German researchers have come up with a new generation of defibrillators (除颤器) and early-warning software aimed at offering heart patients greater protection from sudden death from cardiac arrest (心脏骤停).
In Germany alone around 100,000 people die annually as a result of cardiac arrest and many of these cases are caused by disruption to the heart"s rhythm. Those most at risk are patients who have already suffered a heart attack, and for years the use of defibrillators has proved useful in diagnosing life-threatening disruptions to heart rhythms and correcting them automatically by intervening within seconds. These devices take on a range of functions, such as that of pacemaker.
Heart specialists at Freiburg"s University Clinic have now achieved a breakthrough with an implanted defibrillator capable of generating a six-channel electrocardiogram (ECG) within the body. This integrated system allows early diagnosis of acute blood-flow problems and a pending (潜在的) heart attack. It will be implanted in patients for the first time this year. Meanwhile, researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Mathematics in Kaiserslautern have developed a new computer software that renders the evaluation of ECG data more precise.
The overwhelming majority of patients at risk will not have an implanted defibrillator and must for this reason undergo regular ECGs. "Many of the current programs only take into account a linear correlation of the data. We are, however, making use of a non-linear process that reveals the chaotic patterns of heart beats as an open and complex system," Hagen Knaf says. "In this way changes in the heart beats over time can be monitored and individual variations in patients taken into account." An old study of ECG data, based upon 600 patients who had suffered a subsequent heart attack, enabled the researchers to compare risks and to show that the new software evaluates the data considerably better.
单选题
A new type of defibrillators can be used to prevent cardiovascular diseases.
【正确答案】
A
【答案解析】[解析] 本句意思：一种新型的除颤器可用来预防心血管疾病的发生。根据第一段中的“German researchers have come up with a new generation of defibrillators and early-warning software aimed at offering heart patients greater protection from sudden death from cardiac arrest.”可知，德国研究者们发明了新一代的除颤器和早期预报软件，旨在为心脏病病人提供更多保护，使他们免遭心脏骤停导致的突然死亡。题干叙述正确，故选A。
单选题
Cardiac arrest is caused mostly by disruption to the heart"s rhythm.
【正确答案】
A
【答案解析】[解析] 本句意思：心搏骤停大多是由于心律中断导致的。根据第二段中的“In Germany alone around 100,000 people die annually as a result of cardiac arrest and many of these cases are caused by disruption to the heart"s rhythm.”可知，仅在德国每年就有大约10万人死于心脏骤停，其中大部分是由于心律中断导致的。题干叙述正确，故选A。
单选题
Defibrillators are useful in curing patients constantly under the threat of heart attack.
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】[解析] 本句意思：除颤器对于治疗长期受心脏病威胁的病人很管用。根据第二段中的“Those most at risk are patients who have already suffered a heart attack, and for years the use of defibrillators has proved useful in diagnosing life-threatening disruptions to heart rhythms and correcting them automatically by intervening within seconds.”可知，几年来除颤器被证实在诊断心律中断和在几秒钟内实施自动干涉以调整心律方面是有用的。文中说的是诊断和调整心率而非治疗，故题干叙述错误，故选B。
单选题
The new computer software is designed by a German Company.
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】[解析] 本句意思：新型的计算机软件是由德国一家公司设计的。根据第三段中的“Meanwhile, researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Mathematics in Kaiserslautern have developed a new computer software that renders the evaluation of ECG data more precise.”可知，凯瑟劳特的弗劳胡佛实用数学学院的研究者开发了一种新型的计算机软件。设计发明软件的是学院的研究者而非公司，题干叙述错误，故选B。
单选题
The non-linear process has taken into account the individual variations in patients.
【正确答案】
A
【答案解析】[解析] 本句意思：非线性处理方法会考虑到病人个人的特征。根据第四段中的“We are, however, making use of a non-linear process that reveals the chaotic patterns of heart beats as an open and complex system." Hagen Knaf says. "In this way changes in the heart beats over time can be monitored and individual variations in patients taken into account.”可知，现在使用的是能够将心脏跳动的混乱模式作为一个直观而又复杂的系统揭示出来的非线性处理方法，这样心脏跳动频率的变化就会受到监测，而病人个人的特征也会得到考虑。题干叙述正确，故选A。
单选题
The early-warning software is unique in its data collection.
单选题
The researchers proved the validity of the new software via ECG data of an old study.
【正确答案】
A
【答案解析】[解析] 本句意思：研究者通过以前的心电图数据证明了新型计算机软件的有效性。根据文章最后一段中的“An old study of ECG data, based upon 600 patients who had suffered a subsequent heart attack, enabled the researchers to compare risks and to show that the new software evaluates the data considerably better.”可知，一项基于600位连续犯心脏病的患者的心电图数据研究使科学家们能够比较风险，结果显示新软件明显能更好地评估心电图数据。题干叙述正确，故选A。