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高二英语 12.03练习 PAGE 3 练习15 A Pouring a bucket of ice water over one’s head may seem like a distant summer memory. But although the “ice bucket challenges”craze(狂热) has died down, public awareness about ALS（肌萎缩性侧索硬化症）, a terrible disease that damages people’s muscles, has never been stronger. The viral video campaign raised $115 million from more than 3 million donors for the ALS Association. In early October, the ALS Association approved $21.7 million of funding for six programs and initiatives（举措） by groups. The grants focus on developing treatments for common ALS genes and exploring approaches to the prevention of two major contributors to the disease. These efforts may not only someday lead to new treatments, but also point to the cause of ALS. One clue to better treatments may lie in a detail about ALS: Some nerve （神经） cells die from the disease, but certain others do not. ALS destroys nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord(脊髓) that control muscle movement. Control of arms and legs typically weakens first, followed by other muscles. In the last stages of ALS, which is typically deadly in two to five years after diagnosis(诊断), patients have lost most of their motor neurons（运动神经元）. Yet many patients, even in late stages, can still move their eyes and sometimes control a few muscles. This is the case in ALS patients such as Steve Gleason, a former NFL football player with the New Orleans Saints who retired in 2008 after eight seasons. Gleason was diagnosed with ALS in 2011. Today he cannot move or speak and needs assistance to breathe and eat. Gleason’s eye muscles, however, still function and allow him to communicate. He uses his eyes to control a speech-generating device in a computer tablet（平板） attached to his wheelchair. The longevity（寿命） of eye muscles in ALS patients suggests some motor neurons are more vulnerable（易受伤的）to the disease than others. This difference opens up some possibilities. Knowing what makes certain motor neurons resistant to the disease