VOA慢速英语20060221b

SCIENCE IN THE NEWS - Low-Fat Diets Alone Do Not Reduce Health RisksBy Dana Demange, Brianna Blake, Lawan Davis and Jerilyn Watson

Broadcast: Tuesday, February 21, 2006



(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

This is SCIENCE IN THE NEWS, in VOA Special English. I'm Pat¹ Bodnar.

VOICE TWO:

And I'm Bob Doughty². On our program this week: We tell about a discovery made on a mountain in eastern Indonesia. We also will talk about a report on the value of calcium³ in the human diet.


A golden-mantled tree kangaroo, one of the creatures found in a 'Garden of Eden' on the island of New Guinea

VOICE ONE:

But first, we tell about low-fat diets and their effects in women.

(MUSIC)

An American study has examined the effects of a low-fat diet on the health of women. The study found that such a diet does not reduce the risk of at least one kind of cancer, heart disease⁴ or stroke⁵.

For years, medical experts have thought that a diet that is low in fat helps reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease. Researchers with America's National Institutes of Health created a study to test this theory. It is one of the largest studies ever done on this subject.

The researchers studied the health of almost fifty thousand women for eight years. These women were between the ages of fifty and seventy-nine years.

VOICE TWO:

The women in one group reduced the fat in their diet to twenty percent of their total daily food supply. They also increased their daily servings of vegetables, fruits and grains.

Another group of women did not make any dietary changes. The researchers compared the two groups.

The results of the study show the different diets had little effect on the health of the women. Both groups had the same rates of heart disease and colorectal cancer. The researchers said the women who followed the low-fat diet might have less risk of breast cancer. But the difference was so small that it is not considered important.

VOICE ONE:

Experts say the results are important for both men and women. Some critics of the study fear many people will think that diet is not important. Other studies have shown that a healthful diet is still important, but so are other choices. For example, exercising, avoiding smoking, and keeping a normal body weight are also necessary for good health.

Other experts noted⁶ the study called for reducing total fat instead of the kinds of fats that are not healthful. For example, fats in some foods like fish and nuts are considered good for human health. Unhealthful fats include saturated⁷ and trans fats. The study did not note differences between these two kinds of fat.

Experts also said that dietary changes might need to begin earlier in life to have a greater effect on disease and cancer prevention. Some researchers suggest the study would have shown better results if the women had eaten even less fat.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

Most American children are not getting enough of the element calcium in their diet. Calcium helps the body to make bones strong and hard. The hardness prevents bones from breaking later in life. Getting enough calcium can also reduce the risk of developing osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a bone-thinning disease. It usually develops in old age and affects millions of Americans. Most people with osteoporosis are women.

Recently, the American Academy⁸ of Pediatrics released⁹ a report about the calcium needs of children. The academy represents thousands of children's doctors and researchers.

The report says that only during their first six months of life are most American children receiving enough calcium. All other ages are lacking calcium in their diet. Children between the ages of twelve and nineteen years are getting far less calcium than the amount that experts suggest. Calcium is especially important during this period, when most bone growth is taking place.

VOICE ONE:

Doctors believe that one reason older children are not getting enough calcium is because they choose soft drinks like Coca-Cola instead of milk. Often young adults also choose soft drinks instead of natural fruit drinks that contain calcium.

Most people can receive the calcium they need from eating or drinking milk products three times each day. Older boys and girls require calcium in their diet four times each day.

Foods rich in calcium include milk, cheese and yogurt. Experts say milk products low in fat contain as much calcium as those with higher fat levels. Calcium can also be found in some green vegetables, although milk products are the most common way people get calcium.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

Many people in the United States need more physical exercise. A recent study found that one-third of all Americans between the ages of twelve and nineteen years were in poor physical condition. Such persons also had an increased risk of health problems linked to heart disease.

Researchers at Northwestern University in the American state of Illinois organized the study. The research team used information from a four-year study that involved more than five thousand people. More than three thousand of them were twelve to nineteen years old.

The rest were adults between the ages of twenty and forty-nine years. None were known to have heart disease before the study.

VOICE ONE:

The five thousand individuals were tested on a common piece of exercise equipment: a treadmill¹⁰. The treadmill test measured their physical condition or cardio-respiratory fitness¹¹. Cardio-respiratory fitness is the ability of the heart and lungs to react to an increase in physical activity.

More than thirty percent of the teenagers were in poor physical condition. Almost fourteen percent of the adults also had poor test results. The researchers say the number of adults with poor physical health may be greater. They said some adults in the study did not take the treadmill test. Those adults already were at risk for heart disease.

Mercedes Carnethon led the study. She says women may be at greater risk because they are less likely to be in good physical condition. Doctor Carnethon said those in poor physical condition often have higher levels of blood pressure and cholesterol¹² in the blood. They also can have a higher risk of developing the disease diabetes¹³ and gaining too much weight.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

Scientists working in Indonesia have found many kinds of wildlife that had never been described before. The wildlife was discovered on top of a mountain in a forest on the island of New Guinea. The scientists explored the forest in the Foja Mountains of Papua Province late last year.

Bruce Beehler is vice¹⁴ president of the Melanesia program of the environmental group Conservation International. He described the forest as the closest to the Garden of Eden that humans will find on Earth. The writings of Jews, Christians¹⁵, and Muslims tell of Eden as a beautiful place where the first man and woman lived until they violated¹⁶ God's law and were expelled¹⁷.

Conservation International and the Indonesian Institute of Sciences organized the research. The team of scientists came from Indonesia, Australia and the United States. The Foja Mountain forest is part of more than one million hectares of land seemingly¹⁸ never influenced by humans.

VOICE ONE:

Among the creatures discovered was the Berlepsch [pronounced BEAR-lapsh] Six-Wired Bird of Paradise¹⁹. No researcher had seen this kind of bird since eighteen ninety-seven. At that time, German bird expert Otto Kleinschmidt identified it from wildlife skins in a collection owned by Hans von Berlepsch. The bird got the rest of its name from the strange wires that extend²⁰ from its head.

The scientists also took the first pictures of a bird called the Golden-fronted Bowerbird. They reportedly saw a male Bowerbird hanging up fruit for a female²¹ Bowerbird. The male's actions were part of the mating process.

Conservation International says at least twelve attempts were made over about eighty years to find a Bird of Paradise and a Bowerbird.

VOICE TWO:

In all, the team discovered more than forty animals that scientists have not identified before. The discoveries included four kinds of butterflies and twenty kinds of frogs.

They also found a larger animal new to Indonesia. It is called the golden-mantled tree kangaroo. Earlier, it was known to live on only one mountain in the nearby nation of Papua New Guinea.

Scientists thought that hunters had killed the last such animal. As its name suggests, the golden-mantled tree kangaroo lives in the trees. The scientists also found and took pictures of a huge rhododendron plant. Its flower measured about fifteen centimeters wide.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

This program was written by Brianna Blake, Dana Demange, Lawan Davis and Jerilyn Watson. Cynthia Kirk was our producer. I'm Pat Bodnar.

VOICE TWO:

And I'm Bob Doughty. Join us again next week for SCIENCE IN THE NEWS, in VOA Special English.

1 pat   

n.轻拍，拍打声；vt.轻拍，拍打；vi.轻跑，轻击；adv.适时，彻底；adj.油腔滑调的，恰好的，合适的

参考例句：

• Could you hear the pat?你能听到轻轻的拍击声吗？
• He gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. 他轻拍了一下她的肩膀让她放心。

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 calcium   

n.钙(化学符号Ca)

参考例句：

• We need calcium to make bones.我们需要钙来壮骨。
• Calcium is found most abundantly in milk.奶含钙最丰富。

4 disease   

n.疾病，弊端

参考例句：

• The doctors are trying to stamp out the disease.医生正在尽力消灭这种疾病。
• He fought against the disease for a long time.他同疾病做了长时间的斗争。

5 stroke   

n.笔画，击打，连续的动作，中风，心跳；vt.奉承，轻抚； vi.击打，心跳...

参考例句：

• He drove in a nail with one stroke of the hammer.他一锤就把钉子敲进去了。
• He broke the lock with one stroke of the hammer.他一锤就把锁砸坏了。

6 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。

7 saturated   

a.饱和的，充满的

参考例句：

• The continuous rain had saturated the soil. 连绵不断的雨把土地淋了个透。
• a saturated solution of sodium chloride 氯化钠饱和溶液

8 academy   

n.(高等)专科院校；学术社团，协会，研究院

参考例句：

• This is an academy of music.这是一所音乐专科学院。
• I visited Chinese Academy of Sciences yesterday.我昨天去访问了中国科学院。

9 released   

v.释放( release的过去式和过去分词 )；放开；发布；发行

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
• With hindsight it is easy to say they should not have released him. 事后才说他们本不应该释放他，这倒容易。

10 treadmill   

n.踏车；单调的工作

参考例句：

• The treadmill has a heart rate monitor.跑步机上有个脉搏监视器。
• Drugs remove man from the treadmill of routine.药物可以使人摆脱日常单调的工作带来的疲劳。

11 fitness   

n.适合，适当，健康，健身

参考例句：

• They're doing exercises to improve their fitness.他们为增强体质而做体操。
• No one questions her fitness for the job.没人怀疑她能胜任这项工作。

12 cholesterol   

n.（U）胆固醇

参考例句：

• There is cholesterol in the cell of body.人体细胞里有胆固醇。
• They are determining the serum-protein and cholesterol levels.他们正在测定血清蛋白和胆固醇的浓度。

13 diabetes   

n.糖尿病

参考例句：

• In case of diabetes, physicians advise against the use of sugar.对于糖尿病患者，医生告诫他们不要吃糖。
• Diabetes is caused by a fault in the insulin production of the body.糖尿病是由体內胰岛素分泌失调引起的。

14 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

15 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。

16 violated   

亵渎( violate的过去式和过去分词 )； 违反； 侵犯； 强奸

参考例句：

• Note that thick, strong angles of tibia are not violated. 注意肥厚、结实的胫骨成角部分未受损坏。
• The soldiers violated the church by using it as a stable. 士兵们把教堂当马厩，亵渎了教堂。

17 expelled   

驱逐( expel的过去式和过去分词 )； 赶走； 把…除名； 排出

参考例句：

• She was expelled from school at 15. 她15岁时被学校开除了。
• After the outbreak of fighting,all foreign journalists were expelled. 战斗开始后，所有的外国记者都被驱逐出境。

18 seemingly   

adv.从表面上看起来，似乎是

参考例句：

• Seemingly,we can do nothing to prevent this from happening.我们似乎没有什么办法阻止这件事发生。
• For several seemingly interminable seconds no one spoke.有几秒钟没有人讲话，这几秒钟似乎十分漫长。

19 paradise   

n.伊甸乐园，天堂

参考例句：

• My house had a small backyard,the paradise of children.我那幢房子有一个小后院，那是孩子们玩耍的乐园。
• On a hot day a dip in the sea is sheer paradise.热天洗个海水澡是十分令人惬意的事。

20 extend   

v.伸开；展开，伸展；扩大；加大

参考例句：

• Can you extend your visit for a few days more?你能把你的访问再延长几天吗？
• The examinations extend over two weeks.考试持续两个星期。

21 female   

adj.雌的，女(性)的；n.雌性的动物，女子

参考例句：

• We only employ female workers.我们只雇用女工。
• The animal in the picture was a female elephant.照片上的动物是头母象。