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.

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

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

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.

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

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.

It is implied that American doctors often______.

A．trade their professionalism for financial benefits

B．fail to recognize the paying power of the patients

C．discuss about how to make money during the surgery

D．give the patients expensive but needless treatments

Although the speaker was a well-known personality, his speech was poorly______. raised delivered lectured preached

Would you please bring me some______catalogues? These are too old. modern fashionable up-to-date out-of-date

He was busy writing the essay all the morning, only______occasionally to have a cup of tea. breaking off breaking out breaking breaking away

Bill had been looking for his gloves for quite a while, which______eventually under a cushion. turned up turned on turned down turned over

On hearing the news that her father died of a car accident, she______tears. burst out burst in burst into burst forth

He swallows his words so much that I can never______what he is saying. make out put up deal with take up

If you______your influence, they may change their decision. compel exert expose vary

He______the job because it involved too much traveling. took up applied for turned down switched to

The media’ s______in the presidents private life switched the attention away from the real issues. capacity concentration focus involvement

In today’ s rapidly changing economy, opportunities______for those who are motivated and dedicated to achieving their career goals. abound refrain transcend uphold

To absorb a younger work force, many companies offered retirement plans as incentives for older workers to retire and make way for the younger ones who earned lower salaries. rewards opportunities motives stimuli

The pressure on her from her family caused her to resort to the drastic measures. turn to keep to stick to lead to

I shall never forget the look of intense anguish on the face of his parents when they heard the news. stress dilemma misery surprise

The police tried in vain to break up the protest crowds in front of the government building. unskillfully violently ineffectively eventually

Hague was elected as the Conservative Party leader partly because of his ambiguous views on Britain’ s position in relation to its partners in the European Union. ambitious obscure appalling indifferent

All information reported to or likewise obtained by the commission is considered confidential. in a similar way in another way in a direct way in an unauthorized way

In spite of a problem with the faulty equipment, some very useful work was accomplished. imperfect temporary emergency reinstalled

Talks on climate change resumed in the German city of Bonn on July 16 to combat global warming. focus on settle down fight against sum up

Four years ago, quitting the artistic director of American Ballet Theatre, Baryshnikov found the White Oak Dance Project. have quit as was founding having quit as had founded being quit as founded having quit as founded

The well-known Garub Site, unearthed in 1997, shows that man had made living there as early as 5, 000 years ago. human had lived humans had lived human being lived human beings lived

In the U. S. patients can expect, in medical treatment, ______.

The word “specialization“ underlined in Paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to______.

Doctors and hospitals try hard to avoid making mistakes because______.

The phase “in a mess“ underlined in Paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to______.

What do most Americans think about health care in the U. S. ?

The phase “left out“ underlined in Paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to______.

From Paragraph 3 we know that______from the public health system.

According to the author, what is the key factor in the rise of health cost in the U. S. ?

The word “they“ underlined in Paragraph 5 refers to______.

It is implied that American doctors often______.