【一起听英语】兴奋剂

兴奋剂的使用在大型赛事里是被完全禁止的，可以为什么还是会有人铤而走险呢？

Rob: Hello, I'm Rob…

Cath: And I'm Cath.

Rob: And this is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. Today we're talking

about doping in sport.

Cath: And a new test that might prevent some athletes cheating at the 2012 Olympics

in London next year.

Rob: Ah yes, the Olympics. That's where the pressure is really on to do well but

some athletes use some unfair techniques to get an advantage. More on that in

a moment. But first Cath, what are you most looking forward to seeing at next

year's Olympics?

Cath: I'm really looking forward to the gymnastics. I like gymnastics a lot. And

maybe something like cycling, that's always good fun.

Rob: Well it should be a great event. But Cath, I wonder if you know when the first

modern Olympics was held? Was it in:

 a) 1886

 b) 1896

 c) 1906

Cath: I'm going to go for 1906 Rob.

Rob: Are you sure?

Cath: No but that's what I'm going to go for!

6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2011

Page 2 of 6

Rob: OK, well, we'll see if you're right at the end of the programme. Now let's get

back to sport and some of the cheating that goes on. Athletes have been known

to take all sorts of cocktails 1 of drugs in the hope of enhancing 2 their

performance.

Cath: Enhancing – or improving their performance. And of course doing this gives

them an unfair advantage.

Rob: It does. It means their performance cannot be just judged on their physical

endurance 3. In other words, we're not just seeing their natural fitness 4 because

other substances are helping 5 them.

Cath: So this means not everyone is competing on a level playing field.

Rob: That's a good phrase! Yes, not everyone is playing by the same rules.

Cath: Of course athletes are tested for drugs and some are caught and banned from

taking part in a race.

Rob: That's true but there's one form of cheating called 'autologous blood doping'

that has been difficult to test for. And the BBC Science reporter Matt McGrath

can tell us more about this. See if you can hear what scientists have so far

failed to do…

Matt Mc Grath, BBC Science reporter

While scientists have developed tests for almost all forms of doping in sport, the one that has

caused them most trouble has been the practice of athletes storing and transfusing 6 their own

blood. It increases the number of red blood cells and give a substantial 7 boost 8 to an athletes

endurance by allowing them to carry more oxygen. Scientists have failed to develop an

effective test.

Cath: Matt McGrath says scientists have developed tests for all sports but they have

failed to develop an effective test for autologous blood doping.

6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2011

Page 3 of 6

Rob: Effective means a test that actually works. It's been causing scientist much

trouble – or problems – in trying to detect blood doping in athletes.

Cath: So blood doping is when athletes store and then transfuse 9 their own blood.

Transfusing is when you move blood form one person to another but in this

case the blood is being put back in the same person. Why would someone do

that?

Rob: Well apparently 10 it increases the red blood cells and that allows more oxygen to

be carried around the body. So it gives a substantial boost to an athlete's

endurance.

Cath: Substantial here means by a great amount. But Rob you mentioned earlier

there's now a test for this?

Rob: Well one is being developed. It compares the age of blood samples by looking

at the genetic 11 component 12 of red blood cells.

Cath: The genetic component. It sounds very scientific. But will it help catch any

cheats at next year's Olympics?

Rob: Well Professor David Cowan who will be running the anti-doping laboratory at

the Olympics hopes it will, if it's ready in time. What does he say the nature

of scientific research stops him doing?

Professor David Cowan, anti-doping laboratory

As a researcher we can never guarantee what we can deliver by a particular time, that's the

nature of scientific research. The progress is very exciting and we've put it another way round,

if you're an athlete be careful we may have a test in time.

Rob: So he says the nature of scientific research means he can't guarantee this new

test will be available at a particular time. It's not possible to promise an exact

completion date. 

6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2011

Page 4 of 6

Cath: That's because scientific research is unpredictable. It doesn't always go to plan!

But he said the progress is very exciting.

Rob: Yes, he's confident it will be ready in time for the Olympics. So he's warning

athletes to be careful! This new test might catch you out.

Cath: Well I can understand there's a huge pressure to succeed and there must be a

great temptation to give yourself an extra boost as an athlete.

Rob: Yes.

Cath: So cheating is still going to happen in some form but maybe this new test

we've been hearing about will make it a little harder.

Rob: Let's hope so. And of course we mustn't forget it's only a small number of

athletes who are trying to cheat. OK Cath, I hope you haven't been cheating in

finding the answer to our question today!

Cath: No chance!

Rob: I asked you what year was the first modern Olympics held? Was it in:

 a) 1886

 b) 1896

 c) 1906

Cath: And I said I thought it was 1906 but I'm not sure.

Rob: You're wrong. The actual answer is 1896. It took place in the original

birthplace of the Olympics, in Greece. The London Olympics in 2012 will be

the 30th summer Olympics. OK, well we're almost at the end of the

programme, so Cath could you please remind us of some of the vocabulary

we've heard in today's programme? 

6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2011

Page 5 of 6

Cath: Of course! We had:

an advantage

performance

enhancing

endurance

doping

effective

transfuse

substantial

the nature of

Rob: Thanks Cath. We hope you've found today's programme interesting and don't

forget you can download this programme as a podcast. Well, it's time to go

now but we'll see you next time!

Both: Bye!