[读《从字词学习抵达阅读理解》一文有感]在周一贯先生主编的《小学语文文体教学大观》一书中，我读到了莫国夫的一篇文章，心中颇受触动。文中指出： 小学阅读教学承担着识字学词的功能，同时这又是一个双向互动的过程，即识...+阅读

TEXT 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 geically 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 US spent ＄12.7 billion on health care. In 2002, the cost will be ＄1540 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 "he 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, Via 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 Inter start up in his 80s.These leaders are living proof that prevention works and that we can manage the health problems that e naturally with age.As a mere 68year-old, I wish to age as productively as they he.

Yet 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, he achieved longer, healthier lives than we he.As a nation, we may be overfunding the quest for unlikely cures while underfunding research on humbler 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 cancer patients to show that .

［A］ medical resources are often wasted考试大(．Examda。

)

［B］ doctors are helpless against fatal diseases

［C］ some treatments are too aggressive

［D］ medical costs are being 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 extragantly

［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

achieve12 v.①完成，实现；②达到，达成，获得

aggressive5 a.①侵略的，好斗的；②大胆的，积极的

attitude14 n.①（to，towards）态度，看法；②姿势

author69 n.①作者；②创始人

billion11 num./n.［美］十亿，［英］万亿

cancer11 n.癌

chair4 n.①椅子；②主席（职位）；vt.主持，担任

claim12 v.①要求；②声称，主张；③索赔；n.①要求；②主张，断言；③索赔；④权利，要求权，所有权

conclude5 v.①结束，终结；②断定，下结论；③缔结，议定

confident3 a.（of，in）确信的，自信的

confront3 v.①使面临，使遭遇；②面对（危险等）

consent3 v./n.（to）同意，赞成，答应

contempt4 n.轻蔑，藐视

contrast5 v.对比，对照；n.对比，对照，差异

court10 n.①法院，法庭；②宫廷，朝廷；③院子；④球场

doctor12 n.①博士；②医生；v.伪造，篡改

dramatic4 a.①戏剧的，戏剧性的；②剧烈的，激进的；③显著的，引人注目的

energetic2 a.有力的，精力旺盛的

enthusiastic2 a.热情的，热心的

excessive3 a.过多的，过分的

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