Over the past decade, drug-resistant (抗药性) diseases have appeared as a major health threat. But where do they develop the drug resistance? One surprising theory: they may have developed the resistance on farms, and not in hospitals.

The crop protection products farmers use to control many plant diseases are almost the same as the drugs doctors use to treat infections, including fungi (真菌). Fungi are continually mutating (变异), and with a life cycle measured in days or weeks, they mutate quickly. When a mutation produces resistance to a chemical–killing fungi, fungi will jump to any host that provides a welcoming environment, such as a human body. And if the treatment for the fungal infection involves a drug similar to the fungicide (杀菌剂) met on the farm, fungi may develop quickly in the human body—just as they did in the field.

An obvious solution is to use less fungicide in the field. Reducing fungicide use would not only slow the development of the drug resistance, but it would also help restore diversity to the fungal world. Fungicides are a must in the farming community. Plant diseases cause a major problem for farmers globally—in some crops, disease can reduce harvests by more than 70 percent—and failure to deal with the problem can mean financial ruin.

Just like fungi—or, indeed, any living thing—plants continually evolve(进化). This is how natural gene editing (基因编辑) works, and without it, we’d all still be single cells in a salty soup. Through natural selection, almost any plant will eventually produce resistance to fungi. But this can take centuries, so we don’t have the time to wait.

On the other hand, advances in genetics have given us an understanding of nature’s gene editing process in plants, helping us develop resistance to a disease. Gene editing techniques can then enable us to produce disease resistance－just as nature would do, if given enough time.

What is a hero? We may think of the fictional characters with supernatural powers or great people who can influence world events. Now, as the nation continues its all-out efforts to fight against the novel coronavirus pneumonia(COVID-19), medical staff have become heroes in the eyes of the public.

As of Feb 19, a total of 32,000 medical staff outside Hubei province have been working to treat patients around the center of the outbreak.

Zhang Dingyu, the president of Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital, is one of these heroes. Since the hospital received the first seven patients in December, Zhang has been so busy that he barely gets any sleep. Even suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (肌萎缩侧索硬化), the 56-year-old doctor is doing his best to quicken his pace to save precious time for infected patients. “I have to run, racing against time to save more patients from the deadly disease, because I don’t have much time left in my life,” Zhang told Xinhua News Agency.

With the duty of saving lives, many medical professionals like Zhang have been working long hours for days, despite their fear and worries.

Lu Jingjing from Wuhan Children’s Hospital also works at a temporary mobile hospital. She does not let her parents know that she is now working with novel coronavirus-infected patients.

When her parents ask for a video chat, Lu says she is working and lets her husband and children chat with them instead.

“It’s dangerous but we should win the battle with the virus as soon as possible, so that medical staff and patients can go back home,” she told China Daily.

US writer Khalil Gibran (1883-1931) once wrote, “Tenderness and kindness are not signs of weakness and despair, but the manifestations of strength and resolution.” It’s true for the medical workers.

Everyone has fear, especially when it comes to deadly diseases. But for medical staff, saving lives comes first and is enough for them to be brave and stay on the front. They may look like ordinary people in daily life, but in these extraordinary times, they are heroes.

A chronic illness(慢性病) is a long-lasting health condition. 【小题1】 . However, usually someone still has the potential danger even though he or she was properly treated. Living with a chronic illness can be challenging.

People who have just been diagnosed with（被诊断为）a chronic illness show different reactions. 【小题2】. Others feel sad or disappointed about their bodies, and even feel angry with themselves and those they love. These feelings are the first stage of the coping process.（应对过程）

【小题3】. As the saying goes, “Knowledge is power.” You may need to ask a doctor or nurse to repeat things to be sure that you understand everything. The more you find out about your condition, the more you feel in control and the less frightening it is.

The final stage of dealing with a chronic illness is taking it calmly. At this stage, people feel comfortable with their treatment. 【小题4】.

There’s no exact time limit in the coping process. 【小题5】. People living with chronic illnesses find that when they play an active role in taking care of their bodies, they grow to appreciate their strengths and to adapt to their weaknesses.