1. For a National Effort to Develop a Vaccine to Counteract AIDS By Robert E. Pollack

2. Myth or Fact Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a virus that destroys the body's CD4 immune cells, which help fight disease. With the right medications, one can have HIV for years or decades without HIV progressing to AIDS. AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) is diagnosed when one has HIV as well as certain opportunistic infections or the CD4 cell count drops below 200.

3. You can't catch or spread HIV from hugging someone, using the same towel, or sharing the same glass. It's very rare to get HIV from a blood transfusion -- the U.S. blood supply is carefully tested. However, you can spread the disease from having unprotected sex, sharing needles, or getting a tattoo from unsterilized equipment.

4. Everyone with HIV experiences it differently. Some people may develop AIDS within a few months as the virus quickly weakens their immune system. Many others can live for decades with HIV and have a normal life expectancy. You can help prevent HIV from progressing to AIDS by seeing your doctor regularly and following your doctor's recommendations.

5. Some people don't show any signs of HIV for years after being infected. Many can have some symptoms within 10 days to a few weeks after infection. These first symptoms are similar to the flu or mononucleosis and may include fever, fatigue, rash, and sore throat. They usually disappear after a few weeks and you may not have symptoms again for several years. The only way to tell you have HIV is to get tested.

6. There is no cure for HIV, but treatment can keep virus levels low and help maintain your immune system. Some drugs interfere with proteins HIV needs to copy itself; others block the virus from entering or inserting its genetic material into your immune cells. Your doctor will consider your general health, the health of your immune system, and the amount of virus in your body to decide when to start treatment.

7. About 56,000 people in the U.S. get HIV each year, and 18,000 people with AIDS die each year. Anyone can get HIV -- men, women, and children, people who are gay or straight. Men who have sex with men make up more than half (53%) of new HIV infections each year. Women account for 27% of new infections, and children 13%. African-Americans make up almost half of all new HIV infections each year.

8. Infected mothers can indeed pass HIV to their babies during pregnancy or delivery. However, you can lower the risk by working with your doctor and getting the appropriate care and medication. Pregnant women with HIV can take medications to treat their infection and to protect their babies against the virus.

9. Due to weakened immune systems, people with HIV can be vulnerable to infections like pneumocystis pneumonia, tuberculosis, candidiasis, cytomegalovirus, and toxoplasmosis. The best way to reduce your risk is to take your HIV medications. Some infections can be prevented with drugs. You can lessen your exposure to some germs by avoiding undercooked meat, litter boxes, and water that may be contaminated.

10. There are government programs, nonprofit groups, and some pharmaceutical companies that may help cover of the cost of HIV/AIDS drugs. But be aware: These drug "cocktails" can cost $15,000 a year. Talk to your local HIV/AIDS service organization to learn about financial help.

11. A vaccine is a biological preparation that improves immunity to a particular disease. A vaccine typically contains an agent that resembles a disease-causing microorganism, and is often made from weakened or killed forms of the microbe, its toxins or one of its surface proteins. The agent stimulates the body's immune system to recognize the agent as foreign, destroy it, and "remember" it, so that the immune system can more easily recognize and destroy any of these microorganisms that it later encounters.

12. Jonas Salk in 1955 holds bottles of a culture used to grow polio vaccines

13. Maurice Hilleman's measles vaccine is estimated to prevent 1 million deaths every year.

14. Vaccines do not guarantee complete protection from a disease. Sometimes, this is because the host‘s immune system simply does not respond adequately or at all. This may be due to a lowered immunity in general (diabetes, steroid use 类固醇, HIV infection, age) or because the host's immune system does not have a B cell capable of generating antibodies to that antigen. Even if the host develops antibodies, the human immune system is not perfect and in any case the immune system might still not be able to defeat the infection immediately. In this case, the infection will be less severe and heal faster.

15. HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is the virus that causes AIDS. This virus may be passed from one person to another when infected blood, semen, or vaginal secretions come in contact with an uninfected person's broken skin or mucous membranes. The four major routes of transmission are unsafe sex, contaminated needles, breast milk, and transmission from an infected mother to her baby at birth (prenatal transmission). In addition, infected pregnant women can pass HIV to their baby during pregnancy or delivery, as well as through breast-feeding. People with HIV have what is called HIV infection. Some of these people will develop AIDS as a result of their HIV infection.

16. Once the immune system weakens, a person infected with HIV can develop the following symptoms: ◦ Lack of energy ◦ Weight loss ◦ Frequent fevers and sweats ◦ Persistent or frequent yeast infections ◦ Persistent skin rashes or flaky skin ◦ Short-term memory loss ◦ Mouth, genital, or anal sores from herpes infections. AIDS is the most advanced stage of HIV infection.

17. People with AIDS are prone to develop various cancers such as Kaposi sarcoma, cervical cancer, and cancers of the immune system known as lymphomas. Kaposi sarcoma causes round, brown, reddish or purple spots that develop in the skin or in the mouth. After the diagnosis of AIDS is made, the average survival time has been estimated to be 2-3 years. In the spring of 1997, then-president Bill Clinton called for an effective AIDS vaccine within a decade. Fourteen years and billions of research dollars later, a vaccine to prevent HIV infection remains an elusive goal.

18. Questions for Discussion 1.What do you expect to read in essay from the title? 2.What do you know about AIDS? Please describe it with non-technical English.

19. This essay is basically an essay of the pivoting pattern of development. It is an appeal to all those who are concerned for a combined effort on a nationwide scale to develop a vaccine to fight against AIDS. The thesis comes at the very beginning of the essay: The time has come for the Government to underwrite a nationwide effort to produce an effective vaccine against HIV, the virus that causes AIDS”. Main Idea of the text

20. Structure Analysis Part I: Para.1—Para.2 It’s the time for the Government to underwrite a nationwide effort to produce an effective vaccine against HIV. But the government is unwilling to.

21. Questions: 1.Please locate the thesis of the essay. 2.Why is it the time to underwrite a nationwide effort to produce an effective vaccine against HILV III? 3. In your opinion, why is the government unwilling to take the action?

22. The time has come for the Government to underwrite a nationwide effort. Paraphrase: It is time for the Government to support a national effort with financial aid. underwrite: to take responsibility for possible failure inoculation: taking a vaccine premature: done too early or soon

23. Section II: Para.3—Para.4 This part states the medical causes of AIDS.

24. Questions 1.How to ordinary virus work to invade human body? 2.In what aspect is HTLV different from other viruses?

25. attach to membrane fastidious: difficult to satisfy eg: the fastidious way: the demanding and careful way succumb to: surrender; give in Key words:

26. Section III: Para.5--- Para.12. Opposing considerations to the thesis and answers to the objections are stated and analyzed.

27. Questions 1.What are the two scientific reasons given to Explain the reluctance to develop a vaccine? 2. How does the author protest against the reasons? 3. What is the third reason given by the author? 4. What are the disastrous consequences of the inability to act?

28. As a result, the clock runs out of thousands of victims: Paraphrase: As a result, thousands of victims come to the end of heir lives quickly….. reluctance: unwillingness exotic: unusual/ strange

29. Section IV: Para.13 This part reaffirms the thesis. Physicians and scientists should lobby actively for a nationwide effort to develop an AIDS Vaccine.

30. Questions: 1. What is the thesis reaffirmed in this part?

31. Lobby actively for a nationwide effort: to work hard to persuade parliament members and influence legislators to pass a law to support a nationwide effort.

32. succor: help in difficulty solace: comfort in that restaurant. narcotics: related to drugs

33. Assignments 1.Read text A &B carefully after class 2.Do Translation (P.40) and Blank Filling (P.38) on the exercise book.