A recent study in Tanzania found that when pregnant women took vitamins every day, fewer babies were born too small. Babies that weigh less than two and one-half kilograms at birth have a greater risk of dying. Those that survive are more likely to experience problems with their development. And experts say that as adults they have a higher risk of diseases including heart disease. The World Health Organization estimates that every year twenty million babies are born with low birth weight. Nine out of ten of them are born in developing countries.
The new study took place in Dubai. 4,200 pregnant women received multivitamins. The pills contained all of the vitamins in the B group along with vitamins C and E. They also contained several times more iron than the levels advised for women in developed nations. Pregnant women especially in poor countries may find it difficult to get enough vitamins and minerals from the foods in their diet.
The scientists compared the findings with results from a group of 4,000 women who did not receive the vitamins. A report by the scientists, from the United States and Tanzania, appeared in the
New England Journal of Medicine
. Wafaie Fawzi of the Harvard University School of Public Health led the study. None of the women in the study had HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. The scientists reported earlier that daily multivitamins were a low-cost way to reduce fetal deaths in pregnant women infected with HIV. The earlier work in Tanzania also found improvement in the mothers in their number of blood cells known as lymphocytes (淋巴细胞). Lymphocytes increase the body"s immunity against infection.
The new study in pregnant women who were not infected with the AIDS virus found that multivitamins reduced the risk of low birth weight. Just under eight percent of the babies born to women who took the multivitamins weighed less than 2,500 grams. The rate was almost nine and one-half percent in the group of women who received a placebo, an inactive pill, instead of the vitamins. But the vitamins did not do much to reduce the rates of babies being born too early or dying while still a fetus. Still, the researchers say multivitamins should be considered for all pregnant women in developing countries.
单选题
The babies born underweight take a risk of being in poorer health conditions.
【正确答案】
A
【答案解析】[解析] 本句意思:体重过轻的新生儿健康状况不好的风险更高。根据第一段“Babies that weigh less than two and one-half kilograms at birth have a greater risk of dying.”可知,体重过轻的新生儿死亡率更高,这也表明他们健康状况很不好。故选A。
单选题
Pregnant women in developed countries needn"t take in any iron.
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】[解析] 本句意思:发达国家的孕妇不需要补充铁元素。根据第二段“They also contained several times more iron than the levels advised for women in developed nations.”可知,孕妇服用剂量超出发达国家给妇女的建议服用量数倍的铁。但是并不是说发达国家的孕妇就不需要补充铁元素。故选B。
单选题
Pregnant women who take multivitamins have a lower chance of dying from HIV.
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】[解析] 本句意思:服用多种维生素的孕妇感染艾滋病的死亡率也会更低。根据第三段“The scientists reported earlier that daily multivitamins were a low-cost way to reduce fetal deaths in pregnant women infected with HIV.”可知,每日补充多种维生素对于已感染艾滋病的孕妇来说是一种减少胎儿死亡几率的方式,而且成本较低。而不是孕妇的死亡率,故题干叙述错误,故选B。
单选题
The number of lymphocytes is very low in African women.
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】[解析] 本句意思:非洲女性的淋巴细胞水平很低。根据第三段“The earlier work in Tanzania also found improvement in the mothers in their number of blood cells known as lymphocytes. Lymphocytes increase the body"s immunity against infection.”可知,坦桑尼亚(非洲中东部国家)的早期研究检测到,孕妇在服用多种维生素后其血液中的淋巴细胞水平会上升,而淋巴细胞可以增强人体免疫系统来抵御传染病的功能。但是题干内容文章未提及,故选C。
单选题
Women who take multivitamins will not have underweight babies.
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】[解析] 本句意思:服用多种维生素的女性不会生出体重过轻的新生儿。根据第四段“The new study in pregnant women who were not infected with the AIDS virus found that multivitamins reduced the risk of low birth weight.”可知,此次针对未感染艾滋病毒的孕妇的新研究试验表明,补充多种维生素可以显著降低新生儿体重过轻的概率,而不是完全避免这样的概率。题干叙述错误,故选B。
单选题
Vitamins can be used to reduce the birth rate of underweight babies.
【正确答案】
A
【答案解析】[解析] 本句意思:维生素可以用来降低体重过轻新生儿的出生率。根据第四段“The new study in pregnant women who were not infected with the AIDS virus found that multivitamins reduced the risk of low birth weight. Just under eight percent of the babies born to women who took the multivitamins weighed less than 2,500 grams.”可知,补充多种维生素可以显著降低新生儿体重过轻的概率。服用维生素的孕妇组中,过轻婴儿的比重为总数的8%,题干叙述正确,故选A。
单选题
The placebo works more effectively than the vitamins in reducing the risk of low birth weight.
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】[解析] 本句意思:安慰剂比维生素能更有效地降低婴儿体重过轻的风险。根据第四段“Just tinder eight percent of the babies born to women who took the multivitamins weighed less than 2,500 grams. The rate was almost nine and one-half percent in the group of women who received a placebo, an inactive pill, instead of the vitamins.”可知,服用维生素的孕妇组中,过轻婴儿的比重为总数的8%;而服用安慰剂的对照组中,过轻婴儿的比重接近9.5%。可知维生素比安慰剂能更有效地降低婴儿体重过轻的比重,题干叙述错误,故选B。