The Case of the Disappearing Fingerprints

　　One useful anti-cancer drug can effectively erase the whorls and other characteristic marks that give people their distinctive fingerprints. Losing 1 become troublesome. A case released online in a letter by Annals of Oncology indicates how big a 2 of losing fingerprints is.

　　Eng-Huat Tan, a Singapore-based medical doctor describes a 62-year old man who has used capecitabine1 to 3 his nasopharyngeal cancer. After three years on the 4 , the patient decided to visit U.S. relatives last December. But he was stopped by U.S. customs officials 5 4 hours after entering the country when those officials couldn't get fingerprints from the man. There were no distinctive swirly 6 appearing from his index finger2.

　　U.S. customs3 has been fingerprinting incoming foreign visitors for years, Tan says. Their index fingers are 7 and screened against digital files of the fingerprints of bad guys -- terrorists and potential criminals that our federal guardians have been tasked with keeping out of the country4. Unfortunately, for the Singapore travelers, one potential 8 effect of his drug treatmerit is a smoothing of the tissue on the finger pads6. 9 , no fingerprints.

　　"It is uncertain when fingerprint loss will 10 to take place in patients who are taking capecitabine," Tan points out. So he cautions any physicians who 11 the drug to provide their patients with a doctor's note pointing out that their medicine may cause fingerprints to disappear.

　　Eventually, the Singapore traveler made it into the United States7. I guess the name on his passport didn't raise any red flags8. But he's also now got the explanatory doctor's note – and won't leave home 12 it.

　　By the way, maybe the Food and Drug Administration9, 13 approved use of the drug 11 years ago, should consider 14 its list of side effects associated with this medicine. The current list does note10 that patients may experience vomiting, stomach pain and some other side effects. But no where 15 it mention the potential for loss of fingerprints.

　　詞匯：

　　fingerprint n.指紋 nasopharyngeal adj.鼻咽的 whorl n.羅紋，籮狀指紋 swirly adj.旋渦狀的

　　annals n.年度 digit n.數(shù)字 oncology n.腫瘤學(xué) onset n.開始 capecitabine n.卡培他濱 vomit v.嘔吐

　　注釋：

　　1. capecitabine 卡培他濱。是一種口服的化療藥物，用于治療轉(zhuǎn)移性乳腺癌、大腸癌、咽 喉癌等，以緩解腫瘤生長。

　　2. index finger：食指。

　　3. U.S. customs：美 國 海 關(guān) 。Customs 視作一個(gè)組織，用做單數(shù)名詞，所以在文章中后接has。

　　4. terrorists and potential criminals that our federal guardians have been tasked with keeping out of the country：我們的聯(lián)邦衛(wèi)士的職責(zé)是要把那些恐怖分 子和疑似罪犯擋在國門之外

　　。關(guān)系代詞 that 引導(dǎo)的是一個(gè)限制性定語從句，修飾 terrorists and potential criminals。That 在定語從句中做 keeping 的賓語。

　　5. traveler：旅行者。traveler 是美國英語的拼法。英國英語的拼法是 traveller。

　　6. the tissue on the finger pads：指尖上的肉墊組織。

　　7. Eventually, the Singapore traveler made it into the United States：那位新加 坡旅客終于進(jìn)入了美國。make it into 意為“進(jìn)入”。

　　8. red flags：(表示危險(xiǎn)的)紅旗，即危險(xiǎn)信號。揮動紅旗表示危險(xiǎn)，最初用于鐵路，后 來西方公司等用英文 red flags 或紅色小旗表示業(yè)績下降等。

　　9. the Food and Drug Administration：美國食品和藥物局。

　　10. The current list does note：現(xiàn)有的副作用清單中確實(shí)列出。在肯定句謂語動詞前加do/does/did，是為了強(qiáng)調(diào)該動詞，漢語可譯為“確實(shí)”。如：

　　He speaks Chinese, English, French, Spanish and Russian.

　　He does speak Chinese, English, French, Spanish and Russian.

　　(他確實(shí)會說漢語，英語，法語，西班牙語和俄語。)

　　練習(xí)：

　　1. A he B them C her D him

　　2. A theme B topic C creation D problem

　　3. A treat B cut C find D smooth

　　4. A recovery B diet C drug D diagnosis

　　5. A in B at C for D on

　　6. A digits B marks C images D pictures

　　7. A printed B located C cured D placed

　　8. A normal B good C main D side

　　9. A However B Hence C Moreover D Furthermore

　　10. A begin B like C decide D have

　　11. A prevent B preserve C presume D prescribe

　　12. A off B on C without D with

　　13. A who B where C when D which

　　14. A updating B using C printing D cancelling

　　15. A must B does C may D should