2020英语教学资源：时文阅读|新冠病毒疫苗的研发

The United States is "neck-and-neck" with China in the race to develop an effective coronavirus(新冠病毒) vaccine, Johns Hopkins University health policy and management professor Dr. Marty Makary told "Special Report" Wednesday. "There are 70 vaccines in different stages of development," said Makary, a Fox News contributor. "There are seven that are being given in patients right now. We’re sort of neck-and-neck with China -- we've got three, they've got three."

Makary added that the Chinese vaccines "are actually in further stages of development. Their drugs are in phase two or three, and it's a real race ...The country that gets there first will have a significant advantage because they will control the supply for the rest of the world and the risk is if we aren't there first, we could get locked out." The professor concluded that the search for a vaccine was "moving along," but added that "it will probably take a year" before such a treatment becomes widely available.

Earlier Wednesday, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the government's top infectious-disease expert and a member of President Trump's coronavirus task force, touted the drug remdesivir(瑞德西韦) for its "clear-cut significant positive effect in diminishing the time to recovery,” as reflected in new data. Makary said that while the National Institutes of Health study shows only a 31 percent reduction rate in recovery time, it could prove to be significant. "One thing to remember," Makary cautioned about remdesivir, "it's not a silver bullet. "It reduces the severity and probably increases recovery but also, this is an IV(静脉注射) medication, it's not something you can go to the pharmacy tonight and pick up." In the U.S., remdesivir is still awaiting regulatory approval as a coronavirus treatment, but Makary said it is likely to receive emergency authorization from the Food and Drug Administration "as early as this evening”.

1. What does the underlined word “neck-and-neck” mean?

A. work together   B. be friends     C. at the equal level   D.be enemies

2.What is American’s challenge according to Makary’s statement?

A. Use vaccines to save more people.              

B. Give patients more vaccines for treatment.

C. Develop effective vaccines before China does.    

D. Work with China to develop vaccines.

3.What can we know about remdesivir ?

 A. It can reduce the time to recovery.           

 B. People can’t purchase it easily in drug stores.

 C. It has been used as a coronavirus treatment.   

 D. It has a significant effect in treating coronavirus.

4.Which would be the best title for this passage ?

 A. The US is level with China in race for coronavirus vaccines.

 B. Remdesivir can be the treatment for coronavirus vaccines.

 C. Remdesivir need the regulatory approval.

 D. Coronavirus vaccines should be developed soon.

答案：

1.      C.根据第一段中，The United States is "neck-and-neck" with China in the race to develop an effective coronavirus vaccine中的race一词，及最后一句We’re sort of neck-and-neck with China -- we've got three, they've got three. 可知，美国和中国目前处于同样的疫苗研发阶段，正在比赛哪国先研制出有效的新冠病毒疫苗。句意：在研制有效冠状病毒疫苗的竞赛中，美国与中国“并驾齐驱”，故选C.

2.      C. 根据第二段The country that gets there first will have a significant advantage because they will control the supply for the rest of the world and the risk is if we aren't there first, we could get locked out. 最先实现这一目标的国家将拥有巨大的优势，因为他们将控制世界其他地区的供应，风险是，如果我们不先到那里，我们可能会被锁在门外。可知，目前美国面临的挑战是领先于中国研制出疫苗。

3.      B. 细节理解题。根据第三段only a 31 percent reduction rate in recovery time,在恢复时间上只有31%的降低率，A，D错误。 根据，this is an IV medication, it's not something you can go to the pharmacy tonight and pick up.这是静脉注射的药物，不是你今晚可以去药店拿的东西，B正确。根据In the U.S., remdesivir is still awaiting regulatory approval as a coronavirus treatment, 在美国， remdesivir仍在等待监管部门批准作为冠状病毒治疗手段，C错误。

4.      A. 根据文章内容，Markary 表示目前美国与中国齐头并进，对美国研制疫苗速度表示担忧，并说目前疫苗研制正处于推进中，故A正确，在冠状病毒疫苗的研发上，美国与中国不相上下。