task 1
Just seven years ago, the Jarvik-7 artificial heart was being cheered as the model of human creativeness. The sight of Barney Clark-alive and conscious after trading his diseased heart for a metal-and-plastic pump-convinced the press, the public and many doctors that the future had arrived. It hadn’t. After monitoring production of the Jarvik-7, and reviewing its effects on the 150 or so patients (most of whom got the device as a temporary measure) the U.S. Food and Drug Administration concluded that the machine was doing more to endanger lives than to save them. Last week the agency cancelled its earlier approval, effectively banning (禁止) the device.
The recall may hurt Symbion Inc., maker of the Jarvik-7, but it won’t end the request for an artificial heart. One problem with the banned mode is that the tubes connecting it to an external power source createda passage for infection. Inventors are now working on new devices that would be fully placed, along with atiny power pack, in the patient’s chest. The first sample products aren’t expected for another 10 or 20 years. But some people are already worrying that they’ll work—and that America’s overextended health—care programs will lose a precious $2.5 billion to $5 billion a year providing them for a relatively few dying patients. If such expenditures (開支) cut into funding for more basic care, the net effect could actually be a decline in the nation’s health.
練習題：
Choose correct answers to the question:
1. According to the passage, the Jarvik-7 artificial heart proved to be _____.
A. a technical failure
B. a technical wonder
C. a good life-saver
D. an effective means to treat heart disease
2. From the passage we know that Symbion Inc. _____.
A. has been banned by the government from producing artificial hearts
B. will review the effects of artificial hearts before designing new models
C. may continue to work on new models of reliable artificial hearts
D. can make new models of artificial hearts available on the market in 10 to 20 years
3. The new models of artificial hearts are expected ______.
A. to have a working life of 10 or 20 years
B. to be set fully in the patient’s chest
C. to be equipped with an external power source
D. to create a new passage for infection
4. The word "them" in Line 7, Para. 2 refers to _____.
A. doctors who treat heart diseases
B. makers of artificial hearts
C. America’s health-care programs
D. New model of artificial hearts
5. Some people feel that ______.
A. artificial hearts are seldom effective
B. the country should not spend so much money on artificial hearts
C. the country is not spending enough money on artificial hearts
D. America’s health-care programs are not doing enough for the nation’s health
答案解析：
1.[A] 文章一開頭說Jarvik-7以前被認爲是一大技術成就，但文章第1段倒數第2句中提到,美國食品與藥品管理局得出結論,認爲這種儀器與其說是挽救生命,不如說是將生命置於更加危險的境地。由此可知Jarvik-7是一個技術失敗,故選A。
2.[C] 文章第2段第1句提到，要求生產人造心臟的Symbion公司召回其銷售的人造心臟，這對該公來說或許是一種損失，但這一禁令不會終結人們對人造心臟的需求。從這一句可推斷出應選C。原文只提到政府禁止Jarvik-7這種型號的.人造心臟，A把範圍擴大到了所有的人造心臟;B在原文中並未提及;D說的對象不是Symbion公司，也可排除。
3.[B] 文章中第2段第3句提到，這種新儀器可以完全置於患者的胸腔內，B與之相符，故選B。A在文中並未提及;C、D說的對象是Jarvik-7，故也排除。
4.[D] 從句子意思看，“向爲數不多的瀕危病人提供” 的顯然是上一句中的sample products，即可與電源組一併植於人體內的new devices，故選D。
5.[B] 第2段倒數第2句But some people are already worrying…這句話體現了有些人已經在擔心，爲爲數不多的垂危病人動用鉅額資金購置新型的人造心臟是否合算，而由該段最後一句可以看出作者認爲這樣的做法是不明智的，因此B是答案。