直面结核病危机

Facing the TB crisis

常速 | 六级（中等）| 650词 | 5min14s

刘立军供稿

Part I. QUESTIONS

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

Q1. What percentage of people infected with TB bacteria develop active TB disease?

A. 1% to 5%.  

B. 5% to 10%.  

C. 10% to 15%.  

D. 15% to 20%.  

Q2. What is essential for successfully treating tuberculosis?

A. Using injection-based treatments.  

B. Avoiding contact with infected individuals.  

C. Early detection through rapid molecular diagnostic tests.  

D. Completing treatment within two months.  

Q3. Which groups are considered at higher risk for TB infection?

A. Young adults and elderly individuals.  

B. Healthy individuals with no prior exposure.  

C. People living in urban areas.  

D. People with diabetes and undernourished individuals.  

Q4. What is the main message of the text?

A. TB is a disease of poverty that requires urgent global action.  

B. TB primarily affects the lungs and is difficult to cure.  

C. TB treatment methods have become less effective over time.  

D. TB is no longer a significant threat due to advanced vaccines.  

Q5. What can be inferred about the importance of investing in TB research?

A. Investment in TB research will primarily benefit smaller nations.  

B. TB vaccines could play a transformative role in ending the disease.  

C. Current TB treatments are sufficient without additional funding.  

D. Economic costs of TB are declining due to improved treatments.  

Part II. TRANSCRIPT

Facing the TB crisis

VGS: Tuberculosis is in the news, but not for the right reasons. A severe resource shortage is threatening the global response to end TB. And the disease is appearing in places where people had forgotten that it existed. Is the world on the brink of a global TB crisis?

tuberculosis n. 结核病

We are talking about a millennia-old disease that the world has not been able to end. In fact, in the five minutes that you will watch this Science in 5, 11 people would have died of tuberculosis. Our expert today is Doctor Tereza Kasaeva. Welcome, Tereza. Tereza, I heard something that I was also not aware of and it surprised me that a quarter of the world’s population could be infected with TB and not even know it. Could you explain that? How concerned should we be?

TK: You are absolutely right, Vismita. The world doesn’t seem to recognize how widespread the TB bacteria is. An estimated one in four people globally have been infected with TB bacteria, and yet not many of them realize the risks. (Q1) While only five to ten percent of people infected with TB will develop an active disease, that’s more than 10 million people falling ill every year.

VGS: So Tereza, TB is a highly infectious disease, right. It’s airborne. It spreads through air. Is there a cure? What’s the treatment and how do we diagnose it?

TK: TB is in fact a curable disease, but it requires completion of treatment. It would take several months, from four to six months of treatment with a combination of antibiotics. And even the most challenging, difficult forms of drug-resistant tuberculosis could be successfully treated. We have much better options available now. We have shorter, fully oral, injection-free treatments and more effective treatment now available. While tuberculosis affects primarily lungs, it could affect also other parts of our body — bones and joints, skin, kidneys and even the brain. (Q2) Tuberculosis could be successfully treated, but the essential condition is early detection using rapid molecular diagnostic tests, including for the detection of drug-resistant tuberculosis.

diagnostic adj. 诊断的

VGS: Tereza, how can we protect ourselves and our loved ones from TB?

TK: Protecting ourselves and our loved ones starts with awareness, early detection and treatment. Consult your physician if you see symptoms like prolonged coughing, fever, or weight loss, especially if you’ve been in contact with someone diagnosed with tuberculosis recently. (Q3) This is especially important if you are belonging to one of the so-called risk groups like children, people with immuno compromised systems, people with HIV/AIDS and diabetes and undernourished.

VGS: So are we, is the world really on the brink of a TB crisis?

TK: In short, yes. (Q4-1) Tuberculosis is the of the world’s deadliest infectious disease. Remember, tuberculosis is a disease of poverty exacerbated by stigma, conflict and migration.

exacerbate v. 加剧，恶化  

VGS: Tereza, why should the world invest in TB? And why is that more important now than ever?

TK: Investing in the TB response is not only a global health issue, it is a social, economic and global health security imperative. Tuberculosis devastates economies. It affects people in their most productive ages. It increases significantly health care costs. It drains the workforce. Unfortunately, millions of people with tuberculosis still don’t have access to the lifesaving treatment due to the chronic and significant funding gaps. (Q5) For the first time in more than over a century, we have 16 vaccine candidates in the pipeline and we know that vaccines could become game changers in the fight against TB. That’s why urgent investments in TB research are required. Strengthening TB programmes actually improves global pandemic preparedness. (Q4-2) TB is an urgent crisis, but one we can end if we act now. The cost of inaction is measured in lives and we can’t afford to lose any more.

pipeline n. 开发中  

pandemic adj. 大范围流行的  

VGS: 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“While only five to ten percent of people infected with TB will develop an active disease, that’s more than 10 million people falling ill every year.”，可知只有5%到10%的感染者会发展为活动性结核病，因此正确答案为B。

Q2. C.【解析】细节题。根据“Tuberculosis could be successfully treated, but the essential condition is early detection using rapid molecular diagnostic tests, including for the detection of drug-resistant tuberculosis.”，可知通过快速分子诊断测试进行早期检测，是成功治疗结核病的关键，因此正确答案为C。

Q3. D.【解析】细节题。根据“This is especially important if you are belonging to one of the so-called risk groups like children, people with immuno compromised systems, people with HIV/AIDS and diabetes and undernourished.”，可知儿童、免疫系统受损的人、艾滋病患者、糖尿病患者以及营养不良者等为高风险群体，因此正确答案为D。

Q4. A.【解析】主旨题。结合全文，尤其是“Tuberculosis is the of the world’s deadliest infectious disease. Remember, tuberculosis is a disease of poverty exacerbated by stigma, conflict and migration.”和“TB is an urgent crisis, but one we can end if we act now.”，可知结核病是世界上最致命的传染病之一。它是一种因耻辱、冲突和移民而加剧的贫困疾病，是一场紧迫的危机，但如果我们现在采取行动，就可以结束它。全文围绕结核病的危机及其紧迫性展开，因此正确答案为A。

Q5. B.【解析】推理题。根据“For the first time in more than over a century, we have 16 vaccine candidates in the pipeline and we know that vaccines could become game changers in the fight against TB.”，可知一个多世纪以来，我们首次有16种疫苗候选者正在研发中，疫苗可能成为对抗结核病的游戏规则改变者。根据该句可以推断，疫苗研发对结束结核病具有重要意义，因此正确答案为B。

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