(单词翻译:单击)
Passage Two
短文二
Public interest was aroused by the latest discovery of a changed gene in obese mice.
最近在肥胖老鼠身上发现的一种改变了的基因引起了公众的兴趣。
The news was made known by Rockefeller University geneticist Jeffrey Friedman.
这个消息是由洛克菲勒大学的遗传学家杰弗里·弗里德曼宣布的。
The researchers believe this gene influences development of a hormone that tells the organism how fat or full it is.
研究人员认为，这种基因会影响一种激素的发育，这种激素会告诉有机体它有多胖或多饱。
Those with the change gene may not sense when they have eaten enough or if they have sufficient fatty tissue and thus can't tell when to stop eating.
那些携带改变基因的人可能感觉不到什么时候吃得够多，或者脂肪组织是否充足，因此不知道什么时候该停止进食。
The researchers also reported finding a gene nearly identical to the mouse obesity gene in humans.
研究人员还报告称，他们发现了一种与人类老鼠肥胖基因几乎相同的基因。
The operation of this gene in humans has not yet been demonstrated, however.
然而，这种基因在人类中的作用尚未得到证实。
Still, professionals like University of Vermont psychologist Esther Roth Blume reacted enthusiastically.
不过，像佛蒙特大学心理学家埃斯特·罗斯·布鲁姆这样的专业人士反应激烈。
This research indicates that people really are born with a tendency to have a certain weight, just as they are to have a particular skin color or height.
这项研究表明，人们确实天生就有一定的体重倾向，就像他们天生就有特定的肤色或身高一样。
Actually, behavioral geneticists believe that less than half of the total weight variation is programed in the genes, while height is almost entirely genetically determined.
事实上，行为遗传学家认为，体重变化中只有不到一半是由基因决定的，而身高几乎完全是由基因决定的。
Whatever role genes play, Americans are getting fatter.
不管基因起什么作用，美国人都在变胖。
A survey by the Center for Disease Control found that obesity has increased greatly over the last 10 years.
疾病控制中心的一项调查发现，在过去10年里，肥胖人数大幅增加。
Such rapid change underlines the role of environmental factors like the abundance of rich foods in Americans over eating.
如此迅速的变化强调了环境因素的作用，比如美国人过度饮食中丰富的食物。
The Center for Disease Control has also found that teens are far less physically active than they were even a decade ago.
美国疾病控制中心还发现，青少年比十年前更少锻炼身体。
Excepting that weight is predetermined can relieve guilt for overweight people,
体重是预先确定的，这可以减轻超重的人的负罪感，
but people's belief that they cannot control their weight can itself contribute to obesity.
但是人们认为自己无法控制体重的想法也会导致肥胖。
12: What does the speaker say has aroused public interest?
12:说话者说什么引起了公众的兴趣?
13: What do we learn about the changed gene?
13:关于改变的基因，我们了解到什么?
14: What does University of Vermont psychologist Esther Roth Blume say?
14.佛蒙特大学的心理学家埃斯特·罗斯·布鲁姆说了什么?
15: What accounts for Americans’ obesity according to a survey by the Center for Disease Control?
15:根据疾病控制中心的一项调查，美国人肥胖的原因是什么?
