Each year, road accidents kill a million people and injure millions more . The economic costs are greatest for developing countries . Earlier this year , the United Nations called for a campaign to improve road safety .

     One way to avoid accidents is better driving . Another is better roads and bridges . Engineers in the Unites States have designed ten new concrete mixtures that they think could make bridges last longer .

     Professor Paul Tikalsky leads the experiments by a team at Pennsylvania State University . He says bridges made of concrete now last about twenty-five to thirty-five years . But he says the new mixtures might extend that to seventy –five or even one-hundred years .

     Concrete is made of stone , sand , water and cement(水泥). The materials in the cement hold the concrete together . Ancient Romans built with concrete . Yet strengthened concrete bridges did not appear until the late 1800s . People keep looking for new ways to improve concrete . Professor Tikalsky says it is one of the most complex of all chemical systems .

     The new mixtures designed by his team contain industrial waste products . He says these make the concrete better able to resist damage from water and salt over time . One of the products is fly ash . This is released into the air as pollution when coal is burned .

     Professor Tikalsky says particles (颗粒)of fly ash are almost exactly the same size and chemical structure as Portland cement . This is the most costly material in concrete . So using fly ash to replace some of it would save money .

     The federal government is paying for part of the research . Engineers anywhere can use the technology . Professor Tikalsky says some of the ideas have already been put to use in China , the Philippines and other countries .

Why did the United Nations launch the campaign ?

  A. Because the United Nations wanted to reduce road accidents and economic costs

  B. Because two million people were killed in the accidents .

  C. Because engineers wanted to design ten new concrete mixtures .

  D. Because the United Nations made bridges of the new mixtures which could last for about 20 to 35

   years .

What does the underlined word “ this ” in the sixth paragraph refer to ?

  A. Fly ash      B. Portland cement      C. Sand       D. Chemical

Which of the following statements is TRUE ?

  A. Ten new concrete bridges have already been built in the United States .

  B. A new concrete bridge could last 50 more years than an ordinary concrete one .

  C. People didn’t know how to build with cement until the late 1800s .

  D. Water and salt won’t do any damage to bridges over time .

What does the passage mainly tell us ?

  A. The causes of road accidents .             B. The advantages of fly ash

  C. The measures of avoiding road accidents    D. Latest information about long-life concrete bridges

Each year, road accidents kill a million people and injure millions more . The economic costs are greatest for developing countries . Earlier this year , the United Nations called for a campaign to improve road safety .
One way to avoid accidents is better driving . Another is better roads and bridges . Engineers in the Unites States have designed ten new concrete mixtures that they think could make bridges last longer .
Professor Paul Tikalsky leads the experiments by a team at Pennsylvania State University . He says bridges made of concrete now last about twenty-five to thirty-five years . But he says the new mixtures might extend that to seventy –five or even one-hundred years .
Concrete is made of stone , sand , water and cement(水泥). The materials in the cement hold the concrete together . Ancient Romans built with concrete . Yet strengthened concrete bridges did not appear until the late 1800s . People keep looking for new ways to improve concrete . Professor Tikalsky says it is one of the most complex of all chemical systems .
The new mixtures designed by his team contain industrial waste products . He says these make the concrete better able to resist damage from water and salt over time . One of the products is fly ash . This is released into the air as pollution when coal is burned .
Professor Tikalsky says particles (颗粒)of fly ash are almost exactly the same size and chemical structure as Portland cement . This is the most costly material in concrete . So using fly ash to replace some of it would save money .
The federal government is paying for part of the research . Engineers anywhere can use the technology . Professor Tikalsky says some of the ideas have already been put to use in China , the Philippines and other countries .
【小题1】Why did the United Nations launch the campaign ?

Each year, road accidents kill a million people and injure millions more . The economic costs are greatest for developing countries . Earlier this year , the United Nations called for a campaign to improve road safety .

One way to avoid accidents is better driving . Another is better roads and bridges . Engineers in the Unites States have designed ten new concrete mixtures that they think could make bridges last longer .

Professor Paul Tikalsky leads the experiments by a team at Pennsylvania State University . He says bridges made of concrete now last about twenty-five to thirty-five years . But he says the new mixtures might extend that to seventy –five or even one-hundred years .

Concrete is made of stone , sand , water and cement(水泥). The materials in the cement hold the concrete together . Ancient Romans built with concrete . Yet strengthened concrete bridges did not appear until the late 1800s . People keep looking for new ways to improve concrete . Professor Tikalsky says it is one of the most complex of all chemical systems .

The new mixtures designed by his team contain industrial waste products . He says these make the concrete better able to resist damage from water and salt over time . One of the products is fly ash . This is released into the air as pollution when coal is burned .

Professor Tikalsky says particles (颗粒)of fly ash are almost exactly the same size and chemical structure as Portland cement . This is the most costly material in concrete . So using fly ash to replace some of it would save money .

The federal government is paying for part of the research . Engineers anywhere can use the technology . Professor Tikalsky says some of the ideas have already been put to use in China , the Philippines and other countries .

1.Why did the United Nations launch the campaign ?

years .

2.What does the underlined word “ this ” in the sixth paragraph refer to ?

3.Which of the following statements is TRUE ?

4.What does the passage mainly tell us ?

Each year, road accidents kill a million people and injure millions more . The economic costs are greatest for developing countries . Earlier this year , the United Nations called for a campaign to improve road safety .
One way to avoid accidents is better driving . Another is better roads and bridges . Engineers in the Unites States have designed ten new concrete mixtures that they think could make bridges last longer .
Professor Paul Tikalsky leads the experiments by a team at Pennsylvania State University . He says bridges made of concrete now last about twenty-five to thirty-five years . But he says the new mixtures might extend that to seventy –five or even one-hundred years .
Concrete is made of stone , sand , water and cement(水泥). The materials in the cement hold the concrete together . Ancient Romans built with concrete . Yet strengthened concrete bridges did not appear until the late 1800s . People keep looking for new ways to improve concrete . Professor Tikalsky says it is one of the most complex of all chemical systems .
The new mixtures designed by his team contain industrial waste products . He says these make the concrete better able to resist damage from water and salt over time . One of the products is fly ash . This is released into the air as pollution when coal is burned .
Professor Tikalsky says particles (颗粒)of fly ash are almost exactly the same size and chemical structure as Portland cement . This is the most costly material in concrete . So using fly ash to replace some of it would save money .
The federal government is paying for part of the research . Engineers anywhere can use the technology . Professor Tikalsky says some of the ideas have already been put to use in China , the Philippines and other countries .

1. 1.

   Why did the United Nations launch the campaign ?

   1. A.
      Because the United Nations wanted to reduce road accidents and economic costs
   2. B.
      Because two million people were killed in the accidents .
   3. C.
      Because engineers wanted to design ten new concrete mixtures .
   4. D.
      Because the United Nations made bridges of the new mixtures which could last for about 20 to 35 years .
2. 2.

   What does the underlined word “ this ” in the sixth paragraph refer to ?

   1. A.
      Fly ash
   2. B.
      Portland cement
   3. C.
      Sand
   4. D.
      Chemical
3. 3.

   Which of the following statements is TRUE ?

   1. A.
      Ten new concrete bridges have already been built in the United States .
   2. B.
      A new concrete bridge could last 50 more years than an ordinary concrete one .
   3. C.
      People didn’t know how to build with cement until the late 1800s .
   4. D.
      Water and salt won’t do any damage to bridges over time .
4. 4.

   What does the passage mainly tell us ?

   1. A.
      The causes of road accidents .
   2. B.
      The advantages of fly ash
   3. C.
      The measures of avoiding road accidents
   4. D.
      Latest information about long-life concrete bridges

Long Life Concrete Bridges

Each year, road accidents kill a million people and injure millions more．The economic costs are greatest for developing countries．

Earlier this year, the United Nations called for a campaign to improve road safety．

One way to avoid accidents is better driving．Another is better roads and bridges．Engineers in the United States have designed ten new concrete(混凝土) mixtures that they think could make bridges last longer．

Professor Paul Tikalsky leads the experiments by a team at Pennsylvania State University．He says bridges made of concrete now last about twenty-five to thirty-five years．But he says the new mixtures might extend that to seventy-five or even one hundred years．

Concrete is made of stone, sand, water and cement(水泥)．The materials in the cement hold the concrete together．Ancient Romans built with concrete．Yet strengthened concrete bridges did not appear until the late eighteen-hundreds．People keep looking for new ways to improve concrete．Professor Tikalsky says it is one of the most complex of all chemical systems．

The new mixtures designed by his team contain industrial waste products．He says these make the concrete better be able to resist damage from water and salt over time．One of the products is fly ash．This is released into the air as pollution when coal is burned．

Professor Tikalsky says particles(颗粒) of fly ash are almost exactly the same size and chemical structure as Portland cement．This is the most costly material in concrete． So using fly ash to replace some of it would save money．

Over the next two years, engineers will study ten bridges in Pennsylvania．These were built from the different cement mixtures designed by Professor Tikalsky’s team．He says longer-lasting bridges could save the state more than thirty-five-million dollars a year．And he says the materials would be environmentally friendly．

The federal government is paying for part of the research．Engineers anywhere can use the technology．Professor Tikalsky says some of the ideas have already been put to use in China, the Philippines and other countries．

1．What does the underlined word“This”in the seventh paragraph mean?

    A．Fly ash．         B．Portland cement．     C．Sand．       D．Chemical．

2．What is the main idea of the passage?

    A．The causes of road accidents．           

B．The advantages about fly ash．

    C．The measures of avoiding road accidents．  

D．Latest information about long-life concrete bridges．

3．What can you conclude from the passage?

    A．Engineers have to pay a lot of money to use the new bridge technology．

    B．Pennsylvania State University is paying all the money for the research．

    C．Bridges built with fly ash are cheaper than common bridges．

    D．Fly ash is much expensive than Portland cement．

4．Which of the following statements is TRUE?

    A．Ten new concrete bridges have already been built in the United States．

    B．A new concrete bridge could last 50 more years than an ordinary concrete one．

    C．People didn’t know how to build with cement until the late 1880s．

    D．Water and salt won’t do any damage to bridges over time．

Scientists in India have invented a new way to produce electricity. Their invention does not get its power from oil, coal or other fuels. It produces electricity with the power of animals. India has about eighty million bullocks. They do all kinds of jobs. They work in the fields. They pull vehicles through the streets. They carry water containers. Indian energy officials have been seeking ways to use less imported oil to provide energy. Scientists at the National Institute for Industrial Engineering in Bombay wondered whether the millions of bullocks could help. Many villages in India lack electricity, but they have many bullocks. And often the animals are not working. One job done by bullocks is to pump water out of the well. The animals do this by walking around and around in a circle. As they walk, they turn a heavy stick that makes the pump move. This simple technology is centuries old. Scientists thought that the same technology could be used to produce electricity. Bullocks walk in a circle only two or three times a minute. This is much too slow to produce electricity, but it can create enough power to turn a series of gears（齿轮）. A large gear sits next to a smaller gear. As the large gear turns, it causes the smaller gear to turn. That gear turns an even smaller one. Each gear moves faster because it is a little smaller. The smallest gear may turn extremely fast. Clocks operate with gears. So do cars and so does the device invented by the Indian scientists to produce electricity.

       According to the officials in the United Nations, the idea is being tested at several places in India. The device is easy to operate and repair. And it can be moved easily. It costs about three hundred and seven dollars now to make such a device, but production of large numbers of them could cut the cost of each to about two hundred dollars.

1．Who first thought of using bullocks to provide energy?

     A．Indian energy officials.                   B．Scientists in India.

     C．Officials in the United Nations.             D．Researchers in Europe.

2．The jobs that bullocks do in India are mentioned in the passage except         .

     A．pulling vehicles                                    B．harvesting crops

     C．pumping water out of wells                  D．carrying food baskets

3．In the sentence “This simple technology is centuries old” in Paragraph One, “This simple technology” refers to_____.

     A．using bullocks to produce energy

     B．using pumps to draw water out

     C．having bullocks walk around to make the pump move

     D．connecting gears of different sizes to produce electricity

4．Which of the following can NOT be inferred from the passage?

     A．Once widely used, this device can help reduce the use of oil to provide energy.

     B．Indian government has decided to put the idea into practice at once.

     C．This idea will make progress as it is environment-friendly to the people.

     D．This device is designed in the way as clocks work with gears working on each other.

5．What is the U. N. officials’ attitude towards the idea?

       A．Approving.          B．Doubtful.        C．Negative.      D．Passive.

阅读理解

　　One of the greatest killers in the Western world is heart disease. The death rate from the disease has been increasing at an alarming speed for the past thirty years. Today in Britain, for example, about four hundred people a day die of heart disease. Medical experts know that people can reduce their chances of getting heart disease by exercising reducing stress in their work.

　　However, Western health-care systems are still not paying enough attention to the prevention of the disease. There is a need for more programs to educate the public about the causes and prevention of heart disease. Instead of supporting such programs, however, the U. S. health-care system is spending large sums of money on the surgical(外科的) treatment of the disease after it develops. This emphasis on the treatment clearly has something to do with the technological advances that have taken place in the past ten to fifteen years. In this time, modern technology has enabled doctors to develop new surgical techniques. Many operations that were considered impossible or too risky a few years ago are now performed every day in U. S. hospitals. The result has been a huge increase in heart surgery.

　　Although there is no doubt that heart surgery can help a large number of people, some people point out that the emphasis on the surgical treatment of the disease has three clear disadvantages: First, it attracts interest and money away from the question of prevention. Second, it causes the costs of general care to rise. After hospitals buy the expensive equipment that is necessary for modern heart surgery, they must try to recover the money they have spent. To do this, they raise for all their patients, not just those patients whose treatment requires the equipment. The third disadvantage is that doctors are encouraged to perform surgery even on patients for whom an operation is unnecessary because the equipment and expert skills are there. A government office recently stated that major heart surgery was often performed even though its chances of success were low. In one type of heart surgery, for example, only 15 percent of patients improved their conditions after the surgery. However, more than 100000 of these operations are performed in the United States every year.

1．What effect has modern technology had on medicine?

[　　]

A．It has reduced the costs of medical treatment.

B．It has helped save the lives of most patients.

C．It has encouraged doctors to do more heart surgery.

D．It has helped educate people about the prevention of heart disease.

2．The underlined part “To do this”(in Paragraph 3) refers to ________.

[　　]

A．to help patients recover

B．to increase the number of heart surgery

C．to get back the money spent on the equipment

D．to buy new equipment for the treatment of heart disease

3．The author would agree that ________.

[　　]

A．more money should be spent on the prevention of heart disease

B．heart surgery has helped most patients improve their conditions

C．modern technology has made heart surgery more risky than before

D．the public have known a great deal about the causes of heart disease

4．What would be the best title for the passage?

[　　]

A．The Greatest Killer in the West

B．Heart Disease: Treat or Prevent?

C．Modern Technology and Heart Surgery

D．Heart Surgery: Advantages and Disadvantages

Better urban life
For many young people, the dream of a lifetime is to travel the world, explore different cultures and landscapes, taste new foods and flavors(口味), and listen to the distinctive sounds of international music and languages. Unfortunately, 1 young people have the money or freedom to make this dream come true. 2 if you can’t go out into the world, surely 3 best is to let the world come to you. And this year’s Shanghai World Expo is exactly 4 that’s happening.
From May 1 to October 31, there will be 194 5 and 50 international organizations on display at the 5-square-km Expo site. Seventy million domestic and international visitors are 6 to visit it by the end October. So, if you can go, you’11 be 7 by people with a wide range of backgrounds, nations, and cultures. You may find that you can learn 8 much from striking up a conversation with a 9 as you can at an exhibition or performance.
The Expo’s theme(主题) is “Better City, Better Life”. The United Nations estimates(估计) that, this year, 55 percent of the people will live in city 10. This causes a dilemma for the world’s 11: How can they accommodate such a large number of people in a 12way? Can they remain places of natural beauty and cultural importance? Young people will have the opportunity to take part in forums to discuss themes 13 new technology, green energy and conservation etc.
A trip to the Expo is guaranteed to be much less 14 than a trip around the world. Still, the costs can 15. However, young people can save money by purchasing group or student tickets, which may be available at 16 rates. Many of the participating pavilions(参展场馆) offer free sample and treats for the visitors. 17 handing out free chocolates, the Belgian pavilion will 18 a free diamond each week to a visitor who can answer questions related to Belgium.
If you’re planning to head to the Shanghai Expo between May and October, don’t forget to 19 a camera, a notebook, and an open mind. For nearly 6 months, representatives of the world are coming together to 20 their best and latest ideas for the future. It’s certain to be a memorable experience.

1. 1.
   1. A.
      some
   2. B.
      many
   3. C.
      few
   4. D.
      several
2. 2.
   1. A.
      For
   2. B.
      But
   3. C.
      However
   4. D.
      Still
3. 3.
   1. A.
      first
   2. B.
      second
   3. C.
      far
   4. D.
      rather
4. 4.
   1. A.
      where
   2. B.
      how
   3. C.
      why
   4. D.
      when
5. 5.
   1. A.
      places
   2. B.
      governments
   3. C.
      cities
   4. D.
      countries
6. 6.
   1. A.
      determined
   2. B.
      devoted
   3. C.
      expected
   4. D.
      wanted
7. 7.
   1. A.
      interviewed
   2. B.
      surrounded
   3. C.
      met
   4. D.
      bothered
8. 8.
   1. A.
      as
   2. B.
      so
   3. C.
      that
   4. D.
      too
9. 9.
   1. A.
      Chinese
   2. B.
      foreigner
   3. C.
      stranger
   4. D.
      friend
10. 10.
    1. A.
       settings
    2. B.
       chambers
    3. C.
       areas
    4. D.
       services
11. 11.
    1. A.
       organizations
    2. B.
       counties
    3. C.
       areas
    4. D.
       cities
12. 12.
    1. A.
       correct
    2. B.
       considerable
    3. C.
       continuous
    4. D.
       significant
13. 13.
    1. A.
       like
    2. B.
       as
    3. C.
       with
    4. D.
       in
14. 14.
    1. A.
       cheap
    2. B.
       expensive
    3. C.
       high
    4. D.
       low
15. 15.
    1. A.
       get up
    2. B.
       stay up
    3. C.
       add up
    4. D.
       turn up
16. 16.
    1. A.
       reduced
    2. B.
       varied
    3. C.
       listed
    4. D.
       announced
17. 17.
    1. A.
       Except for
    2. B.
       regardless of
    3. C.
       In addition to
    4. D.
       Instead of
18. 18.
    1. A.
       set out
    2. B.
       give away
    3. C.
       put away
    4. D.
       give off
19. 19.
    1. A.
       bring
    2. B.
       carry
    3. C.
       fetch
    4. D.
       take
20. 20.
    1. A.
       learn
    2. B.
       study
    3. C.
       share
    4. D.
       absorb

One of the greatest killers in the Western world is heart disease, The death rate (率) from the disease has been increasing at an alarming speed for the past thirty years. Today in Britain, for example, about four hundred people a day die of heart disease. Medical experts know that people can reduce their chances of getting heart disease by exercising regularly, by not smoking, by changing their diets, and by paying more attention to reducing stress(压力)in their work.

However, Western health-care systems are still not paying enough attention to the prevention of the disease. There is a need for more programs to educate the public about the causes and prevention of heart disease. Instead of supporting such programs, however, the U. S. health-care system is spending large sums of money on the surgical (外科的) treatment of the disease after it develops. This emphasis(强调)on treatment clearly has something to do with the technological advances that have taken place in the past ten to fifteen years. In this time, modern technology has enabled doctors to develop new surgical techniques. Many operations that were considered impossible of too risky(有风险的)a few years ago are now performed every day in U. S. hospitals. The result has been a huge increase in heart surgery.

Although there is no doubt that heart surgery can help a large number of people, some people point out that the emphasis on the surgical treatment of the disease has three clear disadvantages. First, it attracts interest and money away from the question of prevention. Second, it causes the costs of general hospital care to rice. After hospitals buy the expensive equipment that is necessary for modern heart surgery, they must try to recover the money they have spent. To do this, they raise costs for all their patients, not just those patients whose treatment requires the equipment. The third patients, not just those patients whose treatment requires the equipment. The third disadvantage is that doctors are encouraged to perform surgery-even on patients for whom an operation is unnecessary-because the equipment and expert skills are there. A government office recently stated that major heart surgery, for example, only 15 percent of patients improved their conditions after the surgery. However, more than 100,000 of these operations are performed in the United States every year.

1. What effect has modern technology had on medicine?

A. It has reduced the costs of medical treatment.

B. It has helped save the lives of most patients.

C. It has encouraged doctors to do more heart surgeries.

D.  It has helped educate people about the prevention of heart disease.

2. “To do this”(in Paragraph 3) means_______.

A. to help patients recover

B. to increase the number of heart surgeries

C. to get back the money spent on the equipment

D. to buy new equipment for the treatment of heart disease

3. The author would agree that ________.

A. more money should be spent on the prevention of heart disease

B. heart surgery has helped most patients improve their conditions

C. modern technology has made heart surgery more risky than before

D. the public have known a great deal about the causes of heart disease

4. What would be the best title for the passage?

A. The Greatest Killer in the West

B. Heart Disease: Treat or Prevent

C. Modern Technology and Heart Surgery

D. Heart Surgery: Advantages and Disadvantages

阅读理解

　　One of the greatest killers in the Western world is heart disease. The death rate(率) from the disease has been increasing at an alarming speed for the past thirty years. Today in Britain, for example, about four hundred people a day die of heart disease. Medical experts know that people can reduce their chances of getting heart disease by exercising regularly, by not smoking, by changing their diets, and by paying more attention to reducing stress(压力) in their work.

　　However, Western health－care systems are still not paying enough attention to the prevention of the disease. There is a need for more programs to educate the public about the causes and prevention of heart disease. Instead of supporting such programs, however, the US healthcase system is spending large sums of money on the surgical(外科的) treatment of the disease after it develops. This emphasis(强调) on treatment clearly has something to do with the technological advances that have taken place in the past ten to fifteen years. In this time, modern technology has enabled doctors to develop new surgical techniques. Many operations that were considered impossible or too risky(有风险的) a few years ago are now performed every day in US hospitals. The result has been a huge increase in heart surgery.

　　Although there is no doubt that heart surgery can help a large number of people, some people point out that the emphasis on the surgical treatment of the disease has three clear disadvantages. First, it attracts interest and money away from the question of prevention. Second, it causes the costs of general hospital care to rise. After hospitals buy the expensive equipment that is necessary for modern heart surgery, they must try to recover the money they have spent. To do this, they raise costs for all their patients, not just those patients whose treatment requires the equipment. The third disadvantage is that doctors are encouraged to perform surgery－even on patients for whom an operation is unnecessary－because the equipment and expert skills are there. A government office recently stated that major heart surgery was often performed even though its chances of success were low. In one type of heart surgery, for example, only 15 percent of patients improved their conditions after the surgery. However, more than 100,000 of these operations are performed in the United States every year.

1．What effect has modern technology had on medicine?

[　　]

A．It has reduced the costs of medical treatment.

B．It has helped save the lives of most patients.

C．It has encouraged doctors to do more heart surgeries.

D．It has helped educate people about the prevention of heart disease.

2．“To do this” (in Paragraph 3) means ________.

[　　]

A．to help patients recover

B．to increase the number of heart surgeries

C．to get back the money spent on the equipment

D．to buy new equipment for the treatment of heart disease

3．The author would agree that ________.

[　　]

A．more money should be spent on the prevention of heart disease

B．heart surgery has helped most patients improve their conditions

C．modern technology has made heart surgery more risky than before

D．the public have known a great deal about the causes of heart disease

4．What would be the best title for the passage?

[　　]

A．The Greatest Killer in the West

B．Heart Disease, Treat or Prevent

C．Modern Technology and Heart Surgery

D．Heart Surgery; Advantages and Disadvantages

阅读理解

　　One of the greatest killers in the Western world is heart disease. The death rate (率) from the disease has been increasing at a surprising speed for the past thirty years. Today in Britain, for example, about four hundred people a day die of heart disease. Medical experts know that people can reduce their chances of getting heart disease by exercising regularly, by not smoking, by changing their diets, and by paying more attention to reducing stress (压力) in their work.

　　However, Western health-care systems are still not paying enough attention to the prevention of the disease. There is a need for more programs to educate the public about the causes and prevention of heart disease. Instead of supporting such programs, however, the U. S. health-care system is spending large sums of money on the surgical (外科的) treatment of the disease after it develops. This emphasis (强调) on treatment clearly has something to do with the technological advances that have taken place in the past ten to fifteen years. In this time, modern technology has enabled doctors to develop new surgical techniques (技术). Many operations that were considered impossible or too risky (有风险的) a few years ago are now performed every day in U. S. hospitals. The result has been a huge increase in heart surgery.

　　Although there is no doubt that heart surgery can help a large number of people, some people point out that the emphasis on the surgical treatment of the disease has three clear disadvantages. First, it attracts interest and money away from the question of prevention. Second, it causes the costs of general hospital care to rise. After hospitals buy the expensive equipment that is necessary for modern heart surgery, they must try to recover the money they have spent. To do this, they raise costs for all their patients, not just those patients whose treatment requires the equipment. The third disadvantage is that doctors are encouraged to perform surgery－even on patients for whom an operation is unnecessary－because the equipment and expert skills are there. A government office recently stated that major heart surgery, for example, only 15 percent of patients improved their conditions after the surgery. However, more than 100000 of these operations are performed in the United States every year.

1．What effect has modern technology had on medicine?

[　　]

A．It has reduced the costs of medical treatment.

B．It has helped save the lives of most patients.

C．It has encouraged doctors to do more heart surgeries.

D．It has helped educate people about the prevention of heart disease.

2．“To do this” (in Paragraph 3 ) means ________.

[　　]

A．to help patients recover

B．to increase the number of heart surgeries

C．to get back the money spent on the equipment

D．to buy new equipment for the treatment of heart disease

3．The author would agree that ________.

[　　]

A．more money should be spent on the prevention of heart disease

B．heart surgery has helped most patients improve their conditions

C．modern technology has made heart surgery more risky than before

D．the public have known a great deal about the causes of heart disease

4．What would be the best title for the passage?

[　　]

A．The Greatest Killer in the West

B．Heart Disease: Treat or Prevent

C．Modern Technology and Heart Surgery

D．Heart Surgery: Advantages and Disadvantages

　　One of the greatest killers in the Western world is heart disease．The death rate (率) from the disease has been increasing at an alarming speed for the past thirty years．Today in Britain, for example, about four hundred people a day die of heart disease．Medical experts know that people can reduce their chances of getting heart disease by exercising regularly, by not smoking, by changing their diets, and by paying more attention to reducing stress in their work．

　　However, western health-care systems are still not paying enough attention to the prevention of the disease．There is a need for more programs to educate the public about the causes and prevention of heart disease．Instead of supporting such programs, however, the U．S．health-care system is spending large sums of money on the surgical (外科的)) treatment of the disease after it develops．This emphasis on treatment clearly has something to do with the technological advances that have taken place in the past ten to fifteen years．In this time, modern technology has enabled doctors to develop new surgical techniques．Many operations that were considered impossible or too risky (有风险的) a few years ago are now performed every day in U．S．hospitals．The result has been a huge increase in heart surgery．

　　Although there is no doubt that heart surgery can help a large number of people, some people point out that the emphasis on the surgical treatment of the disease has three clear disadvantages．First, it attracts interest and money away from the question of prevention．Second, it causes the costs of general hospital care to rise．After hospitals buy the expensive equipment that is necessary for modern heart surgery, they must try to recover the money they have spent．To do this, they raise costs for all their patients, not just those patients whose treatment requires the equipment．The third disadvantage is that doctors are encouraged to perform surgery even on patients for whom an operation is unnecessary because the equipment and expert skills are there．A government office recently stated that major heart surgery was often performed even though its chances of success were low．In one type of heart surgery, for example, only 15 percent of patients improved their conditions after the surgery．However, more than 100,000 of these operations are performed in the United States every year．

1．What effect has modern technology had on medicine?

[　　]

A．It has reduced the costs of medical treatment．

B．It has helped save the lives of most patients．

C．It has encouraged doctors to do more heart surgeries．

D．It has helped educate people about the prevention of heart disease．

2．“To do this” in Paragraph 3 means________．

[　　]

A．to help patients recover

B．to increase the number of heart surgeries

C．to get back the money spent on the equipment

D．to buy new equipment for the treatment of heart disease

3．The author would agree that________．

[　　]

A．more money should be spent on the prevention of heart disease

B．heart surgery has helped most patients improve their conditions

C．modern technology has made heart surgery more risky than before

D．the public have known a great deal about the causes of heart disease

4．What would be the best title for the passage?

[　　]

A．The Greatest Killer in the West

B．Heart Disease: Treat or Prevent

C．Modern Technology and Heart Surgery

D．Heart Surgery: Advantages and Disadvantages