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.
u5 e: f) z2 }6 CScientists 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. 3 h( U# l: `) I$ e5 ?
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 . ) f' N! C1 i8 o- N1 W/ V: v
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.
8 d5 D* r4 R8 p0 i* n 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. ) x8 j- a0 d" M$ I) B6 L, r( |
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. & u5 e- M7 d0 Z( T7 W6 y, x
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. 8 g: Z7 K2 H8 d7 Y' v2 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. 6 A# I3 b" ]( y: X6 p
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
! Y; i8 l N- b. K/ k& ~ 词汇: ' q& i; V+ P6 P) ~5 C
pesos n .比索 bacterium /k?k’ti?ri?m/ n .细菌(单数) 7 X! a, o5 F- N1 C7 ]
germ n.病菌 bacteria /b?kti?ri?/细菌(复数)
) l9 W# X+ C, N4 J; O- z" s4 | banknote n.纸币 centimeter/senti,mi:t?。/ n.厘米
7 Y A# A) m5 c microbiologist n.微生 1 V% m/ T" f& B+ H
polymer n. [高分子」聚合物 物学家
% w6 S9 D: T1 Z: D J: E4 O harbor v.怀有,藏有
# O8 ~: n6 S& g/ u# [1 A vendor n.小贩 |