The availability of new and more effective drugs – substances that affects the function of living cells used in medicine to diagnose, cure, prevent the occurrence of diseases and disorders, and prolong the life of patients with incurable conditions – such as antibiotics, which fight bacterial infections, and vaccines, which prevent diseases caused by bacteria and viruses, helped increase the average American’s life span from about 60 years in 1900 to about 78 years in 2005. During the 20th century, drugs enabled the eradication of smallpox, once a widespread and often fatal disease. By the early 21st century, vaccines had led to the near eradication of poliomyelitis, once feared as a cause of paralysis.
- drug [drʌɡ] n.药物
- affect [əˈfekt] v.影响
- medicine [ˈmedisin] n.医学，药
- diagnose [ˈdaiəɡnəuz] v.诊断
- cure [kjuə] v.治疗
- disorder [disˈɔ:də] n.失调， 紊乱
- prolong [prəˈlɔŋ] v.延长
- condition [kənˈdiʃən] n.病痛
- antibiotics [ˌæntɪbaɪˈɔtɪks] n.抗生素,抗生学
- infection [inˈfekʃən] n.传染，感染
- vaccine [ˈvæksi:n] n.疫苗
- life span [laif - spæn] n.寿命
- eradication [iˌrædiˈkeiʃən] n.根除
- smallpox [ˈsmɔ:lpɔks] n.天花
- widespread [ˈwaidspred] adj.普遍的
- fatal [ˈfeitəl] adj.致命的
- poliomyelitis [ˌpəuliəumaiəˈlaitis] n.小儿麻痹症,急性骨髓灰白质炎
- paralysis [pəˈrælisis] n.麻痹, 瘫痪
