It was a big week for Alzheimer’s disease, and not just because PBS aired The Forgetting, a first-rate documentary about Alzheimer’s worth catching in reruns if you missed it the first time. There was also a flurry of scientific news that offered hope to the families already struggling with Alzheimer’s, as well as to the baby-boom generation that’s up next. Unless something dramatic happens, the number of Americans living with this terrifying brain disease could triple, to about 16 million, over the next 50 years. There’s still no cure in sight, but there is progress on several fronts. Among them:
MEGADOSE VITAMINS. Doctors knew vitamins E and C, both antioxidants, help stave off Alzheimer’s, at least in folks who haven’t already developed the disorder. What they didn’t know—but a big study involving 4,740 participants published in the Archives of Neurology showed—was that the two vitamins taken together in huge daily doses (at least 400 IU of E and more than 500 mg of C) could reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s a remarkable 78%.
COMBINATION THERAPY. A yearlong study of more than 400 Alzheimer’s patients showed that two drugs that work differently on the brain’s chemistry act well together to help slow down the disease. 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. The two drugs worked even better in combination than they did alone, providing substantial benefit for patients with moderate to severe Alzheimer’s, according to a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
BRAIN IMAGING. Finally, scientists at the University of Pittsburgh announced that they had successfully developed a procedure that allows them to peer into the brains of Alzheimer’s patients with positron emission tomography (PET) scans to see telltale plaque deposits. Before now, doctors could not track the progress of these plaques until after the patient died, when the brain could be autopsied. Using the new technique, doctors may be able to begin treatment long before the first symptoms appear.
None of these advances is a magic bullet for Alzheimer’s disease. If you or your loved ones are concerned, the first step is careful evaluation by your doctor. Not all memory lapses are Alzheimer’s, and there are reversible causes of forgetfulness that can be treated if caught early. Also, remember the old adage “use it or lose it”. Mental exercise—reading, doing crossword puzzles, playing chess or Scrabble—is as good for preserving your mind as physical exercise is for your body.
1. From the first paragraph, we learn that ________.
2. The phrase “stave off” (Paragraph 2) most probably means “________”.
3.The report in the Journal of the American Medical Association shows that ________.
4. Why is brain imaging considered progress in treating Alzhemer’s?
5. To which of the following is the author likely to agree?
问题1选项
A.the baby-boom generation will not suffer from Alzhemer’s disease
B.recent progress brings hope for Alzheimer victims
C.the week was very important for Alzheimer’s because a documentary about it was shown on PBS
D.the new achievements made on several fronts show that Alzheimer’s disease can be cured
问题2选项
A.getting
B.treating
C.curing
D.preventing
问题3选项
A.combination therapy refers to combining two different ways of treatment
B.donepezil helps blocks overproduction of a harmful brain chemical called glutamate
C.combination therapy is of great benefit to all patients with Alzheimer’s
D.Aricept and Namenda have better effect when used together than used separately
问题4选项
A.Because it helps doctors diagnose and treat the disease in an early phase by tracking the progress of plaques in the brain.
B.Because it helps doctors autopsy the brains of the patients after they died.
C.Because it helps doctors see the plaque deposits clearly so that they can operate on the brain.
D.Because it helps doctors develop a new procedure of tracking the progress of the disease.
问题5选项
A.Alzhemer’s disease can be cured thanks to the new advances.
B.Forgetfulness can be cured by doing mental exercise.
C.Careful evaluation is important because it can tell Alzheimer’s from curable memory lapses, which can be treated if found in an early phase.
D.Mental exercises do good only to forgetfulness caused by reversible causes.
第1题:B
第2题:D
第3题:D
第4题:A
第5题:C
第1题:
【选项释义】
From the first paragraph, we learn that ________. 从第一段中，我们得知：________。
A. the baby-boom generation will not suffer from Alzhemer’s disease A. 婴儿潮的一代不会患阿尔茨海默症
B. recent progress brings hope for Alzheimer victims B. 最近的进展给阿尔茨海默症患者带来了希望
C. the week was very important for Alzheimer’s because a documentary about it was shown on PBS C. 这一周对阿尔茨海默症非常重要，因为PBS播放了一部关于它的纪录片
D. the new achievements made on several fronts show that Alzheimer’s disease can be cured D. 在几个方面取得的新成就表明，阿尔茨海默症是可以治愈的
【考查点】推理判断题。
【解题思路】根据题干关键词the first paragraph可以定位到文章第一段第一、二句“对于阿尔茨海默症来说，这是重要的一周，不仅仅是因为PBS播出了《遗忘》，如果你在首播时错过了这部关于阿尔茨海默症的一流纪录片，它值得你收看重播。还有一系列科学消息，给那些已经在与阿尔茨海默症作斗争的家庭以及即将到来的婴儿潮一代带来了希望（offered hope）”，说明这周《遗忘》的播出和一系列科学消息给阿尔茨海默症患者带来了希望。因此B选项“最近的进展给阿尔茨海默症患者带来了希望”正确。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“婴儿潮的一代不会患阿尔茨海默症”，由offered hope to the families already struggling with Alzheimer’s, as well as to the baby-boom generation that’s up next（给那些已经在与阿尔茨海默症作斗争的家庭以及即将到来的婴儿潮一代带来了希望）可知，文章只是说给婴儿潮一代带来了好的希望，不代表他们一定不会患阿尔茨海默症，属于过度推断；
C选项“这一周对阿尔茨海默症非常重要，因为公共广播公司播放了一部关于它的纪录片”，由It was a big week for Alzheimer’s disease, and not just because PBS aired The Forgetting（对于阿尔茨海默症来说，这是重要的一周，不仅仅是因为PBS播出了《遗忘》）可知，纪录片的播出只是原因之一，属于以偏概全；
D选项“在几个方面取得的新成就表明，阿尔茨海默症是可以治愈的”，由There’s still no cure in sight, but there is progress on several fronts.（目前还没有治愈的方法，但在几个方面已经取得了进展。）可知，阿尔茨海默症还不能治愈，属于反向干扰。
第2题:
【选项释义】
The phrase “stave off” (Paragraph 2) most probably means “________”. 短语“stave off”（第2段）最可能是指“________”。
A. getting A. 得到
B. treating B. 治疗
C. curing C. 治愈
D. preventing D. 预防
【考查点】词汇推断题。
【解题思路】根据题干关键词stave off可以定位到文章第二段第一句“医生们知道维生素E和C这两种抗氧化剂有助于stave off阿尔茨海默症，至少对那些尚未患上这种疾病（haven’t already developed the disorder）的人是这样”，说明维生素E和C对还没有患上阿尔茨海默症的人有预防作用。因此D选项正确。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“得到”，B选项“治疗”和C选项“治愈”均不符合句意，属于曲解原文。
第3题:
【选项释义】
The report in the Journal of the American Medical Association shows that ________. 《美国医学会杂志》上的报告显示，________。
A. combination therapy refers to combining two different ways of treatment A. 综合疗法是指结合两种不同的治疗方法
B. donepezil helps blocks overproduction of a harmful brain chemical called glutamate B. 多奈哌齐有助于阻止一种叫作谷氨酸盐的有害大脑化学物质的过度分泌
C. combination therapy is of great benefit to all patients with Alzheimer’s C. 综合疗法对所有阿尔茨海默症患者都有很大好处
D. Aricept and Namenda have better effect when used together than used separately D. 安理申和盐酸美金刚一起使用比单独使用有更好的效果
【考查点】事实细节题。
【解题思路】根据题干关键词Journal of the American Medical Association可以定位到文章第三段最后一句“根据《美国医学会杂志》的一份报告，这两种药物联合使用比单独使用效果更好（worked even better in combination than they did alone），为中度至重度阿尔茨海默症患者提供了实质性的好处”，这两种药物指上文提到的Aricept（安理申）和Namenda（盐酸美金刚），它们一起使用比单独使用有更好的效果。因此D选项“安理申和盐酸美金刚一起使用比单独使用有更好的效果”正确。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“综合疗法是指结合两种不同的治疗方法”，由The two drugs worked even better in combination than they did alone（这两种药物联合使用比单独使用效果更好）可知，综合疗法是指联合使用两种药物，而不是结合两种治疗方法，属于偷换概念；
B选项“多奈哌齐有助于阻止一种叫作谷氨酸盐的有害大脑化学物质的过度分泌”，由were also given memantine (Namenda), a new drug approved by the FDA last October that blocks overproduction of a harmful brain chemical called glutamate（盐酸美金刚是去年10月FDA批准的一种新药，它可以阻止一种叫作谷氨酸盐的有害大脑化学物质的过度分泌）可知，阻止谷氨酸盐分泌的是盐酸美金刚，而不是多奈哌齐，属于张冠李戴；
C选项“综合疗法对所有阿尔茨海默症患者都有很大好处”，由providing substantial benefit for patients with moderate to severe Alzheimer’s（为中度至重度阿尔茨海默症患者提供了实质性的好处）可知，综合疗法是对中度至重度的患者有好处，而不是所有的患者，属于过度推断。
第4题:
【选项释义】
Why is brain imaging considered progress in treating Alzhemer’s? 为什么大脑成像被认为是治疗阿尔茨海默症的进展？
A. Because it helps doctors diagnose and treat the disease in an early phase by tracking the progress of plaques in the brain. A. 因为它通过跟踪大脑中斑块的进展帮助医生在早期阶段诊断和治疗该疾病。
B. Because it helps doctors autopsy the brains of the patients after they died. B. 因为它帮助医生在病人死后对其大脑进行解剖。
C. Because it helps doctors see the plaque deposits clearly so that they can operate on the brain. C. 因为它帮助医生清楚地看到斑块的沉积，以便他们能在大脑上进行手术。
D. Because it helps doctors develop a new procedure of tracking the progress of the disease. D. 因为它可以帮助医生开发一种跟踪疾病进展的新程序。
【考查点】事实细节题。
【解题思路】根据题干关键词brain imaging可以定位到文章第四段倒数第一、二句“在此之前，医生无法追踪这些斑块的进展（could not track the progress of these plaques），直到病人死后，才能对大脑进行解剖。使用这项新技术，医生可以在症状出现之前就开始治疗（may be able to begin treatment long before the first symptoms appear）”，说明大脑成像可以帮助医生追踪斑块的进展，从而在疾病早期就开始治疗。因此A选项“因为它通过跟踪大脑中斑块的进展帮助医生在早期阶段诊断和治疗该疾病。”正确。
【干扰项排除】
B选项“因为它帮助医生在病人死后对其大脑进行解剖。”，由Before now, doctors could not track the progress of these plaques until after the patient died, when the brain could be autopsied.（在此之前，医生无法追踪这些斑块的进展，直到病人死后，才能对大脑进行解剖。）可知，在病人死后对其大脑进行解剖是大脑成像这一技术出现之前的做法，属于出处错位；
C选项“因为它帮助医生清楚地看到斑块的沉积，以便他们能在大脑上进行手术。”在文中没有提及，属于无中生有；
D选项“因为它可以帮助医生开发一种跟踪疾病进展的新程序。”，由they had successfully developed a procedure（他们已经成功开发出一种程序）可知，大脑成像技术就是他们已经开发出的新程序，属于曲解原文。
第5题:
【选项释义】
To which of the following is the author likely to agree? 作者可能同意以下哪项？
A. Alzhemer’s disease can be cured thanks to the new advances. A. 由于新的进展，阿尔茨海默症是可以治愈的。
B. Forgetfulness can be cured by doing mental exercise. B. 遗忘症可以通过做脑力锻炼来治愈。
C. Careful evaluation is important because it can tell Alzheimer’s from curable memory lapses, which can be treated if found in an early phase. C. 仔细的评估是很重要的，因为它可以将阿尔茨海默症与可治愈的记忆缺失区分开来，如果在早期阶段发现，可以治疗。
D. Mental exercises do good only to forgetfulness caused by reversible causes. D. 脑力锻炼只对由可逆原因引起的遗忘症有好处。
【考查点】事实细节题。
【解题思路】由最后一段第二、三句“如果你或你的亲人担心，第一步是让你的医生仔细评估（careful evaluation by your doctor）。并不是所有的记忆缺失都是阿尔茨海默症，有一些可逆转的遗忘症原因，如果及早发现，是可以治疗的（reversible causes of forgetfulness that can be treated if caught early）”，说明仔细评估可以区分记忆缺失到底是阿尔茨海默症还是可以逆转的遗忘症，如果是后者，及早发现是可以治疗的。因此C选项“仔细的评估是很重要的，因为它可以将阿尔茨海默症与可治愈的记忆缺失区分开来，如果在早期阶段发现，可以治疗。”正确。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“由于新的进展，阿尔茨海默症是可以治愈的。”，由There’s still no cure in sight, but there is progress on several fronts.（目前还没有治愈的方法，但在几个方面已经取得了进展。）可知，阿尔茨海默症还不能治愈，属于反向干扰；
B选项“遗忘症可以通过做脑力锻炼来治愈。”，由Mental exercise—reading, doing crossword puzzles, playing chess or Scrabble—is as good for preserving your mind as physical exercise is for your body.（脑力锻炼——阅读、填字游戏、下棋或拼字游戏——对保护你的头脑和体育锻炼对你的身体一样有好处。）可知，脑力锻炼对提升人的记忆有好处，但不代表能够治愈遗忘症，属于过度推断；
D选项“脑力锻炼只对由可逆原因引起的遗忘症有好处。”，由as good for preserving your mind as physical exercise is for your body（对保护你的头脑和体育锻炼对你的身体一样有好处）可知，脑力锻炼对所有人都有普遍的好处，不仅仅是对由可逆原因引起的遗忘症，属于以偏概全。
【参考译文】
对于阿尔茨海默症来说，本周是重要的一周，这不仅仅是因为公共广播公司播出了《遗忘》，这是一部关于阿尔茨海默症的一流纪录片，如果你第一次错过了，值得一看重播。此外，还有大量科学新闻为已经与阿尔茨海默症抗争的家庭以及即将面临挑战的婴儿潮一代带来了希望。除非发生戏剧性的变化，否则在未来50年内，患有这种可怕脑部疾病的美国人可能会增加三倍，达到约1600万。目前还没有治愈的方法，但在几个方面已经取得了进展。其中包括：
大剂量维生素。医生们知道，维生素E和维生素C都是抗氧化剂，有助于预防阿尔茨海默症，至少对尚未患上这种疾病的人是这样。但他们不知道的是，发表在《神经病学档案》上的一项涉及4740名参与者的大型研究表明，这两种维生素如果每天以巨大剂量（至少400国际单位的E和500毫克以上的C）一起服用，可以将阿尔茨海默症的风险显著降低78%。
综合疗法。一项对400多名阿尔茨海默症患者进行的为期一年的研究表明，两种对大脑化学起不同作用的药物配合使用，有助于减缓病情。正在接受多奈哌齐（商品名为安理申）治疗的患者同时服用了美金刚，这是一种去年10月由美国食品及药物管理局批准的新药，可阻断一种名为谷氨酸的有害脑化学物质的过量分泌。根据《美国医学会杂志》上的一份报告，这两种药物联合使用的效果比单独使用更好，为中度至重度阿尔茨海默症患者带来了实质性的益处。
大脑成像。最后，匹兹堡大学的科学家们宣布，他们已经成功开发出一种程序，可以通过正电子发射断层扫描来观察阿尔茨海默症患者的大脑，看到明显的斑块沉积。在此之前，医生无法跟踪这些斑块的进展情况，直到病人去世后才能对其大脑进行尸检。利用这项新技术，医生或许能在最初症状出现之前很久就开始治疗。
这些进展都不是治疗阿尔茨海默症的灵丹妙药。如果您或您的亲人感到担忧，第一步就是由医生进行仔细评估。并不是所有的记忆力衰退都是阿尔茨海默症，有些可逆的健忘原因如果及早发现是可以治疗的。此外，请记住一句老话：“用进废退”。脑力锻炼——阅读、做填字游戏、下棋或拼字游戏——与体育锻炼对身体的益处一样，对保持智力也有好处。
