VOA慢速英语--冰桶挑战捐款帮助发现致病基因

AS IT IS 2016-07-28 ‘Ice Bucket Challenge’ Results in ALS Discovery 冰桶挑战捐款帮助发现致病基因

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Do you remember the Ice Bucket Challenge in 2014?

Just in case you do not, here is a little history.

Two years ago, some people dared friends to pour a bucket filled with ice water over their heads. If the friends refused, they were required to donate money to help finance research into a brain disease. Most of them took the cold water and donated money, too.

Many people recorded themselves getting covered with freezing water. They posted the videos on social media websites, such as YouTube. Then they dared others to pass the challenge.

As the campaign grew in popularity, sports stars, politicians and media celebrities¹ got involved. Lots of other people did, too. Eventually, the campaign raised over $100 million for an organization called the ALS Association.

ALS is short for amyotrophic lateral² sclerosis. Doctors first recognized the brain disease in the 1800s. ALS became known across the United States in 1939 when baseball star Lou Gehrig retired³ from the New York Yankees because of the condition.

ALS affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal⁴ cord. Eventually, patients cannot control their muscles. They become paralyzed. Most patients will die within five years after they develop the disease.

Earlier this week, the ALS Association announced that money raised by the Ice Bucket Challenge financed a discovery.

Researchers working on a project called MinE announced they identified a gene⁵ that is partly responsible for the disease. The gene is called NEK1.

The study involved researchers from 11 countries. They looked at the NEK1 gene and found that it was present in ALS patients whose parents also suffered from the disease.

One of the doctors involved said “the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge enabled us to secure funding from new sources in new parts of the world.”

Words in This Story

dare – v. to tell (someone) to do something especially as a way of showing courage

challenge – n. a difficult task or problem : something that is hard to do

paralyze – v. to make (a person or animal) unable to move or feel all or part of the body

1 celebrities   

n.（尤指娱乐界的）名人( celebrity的名词复数 )；名流；名声；名誉

参考例句：

• He only invited A-list celebrities to his parties. 他只邀请头等名流参加他的聚会。
• a TV chat show full of B-list celebrities 由众多二流人物参加的电视访谈节目

2 lateral   

adj.侧面的，旁边的

参考例句：

• An airfoil that controls lateral motion.能够控制横向飞行的机翼。
• Mr.Dawson walked into the court from a lateral door.道森先生从一个侧面的门走进法庭。

3 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

4 spinal   

adj.针的，尖刺的，尖刺状突起的；adj.脊骨的，脊髓的

参考例句：

• After three days in Japan,the spinal column becomes extraordinarily flexible.在日本三天，就已经使脊椎骨变得富有弹性了。
• Your spinal column is made up of 24 movable vertebrae.你的脊柱由24个活动的脊椎骨构成。

5 gene   

n.遗传因子，基因

参考例句：

• A single gene may have many effects.单一基因可能具有很多种效应。
• The targeting of gene therapy has been paid close attention.其中基因治疗的靶向性是值得密切关注的问题之一。