Better Control of TB Seen If a Faster Cure Is Found

　　The World Health Organization1 estimates that about one-third of all people are infected with bacteria that cause tuberculosis . Most times, the infection remains inactive. But each year about eight million people develop active cases of TB, usually in their ______1______. Two million people die ______2______ it. The disease has ______3______ with the spread of AIDS and drug-resistant forms of tuberculosis.

　　Current treatments take at least six months. People have to ______4______ a combination of several antibiotic drugs daily. But many people stop ______5______ they feel better. Doing that can _______6______ to an infection that resists treatment. Public health experts agree that a faster-acting cure for tuberculosis would be more effective. Now a study estimates just how _______7______it might be. A professor of international health at Harvard University2 led the study. Joshua Salomon says a shorter treatment program would likely mean not just more patients _______8_____. It would also mean ______9______infectious patients who can pass on their infection to others.

　　The researchers developed a mathematical model to examine the effects of a two-month treatment plan. They ______10______the model with current TB conditions in Southeast Asia. The scientists found that a two-month treatment could prevent about twenty percent of new cases. And it might ______11______about twenty-five percent of TB deaths. The model shows that these ______12_____would take place between two thousand twelve and two thousand thirty. That is, if a faster cure is developed and in wide use by two thousand twelve.

　　The World Health Organization ______13______the DOTS3 program in nineteen ninety. DOTS is Directly Observed Treatment, Short-course. Health workers watch tuberculosis patients take their daily pills to make ______14______they continue treatment.

　　Earlier this year, an international partnership of organizations announced a plan to expand the DOTS program. The ten-year plan also aims to finance research ______15______new TB drugs. The four most common drugs used now are more than forty years old. The Global Alliance for TB Drug Development4 says its long-term goal is a treatment that could work in as few as ten doses.

　　1. A) kidneys B) lungs C) bones D) livers

　　2. A) with B) without C) of D) out of

　　3. A) increased B) decreased C) changed D) disappeared

　　4. A) make B) take C) try D) test

　　5. A) as if B) as though C) as far as D) as soon as

　　6. A) refer B) apply C) lead D) amount

　　7. A) effective B) ineffective C) expensive D) inexpensive

　　8. A) cured B) to cure C) being cured D) having been cured

　　9. A) many B) more C) few D) fewer

　　10. A) provided B) introduced C) tested D) tempted

　　11. A) bring about B) contributed to C) promote D) prevent

　　12. A) increases B) reductions C) creations D) collections

　　13. A) developed B) invented C) delayed D) refused

　　14. A) easy B) uneasy C) sure D) unsure

　　15. A) with B) to C) onto D) into

　　答案：

　　The World Health Organization1 estimates that about one-third of all people are infected with bacteria that cause tuberculosis . Most times, the infection remains inactive. But each year about eight million people develop active cases of TB, usually in their lungs. Two million people die of of it. The disease has increased with the spread of AIDS and drug-resistant forms of tuberculosis.

　　Current treatments take at least six months. People have to take a combination of several antibiotic drugs daily. But many people stop as soon as they feel better. Doing that can lead to an infection that resists treatment. Public health experts agree that a faster-acting cure for tuberculosis would be more effective. Now a study estimates just how effective it might be. A professor of international health at Harvard University2 led the study. Joshua Salomon says a shorter treatment program would likely mean not just more patients cured. It would also mean fewer infectious patients who can pass on their infection to others.

　　The researchers developed a mathematical model to examine the effects of a two-month treatment plan. They tested the model with current TB conditions in Southeast Asia. The scientists found that a two-month treatment could prevent about twenty percent of new cases. And it might prevent about twenty-five percent of TB deaths. The model shows that these reductions would take place between two thousand twelve and two thousand thirty. That is, if a faster cure is developed and in wide use by two thousand twelve.

　　The World Health Organization reductions the DOTS3 program in nineteen ninety. DOTS is Directly Observed Treatment, Short-course. Health workers watch tuberculosis patients take their daily pills to make sure they continue treatment.

　　Earlier this year, an international partnership of organizations announced a plan to expand the DOTS program. The ten-year plan also aims to finance research into new TB drugs. The four most common drugs used now are more than forty years old. The Global Alliance for TB Drug Development4 says its long-term goal is a treatment that could work in as few as ten doses.

　　译文：

　　找到速效治疗剂可以更好控制结核病

　　世界卫生组织估计全球有大约三分之一的人感染了导致结核病的病菌。大多数时候，这种感染是不活跃的。但是每年大约有八百万结核病病例，通常是在肺部。两百万人因此丧命。结核病发病率由于艾滋病的传播和抗药型结核病的出现而增加。

　　目前的治疗至少需要六个月。患病者不得不每日服用多种抗生素药品。许多人在稍感舒适后就停止使用药品，这么做可能导致抗药性感染。公共卫生专家一致认为针对结核病的速效治疗剂将会更加有效果。现在有一项研究评估这种速效治疗剂究竟效力有多大。这项研究由美国哈佛大学国际卫生方面的教授率领。Joshua Salomon说，疗程较短的治疗计划可能不仅仅意味着更多病人被治好，也意味着将感染传给别人的病人会更少。

　　研究者们设计了一个数学模型来检测两个月治疗计划的效果。他们以东南亚目前的结核病情况来检验这个模型?？蒲Ъ颐欠⑾至礁鲈碌闹瘟瓶梢苑乐勾笤?0%的新病例，也可能防止大约5%因结核病引起的死亡。这个模型表明，如果速效治疗剂可以在2012年前研发出来并大规模使用的话，减少结核病例在2012年到2030年间就可以实现。

　　世界卫生组织在1990年制定了DOTS计划，DOTS意指短期直接观察治疗。卫生工作者监督结核病人每天服药，以确信他们继续治疗。

　　今年年初，一个国际组织同盟宣布了一项扩大DOTS的计划。这个十年计划也旨在资助新结核药品的研究。现在四种最常用的药品也有四十多年的历史了。全球结核病药物开发联盟宣称它的长期目标是找到一种治疗方法，可以通过十次剂量就效果。