新托福听写训练 第24期

Listen to a conversation in a physiology¹ seminar. The professor and the students are discussing bio-feedback.

P:The focus of our conversation today is bio-feedback. Basically it's the technical in which patients are able to monitor their own body function. What it does is to monitor physiological² changes in a patient that he or she would necessarily be conscious of. Generally speaking, these change are someone negative nature like rates of hear beat or mussel tension and are most often induced by stress. And once the patients become aware of the changes, they can learn to control them. It's a relatively³ new therapy

n. may possible by technology.

M:But what the technology have to do with this? It isn't obvious when someone is tense and

has rapid heart beat.

P:Well, some changes are very subtle and happen faster than the human can monitor alone.

M:So how is someone made aware of this physiological changes?

P:Well, the patient is hooked up to a machine. And it needs either a beep or a flashing light in response to…well like I said:mussel tension or rapid heart beat. And the beep or whatever signal to patient.

W:Would you say that this is kind of physiological conditioning. That it tried to change person behavior by negative reinforcement. So you are forced to relax because you are afraid the machine would feedback to you?

P:You are certainly not far off, but your example isn't quite right. I think the goal is to become more aware of what happen to your body when reacting to the stress. If you are aware of it, you have a greater degree to control over it. And theoretically, you can minimize it. And result is similar. You learn at least in case of stress disorders⁵ to control tension in your body.

W:Is bio-feedback used only for stress disorder⁴?

P:No, it has lots of other applications. But right now, stress is what most successful treat. Interestingly, biofeedback is over weighted when they first came out in 1960. People claim that it could be used to control all kinds of things, like abnormally high blood pressure, severe hard condition what have you, I didn't turn out exactly to be true.

M:Do you think biofeedback will ever be used to treat other conditions thus successfully as has stress?

P:Good question. Now I've heard that some researchers are looking into the possibility that might someday be used to help certain paralysis⁶ people recover to use their arms, their legs. But that's quick away off.

1 physiology   

n.生理学，生理机能

参考例句：

• He bought a book about physiology.他买了一本生理学方面的书。
• He was awarded the Nobel Prize for achievements in physiology.他因生理学方面的建树而被授予诺贝尔奖。

2 physiological   

adj.生理学的，生理学上的

参考例句：

• He bought a physiological book.他买了一本生理学方面的书。
• Every individual has a physiological requirement for each nutrient.每个人对每种营养成分都有一种生理上的需要。

3 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

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 paralysis   

n.麻痹(症)；瘫痪(症)

参考例句：

• The paralysis affects his right leg and he can only walk with difficulty.他右腿瘫痪步履维艰。
• The paralysis affects his right leg and he can only walk with difficulty.他右腿瘫痪步履维艰。