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Listen to an Academic Talk Test #035
Listen to an Academic Talk
1. What is the main topic of the talk?
A) The process of developing new medicines
B) A psychological phenomenon with physical effects
C) The different types of pain-relieving chemicals
D) The importance of a positive attitude
2. According to the speaker, how can a placebo cause a real effect in the body?
A) By changing a person's genetic makeup
B) By causing the brain to release certain chemicals
C) By directly fighting the source of a disease
D) By providing the body with essential nutrients
3. What can be inferred about a new drug that works no better than a placebo?
A) The drug would likely be considered ineffective
B) The drug must have very dangerous side effects
C) The drug is probably inexpensive to produce
D) The drug will be approved for use anyway
4. Why does the speaker mention a placebo-controlled trial?
A) To explain how placebos are manufactured
B) To show why placebos are no longer used
C) To question the ethics of medical research
D) To illustrate the importance of the placebo effect
Guest Speaker: I'm here to talk about something you've probably heard of but may not fully understand: the placebo effect. A placebo is any treatment—often a sugar pill or a saline injection—that has no actual therapeutic properties. The placebo effect is the phenomenon where a patient's symptoms can improve simply because they believe they are receiving a real, effective treatment.
Now, this is not just "in their imagination." The mind has a powerful influence on the body. Believing you're getting help can trigger the brain to release its own natural pain-relieving chemicals, like endorphins. So, a person given a placebo for pain may experience a genuine reduction in their discomfort due to their brain's response.
This effect is so significant that it's a cornerstone of modern medical research. To prove a new drug is effective, it must be tested against a placebo in what's called a placebo-controlled trial. The drug has to perform significantly better than the placebo to be approved, proving its effects are chemical, not just psychological.
Now, this is not just "in their imagination." The mind has a powerful influence on the body. Believing you're getting help can trigger the brain to release its own natural pain-relieving chemicals, like endorphins. So, a person given a placebo for pain may experience a genuine reduction in their discomfort due to their brain's response.
This effect is so significant that it's a cornerstone of modern medical research. To prove a new drug is effective, it must be tested against a placebo in what's called a placebo-controlled trial. The drug has to perform significantly better than the placebo to be approved, proving its effects are chemical, not just psychological.
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