DEVELOPMENT REPORT - Tools For Life

DEVELOPMENT REPORT -February 11, 2002: Tools For Life

By Jill Moss¹
This is the VOA Special English Development Report.

Experts say deaths from infectious diseases can be greatly reduced at very little cost with the use of some
common devices and medicines. The United Nations Population Fund magazine has listed the seven most
effective tools for life in a developing country.

Last year, an estimated forty-million people around the world were living with H-I-V, the virus that causes AIDS.
One device that can prevent the spread of AIDS is the rubber condom. Men wear condoms during sex to protect
themselves from passing or receiving diseases like H-I-V. A one-year supply of rubber condoms costs about
fourteen dollars. There are also condoms for women.

Another tool for life in developing countries is a bed net to cover a person’s bed while sleeping. The cost of a

bed net is about four dollars. Bed nets prevent mosquito insects from biting people during the night. Mosquitoes
carry malaria², a disease that kills more than one-million people every year. The World Health Organization says
bed nets can reduce the number of child deaths from malaria by twenty-five percent.

Medicine to treat malaria is also important for people in developing countries. Anti-malarial drugs are considered
ninety-five percent effective and cost as little as twelve cents for each pill.

Other kinds of medicine can treat tuberculosis³. Tuberculosis spreads through the air from one person to another.
The bacteria attack the lungs. It takes at least six months for medicine to kill all T-B bacteria. A full treatment
costs about ten dollars. It is considered ninety-five percent effective in curing the disease.

Antibiotics⁴ to fight pneumonia⁵ are also important. Pneumonia is a serious infection of the lungs, which can cause
death if untreated. Most treatments are considered ninety percent effective and cost as little as twenty-seven cents
for each pill.

The U-N Population Fund says vaccine⁶ medicines can prevent the childhood disease measles⁷. The vaccine costs
twenty-six cents for every treatment including the equipment to inject the vaccine.

Finally, a simple liquid called Oral Rehydration Therapy can treat a severe lack of fluids in the body. Many
children around the world suffer this condition caused by diarrhea. Oral Rehydration Therapy to restore body
liquids costs about thirty cents.

This VOA Special English Development Report was written by Jill Moss.

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1 moss   

n.苔，藓，地衣

参考例句：

• Moss grows on a rock.苔藓生在石头上。
• He was found asleep on a pillow of leaves and moss.有人看见他枕着树叶和苔藓睡着了。

2 malaria   

n.疟疾

参考例句：

• He had frequent attacks of malaria.他常患疟疾。
• Malaria is a kind of serious malady.疟疾是一种严重的疾病。

3 tuberculosis   

n.结核病，肺结核

参考例句：

• People used to go to special health spring to recover from tuberculosis.人们常去温泉疗养胜地治疗肺结核。
• Tuberculosis is a curable disease.肺结核是一种可治愈的病。

4 antibiotics   

n.（用作复数）抗生素；（用作单数）抗生物质的研究；抗生素，抗菌素( antibiotic的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• the discovery of antibiotics in the 20th century 20世纪抗生素的发现
• The doctor gave me a prescription for antibiotics. 医生给我开了抗生素。

5 pneumonia   

n.肺炎

参考例句：

• Cage was struck with pneumonia in her youth.凯奇年轻时得过肺炎。
• Pneumonia carried him off last week.肺炎上星期夺去了他的生命。

6 vaccine   

n.牛痘苗，疫苗；adj.牛痘的，疫苗的

参考例句：

• The polio vaccine has saved millions of lives.脊髓灰质炎疫苗挽救了数以百万计的生命。
• She takes a vaccine against influenza every fall.她每年秋季接种流感疫苗。

7 measles   

n.麻疹，风疹，包虫病，痧子

参考例句：

• The doctor is quite definite about Tom having measles.医生十分肯定汤姆得了麻疹。
• The doctor told her to watch out for symptoms of measles.医生叫她注意麻疹出现的症状。