英汉翻译基础提升考研真题阅读每日一篇(28)(2013.4.3)

2003 T

ext 4

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. W

e

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 US spent $$12.7 billion on health care. In 2002, the cost will be $$1540 billion. Anyone can see

this trend is

unsustainable

. Y

et 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

sustain

s life beyond a certain age

—

say 83

or so. Former Colorado governor Richard Lamm has been quoted as saying that the old and

infirm

to die and get out of the way

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 t Koop chairs an Internet start-up

in his 80s. These 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.

Y

et there are limits to what a society can spend in this

pursuit

. As 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

humble

r

therapies

that could improve

people's lives.

56. 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

.

57. The author uses the example of caner 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

58. The author's attitude toward Richard Lamm's remark is one of ________.

[A] strong disapproval

[B] reserved consent

[C] slight contempt

[D] enthusiastic support

59. In contrast to the US, Japan and Sweden are funding their medical care ________.

[A] more flexibly

[B] more

extravagantly

[C] more cautiously

[D] more reasonably

60. 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

56.

[C]

本题的难度值为

，

中等难度

。

该题问的是篇首第一句的含义，考查的是考生对比较手法的理解能力。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，

我们不难看出美国人的骄傲和狂妄，

死亡是可以控制的。

< br>所以

C

项是正确的：

“

美国人对他们的医疗技术过分自信。

”

A

项毫无 道理，事实上，美国人比其他国家的人更害怕死亡，所以不惜投入许多金钱，期望医疗技

术能延缓他们的生命。

B

项是将美国人的现状与过去相比，与篇首的比较句没有关系。

D

项说的是美国人为他们的寿命长而感到骄傲，

也是没有理解原话的意思。

原句中用了

“optional”

一

词，不是说死亡会迟迟不来，而是说美国的医疗技术如此发达，人们可以选择什么时候死亡。借 助医疗

技术，人们可以想活多久就活多久。所以

D

项不正确。

这道小题属于中等难度的题目。

57.

[A]

< br>本题的难度值为

0.396

，

中 等难度

。区分度为

0.355

，比较理 想。

该 小题问的是癌症病人的例子说明了什么，考查的是考生对论证过程的理解。

在第二段中，作者举出晚期癌症患 者的例子，指出医生们为了不让患者丧失希望，往往采取一些过

激的，缺乏科学根据的治 疗方法。光看这一句，似乎

A

、

B

、

C

选项都正确。但是，结合文章来看（这

篇文章是为了说服人们勇敢地接受死亡这一自然规律）

，我们发 现它的作用是为了说明人们通常浪费了

医疗资源，过度地投入在回天无力的事情上。从这 道题中，我们可以学到，论据就是为了证明论点的，

文章中的任何一句话都不能孤立地去 理解。

而应该结合文章大意，

结合上下文去理解。

所以

A

选项是正

确的。

B

、

C

选项都没有 答到点子上。文中并没有提及

D

项内容，所以是错误的。

该题属中等难度的题目，区分度较好。

58.

[B]

本题的难度值为

0.255

，

偏难

。

该题考 查的是作者对于

Lamm

所说的话的态度。

Lamm

< br>所说的话也是作者引用的一个论据。

Lamm

认为老年人 有义务死亡，以免挡住（年轻人的）