Ancient viruses

 This is not a word for word transcript 1. 

William: Hello and welcome to 6 minute English. I hope you're ready for another five minutes and fifty-five seconds of wonderful English language conversation about an interesting topic from BBC News. I'm William Kremer. 
Helen: Hello, I'm Helen Hu. Today we're talking about genes 2... 
William: Oh right! Is that why we're both wearing jeans? 
Helen: No, no, not that kind of jeans. Genes spelled G-E-N-E-S - these are the molecules 3 in our body which hold genetic 4 information. So genes tell our bodies how they should grow and develop. 
William: Right, and genes are what parents hand down to their children. We carry genes from one generation to the next. 
Helen: Now before we go any further, it's time for our weekly quiz. Were you very good at science at school, William? 
William: Not particularly. 
Helen: Good! You'll be rubbish at this then. OK, the question is: How many genes do human beings have? Is it 
a) between 10,000 and 25,000 or is it 
b) between 100,000 and 250,000 or 
c) between 1 million and 2.5 million 
William: OK, well I have no idea so I'm going to go for c) between 1 million and 2.5 million. 
Helen: OK, well the answer will be at the end of the programme. Now, a new scientific study has looked at the genes of lots of animals and found traces of the same viruses that existed a long time ago. 
William: Right, they found traces - signs that something happened or existed. And the traces they found were of viruses, the tiny creatures that spread infectious diseases. So Helen, they think that these viruses have existed for millions of years then...?
Helen: Exactly. Let's listen to a clip from BBC correspondent David Shukman. See if you can hear which animals the researchers studied: 
BBC correspondent David Shukman: 
Researchers from Oxford 5, New York and Belgium have investigated the genes of 38 mammals - including humans, mice, elephants and dolphins, and they've found that most of them share traces of the same ancient viruses. The work has established that at least one virus infected our common ancestors as long as one hundred million years ago. 
Helen: So, did you hear which animals were mentioned? 
William: The researchers investigated 38 different mammals including humans, mice, elephants and dolphins. 
Helen: That's right. And by comparing the genes of the animals they've concluded that there was at least one virus that infected our ancestors perhaps a hundred million years ago. 
William: Wow. An ancestor is a person or plant that is related to something today but that lived earlier. So... so what? So what, Helen? What's the significance of that? 
Helen: Well, for a start it suggests that these viruses are incredibly good at survival. And as we will hear in our next clip, these diseases have not only survived, but they also have evolved - they have changed and adapted slowly over a long time. 
William: OK, so let's hear the next clip now. See if you can hear the word that David Shukman uses instead of the word viruses. 
BBC correspondent David Shukman: 
The scientists found that these micro-organisms have adapted to stay within their host cell, where they have thrived. So within the double helix of our DNA 6 lies not only a legacy 7 of past infections but also a miniature eco-system in which the viruses live on and evolve. 
William: David Shukman used the word micro-organisms instead of the word viruses. A micro-organism is a very very small creature. 
Helen: He said the scientists found that the micro-organisms had thrived, meaning they had prospered 8, they had developed well. The research suggests that our genes actually help viruses to survive and evolve. And some viruses have developed positive outcomes. For example the protein syncytin evolved from a virus and has helped develop the female placenta. 
William: OK, so these micro-organisms can be good things? 
Helen: Well, they are not exactly 'good', but they have helped us to evolve. 
William: Ah sorry, I wasn't being very 'scientific'! Let's hear the final clip now, and we're going to hear the opinion of the senior researcher on the project. See if you can hear why he thinks his research could be useful in the future. 
BBC correspondent David Shukman: 
According to the senior author of the study, Dr Robert Belshaw of Oxford University, understanding these survivors 9 from the distant past may provide clues to the early detection of cancers or infections. 
William: Robert Belshaw thinks understanding the viruses might help the early detection of cancers or infections - they might help us notice these diseases early on. 
Helen: OK, time to hear the answer to our quiz. I asked you how many genes human beings have and you choose c) between 1 million and 2.5 million. Well, the answer is a) 10,000 - 25,000. 
William: Huh. 
Helen: Ok, I can tell you're not that interested in this so why don't you do something useful and remind us of today's vocabulary? 
William: Okey-doke. 
genes 
a trace 
a virus 
an ancestor 
to evolve 
a micro-organism 
to thrive 
detection 
Helen: If you would like to know more about these words, download our pdf script on bbclearningenglish.com. 
William: Goodbye! 
Helen: Bye! 




点击收听单词发音  






1
transcript

  
 


n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书


参考例句：





A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。












2
genes

  
 


n.基因( gene的名词复数 )


参考例句：





You have good genes from your parents, so you should live a long time. 你从父母那儿获得优良的基因，所以能够活得很长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
Differences will help to reveal the functions of the genes. 它们间的差异将会帮助我们揭开基因多种功能。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 生物技术的世纪












3
molecules

  
 


分子( molecule的名词复数 )


参考例句：





The structure of molecules can be seen under an electron microscope. 分子的结构可在电子显微镜下观察到。
Inside the reactor the large molecules are cracked into smaller molecules. 在反应堆里，大分子裂变为小分子。












4
genetic

  
 


adj.遗传的，遗传学的


参考例句：





It's very difficult to treat genetic diseases.遗传性疾病治疗起来很困难。
Each daughter cell can receive a full complement of the genetic information.每个子细胞可以收到遗传信息的一个完全补偿物。












5
Oxford

  
 


n.牛津（英国城市）


参考例句：





At present he has become a Professor of Chemistry at Oxford.他现在已是牛津大学的化学教授了。
This is where the road to Oxford joins the road to London.这是去牛津的路与去伦敦的路的汇合处。












6
DNA

  
 


(缩)deoxyribonucleic acid 脱氧核糖核酸


参考例句：





DNA is stored in the nucleus of a cell.脱氧核糖核酸储存于细胞的细胞核里。
Gene mutations are alterations in the DNA code.基因突变是指DNA密码的改变。












7
legacy

  
 


n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西


参考例句：





They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。












8
prospered

  
 


成功，兴旺( prosper的过去式和过去分词 )


参考例句：





The organization certainly prospered under his stewardship. 不可否认，这个组织在他的管理下兴旺了起来。
Mr. Black prospered from his wise investments. 布莱克先生由于巧妙的投资赚了不少钱。












9
survivors

  
 


幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 )


参考例句：





The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者