Researchersarefindingnewwaystosavesnakebitevictims.Expertsdiscussedthelatestfindingsduringarecentconference.

ScientistsinAustraliahaveshownthatachemicalcallednitricoxidecouldincreasethechancesofsurvivingapoisonoussnakebite.Thescientistsinjectedratswithadeadlyamountofsnakevenom.Thentheyrubbedanointment(软膏)containingnitricoxideontheskinaroundtheinjectionsite.Thestudyfoundthattheratslivedaboutone-thirdlongerthanifnitricoxidehadnotbeenused.Butthetreatmenthadtobestartedveryquickly.

DirkvanHeldenledtheresearch.Hesaysthenitricoxideointmentalsoshowedpromiseinhumans.ThestudyappearedearlierthisyearinthejournalNatureMedicine.Scientistssaythefindingscouldhelpsavemanylives.Arecentstudyfoundthatpoisonoussnakescauseasmanyasninety-fourthousanddeathsworldwideeachyear.ButUlrichKuchoftheBiodiversityandClimateResearchCenterinFrankfurtGermanysaysthatnumberappearstobelow.

MrKuchsaysmanydeathscouldbeprohibitedifsnakebitevictimsaretreatedcorrectlybuttheyoftengototraditionalhealersordonotseekanyhelpatall.Hesaid“Sometimesit’sbecausethereisnotreatmentavailable—noantivenom(抗蛇毒血清)whichisthespecific(特殊的)drugtotreatsnakebites—orhealthcarestaffdonotknowhowtotreatsnakebitesandsometimesitsbecausetransportationtogettoahealthfacilityisnotavailableortooexpensive.

Hereisnosingleantivenomthatcanbeusedtotreatallsnakebites.Theantivenommustbespecifictothekindofsnakethatbittheperson.Insomecountriesthetreatmentiscostlywhileinothersthereisnosuchtreatment.

1.Whatisthispassagemainlyabout?()

A.Snakebitedeathsaroundtheworld.

B.Progressinfightingsnakebitedeaths.

C.Snakebitetreatmentaroundtheworld.

D.Thechancesofsurvivingapoisonoussnakebite.

2.Afterbeingrubbedanointmentcontainingnitricoxidetherats.

A.sufferednopainB.diedimmediately

C.livedalittlelongerD.startedfeelinguncomfortable

3.WhatdoesParagraph3suggest?()

A.Thenumberofdeathscausedbysnakebitesisbecominglowereachyear.

B.Then