36. 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.
37. 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
38. the author s attitude toward richard lamm s remark is one of .[ a ] strong disapproval [ b ] reserved consent [ c ] slight contempt [ d ] enthusiastic support
39. in contras to the us , japan and sweden are funding their medical care .[ a ] more flexibly [ b ] more extravagantly [ d ] more reasonably [ c ] more cautiously
40. the text intends to express the idea that .[ a ] medicine will further prolong peoples lives [ b ] life beyond a certain limit is not worth living[ c ] death should be accepted as a fact of life [ d ] excessive demands in
crease the cost of health care
it is said that in england death is pressing , in canada inevitable and in california optional . small wonder . americanslife 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 . 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 $1,540 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 infirmhave 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, viacom chairman sumner redstone jokingly claims to be 53.supreme court justice sandra day oconnor is in her 70s, and former surgeon general c . everett 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.
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 , have achieved longer , healthier lives than we have . as a nation , we may be overfunding the quest for unlikely cures while underfunding research on humbler therapies that could improve peoples lives.
answer dbaca
