本文含大量自然科學類閱讀高頻詞，另外標注了一些初級生理學詞匯最好看到要認識，這些詞匯屬于以前雅思不要求但在近兩年改革趨勢中加重的單詞，同時也是托福高頻單詞。

Using a standard lab test of memory, a mouse was placed in a box and given a small electrical shock to its feet. Normal mice remember this and freeze in fear if put back in the box the following day, but mice with Alzheimer’s scamper about unfazed. Yet when the researchers stimulated the dentate gyrus of these mice with blue light, they also froze, suggesting that they were now able to recall the original shock.

用一個標準的實驗室記憶測試，一只老鼠被放在盒子里面并對它的腳給予微小電擊。如果接下來幾天把它放進盒子里，正常老鼠會記住并且由于害怕而呆住不動，阿爾茨海默癥老鼠則不受影響活蹦亂跳。但當研究人員用藍光刺激這些老鼠的齒狀回時，它們一樣會呆住不動，這表明它們能回憶起最初的電擊感受。

【經典句式】

standard 標準的

electrical shock電擊

Alzheimer’s阿爾茨海默癥

stimulate刺激

recall回憶

original最初的

Holdingon to a fearful memory in the long term,however, requires the brain to strengthen the nerve connections (synapses) that link memory of the box to experience of the shock. This process, known as long-term potentiation, goes awry in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients. Consistent with this idea,the Alzheimer’s mice did not freeze when placed in the box but only when their neurons were illuminated.

可是要長期保持住害怕記憶，要求大腦加強神經聯系(突觸)來連結盒子里的電擊實驗的記憶。這個過程，叫做長時程增強，沒能在阿爾茨海默癥老鼠大腦里順利進行。和這一致的是，把阿爾茨海默癥老鼠放在盒子里，僅僅照射神經元，老鼠并沒有呆住不動。

【經典句式】

hold on to sth保持住

fearful害怕的

in the long term 長期地

require要求

strengthen加強

nerve connection 神經聯系

process過程

consistent with … 跟……一致

To help the Alzheimer’s mice consolidate and keep their memory of the electric shock,the team flashed their dentate gyrus with blue light at 100 hertz, a frequency known to induce long-term potentiation. After this the Alzheimer’s mice froze in the box for at least six consecutive days, suggesting they were able to remember the shock themselves.

為了幫助阿爾茨海默癥老鼠鞏固和保持它們對電擊的記憶，團隊用100赫茲的藍光照射它們的齒狀回，這個頻率能誘導長時程增強。這之后老鼠連續六天呆在盒子里不動，表明它們能記住電擊感受。

【經典句式】

consolidate凝固

electric shock 電擊

flash閃光;閃電

frequency頻率

induce誘導

consecutive連續的

Work by other groups has suggested that inits early stages, Alzheimer’s principally damages the brain’s ability to process and store memories.This new work, however, indicates that it is the brain’s ability to retrieve memories that is impaired. The distinction is far from an academic one. If memories are garbled before they are stored,they are lost for ever. But if Dr Tonegawa is right, then memories are correctly preserved in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients.That means it may be possible to rescue them—perhaps by adapting optogenetics for use in human sufferers. That remains a distant possibility for now.

其他團隊的研究表明在早期階段，阿爾茨海默癥主要破壞大腦處理和存儲記憶的能力。而這項新研究則說明，受損的恰恰是大腦讀取記憶的能力。區別遠大于理論。如果記憶在存儲前就被篡改，那這段記憶就永遠丟失了。但如果利根博士是對的，那段記憶被正確保存在阿爾茨海默癥患者的大腦里。這意味著我們也許可能通過對人類患者適應光遺傳學來恢復這些記憶。但這一可能性現在看來還是前路漫漫的。

【經典句式】

stage階段

principally主要地

damage破壞

process處理

store存儲

retrieve取回

impair損害

distinction區別

preserve保存

patient病人

rescue拯救

adapt適應

sufferer病人;患者

【大作文萬用句式】

… is far from …遠大于……;遠遠不止……

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