泽熙美文Ⅰ Reading Comprehension
Most people would be impressed by the high quality of medicine available to most Americans. There is a lot of specialization, a great deal of attention to the individual, a vast amount of advanced technical equipment, and intense effort not to make mistakes because of the financial risk which doctors and hospitals must face in the courts if they handle things badly.
But the Americans are in a mess. The problem is the way in which health care is organized and financed. Contrary to public belief, it is not just a free competition system. To the private system has been joined a large public system, because private care was simply not looking after the less fortunate and the elderly.
But even with this huge public part of the system, which this year will eat up 84. 5 billion dollars—more than 10 percent of the U.S. budget—large numbers of Americans are left out. These include about half the 11 million unemployed and those who fail to meet the strict limits on income fixed by a government trying to make savings where it can.
The basic problem, however, is that there is no central control over the health system. There is no limit to what doctors and hospitals charge for their services, other than what the public is able to pay. The number of doctors has shot up and prices have climbed. When faced with toothache, a sick child, or a heart attack, all the unfortunate person concerned can do is pay up.
Two-thirds of the population are covered by medical insurance. Doctors charge as much as they want knowing that the insurance company will pay the bill.
The medical profession has as a result become America’s new big businessmen. The average income of doctors has now reached $ 100,000 a year. With such vast incomes the talk in the doctor’s surgery is as likely to be about the doctor’s latest financial deal, as about whether the minor operation he is recommending at, several thousand dollars is entirely necessary.
The rising cost of medicine in the U. S.A. is among the most worrying problem facing the country. In 1981 the country’s health cost climbed 15.9 percent—about twice as fast as prices in general.
1. In the U. S. patients can expect, in medical treatment, ______.
A.occasional mistakes by careless doctors
B.a great deal of personal attention
C.low charge by doctors and hospitals
D.slacking nurses and bad services
正确答案：B
[解析] 根据文中第一段的内容“There is a lot of specialization, a great deal of attention to the individual, a vast amount of advanced technical equipment”可知，B项“a great deal of personal attention很多个人护理”符合题意。A项“粗心医生偶然的错误”，第一段提到医院有专业化的团队，为避免错误不遗余力，所以A项说法不正确；C项“医生和医院的低收费”，文中提到大部分医疗费用由保险公司支付，所以医院收费很高，由此C项错误；D项“松散的护士和劣质的服务”，第一段说病人能得到医院高质量的关怀，所以说服务劣质也不符合文意，所以这三项都排除。
2. The word “specialization” underlined in Paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to ______.
A.restriction
B.class
C.standard
D.norm
正确答案：A
[解析] 根据文中第一段的内容“There is a lot of specialization”可知，有很多限制。选项中的A项为“限定，限制”符合文意。B项“等级”，C项“标准”，D项“准则”，这三项均不符合题意。
3. Doctors and hospitals try hard to avoid making mistakes because ______.
A.they fear to be sued by the patients
B.they care much about their reputation
C.they compete for getting more patients
D.they wish to join the private medical system
正确答案：A
[解析] 根据文中第一段的内容“and intense effort not to make mistakes because of the financial risk which doctors and hospitals must face in the coups if they handle things badly.”可知，一旦医生和医院处理事情不当，他们将在法庭上面临财务风险，所以A项“他们害怕被病人控告”符合题意。B项“他们很在意他们的名誉”，C项“他们竞争得到更多的病人”，D项“他们想加入私人医疗体系”，这三项和第一段内容不符合。
4. The phase” in a mess” underlined in Paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to ______.
A.in disorder
B.untidy
C.unclean
D.chaotic
正确答案：A
[解析] 根据文中第二段的内容“But the Americans are in a mess”可知，但在美国一片混乱。选项中的A项为“无秩序的，混乱的”符合文意。B项“不整洁的”，C项“不干净的”，D项“混沌的”，这三项均不符合题意。
5. What do Most Americans think about health care in the U. S.?
A.It must be in total chaos.
B.It must be a free competition system.
C.It should cover the unemployed.
D.It should involve private care.
正确答案：B
[解析] 根据文中第二段的内容“Contrary to public belief, it is not just a free competition system.和公众的信念相反，美国的医疗体系不是一个公平竞争的体系”可知，公众认为它是一个自由竞争体系，所以B项符合题意。A项“它一定处在一片混乱中”，C项“它应该覆盖失业人员”，D项“它应该包含私人护理”，这三项和文中第二段内容不符合。
6. The phase “left out” underlined in Paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to ______.
A.ignore
B.consider
C.eliminate
D.debar
正确答案：A
[解析] 根据文中第三段的内容“large numbers of Americans are left out”可知，大部分美国人被忽视了。选项中的A项为“忽视，忽略”符合文意。B项“考虑”，C项“排除，消除”，D项“防止，禁止”，这三项均不符合题意。
7. From Paragraph 3 we know that ______ from the public health system.
A.millions of jobless people get support
B.those with steady income do not seek help
C.some people are made ineligible to benefit
D.those with private health care are excluded
正确答案：C
[解析] 根据文中第三段的内容“These include about half the 11 million unemployed and those who fail to meet the strict limits on income fixed by a government trying to make savings where it can.”可知，在美国一些失业人员和那些拥有政府的固定的收入，严格讲不符合规定，试图通过此方式储蓄的那部分人仍然得不到医疗体系的帮助，所以C项符合题意。A项“成千上万的失业人员从公共医疗体系得到帮助”，这和文中内容相反；B项“有稳定收入的人不从公共医疗体系寻求帮助”，D项“有私人医疗保险的人被排除在外”，B、D和文中第三段内容不符合。
8. According to the author, what is the key factor in the rise of health cost in the U. S.?
A.The refusal of insurance companies to pay the bills.
B.The increase of the number of doctors and hospitals.
C.The lack of government control over the medical prices.
D.The merger of private health care with the public system.
正确答案：C
[解析] 根据文中第四段的内容“The basic problem, however, is that there is no central control over the health system. There is no limit to what doctors and hospitals charge for their services, other than what the public is able to pay.可知，医生和医院收费高，是因为政府控制不到位，所以C项“对医疗价格政府缺乏控制”符合题意。A项“保险公司拒付医疗账单”，B项“医生和医院数量的增加”，D项“私人医疗体系和公共医疗体系的合并”，这三项和第四段内容不符合，不是医院收费高的根本原因。
9. The word “they” underlined in Paragraph 5 refers to ______.
A.doctors
B.money
C.population
D.patients
正确答案：A
[解析] 根据文中第五段的内容“Doctors charge as much as they want knowing that the insurance company will pay the bill”可知，医生根据他们想要的尽量多收费，因为他们知道保险公司会支付的。由此可知，they代
