Vaccines(疫苗)maysoonmaketheirfirstfilmappearance.Ledbyex...

问题详情：

Vaccines( 疫苗 ) may soon make their first film appearance. Led by expert Maria A ． Croyle, researchers have developed a thin sheet that preserves vaccines for long periods without refrigeration. This means the carefully cooled small bottles now used to ship vaccines could potentially be replaced by lightweight films that can be mailed in an envelope and stored on a shelf.

Croyle’s laboratory began developing the technology in 2007. Inspired by amber’s ability to preserve the DNA of insects, the researchers set out to create their own version of the substance by mixing “a lot of sugar and a little bit of salt, much like hard candy,” Croyle explains. The vaccine-containing film is administered by mouth—sweet news for many who dislike needles.

The film is tailored to suit each specific vaccine candidate and provide a protective coating. “We’ve learned over time that the key to really stabilizing whatever the film holds is to have it intermixed with all the components,” Croyle says, adding that the process is quick and uses affordable, standard equipment. “We really wanted to come up with something that would be transferable to developing countries.”

Immunization( 免疫 ) programs depend heavily on keeping vaccines cold(2℃-8℃) as they are transported, sometimes over thousands of kilometers to far-away locations. Delivery can be difficult and costly, and transport disruptions can cause the vaccines to be ineffective.

But this new product can store live viruses, bacteria and antibodies for several months at 20℃. In a paper published in Science Advances , the scientists show that the live viruses in one vaccine were preserved in the film even after 36 months. They also find that a flu vaccine suspended in their film compares favourably with a traditional flu shot( 流感预防针 ). “The study demonstrates early proof of concept for an exciting platform for vaccine product development,” says Lisa Rohan, a pharmacologist, who was not involved in the study. She also notes that each vaccine type would need a custom formulation( * ) for future stages of development.

Finding partners to mass-produce for clinical trials is the researchers’ most pressing problem, Croyle says. They are also exploring packaging methods to keep their films stable up to 40℃.

Size is a major advantage—a letter-sized sheet of the film can carry more than 500 doses( 剂 ) of vaccine, about 1⁄900 the weight of the same amount of traditional doses. By making it easier and cheaper to ship and preserve vaccines efficiently, Croyle says, the technology could vastly improve immunization rates the world over, particularly in middle- to low- income countries.

1 ． What can we learn about the film?

A ． It contains animal’s DNA ． B ． It will replace vaccines.

C ． It comes in different flavours. D ． It can hold bio-products.

2 ． According to Paragraph 3, we can learn about the film’s ________.

A ． key component B ． development schedule

C ． possible advantages D ． transportation requirements

3 ． The author mentions Lisa Rohan’s words to ________.

A ． advise personalizing vaccines

B ． suggest the product is promising

C ． prove the study is supported widely

D ． stress the functions of a new platform

4 ． What will be the next urgent task for Croyle’s team?

A ． Advertising the film worldwide. B ． Improving the film’s capacity.

C ． Reducing the shipping cost. D ． Seeking ideal manufacturers.

【回答】

1 ． D

2 ． C

3 ． B

4 ． D

【分析】

本文是一篇说明文。文章介绍了科研团队研发出了一种可以长时间保存疫苗而无需冷藏的薄片，描述了它的功能和潜在价值。

1 ．细节理解题。根据第一段 “Led by expert Maria A. Croyle, researchers have developed a thin sheet that preserves vaccines for long periods without refrigeration.” （在专家 Maria A . Croyle 的带领下，研究人员开发出了一种可以长时间保存疫苗而无需冷藏的薄片。）可知，这种薄膜可以装生物制品。故选 D 项。

2 ．推理判断题。根据第三段 “The film is tailored to suit each specific vaccine candidate and provide a protective coating.” （该薄膜是量身定制的，以适合每种特定的候选疫苗，提供一种保护涂层。） “the key to really stabilizing whatever the film holds is to have it intermixed with all the components” （真正使这种薄膜无论容纳什么都稳定的关键是将其与所有成分混合）以及 “the process is quick and uses affordable, standard equipment.” （这一过程是快速的，使用了负担得起的标准设备。）可推断，第三段主要讲了薄膜的可能的优势。故选 C 项。

3 ．推理判断题。根据第五段 “‘The study demonstrates early proof of concept for an exciting platform for vaccine product development,’says Lisa Rohan( 丽莎罗翰说： “ 这项研究为一个令人兴奋的疫苗产品开发平台提供了早期的概念* ”)” 可推断，作者引用 Lisa Rohan 的话来暗示这个产品很有前途。故选 B 项。

4 ．细节理解题。根据倒数第二段 “Finding partners to mass-produce for clinical trials is the researchers’ most pressing problem, Croyle says.” （克罗伊尔说，寻找大规模生产用于临床试验的合作伙伴是研究人员最紧迫的问题。）可知，克罗伊团队的下一个紧急任务是寻求理想的制造商。故选 D 项。

知识点：科普知识与现代技术

题型：阅读理解