People in different countries use different types of 1 yuan in China, pesos in Mexico, pounds in the United Kingdom, dollars in the United States, Australia and New Zealand. They may use 2 currencies, but these countries, and probably all countries, still have one thing in common1: Germs on the banknotes. $ z3 B9 p9 i* [
Scientists have been studying the germs on money for well over2 100 years. At the turn of the 20th 3 , some researchers began to suspect that germs living on money could spread disease. $ B& T; E& E; |, e [; v. ]
Most studies of germy money have looked at the germs on the currency 4 one country. In a new study, Frank Vriesekoop3 and other researchers compared the germ populations found on bills of different 5 .
( m/ @9 U. w0 s6 x/ r Vriesekoop3 is a microbiologist at the University of Ballarat in Australia4. He led the study, which compared the germ populations found on money 6 from 10 nations. The scientists studied 1,280 banknotes in total; all came from places where people buy food, like supermarkets street vendors and cafes, 7 those businesses often rely on cash. 7 J$ p3 L4 [& k. j
Overall, the Australian dollars hosted the fewest live bacteria ---- no more than 10 per square centimeter. Chinese yuan had the most ---- about 100 per square centimeter. Most of the germs on money probably would not cause harm. 5 k" a: v. P! F! N
What we call "paper" money usually isn’t made from paper. The U. S. dollar, for example, is printed on fabric that is mostly 8 .Different countries may use different 9 to print their money. Some of the currencies studied by Vriesekoop and his 10 such as the American dollar were made from cotton. Others were made from polymers.
& I, q& z. @: P9 J7 p4 l) u The three 11 with the lowest numbers of bacteria were all printed on polymers. They included the Australian dollar, the New Zealand dollar and some Mexican pesos. 0 z" e- A7 ^; o# E
The other currencies were printed on fabric made 12 of cotton. Fewer germs lived on the polymer notes. This connection suggests that 13 have a harder time staying alive on polymer surfaces. Scientists need to do more studies to understand how germs live on money-----and whether or not we need to be concerned. Vnesekoop is now starting a study that will 14 the amounts of time bacteria can stay alive on different types of bills. & F4 ~- W4 n0 W: x
Whatever Vriesekoop finds, the fact remains: Paper money harbors germs We should wash our 15 after touching it; after all5, you never know where your money ’s been. Or what’s living on it. 中 华 考 试 网( A1 m0 b- K9 |$ e# S( g% n
词汇: : ?* L0 l- r! k0 l. n$ J6 ?4 `
pesos n .比索 bacterium /k?k’ti?ri?m/ n .细菌(单数)
8 B$ u2 n! W. @ germ n.病菌 bacteria /b?kti?ri?/细菌(复数)
9 Z" p7 r) ?, U! T banknote n.纸币 centimeter/senti,mi:t?。/ n.厘米
: H2 D; D0 X, Y; p/ P# r microbiologist n.微生
3 c* R$ M1 k' T1 S, |! q polymer n. [高分子」聚合物 物学家
" q5 B H+ c$ D7 @ d) D" @8 x harbor v.怀有,藏有 0 y% P: d6 I/ W
vendor n.小贩 |