节目资讯
刊物:空中英语教室
日期:2012-06-15
难易度:Medium
关键字:infect, distribute, elsewhere, isolate, compromise, tuberculosis, dormant
(Music).
Hi, everyone.
Welcome to Studio Classroom Worldwide.
My name is Steve.
Thanks for taking time out of your busy day to study English with us.
Now with the arrival of modern medicine, many serious illnesses that were once
big problems have been eliminated, or so we thought.
Take tuberculosis, for example.
It's a disease we think of as troublesome to our parents' or grandparents'
generation, but not now.
Well, then this month's HEALTH feature might be something of a wakeup call
because tuberculosis,
or TB, for short, is still just as infectious, and is still just as deadly.
Let's open our Studio Classroom magazines to page 32 and learn about
tuberculosis, the forgotten disease.
Tuberculosis.
This forgotten disease is still a big problem.
This disease spreads through the air, infects billions and is increasingly
difficult to treat.
While it might sound like something from a sci-fi movie, tuberculosis, or TB, is
unfortunately all too real.
Today, people in the developed world usually see the symptoms of TB - fever,
fatigue, and coughing up blood - in movies and dramas.
That's because TB is not evenly distributed around the world.
Most common in Africa and Southeast Asia, it particularly affects those who are
sick, poor and have little access to healthcare.
(Music).
Hello, friends.
Thank you so much for joining us here in the studio.
My name is Kaylah.
My name is Ryan.
And now we are looking at our HEALTH article, and we're talking about a pretty
serious disease.
That's right. We are talking about tuberculosis.
Now you've actually probably heard of this disease because we commonly refer to
it as TB.
That's right. And TB is a very serious disease.
And it affects many parts of the body, but usually we think of it as mostly
affecting the lungs.
That's right.
It causes a big infection in the lungs causing a lot of very violent coughing.
And often the major symptoms of TB are coughing up blood.
Right. But this disease is mostly forgotten today, but it is still a big
problem.
That's right.
It's not done and over with.
Medicine has not cured it to be gotten rid of.
It still exists and can still cause great problems in people's health.
Now Ryan, have you ever known anyone who had TB?
Actually, yeah. I did meet them.
They seemed fine when I met them.
But the story about their disease was touching.
That's right.
If you catch it early enough, it can be helped.
But you need to be aware of this disease but not scared of this disease, which
is why we're learning about it today.
OK. Well, tuberculosis spreads through the air, infects billions of people and
is increasingly difficult to treat.
So we say it spreads through the air.
When a disease spreads through the air, that means the germs are carried in the
air, not through spit or water or any sort of liquid.
Instead, you just breathe in the disease.
Right. So if you have a cough and you have tuberculosis, if you're coughing, you
can spread it through other people.
So you have to be very careful.
That's right.
And it infects billions of people.
Now to "infect" means to pass a disease from one person, animal or plant to
another person, animal or plant.
So this usually happens from person to person.
And since tuberculosis causes a lot of coughing, Ryan, it does spread quickly
because it spreads through the air.
Right. So yeah, a lot of you have seen people get infected before.
If I have a cold and I cough on Kaylah, she could get the cold too.
And then she would be infected.
That's right.
So it's getting harder and harder to treat.
Well, while it might sound like something from a sci-fi movie, tuberculosis,
also known as TB, is unfortunately all too real.
OK. We are saying "it's all too real," that means it is still around today.
It's not just in the movies.
That's right.
And "sci-fi" we know is science fiction.
So we'd like to think that maybe it's just made up.
It's fiction.
But unfortunately, it's not.
Right. Now today, people in the developed world usually see the symptoms of TB.
They have fever, fatigue and coughing up blood, but they see that in movies and
dramas.
That's right. I can think, Ryan, of a lot of movies about older times in history
where people would get sick with this.
Even in dramas, in plays, you see a lot of it in theater... in live theater,
this is a common disease that people used to die of.
So it's very... it's very common to see it because it makes a good storyline.
But it's unfortunately still around today.
Yeah, it's all too real.
People can still see these symptoms in real life.
And of course, we remember symptoms being the signs of the disease that you
have, coughing and spitting up blood, things like that.
Not good.
Well, the reason people in the West think of it as movies and dramas is because
TB is not evenly distributed around the world.
OK. If something is "distributed," that means it is given to several different
people.
So if it is evenly distributed, then it is even amongst everyone.
They'll have the same.
Now "distributed" could mean something good as well.
For example, if you are in school and your teacher gives out candy as a reward.
Each person should get one piece of candy.
That would be evenly distributed among everybody.
So it can be something good.
Although in this case, it does mean something bad.
Right. And tuberculosis is not evenly distributed.
Most common... it is most common in Africa and Southeast Asia.
And it particularly affects those who are sick, poor or who have little access
to healthcare.
Now the only person I know that had tuberculosis was from Thailand.
So she is from that area of the world, the Southeast Asia part of the world, and
was herself very poor.
And unfortunately, that's who this disease most commonly affects.
Yeah. And she didn't have access to healthcare, which is a system that helps her
get better easier.
Well, we're going to visit the Chat Room.
But join us after the break.
Hey, Ken.
What are you doing with that tennis racket?
I'm practicing my swing.
I had my racket re-strung last week.
I'm... I'm planning on playing this weekend.
Hey, would you like to challenge me?
Well, normally I would, Ken.
But I'll have to pass this time.
I have spread myself too thin lately.
And I need to rest.
Spread yourself too thin?
Uh, you don't look like you've lost weight, Bryan.
Very funny, Ken.
No. I haven't lost any weight.
But I have spread myself too thin, meaning I've participated in so many
activities that I've run out of energy.
I've noticed you looking more tired lately.
OK. We can play tennis another time.
Thanks for your understanding.
But if you still need a tennis partner, I can help you spread the word.
Spread the word?
You're talking about letting others know I'm looking for someone, right?
You got it.
I do know quite a few tennis players who come into the library.
If any of them come to the desk, I'll let them know you're looking for a
partner, and ask them.
That would be great.
I bet I'll find you a partner within a few hours.
News like this spreads really fast at the library.
I know. It spreads like fire, doesn't it?
Well, yes, but it's wildfire, Ken.
This kind of news spreads like wildfire.
Oh, right.
A lot of people will know about my need very soon.
The message will spread like wildfire.
That's for sure.
And based on those fast tennis swings I just saw, I bet you'll put that tennis
court on fire too.
That's my plan.