VOA慢速英语 2007 0508b

VOICE ONE:

This is SCIENCE IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English. I'm Barbara Klein.

VOICE TWO:

And I'm Steve Ember. On our program this week, we will tell how fishing for sharks may affect other sea animals. We will also tell about a newly identified large cat and warnings for drugs to treat sleep disorders². And, we will report on a proposed system for measuring harmful substances.

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VOICE ONE:

 
Shark fins⁴ are sold in the Chinatown area of Los Angeles. Demand has grown for shark fin³ soup, which can cost more than $100 a bowl.
Several recent studies have linked human activities to reduced numbers of sharks in the world's oceans. Scientists now say a sharp decrease in the number of large sharks in the Atlantic Ocean has helped some kinds of fish. They say such fish are now threatening other sea animals.

Canadian and American scientists studied the effects of people fishing for sharks in the Northwest Atlantic over the past thirty-five years. Results of their studies were published in Science magazine.

The scientists say one effect of shark fishing has been an estimated ninety-nine percent decrease in some shark populations. They say the loss of larger sharks has caused a population explosion among fish like skates and rays. Such fish and smaller sharks have increased in number along the east coast of the United States.

Sharks usually eat skates and rays. The scientists say these fish feed on shellfish, which are disappearing from the ocean. They say other sea animals are also being threatened by the area's changing environment.

VOICE TWO:

Demand for shark fins has been rising in Asia. Shark fins are used for medical purposes and also for food. The popularity of shark-fin soup in China has made the demand for these animals greater.

For one of the studies, scientists from Canada examined information from private fishing companies and other research projects. They noted⁵ a sharp decrease in eleven kinds of great sharks since the nineteen-eighties.

One of the scientists was Julia Baum of Dalhousie University. She says the World Conservation Union earlier this year listed great hammerhead and scalloped hammerhead sharks as being in danger of disappearing. The group also reported the dusky and sandbar sharks as being threatened.

 Other scientists agree that the shark population decrease may be linked to the increase of smaller fish. But they say the decrease in sharks is not the only cause. They debate how much the decrease has affected⁶ other fish species. Other theories for these changes include pollution and loss of native waters for some animals.

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VOICE ONE:

Environmental activists⁷ recently announced the discovery of a new kind of clouded leopard⁸. The wildlife group W.W.F. says the new species is found on the Southeast Asian islands of Borneo and Sumatra.

Until now, the clouded leopards⁹ there were believed to be the same as those living on the Asian mainland. Yet tests of genetic¹⁰ material show the animals are, in fact, very different. The two species of clouded leopard also have physical differences. Scientists found they have different markings, and different colors over their skin.

VOICE TWO:

The Bornean clouded leopard is the largest animal hunter on Borneo. On Sumatra, only the Sumatran tiger is larger. The new species of clouded leopard has the longest canine¹¹ teeth for its size of any cat. It hunts lizards¹², monkeys, and small deer.

Researchers believe the clouded leopard of Borneo may have separated from the mainland population more than one million years ago. Genetic tests have shown about forty differences between the two species.

Researchers estimate that between five thousand and eleven thousand clouded leopards live in the rain forest called the Heart of Borneo.

VOICE ONE:

Stuart Chapman is the W.W.F. international coordinator¹³ for the Heart of Borneo program. The program is aimed at protecting plant and animal life in on the island. Mister Chapman says biologists have seen the clouded leopard of Borneo for more than a century and not known it was different. He says identification of the new species shows the importance of protecting the Heart of Borneo. The biggest threat to these large cats is the destruction of the areas where they live.

The discovery of the clouded leopard comes weeks after the W.W.F. reported that scientists had identified at least fifty-two new plant and animals species on Borneo.

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VOICE TWO:
 
 
Tobacco was listed ninth in a recent study of most dangerous drugs
A British study has found that alcohol and tobacco products are more dangerous than some illegal substances. The study identified alcoholic¹⁴ drinks and tobacco as more harmful than illegal drugs like marijuana or ecstasy¹⁵.

David Nutt of Bristol University in Britain and other researchers produced the study. They proposed a system for listing harmful substances. The system is based on evidence of the harm created for the user and for other people. Results of the study were published in The Lancet magazine.

The researchers proposed three ways to measure the possible harm that a substance causes. The first measure is the physical harm to the user. The second is the ability of the drug to create a sense of dependence¹⁶ in the user. The third is the effect of a drug's use on the community.

VOICE ONE:

The researchers asked two groups of experts to create lists of the most dangerous drugs. The experts included psychiatrists¹⁷ who study drug dependence, and legal or police officials with scientific knowledge. The experts were asked to consider twenty drugs, including cocaine¹⁸, ecstasy, and heroin¹⁹. Study organizers then combined the two lists to create general ratings of each substance.

The experts generally agreed with each other. However, they did not agree with Britain's current rating system for dangerous substances.

The experts agreed that the most dangerous of the twenty substances was heroin. Cocaine was the second most dangerous. Drinking alcohol was the fifth-most harmful on the combined lists. Smoking tobacco was ninth on the combined lists. Marijuana was eleventh. And, ecstasy was near the bottom of the list.

Professor Nutt says he hopes that the study will create a debate within Britain and other areas about how these drugs should be controlled.

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VOICE TWO:

The United States Food and Drug Administration has ordered companies to place strong warnings on thirteen drugs that treat sleep disorders. It also ordered the makers²⁰ of the sleeping drugs to provide information for patients explaining how to safely use the pills.

The F.D.A. announced in March that some of the drugs can have unexpected and dangerous effects. These include the risk of life-threatening allergic²¹ reactions. They also include rare incidents of strange behavior. These include people cooking food, eating and even driving while asleep. The patients later had no memory of doing these activities while asleep. 

VOICE ONE:

Last year, a member of the United States Congress said he had a sleep-driving incident. Patrick Kennedy, a representative from Rhode Island, crashed his car into a security barrier near the building where lawmakers meet. The accident happened in the middle of the night and no one was hurt. Mister Kennedy said he had earlier taken a sleep medicine. He asaid he was also being treated with a stomach sickness drug that can cause sleepiness.

A Food and Drug Administration official said the serious side effects of sleep disorder¹ drugs appear to be rare. But, he also said there are probably more cases than are reported. He said the agency believes the risk of such behaviors could be reduced if people take the drugs as directed and do not drink alcohol while taking the drugs.

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VOICE TWO:

This SCIENCE IN THE NEWS program was written by Caty Weaver²² and Brianna Blake, who also was our producer. I’m Steve Ember.

VOICE ONE:

And I’m Barbara Klein.  Join us again next week for more news about science in Special English on the Voice of America.

1 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。

2 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》

3 fin   

n.鳍；(飞机的)安定翼

参考例句：

• They swim using a small fin on their back.它们用背上的小鳍游动。
• The aircraft has a long tail fin.那架飞机有一个长长的尾翼。

4 fins   

[医]散热片；鱼鳍；飞边；鸭掌

参考例句：

• The level of TNF-α positively correlated with BMI,FPG,HbA1C,TG,FINS and IRI,but not with SBP and DBP. TNF-α水平与BMI、FPG、HbA1C、TG、FINS和IRI呈显著正相关，与SBP、DBP无相关。 来自互联网
• Fins are a feature specific to fish. 鱼鳍是鱼类特有的特征。 来自辞典例句

5 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

6 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。

7 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 leopard   

n.豹

参考例句：

• I saw a man in a leopard skin yesterday.我昨天看见一个穿着豹皮的男人。
• The leopard's skin is marked with black spots.豹皮上有黑色斑点。

9 leopards   

n.豹( leopard的名词复数 )；本性难移

参考例句：

• Lions, tigers and leopards are all cats. 狮、虎和豹都是猫科动物。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• For example, airlines never ship leopards and canaries on the same flight. 例如，飞机上从来不会同时运送豹和金丝雀。 来自英语晨读30分（初三）

10 genetic   

adj.遗传的，遗传学的

参考例句：

• It's very difficult to treat genetic diseases.遗传性疾病治疗起来很困难。
• Each daughter cell can receive a full complement of the genetic information.每个子细胞可以收到遗传信息的一个完全补偿物。

11 canine   

adj.犬的，犬科的

参考例句：

• The fox is a canine animal.狐狸是犬科动物。
• Herbivorous animals have very small canine teeth,or none.食草动物的犬牙很小或者没有。

12 lizards   

n.蜥蜴( lizard的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Nothing lives in Pompeii except crickets and beetles and lizards. 在庞培城里除了蟋蟀、甲壳虫和蜥蜴外，没有别的生物。 来自辞典例句
• Can lizards reproduce their tails? 蜥蜴的尾巴断了以后能再生吗？ 来自辞典例句

13 coordinator   

n.协调人

参考例句：

• The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, headed by the Emergency Relief Coordinator, coordinates all UN emergency relief. 联合国人道主义事务协调厅在紧急救济协调员领导下，负责协调联合国的所有紧急救济工作。
• How am I supposed to find the client-relations coordinator? 我怎么才能找到客户关系协调员的办公室？

14 alcoholic   

adj.（含）酒精的，由酒精引起的；n.酗酒者

参考例句：

• The alcoholic strength of brandy far exceeds that of wine.白兰地的酒精浓度远远超过葡萄酒。
• Alcoholic drinks act as a poison to a child.酒精饮料对小孩犹如毒药。

15 ecstasy   

n.狂喜，心醉神怡，入迷

参考例句：

• He listened to the music with ecstasy.他听音乐听得入了神。
• Speechless with ecstasy,the little boys gazed at the toys.小孩注视着那些玩具，高兴得说不出话来。

16 dependence   

n.依靠，依赖；信任，信赖；隶属

参考例句：

• Doctors keep trying to break her dependence of the drug.医生们尽力使她戒除毒瘾。
• He was freed from financial dependence on his parents.他在经济上摆脱了对父母的依赖。

17 psychiatrists   

n.精神病专家，精神病医生( psychiatrist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They are psychiatrists in good standing. 他们是合格的精神病医生。 来自辞典例句
• Some psychiatrists have patients who grow almost alarmed at how congenial they suddenly feel. 有些精神分析学家发现，他们的某些病人在突然感到惬意的时候几乎会兴奋起来。 来自名作英译部分

18 cocaine   

n.可卡因，古柯碱（用作局部麻醉剂）

参考例句：

• That young man is a cocaine addict.那个年轻人吸食可卡因成瘾。
• Don't have cocaine abusively.不可滥服古柯碱。

19 heroin   

n.海洛因

参考例句：

• Customs have made their biggest ever seizure of heroin.海关查获了有史以来最大的一批海洛因。
• Heroin has been smuggled out by sea.海洛因已从海上偷运出境。

20 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

21 allergic   

adj.过敏的，变态的

参考例句：

• Alice is allergic to the fur of cats.艾丽斯对猫的皮毛过敏。
• Many people are allergic to airborne pollutants such as pollen.许多人对空气传播的污染物过敏，比如花粉。

22 weaver   

n.织布工；编织者

参考例句：

• She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快，而且布的质量很好。
• The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。