WHO新闻：蛇咬生存秘籍

Snakebites: Life saving facts

常速 | 四级 较难 | 952词 | 5min47s

刘立军供稿

Part I. QUESTIONS

Listen to the conversation and choose the best answer to each question you hear.

Q1. According to the conversation, who is most vulnerable to snakebites?

A. Farmers and cow herders.

B. Children and adults in rural communities.

C. People living in urban areas.

D. School children and their parents.

Q2. What is the main concern of the WHO regarding snakebites?

A. The number of people bitten by snakes each year.

B. The high mortality rate associated with snakebites.

C. The lack of awareness about snakebite prevention.

D. The global impact of snakebites on public health.

Q3. What is the global average number of snakebite fatalities per year?

A. Between 81,000 and 138,000.

B. Approximately 2.7 million.

C. About 4 per minute.

D. Less than 10,000.

Q4. What is the common misconception about snakebite treatment mentioned in the conversation?

A. Applying a tourniquet can save a limb.

B. Sucking the venom out and spitting it can be helpful.

C. Cutting the wound is an effective first aid measure.

D. None of the above.

Q5. Why is it advised to sleep on a bed off the ground with a mosquito net?

A. To prevent malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases.

B. To avoid tripping over snakes in the dark.

C. To reduce the risk of snakebites while sleeping.

D. To ensure good hygiene.

Q6. What is the recommended action if you encounter a snake during the day?

A. Try to catch and kill it.

B. Inform an adult immediately.

C. Suck the venom out if bitten.

D. Leave it alone and avoid contact.

Q7. Why is it dangerous to suck the venom out of a snakebite?

A. It can cause the person sucking the venom to be bitten as well.

B. It can lead to the loss of the limb.

C. It can cause the victim to choke on food or drink.

D. It can result in the need for an amputation.

Q8. What should you do if someone is bitten by a snake and starts to feel sick?

A. Give them food or drink to help them feel better.

B. Remove any tight objects from the area of the bite.

C. Apply electric shocks as a form of treatment.

D. Lay them on their back to rest.

Q9. What is the recommended position for a person who has been bitten by a snake while they are being transported to a healthcare facility?

A. Laying on their back.

B. Sitting upright.

C. On their left side in the recovery position.

D. Standing or walking.

Q10. What is the WHO’s role in addressing the snakebite issue?

A. To provide antivenom drugs to all countries.

B. To identify the best antivenom products and provide technical guidance.

C. To train people in first aid for snakebites.

D. To create awareness about the dangers of traditional snakebite remedies.

Part II. TRANSCRIPT

Snakebites: Life saving facts

Transcript

VGS: Growing up in India, (Q4-1) we even saw it in movies that if you’re bitten by a snake, you should suck the venom out and spit it out. Does this work?

venom n. 毒液

DW: If you’re sucking the venom out, you can end up with two people being bitten by the snake and not just one.

VGS: We are talking about snakebites today. Why should you be concerned? Because one person dies every four minutes across the world because of snakebites. Here to talk about it today is Dr David Williams. Welcome David, talk to us about the scenarios where people are being bitten by snakes.

DW: Okay, well, look, (Q1) the average person who gets bitten by a snake is an ordinary individual. They could be a farmer, a cow herder, a school child, mum, dad, somebody coming from a rural community usually, in Asia, Africa, Latin America or somewhere like New Guinea. And these are people who are just going about their day, and they make a simple mistake that leads to them being bitten.

VGS: David, how big is this problem and why is WHO concerned about it?

DW: Well, (Q2) snakebites are a really important public health issue. (Q3) There’s about 2.7 million people who are bitten by snakes every year. And between 81,000 and 138,000 of them lose their lives.

VGS: Can snakebites be prevented? What can we do to make sure we’re safe from snakes?

DW: Well, you know, the old adage is that prevention is better than the cure. Avoiding situations where snakebites can happen doesn’t cost you anything, and really just involves doing things that are common sense that can lower your risk of contact with a snake in the first place. And it’s really important that if you go outside at night, have some sort of light, whether it’s a torch, even inside the home, don’t stumble around in the dark and tread on a snake that you don’t see. Turn a light on. If you sleep on a bed that’s off the ground covered with a well tucked in mosquito net. It doesn’t just prevent malaria and other mosquito borne diseases. (Q5) It’s been proven in countries like Nepal to reduce the risk of snakebite while sleeping enormously. And probably the most important thing. Children are really vulnerable to snakebites. So, you have to talk to them, educate them, (Q6) make sure they know to leave snakes alone, not try to catch and kill them, and teach them that if they see a snake, they should inform an adult straightaway.

adage n. 格言，谚语

malaria n. 疟疾，瘴气

Nepal n. 尼泊尔（南亚国家名）

straightaway adv. 立刻，直接地

VGS: So, David growing up in India we heard and even saw it in movies that when you are bitten by a snake you should tie that part and cut that wound even suck the venom out and spit it out. It sounds dangerous. What does science say about this? What should people do when bitten by a snake?

DW: Okay, so the thing about movies is that they’re fiction. And the hero and the heroine are never allowed to die. Unfortunately, (Q4-2) those techniques in real life, it’s not just that they don’t work. It’s also that they can be very dangerous. A tourniquet applied too tight can cost you your leg, can end up having to be amputated. (Q7) If you’re sucking the venom out, and you have poor dental hygiene, you can end up with two people being bitten by the snake and not just one. The most important thing is, like any accident. Don’t panic. Don’t waste time getting to the nearest health center or hospital as quickly as you can. The best chance you’ve got of survival, essentially, is if you get proper medical treatment within the first 4 to 6 hours. So harmful first aids and traditional remedies should be avoided. And the basic principle of first aid is to first do no harm so don’t tie a rope or wire around the limb, don’t cut the wound. And certainly don’t do things like applying electric shocks. Another thing that’s important is that when people get bitten by a snake, sometimes they will become sick. And so if you give them food or drink, they can actually choke on that. (Q8) So you really shouldn’t give them anything by mouth. If they have rings, bangles, watches, other tight things on their bodies around the area where they were bitten, you should remove those as well, because sometimes snakebite causes a lot of local swelling, and those sorts of objects can really cut off the circulation. And then the most important thing is never lay a person on their back, especially in a vehicle on their way to health care. (Q9) Put them on their left side. And what we call the recovery position, with their head sort of tilted to the side and downwards. And that can actually prevent them from losing their ability to breathe and also prevents them from literally choking to death on their own vomit.

tourniquet n. 止血带

amputate v. 截肢

bangle n. 手镯，腕带

vomit n. 呕吐物

VGS: David, talk to us about the treatment for snakebites. Are antivenoms available readily around the world?

DW: Okay, well unfortunately, many countries face shortages when it comes to having enough supplies of safe, good quality and effective antivenom drugs. (Q10) So to this end, WHO is helping countries by identifying the best products that they can use. Providing technical guidance to manufacturers to help them improve and develop and design other products. And we’re also looking at new ways to supply antivenoms to even the remotest parts of the world so that more people can easily access treatment.

effective adj. 有效的，起作用的

VGS: Thank you David. That was Science in 5 today. Until next time then stay safe, stay healthy, and stick with science.

Part III. KEY

Q1. B.【解析】细节题。根据“the average person who gets bitten by a snake is an ordinary individual. They could be a farmer, a cow herder, a school child, mum, dad, somebody coming from a rural community usually...”，可知被蛇咬伤的通常是来自农村社区的普通人，如农民、牧牛人、学童、母亲、父亲等。因此答案是B。

Q2. D.【解析】主旨题。根据“snakebites are a really important public health issue.”，可知世界卫生组织关注蛇咬伤问题，是因为其是一个非常重要的公共卫生问题，对全球都有影响。因此答案是D。

Q3. A.【解析】细节题。根据“There’s about 2.7 million people who are bitten by snakes every year. And between 81,000 and 138,000 of them lose their lives.”，可知每年大约有270万人被蛇咬伤，其中8.1万至13.8万人因此丧生。因此答案是A。

Q4. B. 【解析】细节题。根据“we even saw it in movies that if you’re bitten by a snake, you should suck the venom out and spit it out”和“those techniques in real life, it’s not just that they don’t work. It’s also that they can be very dangerous.”，可知我们在电影中看到，如果你被蛇咬伤了，你应该把毒液吸出来，然后吐出来，但这些技巧在现实生活中不仅无效，而且可能非常危险。因此答案为B。

Q5. C. 【解析】细节题。根据“It’s been proven in countries like Nepal to reduce the risk of snakebite while sleeping enormously.”，可知在尼泊尔等国家已经证明睡离地的床并挂好蚊帐可以极大地降低睡眠时被蛇咬伤的风险。因此答案为C。

Q6. D. 【解析】细节题。根据“make sure they know to leave snakes alone, not try to catch and kill them”，可知遇到蛇时应远离蛇，不要试图捕捉和杀死它们。因此，正确的做法是远离蛇，避免与其接触。因此答案为D。

Q7. A. 【解析】推理题。根据“If you’re sucking the venom out, and you have poor dental hygiene, you can end up with two people being bitten by the snake and not just one.”，可知如果你吸出毒液，并且你的口腔卫生状况不佳，最终可能导致两个人被蛇咬伤，而不仅仅是一个。因此答案为A。

Q8. B. 【解析】细节题。根据“So you really shouldn’t give them anything by mouth. If they have rings, bangles, watches, other tight things on their bodies around the area where they were bitten, you should remove those as well...”，可知被蛇咬伤者感到不适的人，不应该给他们任何口服的东西。如果他们有戒指、手镯、手表或其他紧固件在被咬伤的区域，应该把它们取下来。因此答案为B。

Q9. C. 【解析】细节题。根据“Put them on their left side. And what we call the recovery position, with their head sort of tilted to the side and downwards.”，可知在送医途中，应该让被蛇咬伤者左侧卧，头部稍微向一侧倾斜并向下，处于恢复姿势。因此答案为C。

Q10. B. 【解析】细节题。根据“So to this end, WHO is helping countries by identifying the best products that they can use. Providing technical guidance to manufacturers...”，可知WHO正在帮助各国识别可以用于抗蛇毒的最佳产品，并为制造商提供技术指导。因此答案为B。

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