potential-杂货铺
It is said that in England
death is pressing, in Canada inevitable
and in California optional .Small
wonder. Americans
’
life
expectancy
has nearly doubled over the
past century. Failing hips ...
It is
said that in England death is pressing, in Canada
inevitable
and in California optional
.Small wonder. Americans
’
life expectancy
has nearly doubled
over the past century. Failing hips can be
replaced, clinical depression
controlled, cataracts removed in a 30-
minute surgical procedure. Such
advances offer the aging population a
quality of life that was unimaginable
when I entered medicine 50
years ago.
But not even a great health-care system can cure
death
—
and our
failure to confront that reality now threatens
this greatness
of
ours
。
Death is
normal; we are genetically programmed to
disintegrate and
perish, even under
ideal conditions. We all understand that at some
level, yet as medical consumers we
treat death as a problem to be
solved.
Shielded by third-party payers from the cost of
our care, we
demand everything that
can possibly be done for us, even if it's
useless. The most obvious example is
late-stage cancer care.
Physicians
—
frustrated by their inability
to cure the disease and
fearing loss
of hope in the patient
—
too
often offer aggressive
treatment far
beyond what is scientifically
justified
。
In
1950, the U.S. spent
12.7 billion on
health care. In 2002, the
cost will be
1
540 billion. Anyone can see
this trend is
unsustainable. Yet few
seem willing to try to reverse it. Some
scholars conclude that a government
with finite resources should
simply
stop paying for medical care that sustains life
beyond a
certain
age
—
say 83 or so. Former
Colorado governor Richard Lamm has
been quoted as saying that the old and
infirm
“
have a duty to die
and get out of the way
”
so that younger, healthier
people can
realize their
potential
。
I
would not go that far. Energetic people now
routinely work
through their 60s and
beyond, and remain dazzlingly productive. At 78,
Viacom chairman Sumner Redstone
jokingly claims to be 53. Supreme
Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor is in
her 70s, and former surgeon
general C.
Everett Koop chairs an Internet start-up in his
leaders are living proof that
prevention works and that we can manage
the health problems that come naturally
with age. As a mere 68-year-
old, I
wish to age as productively as they
have
。
Yet
there are limits to what a society can spend in
this pursuit.
Ask a physician, I know
the most costly and dramatic measures may be
ineffective and painful. I also know
that people in Japan and Sweden, countries that
spend far less on medical care, have
achieved longer,
healthier lives than
we have. As a nation, we may be overfunding the
quest for unlikely cures while
underfunding research on humbler
therapies that could improve people's
lives
。
36.
What is implied in the first sentence?
[A] Americans are better prepared for
death than other people
。
[B] Americans enjoy a
higher life quality than ever
before
。
[C]
Americans are over-confident of their medical
technology
。
[D] Americans take a vain pride in their long life
expectancy
。
37. The author uses the example of cancer patients
to show that
[A] medical resources
are often wasted
。
[B] doctors are helpless against
fatal diseases
。
[C] some treatments are too
aggressive
。
[D] medical costs are becoming
unaffordable
。
38. The author's attitude to ward Richard Lamm's
remark is one of
[A] strong
disapproval
。
[B] reserved consent
。
[C] slight
contempt
。
[D]
enthusiastic support
。
39. In contras to the U.S. ,Japan and
Sweden are funding their
medical care
[A] more
flexibly
。
[B]
more extravagantly
。
[C] more
cautiously
。
[D] more reasonably
。
40.
The text intends to express the idea that
[A] medicine will further prolong
people's lives
。
[B] life beyond a certain limit is not worth
living
。
[C]
death should be accepted as a fact of
life
。
[D]
excessive demands increase the cost of health
care
。
名师解析
36. What
is implied in the first sentence?
第一句话暗示什么
[A]
Americans are better prepared for death than other
people
。
美国人对于死亡的准备超过其他人。
[B] Americans enjoy a higher life
quality than ever before
。
美国人比先前享受更高的生活质量。
[C] Americans are over-confident of
their medical technology
。
美国人对他们的医学技术过于自信。
[D] Americans take a vain pride in
their long life expectancy
。
美国人对于他们的长寿有一种虚荣的自豪感。
【答案】
C
【考点】
推断题。
【分析】
该题问的是篇首第一句的
含义。这句话说的是“据说
在英国死
亡是迫在眉睫的
在加拿大死亡是不可避免的
在加利福尼亚死亡是
可以选择
的。
”从这句话中
我们可以看出美国人自认为美国拥有先进医疗技术
死亡
< br>
是可以控制的。所以
[C]
项
是正确的。
[A]
项毫无道理
因为从文
章中可以看出
美国人还是害怕死亡的。
[B]
项是将美国人的现状与过去相比
与本句无关。
[D]
项说的是美国人对于他们的长寿有一种虚荣的自豪感
也是不正确的
因为分
析
第一段就发现
作者谈论的
或者说作者自己进行解释的是美国人对
医疗技
术的自信
所以
[D]
不正确。
37. The author uses the example of cancer patients
to show that
作者用癌症病人的例子来说明
[A] medical
resources are often wasted.
医疗资源常
常被浪费。
[B] doctors are helpless against
fatal diseases.
医生对于致命的疾