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dateline: 05 June 2019

Woman with Keen Sense of Smell Helps Parkinson’s Researchers

Pre-Listening Vocabulary

  • Parkinson’s disease: a disease of the nervous system that causes tremors and movement difficulties
  • keen: observant; powerful
  • early detection: the identification (of an illness or disease) in an early stage
  • musky: strong and sweet; woody
  • odour: smell (usually bad)
  • neurobiologist: one who specializes in the biology of the nervous system

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Woman with Keen Sense of Smell Helps Parkinson’s Researchers

A woman who she can smell Parkinson’s disease before people develop has helped researchers develop an early detection test. Joy Milne began to notice an odd musky smell on her husband 12 years before he was with Parkinson’s disease. When she went to a support group for sufferers of Parkinson’s she found they all smelled the same. A neurobiologist worked with Milne to identify the odour and its . For the past three years, researchers have been working with Milne and her keen sense of smell to develop a test for early detection. Researchers hope Milne’s strong sense will also be in tuberculosis research.

Comprehension Questions

  1. According to researchers, what is Joy Milne’s unique ability?
  2. How did Milne become more aware of her ability?
  3. What are researchers hoping for in the future?

Discussion Questions

Do you think there are lots of people with a keen sense of smell who may be able to help in research fields? What is your strongest sense and how can/do you use it in a helpful or unique way?

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Written by Tara Benwell for EnglishClub
Tara Benwell is a Canadian freelance writer and editor who specializes in materials and articles for the ELT industry.

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EnglishClub > Listen to News > Woman with Keen Sense of Smell Helps Parkinson’s Researchers