北师大版《英语》必修二Unit 6 Lesson 1 A Medical Pioneer
At the Nobel Prize Lecture on 7 December, 2015, an 84-year-old Chinese woman walked slowly on to the stage. She began to talk about the life-saving drug, artemisinin, which she had discovered with the help of her team in the 1970s. The woman was Tu Youyou, the first Chinese female scientist to be awarded a Nobel Prize for her work. A scientist who was on the Nobel Prize Committee called Hans Forssberg explained that “the discovery of artemisinin has led to the development of new drugs which have saved the lives of millions”. When thanking the Committee for the honour, Tu Youyou said, “This is not only an honour for myself, but also recognition of and encouragement for all scientists in China.”
Tu Youyou was born in Zhejiang Province, China, on 30 December, 1930. She studied medicine at Peking University Health Science Centre. After graduation, she became a member of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences. Later, she studied Chinese medicine for two and a half years with experts in the field from whom she gained a deep knowledge about traditional practices.
In 1969, Tu Youyou was chosen to establish a team to find a cure for malaria—a disease that killed millions of people every year. Across the world, scientists had been trying to find a cure. They tested more than 240,000 chemicals with no success. However, Tu Youyou had an idea that Chinese herbs might hold the secret. She studied ancient Chinese medical literature and visited experts in traditional Chinese medicine. She researched hundreds of traditional recipes connected to anti-malarial cures. Then Tu Youyou and her team began using modern research methods to study these Chinese herbs one by one.
This was not an easy task. The reason why this was difficult was that the team had limited resources. They did not have enough staff, and the laboratory in which they worked had poor air quality. However, after hundreds of failed experiments, they eventually came across a promising chemical. It worked well in experiments on animals, but they had to know if it was safe for humans. Tu Youyou bravely volunteered to be the first human subject when they were ready to start testing and the rest of her team followed her. The test was a success. The medicine they discovered, artemisinin, has now become the world's most effective drug for fighting malaria.
Even though Tu Youyou is not interested in fame, she has become a scientist whose work is internationally renowned. In 2019, she was selected by the BBC as one of the most influential figures of science in the 20th century along with Albert Einstein and Alan Mathison Turing. Tu Youyou was noted for her bravery in being a scientist during a difficult time for science in China, her ability to use old wisdom and new methods to achieve her goals and the fact that her work bridged the Eastern and Western worlds, saving millions of lives. Today Tu Youyou continues to conduct research despite her age. According to Tu Youyou, “From our research experience in discovering artemisinin, we learnt the wisdom behind both Chinese and Western medicine. There is great potential for future advances if these two kinds of wisdom can be fully integrated”.
北师大版《英语》选择性必修一Unit 3 Lesson 3 The Road to Destruction
Part 1
“This morning, it took me 40 minutes to go downtown. More roadworks on the A10!”
“Oh really? It took me over an hour. There was an accident on the M11.”
How often have you heard these conversations? How often do we get stuck in traffic jams? How often do we arrive at work or school, stressed out, tired and angry? For many people, the answer is every day. But personal anger and stress are nothing compared to the real costs socially. Here are some figures about Britain:
● In the last 20 years, the number of cars on the roads has gone up by 25%. There are now 32 million cars.
●Over the last decade, an average of 2,500 people have died every year in vehicle accidents.
●Traffic is one of the major causes of global warming and climate change, as car engines produce various types of greenhouse gases.
● Almost 30,000 deaths per year are caused by air pollution.
● Some types of cancer are related to traffic pollution.
Part 2
We know that cars are bad for us. But we all make excuses: “The buses are terrible”; “The trains are always late”; “I haven't got time to walk”. I'm talking about myself, too. To be frank, I'm addicted to my car. When I asked a friend working for a green-living organisation for advice about how to give up, she told me five things:
● Use your legs. In 2014, over 55% of car journeys were under eight kilometres. Instead of taking short car journeys, we could easily walk or cycle. Leg power can save your money, keep you fit and help you live longer. Regular exercise also cuts the risk of heart disease by 50%!
● Use public transport. Up to 90 people can travel in one bus, while the same number will need at least 18 cars. Sometimes it can take a little bit longer, but so what? You can relax, read a book, talk to someone—who knows?
● Think before you go. Do you really have to go to that shopping centre on the other side of town? What about the shops around the corner? Before you get into your car, think about whether you really need to make that journey.
● Share cars. If you really have to use a car, share journeys with someone else. It is much cheaper and kinder to the environment.
● Take action! We often think there is nothing we can do about the noise, pollution and danger of traffic. There is. If your street is full of heavy traffic, talk to your neighbours about it. Write to the papers. Go to the city government. Ask for a speed limit. Do whichever of these things that suit you. Don't just sit around and complain!
All quite simple, isn't it? Five easy ways to improve our environment. Well, I'm sorry I have to finish this article, but I've got to pick up my daughter from school at 4 pm. Then I've got to drive to the supermarket to do the shopping. After that, I have to take my son to a party. The traffic is going to be horrible, but what can I do?
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