人教高中英语高二上UNIT7-3

The numbers are frightening: in 2002 more than 40 million people in the world were living with HIV or AIDS. Of these, about 3 million were children and more than 11 million were between 15 and 24. Since the first case was discovered in 1981, nearly 24 million people have died of AIDS and about 3 million people die of the disease¹ every year. Each year, more than 5 million people become infected with the virus².
        The situation is especially difficult in Sub-Saharan Africa. According³ to the United⁴ Nations, there are 640 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa, and almost 27 million are infected with the virus. Of all the AIDS deaths to date, 16 million, or 66.7%, have been in Africa and in 2002 there were 3.5 million new infections⁵. HIV / AIDS is spreading fast -- more than 3 million Africans become infected every year -- and most countries do not have enough money to prevent and treat the disease. About 2.5 million Africans die of AIDS every year and tens of millions more will die soon if nothing is done. Millions of children lose their parents and families lose their ability to make enough money to survive. The effect of AIDS is so strong that many African countries are almost being destroyed by the disease. If these numbers were to grow, the future of Africa might be in danger.
        As with many diseases⁶, children seem to suffer the most from AIDS. About 2 million African children have HIV / AIDS. Even if they themselves are not infected, the disease can ruin their lives. They may have to care for sick relatives and are often unable to go to school. Living with a parent or parents who have AIDS is painful and difficult. Because the parents cannot work, the children may not have enough food and must help take care of the family. If a child is indeed infected, he or she often has to keep the disease a secret. If people were more understanding, the lives of these children could be improved. One of the most important things we must do is to make sure that children who are affected⁷ by the disease receive the help and care that they need.
       The good news is that it is still not too late to protect the poor against the worst effects of HIV /AIDS. By providing education, health care and wider access to medicines, the spread of the disease can be slowed down and the effects can be reduced. In some parts of Sub-Saharan Africa, the fight against the virus is beginning to show results. In areas where powerful⁸ action has been taken, there are fewer new infections and better care for the victims⁹ of the disease. Great challenges¹⁰ remain, of course: prevention¹¹ efforts and the treatment, care and support of those who are suffering from the disease must continue.
       More than 90% of Africans have not acquired¹² HIV/AIDS. What we must do now is to make sure that they do not become infected in the future. It is especially important to protect young people from the disease. We must also treat and care for the millions of Africans who are living with the disease. We must also understand that HIV / AIDS is a global¹³ problem. The disease may have hit Sub-Saharan Africa harder than other areas, but the disease is still spreading and we must all be part of the fight against the virus. If more is done, the situation will improve. It seems unlikely¹⁴ that AIDS will ever disappear. We hope for a cure and new discoveries, but the fact seems to be that we must all learn to live with HIV / AIDS.

1 disease   

n.疾病，弊端

参考例句：

• The doctors are trying to stamp out the disease.医生正在尽力消灭这种疾病。
• He fought against the disease for a long time.他同疾病做了长时间的斗争。

2 virus   

n.病毒，滤过性微生物，毒害，恶毒；（一个能够复制、感染其他程序或破坏操作系统的程序）

参考例句：

• He is suffering from a virus infection.他受到病毒感染。
• There is a virus going round the world.世界上流行着一种病毒性疾病。

3 according   

adj.按照，根据

参考例句：

• According to the Bible we are all the seed of Adam.根据《圣经》所说的，我们都是亚当的后裔。
• We must cut our coat according to our cloth this year.今年我们必须学会量入为出。

4 united   

adj.和谐的；团结的；联合的，统一的

参考例句：

• The whole nation is closely united.全国人民紧密团结。
• The two men were united by community of interests.共同的利益使两个人结合在一起。

5 infections   

传染，感染( infection的名词复数 )； 传染病

参考例句：

• rising rates of MRSA infections in hospitals 医院中抗甲氧西林金黄色葡萄球菌感染病例不断增长的发生率
• Malnourished children are more likely to succumb to infections. 营养不良的儿童更有可能死于感染。

6 diseases   

n.疾病( disease的名词复数 )；弊端；恶疾；痼疾

参考例句：

• Smoking is a causative factor in several major diseases. 抽烟是引起几种严重疾病的病因。
• The illness frequently coexists with other chronic diseases. 这种病往往与其他慢性病同时存在。

7 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

8 powerful   

adj.有力的，有权力的，强大的

参考例句：

• The UN began to get more and more powerful.联合国开始变得越来越强大了。
• Such are the most powerful voices of our times!这些就是我们时代的最有力的声音！

9 victims   

n.牺牲者( victim的名词复数 )；牺牲品；受骗者；为祭祀杀死的动物（或人）

参考例句：

• Many charities sent money to help the victims of the famine. 许多慈善机构捐款赈济饥民。
• victims of child abuse 受虐待的儿童

10 challenges   

n.挑战( challenge的名词复数 )；要求；（警卫等）查问口令；怀疑

参考例句：

• Many challenges, abroad and at home, have arrived in a single season. 国内和国外的众多挑战出现在同一个时刻。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• The new democracies face tough challenges. 这些新兴的民主国家面临着严峻挑战。 来自辞典例句

11 prevention   

n.阻止，妨碍，预防

参考例句：

• They have begun to do the prevention of crime.他们已经开始防止犯罪行为。
• Prevention of forest fires is up to you.森林防火是你们的责任。

12 acquired   

adj.（尤指靠自己的努力或行动）获得的；习得的；后天的；起初不喜欢但后来逐渐培养的爱好v.获得( acquire的过去式和过去分词 )；（使用探测器）捕获（目标）；取得；（计算机、机器人等）捕捉

参考例句：

• She has acquired a good knowledge of English. 她英语已经学得很好。
• The company has recently acquired new offices in central London. 公司最近在伦敦市中心弄到了新的办公室。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 global   

adj.全球的；球形的；世界的

参考例句：

• A global environmental meeting is going to be held here.一个全球环境会议将在这里举行。
• The report takes a global view of the company's problems.这份报告对公司的问题作了综合性的论述。

14 unlikely   

adj.未必的，多半不可能的；不大可能发生的

参考例句：

• It was very unlikely that he would do that.他不见得会做那种事。
• It is unlikely that she will come. 她不大可能来了。