. 他找出了引擎咔咔响的毛病所在。