Question

A woman in the US is able to speak for the first time in 11 years after a pioneering voice box transplant.

Brenda Jensen said the operation was a great success which had saved her life. Thirteen days after the surgery she said her first words： “Good morning, I want to go ” home. ”It is the first time a voice box and windpipe have been transplanted at the same time and only the second time a voice box has ever been transplanted.

Ms. Jensen，52，had been unable to speak on her own since her voice box was damaged during surgery (手术) in 1999. Since then，she has been unable to taste or smell food，could breathe only through a hole in her windpipe and could talk only with the help of an electronic voice box.

In October，doctors at the University of California Davis Medical Centre removed the voice box and 6cm of the windpipe from a donor body. In an 18一hour surgery，this was transplanted into Ms. Jensen's throat and the team connected it to her blood supply and nerves(神经).

Professor Martin Birchall from University College London，who was part of the surgery team，said：”We've learned that we can repair nerves to make even very complex organs function again. It'll open the door to better facial transplants and will be extremely important as tissue (组织) engineering develops. ”

A voice box transplant might be life changing，but it is not life saving. Everyone who receives a transplant must take drugs to control the immune system (免疫系统) for the rest of their lives. These drugs can reduce life expectancy，so they are normally set aside for life saving procedures.

One of the reasons Ms. Jensen was a suitable person for this transplant was that she was already taking immune controlling drugs after a kidney-pancreas transplant four years ago. Professor Peter Belafsky，part of the surgical team，said：“Brenda was an exceptional candidate for the transplant because she was highly motivated. Anyone who's met Brenda knows that she is a strong and determined person with a great attitude towards life in spite of the many physical challenges she's faced over her lifetime. ”

1.The voice transplant surgery is of great importance because it proves that _______.

A. facial transplants are now easier to perform

B. new medical technology is always possible to discover

C. nerve repairing is a breakthrough in tissue engineering

D. the drugs taken after the surgery help the patient live longer

2.Ms. Jensen was a suitable person for this transplant because she was ________.

A. strong—willed and prepared    B. experienced and brave

C. seriously ill and motivated    D. determined and realistic

3.Which of the following is the fight time order of the event?

a. Ms. Jensen received a voice box transplant operation.

b. Ms. Jensen began to take immune controlling drugs.

c. Doctors removed the voice box from a donor body.

d. Ms. Jensen had a kidney—pancreas transplant surgery.

A. acdb    B. dbca

C. bdca    D. cabd

4.Which is the best title for the passage?

A. First Words from New Voice Box

B. Transplant Saves A Woman’s Life

C. Courageous Woman Defeating Fears

D. Overcoming Obstacles to Speak Again

Answer

1. C

2. A

3. B

4. A

【解析】

本文是一篇科普类短文阅读。文章主要介绍美国首个喉头移植手术成功的案例，使患者能够再次说话。

1.细节理解题。根据第五段第一、二句"We've learned that we can repair nerves to make even very complex organs function again．It'll open the door to better facial transplants and will be extremely important as tissue engineering develops．"可知，我们能修复神经使得复杂的器官再次工作，这将打开进行更好的面部移植手术的大门，并对组织工程学的发展有及其重要的意义，因为它证明了神经修复是组织工程的突破。故选C。

2.细节理解题。根据最后一段Brenda was an exceptional candidate for the transplant because she was highly motivated.可知，Ms. Jensen一直在吃控制免疫的药，并有坚强的意志和很高的积极性。故选A。

3.推理判断题。根据文章第四段、第五段可知，Ms. Jensen先做了手术，再吃药控制，最后将从捐献者身体内取出的喉头移植到身体。故选B。

4.主旨大意题。根据文章第一段A woman in the US is able to speak for the first time in 11 years after a pioneering voice box transplant.及全文内容可知。本文介绍美国首个喉头移植手术成功的案例，并使患者能够再次说话。故选A。