氣質姐與可愛可

Mental Decline　你還記得嗎？by William Ryan

                                                全民英檢102年(2013)施測日程表 

Severe loss of mental functions among the elderly is increasing rapidly.
老年人心智功能嚴重衰退的情況正在迅速增加。

　　Dementia is a medical term that is used to describe a group of brain-related symptoms which all too often affect older people. Impaired memory, confusion, poor judgment, and difficulty carrying out basic daily activities are some of the most commonly seen. Whereas dementia can result from many possible sources, such as stroke, Parkinson's disease, and head injury, the most common cause is Alzheimer's disease, which accounts for 70 to 80 percent of the cases.
　　Unfortunately, dementia and Alzheimer's are both increasing at an alarming rate. In the US, it is estimated that five million people are now living with Alzheimer's, with someone being diagnosed with the disease every 72 seconds. Likewise, these two conditions are rapidly increasing in Taiwan.
　　Because of their similarities, the two conditions are often confused, and doctors are frequently asked to explain the difference between them. Dementia is any loss of mental ability that is severe enough to interfere with daily activities, such as keeping track of keys or wallets, paying bills, preparing meals, and remembering appointments. Memory loss is the most common symptom, and both short-term and long-term memory can be affected. Basically, dementia is not a specific disease, making it different from Alzheimer's, which is. Alzheimer's is a serious mental illness and the cause of most cases of dementia. People suffering from the disease may forget what day or season it is, have trouble speaking and writing, and not understanding what they see. Alzheimer's is progressive and always fatal, and like cancer, there is unfortunately no known cure for it. Alzheimer's patients are given specific drugs that help in managing some of the disease's symptoms.
　　There is a common misconception that severe loss of mental functions is a normal part of the aging process. This false notion is sometimes reflected in the term senile dementia, which is wrongly used to describe the condition of any elderly person who seems mentally afflicted. If older people eat right, stay active, and exercise their brains, they can avoid developing a disease that ultimately robs them of their mental capacity.

1. What is dementia?
(A) A specific brain problem which affects people with Parkinson's disease.
(B) The process of making bad decisions for long periods of time.
(C) A temporary loss of memory after a terrible accident.
(D) A mental problem with multiple symptoms and causes.
2. Which of the following is NOT a symptom of dementia?
(A) Alzheimer's disease.
(B) Memory loss.
(C) Confusion.
(D) Having a hard time preparing meals.
3. How is dementia related to Alzheimer's disease?
(A) When dementia becomes overwhelming, it turns into Alzheimer's disease.
(B) It's much easier to do exercise when someone has experienced Alzheimer's disease.
(C) Alzheimer's disease is the main cause of people suffering from dementia.
(D) Both conditions are closely related because neither one is fatal.
4. According to the article, what is a common misconception people have?
(A) People in developed countries don't have as many mental problems.
(B) People who constantly diet never develop dementia.
(C) Arguing with relatives is one way for people to test for Alzheimer's disease.
(D) Losing mental abilities is something that happens to everyone.

精解字詞片語

1. impaired a. 受損的
   impair vt. 損害，損傷
   Reading in dim lighting will impair your eyesight.
   在昏暗的燈光下閱讀會傷害視力。
   ＊dim a. 昏暗的
2. carry out...　　執行……
   We'll carry out a trial run of the product before we start selling it to the general public.
   在該產品開始販售給社會大眾之前，我們會先進行測試。
3. account for...　　（在數量比例上）佔……
   This new series of fantasy novels accounts for about 30 percent of all our sales.
   這套新系列的奇幻小說約佔我們總銷售量的百分之三十。
4. at an alarming rate　　以驚人的速度
   Glaciers around the globe are melting at an alarming rate.
   全球的冰河正以驚人的速度在融化。
   ＊glacier n. 冰河
5. It is estimated + that 子句　　據估計……
   estimate vt. 估計
   It is estimated that this structure is over 2,000 years old.
   這棟建築物據估有兩千多年的歷史。
6. be diagnosed with...　　被診斷患有……
   Timothy went through a difficult time after he was diagnosed with cancer.
   提摩西被診斷出罹患癌症後經歷了一段很辛苦的日子。
7. similarity n. 相似處，相同點
   There are a few similarities between the two products.
   這兩種產品有些許相似之處。
8. confuse vt. 混淆，搞錯
   confuse A with / and B　　把 A 誤認為 B
   = mix A up with B
   = mistake A for B
   The witness confused the two men and wrongly accused the younger man of stealing her purse.
   證人把那兩個男人搞混了，誤控那個較年輕的人偷了她的錢包。
   Mark confused his girlfriend with her twin and accidentally kissed the wrong one.
   馬克把女友和她雙胞胎姊妹搞混，不小心親錯了。
9. interfere with...　　妨礙……，干擾……
   interfere vi. 妨礙；干擾
   The company's financial problems are interfering with its plans for expansion.
   該公司的財務問題妨礙了它擴大經營的計劃。
10. keep track of...　　掌握……；追蹤……
    It's hard to keep track of all the new discoveries in genetics.
    想全面掌握基因學的新發現是很困難的。
11. fatal a. 致命的
    Hank was struck by a fatal bolt of lightning.
    漢克被一道致命的閃電擊中。
    ＊a bolt of...　　一道（閃電）
12. reflect vt. 反映
    Alison's behavior reflects the changing attitude of young people today.
    艾麗森的行為反映了現今年輕人態度的轉變。
13. afflict vt. 使痛苦，折磨
    be afflicted with...　　為……所苦，受……折磨
    My grandmother is afflicted with a rare skin disease.
    我奶奶飽受一種罕見皮膚病的折磨。
14. rob sb of sth　　搶奪某人的某物
    rob vt. 搶奪；搶劫
    The young man who robbed the beggar of the change in his bowl was a drug addict.
    那個搶走乞丐碗裡零錢的年輕人是個吸毒者。
15. overwhelming a. 勢不可擋的，招架不住的
    The amount of work I have to do this week is overwhelming.
    我這星期要做的工作量壓得我喘不過氣。
16. develop vt. 罹患（某種疾病）
    Gloria died two years after first developing the tumor.
    葛羅莉亞在罹患腫瘤兩年後病逝。

單字小舖

1. severe a. 嚴重的
2. dementia n. 痴呆症（編按：現已改稱『腦退化症』，或稱『失智症』）
3. symptom n. 症狀
4. affect vt.（疾病的）侵襲
5. stroke n. 中風
6. condition n. 疾病；情況
7. rapidly adv. 迅速地
8. appointment n. 約會，約定
9. specific a. 具體的；明確的
10. progressive a. 逐漸的
11. misconception n. 誤解
12. notion n. 觀念，看法
13. senile a. 高齡所致的；老年的
14. ultimately adv. 最後，最終
15. capacity n. 能力
16. temporary a. 暫時的
17. multiple a. 多重的，眾多的

片語小舖

1. all too often　　時常；一而再，再而三
2. have trouble V-ing　　在……方面有困難
   = have a hard time V-ing
   = have problems V-ing
   = have difficulty V-ing
3. a cure for...　　……的治療方法
4. be related to...　　與……有關    

中文翻譯＆標準答案

你還記得嗎？
老年人心智功能嚴重衰退的情況正在迅速增加。

　　痴呆症是醫學上的專有名詞，用來描述許多與大腦相關的症狀，而這些症狀時常侵擾著老年人。記憶力受損、不知所措、缺乏判斷力以及難以執行一些基本的日常活動，這些都是最常見的一些症狀。然而痴呆症可能的起因不少，像是中風、帕金森氏症以及頭部受創，而最常見的成因還是阿茲海默症，佔了這些案例的百分之七十至八十。
　　遺憾的是，痴呆症和阿茲海默症都以驚人的速度在增加。光是在美國，據估計就有五百萬人正受阿茲海默症之苦，而且每七十二秒就有人被診斷出患有此病。同樣地，這兩種病在臺灣也正在迅速增加。
　　由於這兩種病很類似，他們經常被混淆，而醫生也常常被要求解釋它們之間的差別。痴呆症是指一切嚴重程度足以妨礙到日常生活的心智能力喪失狀況，像是找不到鑰匙或錢包、忘了付帳單、忘了準備三餐和不記得約定等。記憶力衰退是最常見的症狀，不管短期和長期記憶力都會受到影響。基本上，痴呆症不是一種具體的疾病，而阿茲海默症則是，這也造就了兩者的不同。阿茲海默症是一種嚴重的精神疾病，也是多數痴呆症案例的起因。患有這種疾病的人可能會忘了今天是什麼日子或什麼季節，說與寫會有困難，甚至不了解他們所見到的事物。阿茲海默症是漸進式的，而且一定會致命，遺憾的就是，就像癌症一樣，沒有一種已知的方法可以治療阿茲海默症。阿茲海默症患者要服用一些特定藥物來抑制這項疾病的症狀。
　　常為大家所誤解的就是，心理功能的嚴重衰退是正常老化過程的一部份。這種錯誤的觀念有時也會反映在老年痴呆症這個專有名詞上，它被誤用來描述所有年長者受到精神折磨的狀況。如果年長者正確地飲食、保持活動並常常動動腦，他們就可以避免得到這種最後會奪去他們心智能力的疾病。

1. 什麼是痴呆症？
(A) 一種明確的腦部疾病，專門侵優那些患有帕金森氏症的人。
(B) 很長一段時間都會作出錯誤決定的過程。
(C) 在一場嚴重意外之後，暫時喪失了記憶。
(D) 一種有各種症狀及成因的精神疾病。
題解：根據本文第一段所述，(D) 項應為正選。
2. 下列哪一項不是痴呆症的症狀？
(A) 阿茲海默症。
(B) 喪失記憶。
(C) 不知所措。
(D) 準備三餐有困難。
題解：根據本文第一段所述，阿茲海默症會造成痴呆症，而不是其症狀之一，故 (A) 項應為正選。
3. 痴呆症與阿茲海默症有怎麼樣的關聯性呢？
(A) 痴呆症變得很嚴重時，就會變成阿茲海默症。
(B) 某人經歷過阿茲海默症時，做運動就變得很簡單了。
(C) 阿茲海默症是主要導致痴呆症的原因。
(D) 這兩種疾病是息息相關的，因為兩種都不致命。
題解：根據本文第一段，痴呆症可能由不少來源所引起，像是中風、帕金森氏症等，但最常見的成因還是阿茲海默症，故 (C) 項應為正選。
4. 根據本文，人們常見的誤解是什麼？
(A) 已開發國家的人沒有那麼多心理問題。
(B) 持續的節食就不會得到痴呆症。
(C) 與親戚吵架對人們來說是一種測試阿茲海默症的方法。
(D) 喪失心智能力可能發生在每個人身上。
題解：根據本文第四段，常為大家所誤解的就是，心理功能的嚴重衰退是正常老化過程的一部份，得知這種情形有可能會發生在每個人身上，故 (D) 項應為正選。

1. 答案：1. D　2. A　3. C　4. D

   
   

2. 引用自：長春藤英語http://www.ivy.com.tw/