句子译文：发表在《神经病学档案》杂志上的一项涉及4740名参加者的重大研究成果显示，每天同时大剂量服用这两种维生素（至少400国际单位维生素E和500毫克以上的维生素C）能大幅度降低阿尔茨海默病的患病几率，降低幅度为78%。

② Patients who were being treated with donepezil (sold as Aricept), an older drug that preserves the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, were also given memantine (Namenda), a new drug approved by the FDA last October that blocks overproduction of a harmful brain chemical called glutamate.

主体句式：Patients… were also given memantine.

结构分析：该句的难点有两个。其一是本句医学词汇多，影响理解。针对这一问题，重要的是不要勉强自己去理解每个单词的意思，而是要努力理解句子的主旨。其二是句子结构复杂而且句子长。who were being treated with donepezil (sold as Aricept), an older drug that preserves the neurotransmitter acetylcholine修饰Patients，作它的定语从句，而其中的an older drug that preserves the neurotransmitter acetylcholine是donepezil (sold as Aricept）的同位语，解释其功能；后半句中关键词memantine (Namenda）也带有一个长长的同位语a new drug… glutamate，介绍这种新药的基本情况。

句子译文：患者在服用保护神经传递乙酰胆碱的donepezil (药品销售名称为Aricept）的同时服用美国食品及药物管理局去年刚刚批准的一种用于抑制有害大脑的化学物质——谷氨酸盐——过剩的药物memantine (药品销售名称是Namenda）。





题目分析


1. B 推理题。该题主要考查对第一段主旨思想的理解。第一段主要是引入下文的研究新成果，因此，主旨句是最后一句：There's still no cure in sight, but there is progress on several fronts. 其他干扰项涉及本段其他句子的意义理解。

2. D 语义题。从“stave off ”后的“at least in folks who haven't already developed the disorder”可知，该短语指的是“起到预防作用”。

3. D 推理题。第三段第五至六行“The two drugs worked even better in combination than they did alone”是理解本题的关键。首先需要根据上下文理解这两种药品指：Aricept and Namenda；其次，要理解in combination的意思，其意为“结合”，在本句中指“同时使用两种药物”，再次要理解第三段第二行“help slow down the disease”中的disease 在第二段中曾被指为disorder。

4. A 细节题。从第四段最后一句“Using the new technique, doctors may be able to begin treatment long before the first symptoms appear.”可以推断出这种新技术能使医生及早诊断和治疗阿尔茨海默病。从第四段第三、四两行“… to see telltale plaque deposits. Before now, doctors could not track the progress of these plaques until after the patient died,”可以推断出通过大脑成像技术跟踪斑块的病变情况是早期诊断阿尔茨海默病的关键。

5. C 推理题。从第五段第二句“If you or your loved ones are concerned, the first step is careful evaluation by your doctor.”可以推断出仔细的测评非常重要。第三句“Not all memory lapses are Alzheimer's, and there are reversible causes of forgetfulness that can be treated if caught early. ”解释了细致测评的重要性：能根据测评判断出是否是阿尔茨海默病引起的健忘症状，如果是可逆性原因引起的健忘，发现及时，是可以治疗的。从以上两句可以推断出C正确。





参考译文


对于阿尔茨海默病来说，那是个重要的星期，不仅仅是因为美国公共广播公司播出了非常值得一看的纪录片《遗忘》，一部有关阿尔茨海默病的优秀纪录片。如果你错过了首播，建议你在重播时补看。此外，科学界喜讯频传，给众多与病魔做斗争的家庭以及在极可能患病的生育高峰期出生的一代带来了希望。除非有奇迹发生，否则在未来50年，美国患这种严重大脑疾病的患者人数将达到约1600万，是目前患者人数的3倍。虽然目前还没有治愈的办法，但科学家们在若干前沿领域的研究取得了新的成果。包括：

大剂量服用维生素：医生们过去就知道氧化剂维生素E和C有助于预防阿尔茨海默病，至少对于那些没有患上这种疾病的人们来说，是有预防作用的。可是他们不知道其预防作用到底有多大。发表在《神经病学档案》杂志上的一项涉及4740名参加者的重大研究成果显示，每天同时大剂量服用这两种维生素（至少400国际单位维生素E和500毫克以上的维生素C）能大幅度降低阿尔茨海默病的患病几率，降低幅度为78%。

联合治疗：对400多名阿尔茨海默病患者长达一年的研究表明，同时服用两种对大脑的化学特性起不同作用的药品有助于缓解病情。据发表在美国医学协会杂志上的一篇研究报告介绍，患者在服用保护神经传递乙酰胆碱的donepezil (药品销售名称为Aricept）的同时服用美国食品及药物管理局去年刚刚批准的一种用于抑制有害大脑的化学物质——谷氨酸盐——过剩的药物memantine (药品销售名称是Namenda）。报告还指出，同时服用两种药品对缓解中度和重度患者病情起到很大作用，疗效好于单独使用其中任何一种药物。

大脑成像技术：最后一个新成果是匹兹堡大学的科学家新近宣布的，他们已经成功研发出察看病人大脑内部的技术。他们用正电子放射X线断层摄影术自动程序控制技术察看大脑内泄露疾病成因秘密的斑块。从前，医生只能在病人去世后解剖大脑时研究斑块的形成。新技术的出现使医生们可以在病人的早期症状出现很久之前就开始治疗。

以上提到的成果都不能治愈阿尔茨海默病。如果您本人或您的亲朋好友不幸患上了这种疾病，第一步就是让医生做详细的测评。并不是所有的记忆力减退都意味着阿尔茨海默病，如果发现早，由可逆性病因造成的健忘症是可以治疗的。此外，请牢记那句古老的格言：“不用就会失去它。”正如体育运动锻炼身体一样，阅读、猜纵横字谜、下棋或玩拼字游戏等脑力训练有助于保持您的脑力。





Unit 87


The countdown goes something like this: 3) IRS auditor, 2) ex-husband's new 20-year-old girlfriend, 1) dentist. The top three people we most hate to see.

“Let's face it,”says Dr. Lorin Berland, a dentist in Dallas. “Dentistry can suck.”A third of Americans, according to the National Center for Health Statistics, haven't even set foot in the dentist's office in the past year. Berland, along with an increasing number of dentists all over the country, is trying to change that. ① He wants dental appointments to be less about pain and drilling and more about relaxation, foot massage and soothing aromatherapy.

Spa dentistry, as it's called, means you can enjoy a hot paraffin-wax hand treatment while getting your teeth cleaned. Or you can slip on some virtual-reality glasses and watch your favorite movie. Or you might just lie back and let the scent of lavender and the sound of falling water quiet your anxiety, while a licensed massage therapist eases the crick in your neck. Most vacations aren't this good. In response to spa dentistry's growing popularity, the Chicago Dental Society will teach its first course on the practice at its annual midwinter meeting in February, expected to attract 35,000 industry professionals.

“Some people are born to cater to people, and others have to be taught,”says Dr. Grace Sun, a dentist in Los Angeles who, without benefit of a lecture, offers massage, fruit smoothies and movies. In addition, she provides luxury hotel-style concierge services: while you're in the (vibrating, of course) chair, her staff makes dinner reservations, takes your cell-phone calls, baby-sits, dog-sits, orders in food or does just about anything else you ask.

Dr. Debra Gray King of the Atlanta Center for Cosmetic Dentistry calls her practice “the Ritz-Carlton of dentistry”and in fact sends her “dental concierges”to the Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center for training in client relations. They're taught to squire each patient as he or she navigates the various rooms of the center's luxe 8,400-sq. -ft. Twelve Oaks-esque mansion. Once in the dentist's chair, King's patients can use the attached flat-panel monitor to watch TV, play a DVD or surf the Web. Can't see the screen? No worries, there's one wired to the ceiling too. ② Noise-reduction headphones block the screech of the drill and play a CD of your choice, and the specially constructed dental chair channels the sound waves from the music into a full-body massage. “The more relaxed the patient is,”says King, “the easier our job.”

Patients are responding. Martha Dickey, a magazine publisher in Atlanta, says a hot paraffin-wax treatment can “change your whole feeling about going to the dentist. You feel like you're there to get nurtured and pampered. It's fabulous. Every one of your senses is taken care of.”If only the offices of the IRS were as pleasant.

注（1）：本文选自Time；

注（2）：本文习题命题模仿对象为2004年真题Text 1。

1. How do Dr. Berland and some other American dentists try to change the image of dentistry?

A) They try to change it by facing it bravely.

B) They try to change it by teaching patients how to take good care of their teeth.

C) They try to change it by providing new services to help patients feel relaxed and at home.

D) They try to change it by relieving patients' pain with new pills.

2. Which of the following is NOT a service provided by spa dentistry?

A) A vacation.

B) Spa.

C) Massage.

D) Dental treatment.

3. The expression “cater to”（Line 1, Paragraph 4) most probably means______.

A) to meet the requirements of somebody

B) to be somebody's liking

C) to take somebody seriously

D) to serve somebody well

4. Why does Dr. Debra Gray King call her practice “the Ritz-Carlton of dentistry”?

A) Because her “dental concierges”are trained at the Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center.

B) Because her cosmetic dentistry center provides the kind of concierge services luxury hotels like Ritz-Carlton provide.

C) Because her dentistry center is located in a mansion as large as Ritz-Carlton.

D) Because her patients are also guests at Ritz-Carlton.

5. Which of the following is TRUE according to the text?

A) Dr. Grace Sun learned her new practice from the course offered by the Chicago Dental Society.

B) The author hopes that dentists' offices can be as comfortable as the offices of the IRS.

C) The patients like the new services provided by the dentists mentioned in the text very much.

D) Dental appointments are often associated with relaxation.





篇章剖析


本篇文章从怕牙医入手，介绍牙医诊所改变牙医可怕形象的一些做法以及患者的反馈意见。第一段作者罗列人们最不愿见的三种人，牙医排在第一位；第二段引出博兰德等医生努力改变牙医形象；第三段介绍了温泉保健牙科，并指出这种牙科日渐流行的趋势；第四段介绍了格蕾斯·桑大夫自己摸索出来的一些改善牙科诊所服务的办法；第五段介绍了亚特兰大美容牙科中心的金博士为患者提供的服务项目；第六段指出患者对牙医们的新举措的看法。





词汇注释


IRS 美国国税局（Internal Revenue Service）

auditor /ˈɔːdɪtə/ n. 审计员

Dallas 达拉斯（美国得克萨斯州东北部城市）

suck /sʌk/ v. 〈美俚〉 使人极度不快

the National Center for Health Statistics (美国）国家卫生统计中心

drilling /ˈdrɪlɪŋ/ n. 钻（牙）

foot massage足底按摩

soothing /ˈsuːðɪŋ/ adj. 抚慰的

aromatherapy /əˌrəʊməˈθerəpi/ n. 用香料按摩

spa /spɑː/ n. 温泉疗养

dentistry /ˈdentɪstri/ n. 牙科，牙医学

paraffin-wax n. 石蜡

virtual-reality n. 虚拟现实

lavender /ˈlævɪndə/ n. 熏衣草

therapist /ˈθerəpɪst/ n. 临床医师

crick /krɪk/ n. 肌肉痉挛

cater to 提供服务

fruit smoothie 水果冰沙

concierge /ˌkɔːnsɪˈeəʒ/ n. 门房

dog-sit v. 照看小狗（在本篇中指“照看宠物”）

cosmetic dentistry 美容牙科

squire /ˈskwaɪə/ v. 护卫，随侍

luxe /lʌks, lʊks/ adj. 豪华的 n. 豪华，奢华

-esque 〈法〉…式样的

screech /skriːtʃ/ n. 尖锐的声音

pamper /ˈpæmpə/ v. 纵容





难句突破


① He wants dental appointments to be less about pain and drilling and more about relaxation, foot massage and soothing aromatherapy.

主体句式：He wants dental appointments.

结构分析：本句的难点有两处。第一处是句型“less about… more about…”。这个句型表示“少一些……多一些……”。第二处难点是“foot massage and soothing aromatherapy”中的专业词汇。foot massage表示“足底按摩”，aromatherapy表示“香料按摩（香精油按摩）”。

句子译文：他希望牙科预约让人们少想到疼痛、钻牙，多想到放松、足底按摩、镇痛香料按摩等。

② Noise-reduction headphones block the screech of the drill and play a CD of your choice, and the specially constructed dental chair channels the sound waves from the music into a full-body massage.

主体句式：Headphones block the screech and play a CD, and the chair channels the sound waves.

结构分析：该句的难点是主谓关系难辨清，因为一些不常搭配在一起的词在其中表示主谓关系。例如，第一个分句中play与主语noise-reduction headphones之间的关系，并列连词and后主语chair和谓语channels之间的关系有悖常识。因此理解这个句子时，我们不能局限于常识。

句子译文：隔音耳机使你听不到牙钻刺耳的噪音，为你播放你自己挑选的CD。特别定制的治疗椅将音乐的声波转换成全身按摩。





题目分析


1. C 细节题。从第二段最后一句“He wants dental appointments to be less about pain and drilling and more about relaxation, foot massage and soothing aromatherapy.”以及后面几段中介绍的spa dentistry 和cosmetic dentistry等做法可以看出，博兰德和其他牙医都希望通过提供缓解患者紧张情绪的服务来改善牙医形象。在这个句子中有一个句型“be less about… more about…”，表示“少一些…，多一些…”。

2. A 细节题。根据第三段有关温泉保健牙科的介绍，温泉保健牙科为患者提供热石蜡手工治疗、洗牙等牙科治疗、电影、按摩等，而不包括度假，因此答案是A。

3. D 语义题。根据上段最后一句有关温泉保健牙科培训课程的内容，以及下文中格蕾斯·桑所在诊所为患者提供的服务项目可以判断出第四段第一行中的“cater to”表示为某人提供良好的服务。

4. B 细节题。第四段中提及luxury hotel-style concierge services“豪华饭店式门房服务”。在第五段中，作者详细介绍了丽嘉酒店式牙科的具体服务内容，从中可见金博士称她的牙科为丽嘉酒店式牙科是因为她的牙科诊所提供丽嘉酒店那样的周到的门房服务。

5. C 细节题。从最后一段第一句“Patients are responding.”以及接下来的“You feel like you're there to get nurtured and pampered. It's fabulous.”等句子可以推断出患者喜欢牙医们提供的新服务。





参考译文


人们最不愿见的三个人倒着数过来是：3）国税局审计员，2）前夫20岁的新女友，1）牙医。

“我们要正视这个问题，”来自达拉斯的牙医罗林·博兰德说，“牙科有时确实令人反感。”美国卫生统计中心的数据显示，过去一年里三分之一的美国人没看过牙医。博兰德以及越来越多的美国牙医正努力改善牙医可怕的形象。他希望牙科预约让人们少想到疼痛、钻牙，多想到放松、足底按摩、镇痛香料按摩等。

温泉保健牙科，顾名思义，指在你洗牙的同时，可以享受热石蜡手工治疗，或戴上虚拟眼镜观看你最喜欢的电影，或平躺在治疗椅上，闻着熏衣草的香气，倾听潺潺的流水声，放松你焦虑的心情，同时还能享受专业按摩治疗师为你做颈部按摩。这可比大多数度假还要放松。随着温泉保健牙科的不断流行，芝加哥牙医协会决定在二月份冬季年会上推出第一期温泉保健牙科培训。他们预计课程班将吸引3.5万名专业人士。

“有的人生来就会照顾别人，有的人需要学习，”来自洛杉矶的牙医格蕾斯·桑博士这样认为。她没听过讲座，却推出了按摩、水果冰沙、电影等服务项目。此外，他们还提供豪华饭店式门房服务：当你躺在治疗椅上接受治疗的时候（当然治疗椅不断振荡），服务人员为你提供一系列服务，包括预定晚餐、接手提电话、照看小孩、照看宠物、定外卖以及任何其他你提出的要求。

亚特兰大美容牙科中心的黛布拉·格蕾·金大夫称她的做法为“里兹·卡尔顿牙科”。事实上，她的确派诊所的“牙科服务员”到里兹·卡尔顿领导阶层培训中心学习如何处理好与顾客的关系。在面积达8400平方英尺，风格类似十二橡树庄园那样的豪华中心里，经过专业培训的“牙科服务员”陪送每位顾客到不同的房间接受治疗。躺在治疗椅上，金的顾客可以使用固定在上面的平面控制器看电视、播放DVD，甚至上网。看不到电视屏幕？不用担心，天花板上也安装了电视屏幕。隔音耳机使你听不到牙钻刺耳的噪音，为你播放你自己挑选的CD。特别定制的治疗椅将音乐的声波转换成全身按摩。“患者越放松，”金说，“我们的工作就越容易。”

患者反响很好。亚特兰大杂志发行人马撒·迪珂说，热石蜡治疗能“彻底改变你对看牙医的看法。你会觉得受到百般呵护。那感觉真美妙。你的每个感官都得到呵护。”如果国税局办公室的氛围也能变这样就好了。





Unit 88


Governments around the world are struggling to cope with the rising cost of health care, and of drugs in particular. Many rich countries have resorted to price controls, and some on the American left advocate them noisily. But drug firms maintain that America, where they are free to price patented pills largely as they please, is the engine of global pharmaceutical innovation, while price-controlling Europeans are free riders. That, says PhRMA, the industry's lobby based in Washington, D.C., is because price regulations seen in other rich countries “chill innovation, impede patients' access to the newest cutting-edge medicines, and trigger innovators to relocate to countries with more progressive public policy.”

A new study, written by Donald Light, a visiting professor at Stanford University, claims that European drug firms are more innovative than American ones, in spite of price controls. That flies in the face of an influential paper published in the same journal in 2006, which examined the geographic origins of drugs registered between 1982 and 2003 and concluded that favourable public policies had helped propel America to the top of the list. PhRMA has rushed to denounce Mr Light's study, insisting it gives a “distorted picture”and understates the impact of “home-grown innovation”.

The tiff exposes two fallacies that come from looking at a globalised industry through national spectacles. Both sides attribute new drugs to a specific country of origin (based on the location of the headquarters of the firm that first launches them）. But Patricia Danzon of the Wharton Business School argues that this makes little sense when most big drug firms have laboratories in several countries and often acquire drugs under development from biotechnology firms located elsewhere. By the same token, firms develop drugs for the global market, observes Alan Garber of Stanford, not just for the local one. So the imposition of price caps in a given country will not necessarily quash innovation there, thanks to the lure of exports.

The exception to this rule, of course, is the United States, which alone accounts for over 40% of global sales. So what would happen if America's Congress imposes price regulations? If the cuts are swinging, then the prize for inventors everywhere will be reduced. But short of such a radical scenario, pricing reform would not kill off innovation, according to Sanford Bernstein, a financial-research firm. It has analysed the likely impact of a cut of 20% in the prices Medicare, the government health scheme for the elderly, pays for its drugs. It concluded that the earnings per share of big pharmaceutical firms would drop by 3-8%.