题型:阅读理解 题类:常考题 难易度:普通
内蒙古自治区赤峰二中2019-2020学年高二上学期英语第一次月考试卷
Do you often feel like you want to wash your hands again and again? Or do you ever have the urge to line up the items on your desk? These all may be symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (强迫症), or OCD, which affects about 2 percent of the world's population.
Those who suffer from OCD have difficulty finding successful treatment because doctors don't clearly understand its causes. But now, a new study has given hope for a future cure.
For the study, which was published in the journal Nature in October, researchers observed humans, dogs and mice. They discovered four genes that may be responsible for obsessive-compulsive behaviors in humans.
But why observe dogs and mice to learn about humans?
"Dogs, it turns out, are surprisingly similar to people," study author and geneticist Elinor Karlsson, of the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard University, US, told NPR. "They're chasing their own tail or chasing shadows like normal, but they're doing it for hours."
In the study, researchers made a list of about 600 genes in mice, dogs and humans that they thought might cause OCD, reported NPR. They then compared those genes in two large groups of people – those who don't have OCD and those who do. In the end, they identified just four genes with mutations (突变) in the OCD group. The genes are active in a neurological pathway (神经通路) in the brain, which is believed to help control actions. But the mutations could block the neurological pathway.
For example, for people without OCD, when they finish washing their hands, a signal will come, telling them to stop. But for people with OCD, the neurological pathway is blocked, so the message isn't getting through. As a result, the person will continue to wash their hands.
"OCD and anxiety are kind of like learning disorders," Marcos Grados, an OCD researcher at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, told NPR. "Often with OCD, people have a fear of germs (细菌). You can't touch tables or door knobs (把手) and every time it's the same sensation (感觉). You didn't learn that the last time you touched a door knob, nothing happened. It's like touching it for the first time ever."
However, that doesn't mean people who have these genetic mutations will always have obsessive-compulsive behaviors, the researchers said. That's because the disorder also relies on other things, such as one's environment.
According to reports, various existing treatment methods have low success rates in patients. But now that we know where OCD comes from, let's hope we will soon find an effective way to treat it.
Come to the AG Society's expedition (探险) program and you will surely get unique experiences!
SWIM WITH THE HUMPBACKS OF TONGA Dairen Jew and his team are your hosts for an unforgettable AG Society adventure, filled with in-water meetings with humpback whales (座头鲸) in the Kingdom of Tonga's group of islands. WHO: Darren Jew's Whales Underwater DATES: 26 September-4 October 2018 COST: $ 5,450 per person BOOKINGS: Call 0756679413, email reservations @ whalesunderwater.com or visit whalesunderwater.com | 11-DAY KIMBERLEY COAST CRUISE The AG Society is partnering with APT to present an exciting voyage along the Kimberley coastline from Broome to Darwin. Expedition cruising offers the easiest way to explore the Kimberley. Guests on this 11-day voyage will go ashore, explore natural wonders, meet traditional owners, see rock art and spot wildlife. WHO: APT DATES: 6-16 September 2018 COST: $ 13,395 per person BOOKINGS: Visit kimberleywilderness.com.au |
LIGHTNING RIDGE FOSSIL DIG The AG Society offers you a chance to hunt for fossils (化石). Guided by experts, you'll go to special locations, seeking new fossils for the collections of the Australian Opal Centre. Your discoveries will further establish these museum collections as a world-class scientific and cultural resource. There are also a series of lectures on mining history, fossils, dinosaur hunting and new dinosaurs. WHO: Australian Opal Centre DATES: 20-25 August 2018 COST: $ 2,200 per person, including all activities and lunches and dinners BOOKINGS: Call 0427904587, email dig @ australianopalcentre.com or visit australian opalcentre. com | AG DKVIL ARK FXPEDITION Come and join Tim Faulkner for a unique hands-on experience with this Tasmanian devil (袋獾) feeding program in the beautiful Barrington Tops of NSW. You'll get to see devils up close as you assist with feeding individuals. In addition to working with the animals, there'll be opportunities to explore the area's natural treasures and spot local wildlife. Don't miss your chance to get involved in this important conservation effort. WHO: Devil Ark DATES: 24-26 November 2018 COST: $ 1,750 per person BOOKINGS: Call 0243408610, email info@ devilark.org. au or visit devilark.org. au |
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