Luis國際資訊事務所

by Matthew Brown
Scientists believe that brown fat may help people lose weight.
科學家相信棕色脂肪能幫助人們減重。

It all started with mice. Mice aren't able to shiver when they're cold, so they need to find other ways to warm up their bodies. _(1)_ When the mice became cold, this brown fat generated heat by burning calories. In other words, the mice were losing weight just by being cold. And it wasn't just a little weight. _(2)_ This was all due to brown fat.
　　Scientists discovered that infants have this brown fat, too, but they thought people lost this baby fat as they grew older. New research shows that they were wrong. Almost all adults have small blobs of brown fat. In babies, the brown fat is found all along the back. _(3)_
　　So does this mean that people who live in cold countries are generally thinner? It's hard to say. _(4)_ For instance, people might just eat more when their brown fat is activated. Still, researchers and many others are excited about the discovery. They hope it will lead to helpful new weight-loss drugs. _(5)_ For the moment, if you want to get your brown fat working, try to find a way to get chilly. "We're thinking of opening a frosty spa," joked one of the researchers.

(A) Cold temperatures are the easiest way to activate the fat for now, but researchers are trying to figure out which drugs can be used to activate it as well.
(B) Researchers found that mice have a kind of brown fat that helps them keep warm.
(C) Although brown fat helps mice lose weight, scientists aren't sure if it will work just as easily for humans.
(D) Researchers exposed chubby mice to cold weather for only a week, and they lost 14 percent of their weight and almost half of their body fat.
(E) In adults, it's found in other spots, but it's still the same magical fat that burns up calories and produces heat when a person is cold.

1. 第一題空格應選 (B)
理由:
a. 空格前說，老鼠（mice）冷的時候不會發抖，所以需要找其他讓身體暖和（to warm up their bodies）的方法。
b. (B) 選項說到，研究人員發現老鼠體內有一種棕色脂肪能夠讓他們保持暖和（helps them keep warm），前後語意連貫，故選之。
大補丸:
a. researcher n. 研究員，調查者
research n. 研究，調查（不可數）
do research on...　　從事（有關）……的研究
例: Doctor Lin is doing research on cancer.
（林博士正在做有關癌症的研究。）
b. mice n. 老鼠（mouse 的複數形）

2. 第二題空格應選 (D)
理由:
a. 空格前兩句提及，老鼠光是因為寒冷就能夠減輕體重（losing weight just by being cold），而且還不只是一點重量而已。
b. (D) 提到，研究人員讓肥嘟嘟的老鼠暴露在寒冷的氣候中僅一個星期，牠們就減掉百分之十四的體重（lost 14 percent of their weight），以及一半的體脂肪，前後語意連貫，故選之。
大補丸:
a. expose A to B　　使 A 暴露於 B 中
例: If you expose your skin to too much sunlight, you will get sunburned.
（如果你過於曝曬在陽光下的話，就會曬傷。）
b. chubby a. 圓胖的

3. 第三題空格應選 (E)
理由:
a. 空格前兩句提及，幾乎所有成人體內都有少量的棕色脂肪。在嬰兒體內，棕色脂肪集中在背部（the brown fat is found all along the back）。
b. (E) 選項提到，成人的棕色脂肪則分佈在不同的區域（it's found in other spots），前後語意連貫，故選之。
大補丸:
a. spot n. 地點，場所
on the spot　　當場
例: Police killed two of the mobsters on the spot.
（警察當場殺了兩名暴徒。）
b. burn up...　　燃燒……
例: Nancy tries to burn up extra calories by going jogging every day.
（南西試著藉由每天慢跑來燃燒多餘的卡路里。）
c. calorie n. 卡路里（熱量單位）

4. 第四題空格應選 (C)
理由:
a. 空格前提及，但這就表示居住在寒冷國家的人就普遍較為苗條嗎？這很難說（It's hard to say.）。
b. (C) 選項中提到，雖然棕色脂肪能幫助老鼠減重，科學家卻沒有把握這同樣能輕易地應用到人體上（scientists aren't sure if it will work just as easily for humans），解釋了前一句的 "It's hard to say."，可知 (C) 為正選。
大補丸:
a. lose weight　　減輕體重
gain weight　　增加體重
= put on weight
例: Victoria gained a lot of weight during her first year in college.
（維多利亞在就讀大學的第一年胖了很多。）
b. work vi. 起作用，有效
例: The treatment for my illness seems to be working.
（這項治療對我的病情似乎有效。）

5. 第五題空格應選 (A)
理由:
a. 空格前提及，他們希望這能有助於新減肥藥（new weight-loss drugs）的發明。
b. (A) 選項提到，寒冷的氣候是最能啟動棕色脂肪的機制，但現在研究人員試圖要找出有哪種藥物（which drugs）能達到相同的啟動效果，語意連貫，且前後皆有出現關鍵字 drugs，故 (A) 為正選。
大補丸:
a. temperature n. 溫度
b. activate vt. 啟動，使活動
例: If you punch in the code, the alarm will be activated.
（如果你輸入密碼，警報器就會啟動。）
c. figure out...　　想出∕弄明白…………
d. ...as well　　也……
= ..., too
例: If you insult my friend, then you are insulting me as well.
（如果你侮辱我朋友，你也侮辱了我。）

1. shiver vi. 發抖，打顫
例: The little girl shivered from the cold.
（這個小女孩冷得直發抖。）

2. warm up...　　使……暖和起來
warm up　　暖身
例: This cup of hot chocolate milk has warmed up my body.
（這杯熱巧克力牛奶讓我的身體暖和起來。）
例: Tom didn't warm up before jogging, and now his legs are sore.
（湯姆慢跑前未暖身，結果現在他的雙腿痠痛。）

3. generate vt. 產生，引起
例: Gary's jokes generated a great deal of laughter.
（蓋瑞的笑話引起了許多笑聲。）

4. in other words　　換句話說，也就是說
= that is (to say)
= to put it differently
例: Jim is sick today. In other words, don't expect him at the party later.
（吉姆今天生病了；換句話說，別期待他晚點會出現在派對上。）

5. be due to...　　由於……
例: My cold was due to riding my scooter in the rain.
（我會感冒是因為在下雨天騎機車。）

6. be excited about...　　對……感到興奮
例: Tammy was excited about moving to her new place.
（泰咪對要搬到新住處感到很興奮。）

7. for the moment　　目前；暫時
例: Everything seemed perfect for the moment.
（目前一切看來似乎都很完美。）
例: After the operation, the patient was out of danger for the moment.
（手術後，病人暫時脫離險境了。）

1. infant n. 嬰兒
2. blob n. 一小團
3. chilly a. 冷颼颼的
4. frosty a. 結霜的；嚴寒的
5. spa n. 溫泉浴場，水療

這一切都因老鼠而起。老鼠冷的時候不會發抖，所以需要找其他讓身體暖和的方法。研 究人員發現，老鼠體內有一種棕色脂肪能夠讓他們保持暖和。當老鼠感到寒冷時，這種棕色脂肪就會藉由燃燒卡洛里來產生熱能。換句話說，老鼠光是因為寒冷就能 夠減輕體重，而且還不只是一點重量而已。研究人員讓肥嘟嘟的老鼠暴露在寒冷的氣候中僅一個星期，牠們就減掉百分之十四的體重，以及將近一半的體脂肪。這一 切都歸因於棕色脂肪。
　　
科學家發現嬰兒體內也有棕色脂肪，但他們先前認為這種嬰兒脂肪會隨著年紀增長而逐漸消失。新的研究證明他們是錯誤的。幾乎所有的成人體內都有少量的棕色脂 肪。在嬰兒體內，棕色脂肪集中在背部，在成人體內則是分佈在不同的區域，但仍舊是同一種能在人體感到寒冷時，燃燒卡洛里並製造熱能的神奇棕色脂肪。
　　
但這就表示居住在寒冷國家的人就普遍較為苗條嗎？這很難說。雖然棕色脂肪能幫助老鼠減重，科學家卻沒有把握這同樣能輕易地應用到人體上。舉例來說，當棕色 脂肪的機制被啟動，人們有可能會吃得更多。然而，研究人員及其他人對這個發現還是感到很興奮。他們希望這能有助於新減肥藥的發明。寒冷的氣候是最能啟動棕 色脂肪的機制，但現在研究人員試圖要找出有哪種藥物能達到相同的啟動效果。就目前來說，若你想讓你的棕色脂肪活絡起來，那就試著找個方法讓自己感到寒冷。 有個研究員就開玩笑說：『我們正在考慮要開設一家冰凍水療館。』

標準答案: 1. (B)　2. (D)　3. (E)　4. (C)　5. (A)