Food and Cancer[卫生类职称英语教材]
Medical experts have suspected for many years that there is a strong link between what a person eats and cancer.They say a new study provides the first evidence1that vitamins could reduce a person’s chance of developing cancer.A team of Chinese and American scientists did the study.They are from American National Cancer Institute2and the Cancer Institute of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences3in Beijing.The Journal of the National Cancer Institute published the results of the study.About thirty thousand people between the ages of 40 to 69 took part in the study.They were from the northern central Chinese area of Linxian.Most of them took vitamins and minerals every day for five years.
Linxian was chosen because the people there have an extremely high rate of cancer of stomach and esophagus.Researchers believe that fungus and molds in local foods may be partly responsible for the high cancer rate.Researchers divided those into eight groups.Seven of the groups received different mixtures of vitamins and minerals daily.The amounts of the vitamins and minerals were 1 to 2 times greater than what American health officials say is needed.The eighth group received sugar pills4that had no effect.Those who seemed to gain the most received a mixture of a form of vitamin A called β-carotene,vitamin E and the mineral selenium5.The vitamin and mineral are believed to prevent damage to cells caused by cancer-causing substances.Researchers reported a 13 percent drop in cancer rates in those who tookβ-carotene,vitamin E and selenium.They also found a 10 percent drop in the number of deaths caused by strokes from bursting blood vessels.
    Scientists warn that it is too soon to know if the effect would be the same among people in other countries.They note that the people in Linxian eat foods that lack necessary vitamins and minerals.Chinese officials will continue to record the health records of the people in Linxian for many years.For now officials reportedly are considering using the results of the study.They want to find a way to improve the health of people in Linxian and other small towns in China.
词汇：
 
esophagus  n.食道
fungus  n.菌类
mold  n.霉
mixture  n.混合物,合成品,混合药
carotene  n.胡萝卜素
selenium  n.硒
注释：
1.the first evidence：第一手证据
2.American National Cancer Institute：美国国家癌症研究所
3.the Cancer Institute of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences：
中国医学科学院癌症研究

4.sugar pills：糖丸
5.a mixture of a form of vitamin A called β-carotene,vitamin E and the mineral selenium:一种叫做β一胡萝卜素的维生素A、维生素E和矿物质硒的混合物
练习：
1. The results of the new study are unexpected.
A  Right    B  Wrong    C  Not Mentioned
2.  Among the scientists that did the study, there are more Chinese than Americans.
    A  Right    B  Wrong    C  Not Mentioned
3. The study lasted for about five years.
    A  Right    B  Wrong