节目资讯
刊物:空中英语教室
日期:2012-10-10
难易度:High
关键字:expertise, stroke, zap, strike a balance, nanobot
Welcome back, everybody.
For years, public health officials have been spending time and energy trying to
take young people's love for video games and turn it into a way to improve their
health.
We are now seeing the fruit of their labor in video games that help teens who
struggle with depression and obesity.
Let's look at another game now created to help young people who are going
through the trauma of cancer at the top of page 25.
(Music).
Games for Health.
Improving the Lives of Youth with Cancer.
The company HopeLab developed the video game Re-Mission to improve the lives of
a specific group of people - young people living with cancer.
Players take on one of 20 different missions and lead a nanobot named Roxxi
through a virtual human body, zapping cancer cells with various weapons.
The game has been shown to help players gain a sense of control over their
disease and stick to their treatment schedules.
And thanks to the input of medical experts and patients, the game strikes a
balance between action and accuracy.
(Music).
Surprisingly, friends, video games can be used to help treat stroke patients,
teens that are suffering from depression and people that want to lose weight.
But it can help so much more.
OK. We're going to look at one of those categories of more.
So we're moving past the stroke patients and depression, and going into youth
that are living with cancer.
OK. Youth means, of course, young people, or even children; and they have
cancer, this terrible, terrible disease.
But there are video games that are being developed to help them.
Well, the company HopeLab developed the game called Re-Mission to improve the
lives of a specific group of young people.
That is the young people that live with cancer.
Now friends, this is a fun idea calling it Re-Mission.
Yeah. Just before the break you saw that the word mission, of course, means a
goal.
And many video games involve missions.
They give you something to try to achieve.
But this is called Re-Mission.
Well, we know "mission" when we see just that word.
It means something exciting, something fun and energetic.
But in medical terms, "remission" for cancer patients means they're getting
better.
It means that their bodies are winning.
They're not dying to the disease anymore.
So you use that word "remission" and mission together, and it kind of creates a
fun idea for a cancer patient that's energetic and giving life.
Yeah, that's a very clever name.
Remember that word "remission." It means cancer is going away.
So how exactly do players play this game, Kaylah?
Well, players take on one of 20 different missions.
So they have a choice.
And then they lead a nanobot named Roxxi through a virtual human body.
OK. So they are working with a "nanobot." Now we see two different parts of this
word nanobot.
The first one "nano" means something that is very, very small, very tiny.
But what is the word "bot"?
"Bot" usually refers to a robot.
OK. So a robot is a machine that can move on its own.
So they're controlling this really tiny little robot inside a virtual human
body.
OK. So as you virtually move through... "virtually" means it's not real, it's
made up.
It's made with computers.
Exactly. So it's in a computer game or a video game, so it's a virtual human
body.
And as they move through, they zap cancer cells with various weapons.
So to "zap" something, what does that mean?
OK. This word comes from science fiction.
It means to kill something or destroy something intentionally.
Usually this word comes from things like those laser guns that you might see in
sci-fi movies.
Ryan, could you maybe give us the sound of what is zap-like sound like?
You want to make me make the sound.
It's something like... (Background Noise).
Thank you very much.
You're welcome.
OK. So that is to zap something.
And usually when we refer to "zap," that means they are killing it.
So they would be killing the disease in the virtual human body.
OK. And this actually makes it kind of fun for them.
They get to use weapons to get rid of the cancer instead of just medicine.
This game has been shown to help players gain a sense of control over their
disease and stick to their treatment.
OK. Now sometimes it's hard to feel like you're in control when a disease is
taking over your body.
So this acts as an encouragement for youth who are going through cancer therapy
because it makes them feel like they have some sort of control,
some sort of power, and encourages them to keep up with their medical treatment
schedules.
Yes. And you just used the phrase "keep up." That also can mean the same thing
as to stick to something.
That means you keep doing it regularly and on time.
And here they need to follow their treatment schedules.
Why is that important for cancer patients?
Well, treatment schedules are a very important process.
It's how they are going about treating the disease.
And if you break it, it's harder to beat it.
So it's important to stick to it.
Yes, keep following it.
And thanks to the input of medical experts and patients, these games, or the
game, strikes a balance between action and accuracy.
OK. So this game Re-Mission has struck a balance.
"To strike a balance" means it accepts two different things, two different
parts, and adds them together in at least an equally balanced way.
So it's both fun and has some true medical facts in it.
Yeah. It has both sides equally.
And that's thanks to the fact that they have input from the patients who want
the fun and the medical experts who want to help them.
So they get both parts.
That's right.
And that's how it encourages them to keep up with their medical treatment
schedules.
Now these aren't the only games we have to talk about.
That's right.
We'll see how else video games can help your health tomorrow.
Right now, though, let's visit the Chat Room.
Oh, not again!
Why do I keep dropping these balls?
I never thought juggling would be this hard to learn.
Don't worry, Ken.
It just takes a little practice.
Stick to it, and I know you'll get it.
I guess you're right.
It always takes time to learn how to do something new.
It certainly took me a long time to learn English.
Right. But your hard work in learning English is paying off.
I'm sure that's because you keep trying to learn new phrases.
Thanks, Bryan.
Hey, speaking of learning new phrases, just now you told me to stick to it.
What does that mean?
Well, to stick to something means to continue doing it or to keep following a
plan.
So if you stick to juggling, you'll keep practicing and not give up.
I see.
So could I say that my friend stuck to his goal of exercising every day?
Yes, you can say that.
You can stick to a goal or stick to a schedule.
I think I've heard the phrase "stick to it" before.
It guess it gets used a lot.
Yes, it does.
In fact, sometimes we even turn it into a noun, stick-to-it-iveness.
Stick-to-it-iveness?
How would I use that?
Someone shows stick-to-it-iveness when they stick to things they're trying to do
rather than giving up.
So it means the same thing as persistence or perseverance.
I see. Now that's a fun word.
Yes, it's very informal, but it's fun.
And there's also an idiom that builds on the phrase "stick to it" called: stick
to one's guns.
So what does... what does it mean to stick to your guns?
It means to hang on to an idea, especially if you're tempted to change it.
So I could say: Chris' friends all disagreed with his opinion but he stuck to
his guns.
I see.
Well, thanks for the English lesson and the encouragement.
I'll definitely stick to my goal of learning to juggle.
(Chinese).
(Chinese).
And I guess we have to say goodbye now.
Take care, and I'll see you soon.
Thank you, Michelle.
Friends, HopeLab offers the Re-Mission video game free of charge to young people
with cancer, their families and caregivers.
So far almost 200,000 copies of the Re-Mission video game have been distributed
to people in over 80 countries around the world.
Visit www.re-mission.net for more information about how you can order your free
copy.
Now this isn't the last we'll hear about HopeLab.
Tomorrow we'll learn about another video game they've developed to help
encourage and improve the health of young people.
Until then, I hope all of you have a great day.
Take care.