A new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine compared 30 Amish children and 30 Hutterite children from two farming groups in North Dakota. Researchers chose these children because asthma is rare among the Amish but common among the Hutterites, even though the groups have similar genetic backgrounds and diets and very little exposure to tobacco smoke, polluted air and indoor pets. The one key difference lies in their farming methods: The Amish reject electricity and industrialization, while the Hutterites embrace it. And because of this, the children are exposed to different microbes (微生物).
―We never thought we would see a difference,‖ Carole Ober, an author of the study and the chairwoman of the department of human genetics at the University of Chicago, told the New York Times. But to their great surprise, ―we saw great differences with very, very different cell types and cell numbers.‖
The Amish children all had a large proportion of neutrophils—white blood cells that are part of the so-called inborn immune system. The Amish kids‘ neutrophils ―were newly found in their bone marrow, evidence of a continual low-grade reaction to microbial invaders (入侵者),‖ the New York Times reports. In contrast, the Hutterite kids had ―old‖ neutrophils, and researchers found their blood was full of another type of immune cell, eosinophils, which provoke allergic reactions.
―I keep saying if everyone would just put a cow in their house, no kid would have asthma, but that's not very practical,‖ Ober told Live Science. Instead, Ober predicts an air mister parents could use to spray the beneficial microbes into the air.
58. What can we know about the Hutterite group according to Paragraph 2?
A. The air is heavily polluted due to industrialization.
B. They have a fatter chance to catch asthma and allergies. C. Their family members are addicted to cigarette smoking. D. Modern machines are widely used instead of farm animals.
59. Which of the following can be added to the differences between the two groups?
A. genetic background B. immune system C. health care D. educational level
60. By jokingly suggesting having a cow in their house, Ober intends to tell us that ________. A. keeping a toy cow is more practical B. we should get exposed to indoor pets C. unhealthy living styles should be avoided
D. farm environment helps fight Asthma and Allergies
C
2018届高三英语高考冲刺卷（二） 第 6 页 共 11 页