The 2-minute concussion test 兩分鐘的腦震蕩診斷測試

山東成武第一中學 張世會

It's the test you've never heard of,but it can help parents and coaches recognize a concussion（腦震蕩）fast.

As a parent of a young athlete,the fear of concussion is always in the back of my mind.It's estimated that up to 3 million kids experience a brain injury like a concussion each year,and while most of these injuries are minor,they can have long-term effects.

As any high school coach will tell you,concussions can be dangerous,so recognizing and treating them as early as possible is important.While concussion awareness has grown in recent years,it can still be difficult to recognize a problem right away.This is especially true for younger children who do not have athletic trainers.

Fortunately,a new concussion test that takes just two minutes to perform can help.According to researchers at NYU Langone Medical Center,the King-Devick test is quick,simple and can be done by any parent or coach.The study was conducted on 243 athletes under age 17 (as well as 89 NCAA athletes).

Study participants were given the concussion test directly following an injury on the field and were asked to read a series of numbers from left to right as quickly as possible.If their time increased by five or more seconds from their baseline reading,they were diagnosed with a concussion.Researchers found that this quick concussion test had a 92 percent accuracy rate,proving more effective than other more complicated（復雜的）assessments.

This test could be given at a team's first meeting or practice to get baseline readings for athletes,and then given at the first sign of head injury.The risk of concussions will always be scary for parents of young athletes,but with this quick and effective concussion test in our back pockets,we can get back to worrying about lighter topics.Once you've diagnosed the concussion,your phone can actually help you heal it faster.

Reading Check

1.Why should concussions be treated early?

A.They may spread quickly.

B.They affect health seriously.

C.They are brain injuries.

D.Many kids have concussions.

2.Who is more likely to have a concussion?

A.School coaches. B.High school students.

C.Old people. D.Young kids.

3.What can we infer from the last paragraph?

A.The test needs to be discussed in the meeting.

B.The concussion has no signs at all.

C.It's not difficult to heal a concussion.

D.Your phone can help you find a concussion.

Language Study

Sentence for writing

It's estimated that up to 3 million kids experience a brain injury like a concussion each year,and while most of these injuries are minor,they can have long-term effects.

【信息提取】It's estimated that...意為“據估計……”。

【句式仿寫】這次會議預計要開四天。

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