VOA慢速英语20060103b

SCIENCE IN THE NEWS - 2005: Looking Back at the Year in ScienceBy Caty Weaver¹

Broadcast: Tuesday, January 03, 2006

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VOICE ONE:

This is SCIENCE IN THE NEWS, in VOA Special English. I'm Bob Doughty².

VOICE TWO:

And I'm Pat Bodnar. This week on our show: a year in science in fifteen minutes. We will tell you about some of the major science stories of two thousand five:

VOICE ONE:

We tell about false stem cell research 鈥?OICE TWO:

Intelligent design and evolution 鈥?OICE ONE:

The return of America's space shuttle 鈥?OICE TWO:

The latest on bird flu and a new treatment for malaria³.

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VOICE ONE:

One of the biggest science stories last year was the research on stem cells announced by South Korean scientist Hwang Woo-suk. But now it appears that the research was false.


Hwang Woo-suk bows to the nation as he apologizes at Seoul National University in Seoul, Friday

In June, Mister Hwang reported that he and his team at Seoul National University had created eleven new stem cell lines. Stem cells have the ability to grow into other cells. Science magazine published the report. The new lines were made from the eggs of eighteen women and skin cells from eleven other people. Most importantly, Mister Hwang reported that all those who gave skin cells had some kind of disease or spinal⁴ cord injury.

This would have meant that the South Korean scientists had produced the first stem cells that were genetic⁵ copies of people with injury or disease. At the time, Mister Hwang said the development was important in efforts to find cures for disease and injury.

VOICE TWO:

But, a few months ago, serious questions were raised about Mister Hwang's research. First it was discovered that he had not been truthful⁶ about where he got the human eggs for the research. In reality, some came from women who worked in his laboratory. This caused concern about a possible violation⁷ of ethics⁸ in his work. In fact, an American scientist who served as an advisor⁹ on the report withdrew his name from it.

A short time later, Mister Hwang admitted that some of the photographs he provided for the report were false. This meant the work itself was suspect.

VOICE ONE:

Then, on December twenty-third, a committee of experts at Seoul National University announced the results of an investigation¹⁰. It said that Mister Hwang had provided false information about at least nine of the eleven stem cell colonies he reported about in Science magazine. Mister Hwang and his co-authors withdrew the report. Mister Hwang also resigned from his position at Seoul National University and apologized for the incident.

Another major development reported by the scientist is also under investigation now. Mister Hwang claimed to have produced an exact genetic copy of a dog last year. The university committee said it strongly questions the truthfulness¹¹ of that report.

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VOICE TWO:

Another major science story last year came from the United States. On December twentieth, a federal judge ruled that teaching intelligent design in public schools is a violation of the United States Constitution. Judge John Jones said that intelligent design is not science. He said it is a version of Christianity. So to teach it in public schools violates the law that requires the separation of church and state.


Charles Darwin

VOICE ONE:

Intelligent design opposes the theory of evolution. Scientists around the world generally accept the theory of evolution. It is written into science education programs across the country.

Evolutionary¹² theory says that complex life forms have developed through cellular¹³ changes over millions of years. It says most animals reproduce in larger numbers than their environment can support. Only those animals best able to live in the environment survive. They then produce similarly strong young. Species must change as the environment changes, or they die out. This is the idea commonly known as natural selection.

Supporters of intelligent design criticize the science of evolution. They say that biological life is too complex to be explained by natural selection. They argue that the natural world must be the work of an intelligent designer.

Many scientists and critics sayintelligent designer is just another way to say God. They say intelligent design is the same as creationism 鈥?the belief that a higher power created the universe. Most intelligent design supporters are Christians¹⁴ who believe God created the universe.

VOICE TWO:

The recent court case dealt with the public school system of Dover, Pennsylvania. Last year, the school became one of the first in the country to include intelligent design in high school biology classes. Parents who opposed this took legal action against the school officials. Opponents of intelligent design praised the court ruling. They hope it will influence school systems in other areas of the country that want to teach intelligent design.

Supporters of intelligent design say the court ruling will not stop their efforts. They say they will continue to fight for a critical discussion of evolutionary theory and intelligent design in American classrooms.

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VOICE ONE:

There was also news last year about the American space program. The American space shuttle returned to the skies in July. Discovery and its seven-member crew made the first shuttle flight in two and one-half years. NASA had suspended shuttle flights following the deadly explosion of the shuttle Columbia in two thousand three.


Space shuttle Discovery in orbit

VOICE TWO:

That explosion was the result of damage done to Columbia during its launch. A piece of lightweight protective material fell off the shuttle's external fuel container. The object hit the shuttle at a high rate of speed and made a hole in one of the wings. This permitted extremely hot gases to enter the shuttle and destroy the spacecraft as it returned to Earth.

VOICE ONE:

A similar problem happened during Discovery's launch July twenty-sixth although the results were not tragic¹⁵. A large piece of foam¹⁶ protective material again broke off the external fuel tank. The object did not hit the space shuttle. But NASA officials decided¹⁷ to suspend future shuttle flights until experts fix the problem.

Last month, NASA announced a solution. It said it would remove two foam structures from the outside of the fuel tank to prevent them from breaking off and hitting the shuttle. NASA tests during the past two months have suggested that the shuttle is safe without those pieces of foam.

VOICE TWO:

NASA experts had made major improvements to the shuttle for its July launch. They added many cameras to the launch area and to the shuttle itself. This permitted them to closely record each minute of the launch. And they designed a new warning system to inform shuttle crewmembers and ground control of any problems.

Now, NASA officials say they are considering launching another shuttle in May.

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VOICE ONE:

Avian influenza¹⁸ was also a major science story last year. The h-five-n-one virus appeared in birds in Europe for the first time. Yet the only known human cases of the disease have been in East Asia.


Officials collect chickens in October to fight an outbreak of avian flu in Kiziksa village, in western Turkey

There have been about one hundred forty confirmed cases of bird flu since two thousand three. About half the people have died. Many of the victims had touched or been around infected farm birds. But health experts around the world began warning that the virus could change into a form that is passed from person to person.

VOICE TWO:

Several countries are working on vaccines¹⁹ to protect people against avian influenza. The effectiveness cannot be known, however, until the virus enters the general population. If that happens, the drug Tamiflu is the best-known treatment. Yet late last month, researchers said resistance to the drug may be more common than experts had thought.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

There was good news about the disease malaria. A non-profit international group called the Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative announced a new treatment for the deadly disease. The new treatment will combine the most effective drugs currently used.

The group says the treatment will be easier and cost about half the price of current treatments. Experts say more people will use it as a result. The new treatment will be ready by late this year.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

This program was written by Caty Weaver. Cynthia Kirk was the producer. I'm Pat Bodnar.

VOICE ONE:

And I'm Bob Doughty. Internet users can read and listen to our programs at www.unsv.com. Listen next week for more news about science, in Special English on the Voice of America.

1 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。

2 doughty   

adj.勇猛的，坚强的

参考例句：

• Most of successful men have the characteristics of contumacy and doughty.绝大多数成功人士都有共同的特质：脾气倔强，性格刚强。
• The doughty old man battled his illness with fierce determination.坚强的老人用巨大毅力与疾病作斗争。

3 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。

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 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。

6 truthful   

adj.真实的，说实话的，诚实的

参考例句：

• You can count on him for a truthful report of the accident.你放心，他会对事故作出如实的报告的。
• I don't think you are being entirely truthful.我认为你并没全讲真话。

7 violation   

n.违反(行为)，违背(行为)，侵犯

参考例句：

• He roared that was a violation of the rules.他大声说，那是违反规则的。
• He was fined 200 dollars for violation of traffic regulation.他因违反交通规则被罚款200美元。

8 ethics   

n.伦理学；伦理观，道德标准

参考例句：

• The ethics of his profession don't permit him to do that.他的职业道德不允许他那样做。
• Personal ethics and professional ethics sometimes conflict.个人道德和职业道德有时会相互抵触。

9 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。

10 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

11 truthfulness   

n. 符合实际

参考例句：

• Among her many virtues are loyalty, courage, and truthfulness. 她有许多的美德，如忠诚、勇敢和诚实。
• I fired a hundred questions concerning the truthfulness of his statement. 我对他发言的真实性提出一连串质问。

12 evolutionary   

adj.进化的；演化的，演变的；[生]进化论的

参考例句：

• Life has its own evolutionary process.生命有其自身的进化过程。
• These are fascinating questions to be resolved by the evolutionary studies of plants.这些十分吸引人的问题将在研究植物进化过程中得以解决。

13 cellular   

adj.移动的；细胞的，由细胞组成的

参考例句：

• She has a cellular telephone in her car.她的汽车里有一部无线通讯电话机。
• Many people use cellular materials as sensitive elements in hygrometers.很多人用蜂窝状的材料作为测量温度的传感元件。

14 Christians   

n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Christians of all denominations attended the conference. 基督教所有教派的人都出席了这次会议。
• His novel about Jesus caused a furore among Christians. 他关于耶稣的小说激起了基督教徒的公愤。

15 tragic   

adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的

参考例句：

• The effect of the pollution on the beaches is absolutely tragic.污染海滩后果可悲。
• Charles was a man doomed to tragic issues.查理是个注定不得善终的人。

16 foam   

v./n.泡沫，起泡沫

参考例句：

• The glass of beer was mostly foam.这杯啤酒大部分是泡沫。
• The surface of the water is full of foam.水面都是泡沫。

17 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

18 influenza   

n.流行性感冒，流感

参考例句：

• They took steps to prevent the spread of influenza.他们采取措施
• Influenza is an infectious disease.流感是一种传染病。

19 vaccines   

疫苗，痘苗( vaccine的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His team are at the forefront of scientific research into vaccines. 他的小组处于疫苗科研的最前沿。
• The vaccines were kept cool in refrigerators. 疫苗放在冰箱中冷藏。