TedTest

From the Ted Talk by Eleanor Nelsen: Why do people have seasonal allergies?

Unscramble the Blue Letters

Ah, spring. Grass gwoirng, flowers blooming, trees growing new leaves, but if you get allergies, this explosion of new life probably inspires more dread than joy. Step outside, and within minutes, you're sneezing and congested. Your nose is running, your eyes are swollen and waerty, your throat is itchy. For you and millions of others, it's seasonal allergy time. So what's behind this onslaught of mucus? The answer lies within you. It's your immune system. snaoseal allergies, also called hay fever, or allergic rhinitis, are a hypersensitive immune response to something that's not actually hrumfal. Pollen from trees and grass, and mold spores from tiny fungi find their way into your mucous membranes and your body attacks these inounocus travelers the same way it would infectious biaretca. The inumme system has a memory. When a foreign substance gets tagegd as threatening, wthie blood cells produce customized aintdieobs that will recognize the offender the next time around. They then promptly recruit the body's defense team. But sometimes, the immune system accidentally dicrmistieans against harmless scnuatsbes, like pollen. When it wafts in again, antibodies on the surface of white bolod clles recognize it and latch on. This triggers the cell to rsaelee inflammatory chemicals, like histamine, which stimulate nerve cells, and cause blood vseesls in the mucous membranes to swell and leak fluid. In other words, itchiness, sneezing, congestion, and a rnuny nose. Allergies usually, but not always, show up for the first time during childhood. But why do some people get areillges and others don't? Allergies tend to run in families, so genetics may be one cilrput. In fact, errors in a gene that helps regulate the immune system are associated with hiehgr rates of allergies. The environment you grow up in matters, too. Being exposed to an aglleern as a baby makes you less likely to actually develop an allergy to it. pleope who grow up on farms, in big families, and in the developing world also tend to have fewer allergies, although there are plenty of exceptions, partly thanks to genetics. One theory is that as cerihdln, they encounter more of the microbes and parasites that co-evolved with ttiaoarnidl hunter-gatherer sioceiets. Called the hygiene hiohspyets, the idea is that when the immune system isn't exposed to the familiar cast of microbes, it'll keep itself busy mounting defenses against harmless substances, like pollen. Another thoery is that an immune system toegheund up by a barrage of peghnaots is less likely to orrecaevt to allergens. plleon is a common offender, just because we encounter so much of it, but there's a long list of substances: dust, animal dander, insect venom, medications, certain foods, that can send your immune system into overdrive. Some of these reactions can be scary. An arllgey can develop into full-blown anaphylaxis, which typically brings on srevee snillewg, shortness of barteh, and very low blood puesrrse. It can be deadly. The body can even have an allergic reaction to itself causing auto-immune disorders, like multiple sclerosis, lupus, and type 1 diabetes. But even non-life threatening allergy symptoms can make you miserable, so what can you do about it? Medications can help reduce the symptoms. The most cmoomn ones keep histamines from binding to your cells. These antihistamines stop the inflammation response. Steroids can help dial down the immune system. Another more permanent option is iaeonuhtmmrpy. Deliberate, controlled exposure to gradually increasing antomus of an allergen can teach the immune system that it isn't dangerous after all. And if you're really aetoduurvns, there's a less traditional option: intestinal ptreiasas. When hookworms sink their teeth into the intestinal wall, they secrete ciahmlecs that blunt the immune system. Some studies suggest that hookworms can treat allergies, which may be another reason allergies are more common in industrialized countries where hookworms are few and far between. Of course, you can always just wait your seasonal allergies out. The spring pollen onslaught dwindles by mid-summer, just in time for ragweed season.

Open Cloze

Ah, spring. Grass _______, flowers blooming, trees growing new leaves, but if you get allergies, this explosion of new life probably inspires more dread than joy. Step outside, and within minutes, you're sneezing and congested. Your nose is running, your eyes are swollen and ______, your throat is itchy. For you and millions of others, it's seasonal allergy time. So what's behind this onslaught of mucus? The answer lies within you. It's your immune system. ________ allergies, also called hay fever, or allergic rhinitis, are a hypersensitive immune response to something that's not actually _______. Pollen from trees and grass, and mold spores from tiny fungi find their way into your mucous membranes and your body attacks these _________ travelers the same way it would infectious ________. The ______ system has a memory. When a foreign substance gets ______ as threatening, _____ blood cells produce customized __________ that will recognize the offender the next time around. They then promptly recruit the body's defense team. But sometimes, the immune system accidentally _____________ against harmless __________, like pollen. When it wafts in again, antibodies on the surface of white _____ _____ recognize it and latch on. This triggers the cell to _______ inflammatory chemicals, like histamine, which stimulate nerve cells, and cause blood _______ in the mucous membranes to swell and leak fluid. In other words, itchiness, sneezing, congestion, and a _____ nose. Allergies usually, but not always, show up for the first time during childhood. But why do some people get _________ and others don't? Allergies tend to run in families, so genetics may be one _______. In fact, errors in a gene that helps regulate the immune system are associated with ______ rates of allergies. The environment you grow up in matters, too. Being exposed to an ________ as a baby makes you less likely to actually develop an allergy to it. ______ who grow up on farms, in big families, and in the developing world also tend to have fewer allergies, although there are plenty of exceptions, partly thanks to genetics. One theory is that as ________, they encounter more of the microbes and parasites that co-evolved with ___________ hunter-gatherer _________. Called the hygiene __________, the idea is that when the immune system isn't exposed to the familiar cast of microbes, it'll keep itself busy mounting defenses against harmless substances, like pollen. Another ______ is that an immune system _________ up by a barrage of _________ is less likely to _________ to allergens. ______ is a common offender, just because we encounter so much of it, but there's a long list of substances: dust, animal dander, insect venom, medications, certain foods, that can send your immune system into overdrive. Some of these reactions can be scary. An _______ can develop into full-blown anaphylaxis, which typically brings on ______ ________, shortness of ______, and very low blood ________. It can be deadly. The body can even have an allergic reaction to itself causing auto-immune disorders, like multiple sclerosis, lupus, and type 1 diabetes. But even non-life threatening allergy symptoms can make you miserable, so what can you do about it? Medications can help reduce the symptoms. The most ______ ones keep histamines from binding to your cells. These antihistamines stop the inflammation response. Steroids can help dial down the immune system. Another more permanent option is _____________. Deliberate, controlled exposure to gradually increasing _______ of an allergen can teach the immune system that it isn't dangerous after all. And if you're really ___________, there's a less traditional option: intestinal _________. When hookworms sink their teeth into the intestinal wall, they secrete _________ that blunt the immune system. Some studies suggest that hookworms can treat allergies, which may be another reason allergies are more common in industrialized countries where hookworms are few and far between. Of course, you can always just wait your seasonal allergies out. The spring pollen onslaught dwindles by mid-summer, just in time for ragweed season.

Solution

substances
swelling
societies
seasonal
parasites
people
vessels
allergen
innocuous
allergy
hypothesis
breath
immune
higher
release
harmful
allergies
overreact
cells
toughened
watery
pathogens
bacteria
amounts
growing
white
common
pollen
culprit
runny
discriminates
antibodies
pressure
blood
traditional
chemicals
severe
immunotherapy
children
adventurous
tagged
theory

Original Text

Ah, spring. Grass growing, flowers blooming, trees growing new leaves, but if you get allergies, this explosion of new life probably inspires more dread than joy. Step outside, and within minutes, you're sneezing and congested. Your nose is running, your eyes are swollen and watery, your throat is itchy. For you and millions of others, it's seasonal allergy time. So what's behind this onslaught of mucus? The answer lies within you. It's your immune system. Seasonal allergies, also called hay fever, or allergic rhinitis, are a hypersensitive immune response to something that's not actually harmful. Pollen from trees and grass, and mold spores from tiny fungi find their way into your mucous membranes and your body attacks these innocuous travelers the same way it would infectious bacteria. The immune system has a memory. When a foreign substance gets tagged as threatening, white blood cells produce customized antibodies that will recognize the offender the next time around. They then promptly recruit the body's defense team. But sometimes, the immune system accidentally discriminates against harmless substances, like pollen. When it wafts in again, antibodies on the surface of white blood cells recognize it and latch on. This triggers the cell to release inflammatory chemicals, like histamine, which stimulate nerve cells, and cause blood vessels in the mucous membranes to swell and leak fluid. In other words, itchiness, sneezing, congestion, and a runny nose. Allergies usually, but not always, show up for the first time during childhood. But why do some people get allergies and others don't? Allergies tend to run in families, so genetics may be one culprit. In fact, errors in a gene that helps regulate the immune system are associated with higher rates of allergies. The environment you grow up in matters, too. Being exposed to an allergen as a baby makes you less likely to actually develop an allergy to it. People who grow up on farms, in big families, and in the developing world also tend to have fewer allergies, although there are plenty of exceptions, partly thanks to genetics. One theory is that as children, they encounter more of the microbes and parasites that co-evolved with traditional hunter-gatherer societies. Called the hygiene hypothesis, the idea is that when the immune system isn't exposed to the familiar cast of microbes, it'll keep itself busy mounting defenses against harmless substances, like pollen. Another theory is that an immune system toughened up by a barrage of pathogens is less likely to overreact to allergens. Pollen is a common offender, just because we encounter so much of it, but there's a long list of substances: dust, animal dander, insect venom, medications, certain foods, that can send your immune system into overdrive. Some of these reactions can be scary. An allergy can develop into full-blown anaphylaxis, which typically brings on severe swelling, shortness of breath, and very low blood pressure. It can be deadly. The body can even have an allergic reaction to itself causing auto-immune disorders, like multiple sclerosis, lupus, and type 1 diabetes. But even non-life threatening allergy symptoms can make you miserable, so what can you do about it? Medications can help reduce the symptoms. The most common ones keep histamines from binding to your cells. These antihistamines stop the inflammation response. Steroids can help dial down the immune system. Another more permanent option is immunotherapy. Deliberate, controlled exposure to gradually increasing amounts of an allergen can teach the immune system that it isn't dangerous after all. And if you're really adventurous, there's a less traditional option: intestinal parasites. When hookworms sink their teeth into the intestinal wall, they secrete chemicals that blunt the immune system. Some studies suggest that hookworms can treat allergies, which may be another reason allergies are more common in industrialized countries where hookworms are few and far between. Of course, you can always just wait your seasonal allergies out. The spring pollen onslaught dwindles by mid-summer, just in time for ragweed season.

Frequently Occurring Word Combinations

ngrams of length 2

collocation	frequency
immune system	10
mucous membranes	2
white blood	2
blood cells	2

ngrams of length 3

collocation	frequency
white blood cells	2

Important Words

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