本集内容

Sweet potato helps tackle child malnutrition 红薯可帮助应对儿童营养不良

Work starts on British polar research ship 英国新极地科考船正式开建

文字稿

From the red soil of Uganda, these farmers are unearthing an unlikely solution to a silent killer. Orange flesh sweet potatoes are rich in beta-carotene, needed to prevent Vitamin A deficiency; an affliction that leads to the death of an estimated 670,000 people globally every year. In Uganda 32% of children under five are estimated to suffer from Vitamin A deficiency. Scientists here are hoping to change that. Through a technique called biofortification, they interbred sweet potatoes from across the world to produce the most nutrient-rich variety.

在乌干达，这些农民们正在从红壤里挖掘看似不可能却有望治疗一种致病“隐形杀手”的良方。橙瓤红薯富含预防维生素A不足的β-葫萝卜素。缺乏维生素A是困扰并导致每年全球约67万人死亡的病症。据估算，在乌干达有32%的五岁以下儿童缺乏维生素A。这里的科学家们希望能改善该状况。通过利用生物强化技术，他们将产自世界各地的红薯杂交繁殖，从而种植出最富有营养的红薯品种。

Work has officially begun on a new British polar research ship, the RRS Sir David Attenborough, named after the broadcaster and naturalist. The vessel is perhaps best known for the online vote to name it, which saw the public choose ‘Boaty McBoatface’ after a social media campaign hijacked the poll. Once complete, the vessel will conduct crucial scientific research in both the Arctic and the Antarctic.

以播音员及博物学家大卫·艾登堡命名的英国最新极地科考船“皇家考察舰大卫·艾登堡爵士号（RRS Sir David Attenborough）”已正式开工建造。围绕这艘舰艇最令人熟知的事件想必应该是一次网络投票命名活动，这次民意调查被一股社交媒体风潮抢了风头，导致公众选择将其命名为“小船·麦克船脸号（Boaty McBoatface）”。这艘船一旦完工会立即在北极与南极开展至关重要的科学考察活动。

词汇

deficiency
缺乏

vessel
舰，船

练习

请从以下词汇中选择适当的答案来完成句子。注意：你可能需要改变单词的时态来完成句子。

deficiency / vessel

1. People at high risk of vitamin D __________ include children under five, pregnant and breastfeeding women, the over-65s and people at risk of not getting enough exposure to sunlight.

2. A historic fishing __________ has been refloated after it overturned in high winds during a festival in Scotland.

答案

1. People at high risk of vitamin D deficiency include children under five, pregnant and breastfeeding women, the over-65s and people at risk of not getting enough exposure to sunlight.

2. A historic fishing vessel has been refloated after it overturned in high winds during a festival in Scotland.