Question

    Ultrasound（超声）is used widely in medical imaging, but in recent years scientists have started developing it for another use: stimulating nerves to treat disease. In two new studies in mice, researchers focused the sound waves on nerves in the spleen（脾）that communicate with the immune system, reducing symptoms. If the approach proves safe and effective in people, it could serve as a treatment for diseases such as arthritis（关节炎）.

In one study, led by scientists at the Feistein Institute and GE Research, mice receiving a few minutes of ultrasound treatment to the spleen nerve had a diminished symptoms to an injected（注射）poison. In another study, researchers at the University of Minnesota and their colleagues reduces symptoms of arthritis in mice by stimulating their spleen nerves for 20 minutes every day for a week. “Zeroing in on the spleen may provide a more precise approach than focusing on the vagus nerve（交感神经）, which connects with the immune system via a second nerve that stimulates the spleen.” says Hubert Lin, lead author of the latter study. “When we’re targeting the spleen we have less of an effect all over the body.”

“Little is known about how repeated ultrasound affects the spleen or whether it has other harmful effects,” says neuroscientist Denise Bellinger of Loma Linda University, who was not involved in either study. An ongoing clinical trial aims to assess the treatment’s safety in humans with arthritis. A bigger unknown is how ultrasound activates in general. Scientists are now exploring the use of ultrasound on other parts of the nervous system, including the brain. “We know how to control nerves with electricity, and we’ve been doing it for more than 100 years,” neuroscientist Kevin Tracey says, “But the idea of controlling nerve signals with ultrasound is a brand-new field.”

1.What do scientists expect of the new application of ultrasound?

A.It'll be applied in medical imaging

B.It'll be used to activate nerves to treat disease.

C.It’ll be applied in spleen transplantation.

D.It'll be employed to rebuild immune system.

2.What does the underlined word “diminished" in paragraph 2 mean?

A.Complicated. B.Worsened.

C.Decreased. D.Associated.

3.What is the concern of Denise Bellinger?

A.Side effect. B.Time length.

C.The procedure. D.The cost.

4.What is most likely the next step of the study?

A.Assessing the treatment' s safety on humans.

B.Activating nerves in general with ultrasound.

C.Exploring the use of ultrasound on the brain.

D.Controlling nerve signals with ultrasound.

Answer

1.B

2.C

3.A

4.D

【解析】

本文是一篇说明文，介绍了科学家们研究用超声波刺激神经来治疗关节炎等疾病。

1.细节理解题。根据第一段中的“Ultrasound（超声）is used widely in medical imaging, but in recent years scientists have started developing it for another use: stimulating nerves to treat disease.”可知，超声波在医学成像中有着广泛的应用，但近年来科学家们开始将其用于另一个用途：刺激神经来治疗疾病，也就是说科学家们期望用超声波刺激神经来治疗疾病，故B项正确。

2.词义猜测题。根据第一段中的“In two new studies in mice, researchers focused the sound waves on nerves in the spleen（脾）that communicate with the immune system, reducing symptoms.”可知，在两项针对小白鼠的新研究中，研究人员将声波聚焦在脾脏与免疫系统沟通的神经上，从而减轻症状，再结合画线词后的“In another study, researchers at the University of Minnesota and their colleagues reduces symptoms of arthritis in mice by stimulating their spleen nerves for 20 minutes every day for a week.”可知，在另一项研究中，明尼苏达大学的研究人员和他们的同事通过一周内每天刺激小白鼠的脾脏神经20分钟来减轻关节炎的症状，因此画线词词义与“reduces”相近，此处是说在一项研究中，接受几分钟脾脏神经超声波治疗的小白鼠的症状有所减轻，由此可知画线词词义为“减轻”，故C项正确。

3.细节理解题。根据第三段中的““Little is known about how repeated ultrasound affects the spleen or whether it has other harmful effects,” says neuroscientist Denise Bellinger of Loma Linda University”可知，洛马琳达大学的神经科学家丹尼斯·贝林格说：“对于重复超声波如何影响脾脏，或者它是否有其他有害影响，我们知之甚少”，由此可知，丹尼斯·贝林格担心的是这种治疗方法的副作用，故A项正确、

4.推理判断题。根据第三段中的““neuroscientist Kevin Tracey says, “But the idea of controlling nerve signals with ultrasound is a brand-new field.””可知，神经科学家凯文·特雷西说，“但是用超声波控制神经信号的想法是一个全新的领域”，由此可知，科学家们下一步可能会研究用超声波来控制神经信号，故D项正确。