1 . Shortages of flu vaccine are nothing new in America, but this year’s is a whopper. Until last week, it appeared that 100 million Americans would have access to flu shots this fall. Then British authorities, concerned about quality-control problems at a production plant in Liverpool, bailed all further shipments by the Chiron Corp. Overnight, the U.S. vaccine supply dwindled by nearly half and federal health officials found themselves making an unusual appeal. Instead of pleading with us all to get vaccinated, they’re now urging most healthy people between the ages of 2 and 64 not to. “This re-emphasizes the fragility of our vaccine supply,” says Dr. Martin Myers of the National Network for Immunization Information, “and the lack of redundancy in our system.”
Why is such a basic health service so easily knocked out? Mainly because private companies have had little incentive to pursue it. To create a single dose of flu vaccine, a manufacture has to grow live virus in a 2-week-old fertilized chicken egg, then crack the egg, harvest the virus and extract the proteins used to provoke an immune response. Profit margins are narrow, demand is changeable and, because each year’s flu virus is different, any leftover vaccine goes to waste. As a result the United States now has only two major suppliers (Chiron and Aventis Pasteur) and when one of them runs into trouble, there isn’t much the other can do about it. “A vaccine maker can’t just call up and order 40 million more fertilized eggs,” says Manon Cox, of Connecticut-based Protein Sciences Corp. “There’s a whole industry that’s scheduled to produce a certain number of eggs at a certain time.”
Sleeker technologies are now in the works, and experts are hoping that this year’s complete failure will speed the pace of innovation. The main challenge is to shift production from eggs into cell cultures—a medium already used to make most other vaccines. Flu vaccines are harder than most to produce this way, but several biotech companies are now pursuing this strategy, and one culture-based product (Solvay Pharmaceuticals’ Invivac) has been cleared for marketing in Europe.
For America, the immediate challenge is to make the most of a limited supply. The government estimates that 95 million people still qualify for shots under the voluntary restrictions announced last week. That’s nearly twice the number of doses that clinics will have on hand, but only 60 million Americans seek out shots in a normal year. In fact, many experts are hoping the shortage will serve as an awareness campaign — encouraging the people who really need a flu shot to get one.
1. Shortage of flu vaccine show that ________.| A．America relies too much on foreign suppliers |
| B．the demand of flu vaccines is high this year |
| C．quality problem is a serious problem in flu vaccine production |
| D．the supply of flu vaccines is rather weak and America has no back-up measures to make it up |
| A．complicated process, high cost, low profit and high risk |
| B．shortages of fertilized chicken eggs |
| C．difficulty in growing live virus |
| D．fast changing of flu virus |
| A．the government hopes to solve the problem by way of volunteer restrictions |
| B．more than 47 million Americans who are qualified to get flu vaccine shots cannot get hem this year |
| C．America has to deal with a limited supply of flu vaccines this year |
| D．normally only a small percentage of American population gets flu vaccine shots each year |
| A．All Americans are persuaded not to get vaccinated this year. |
| B．The big problem in innovating flu vaccine producing technique is how to grow virus in a new way. |
| C．More flu vaccines cannot be produced in a short time because private companies refuse to produce more. |
| D．Flu vaccines are easier than most vaccines to produce through cell cultures. |
2 . The robotic doctor will see you now
In the age of social distancing, using robots for some health care interactions is a promising way to reduce in-person contact between health care workers and sick patients. However, a key question that needs to be answered is how patients will react to a robot entering the exam room.
“We're actively working on robots that can help provide care to maximize the safety of both the patient and the health care workforce.
After the Covid-19 pandemic began early last year, Traverso and his colleagues turned their attention toward new strategies to minimize interactions between potentially sick patients and health care workers. To that end, they worked with Boston Dynamics to create a mobile robot that could interact with patients as they waited in the emergency department. The robots were equipped with sensors that allow them to measure vital signs, including skin temperature, breathing rate, and pulse rate.
The study suggests that it could be worthwhile to try to develop robots that can perform procedures that currently require a lot of human effort, such as turning a patient over in bed, the researchers say. Turning Covid-19 patients onto their stomachs has been shown to improve their blood oxygen levels and make breathing easier.
| A．The robots also carried an iPad that allowed for remote video communication with a health care provider. |
| B．Up to 30 percent of the participants reported that they were concerned with the robotic system. |
| C．Researchers from MIT and Brigham and Women’s Hospital recently set out to answer that question. |
| D．Currently the process requires several people to perform. |
| E．However, the question still remained whether patients would be receptive to this type of interaction. |
| F．The results of this study give us some confidence that people are ready and willing to engage with us on those fronts. |
3 . Fear is a natural and valuable emotion. It has great survival value for human beings,
Anxiety is prolonged fear that persists in the
Broadly speaking, two CBT approaches for treating anxiety have
If you suffer from anxiety, you can apply the latest and most effective procedure for exposure, called restrictive learning. It was
The most effective coping
| A．persuading | B．remembering | C．expecting | D．preparing |
| A．jealous | B．painful | C．innocent | D．conscious |
| A．abstract | B．existence | C．absence | D．continuation |
| A．potential | B．essential | C．available | D．sustainable |
| A．instructs | B．challenges | C．stimulates | D．dominates |
| A．effective | B．objective | C．invisible | D．significant |
| A．pressure | B．ignorance | C．anxiety | D．depression |
| A．described | B．emerged | C．protected | D．supervised |
| A．overlook | B．simplify | C．remark | D．handle |
| A．purposefully | B．vigorously | C．sincerely | D．passionately |
| A．breaks through | B．turns down | C．results in | D．works out |
| A．composed | B．developed | C．predicted | D．symbolized |
| A．commitment | B．evidence | C．assessment | D．process |
| A．strategies | B．behaviors | C．responses | D．examples |
| A．naturally | B．probably | C．highly | D．initially |
4 . Many scientists now believe that death is not biologically inevitable and could be avoided if there were cures for all life-threatening diseases.However,perhaps the real question is not whether eternal(永 恒的)life will one day be possible,but whether the
This raises the question: what
And what about the frustrations of our memories which often
There would be other problems too.Unless we began to explore space,the Earth would soon be burdened with too many people and some sort of limit on the number of children we can have might be
Given all this, it seems that longer life might come at a
| A．life | B．pursuit | C．approach | D．evidence |
| A．death | B．wealth | C．suffering | D．happiness |
| A．diligent | B．unhealthy | C．inactive | D．relaxed |
| A．In contrast | B．In addition | C．After all | D．As a result |
| A．motivation | B．courage | C．property | D．publicity |
| A．However | B．Strangely | C．Otherwise | D．Indeed |
| A．similar | B．strong | C．opposing | D．changing |
| A．in contrast to | B．in harmony with | C．in line with | D．in response to |
| A．imposed on | B．taken from | C．exposed to | D．applied to |
| A．limit | B．company | C．fail | D．amaze |
| A．publicize | B．acknowledge | C．foresee | D．command |
| A．catching hold of | B．keeping track of | C．losing sight of | D．coming up with |
| A．uncertain | B．extinct | C．invisible | D．necessary |
| A．time | B．distance | C．price | D．target |
| A．desired | B．selected | C．treated | D．born |
American College of Physicians 'stepped out of its lane" by placing gun control in medical education. Stanley Gold-farb, formerly the associate dean of curriculum at the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine, argued that teaching social justice issues and population health comes "at the expense of strict training in medical science" at a time when sub-specialists are in short supply. But many physicians, ourselves included, think social issues should be at the heart of medical education.
Formal medical school typically takes four years, followed by several years of residency（住院医生实习期）and often a fellowship（研究员职位）, and during that short time students have a wide range of competing requirements. They must learn complex biological and chemical pathways that explain diseases and health. They must be educated on how to read the the scientific literature and apply it to their patients. They must master many therapies and know how to adapt them to patients' varied diseases states. On top of all this, they must learn to communicate effectively and compassionately with patients and colleagues.
Being a good doctor also demands that we understand the reasons behind poor health. Our mission is not simply to diagnose, manage and treat. Physicians should act to prevent the root causes of illness and improve well-being. Physicians are trained to tackle problems at their root. System and structural-level social issues are also drivers of poor health, and it is our duty to address them. Medical training must evolve to produce doctors who are able to not only treat the individual but also understand the larger influencers of health -- of which gun violence is most emphatically one. As medical professors, we would fail our students -- and our patients - if we expected any less.
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6 . For years, the U. S. has experienced a shortage of registered nurses. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that while the number of nurses will increase by 19 percent by 2022, demand will grow faster than supply, and that there will be over one million unfilled nursing jobs by then.
So what's the solution? Robots.
Japan is ahead of the curve when it comes to this trend. Toyohashi University of Technology has developed Terapio, a robotic medical cart that can make hospital rounds, deliver medications and other items, and retrieve records. It follows a specific individual, such as a doctor or nurse, who can use it to record and access patient data. This type of robot will likely be one of the first to be implemented in hospitals because it has fairly minimal patient contact.
Robots capable of social engagement help with loneliness as well as cognitive functioning, but the robot itself doesn't have to engage directly—it can serve as an intermediary for human communication. Telepresence robots such as MantaroBot, Vgo, and Giraff can be controlled through a computer, smartphone, or tablet, allowing family members or doctors to remotely monitor patients or Skype them, often via a screen where the robot's ' face' would be. If you can't get to the nursing home to visit grandma, you can use a telepresence robot to hang out with her. A 2016 study found that users had a "consistently positive attitude" about the Giraff robot's ability to enhance communication and decrease feelings of loneliness.
A robot's appearance affects its ability to successfully interact with humans, which is why the RIKEN-TRI Collaboration Center for Human-Interactive Robot Research decided to develop a robotic nurse that looks like a huge teddy bear. RIBA (Robot for Interactive Body Assistance), also known as ‘Robear', can help patients into and out of wheelchairs and beds with its strong arms.
It's important to note that robotic nurses don't decide courses of treatment or make diagnoses (though robot doctors and surgeons may not be far off). Instead, they perform routine and laborious tasks, freeing nurses up to attend to patients with immediate needs. This is one industry where it seems the integration of robots will lead to collaboration, not replacement.
1. What does the author say about Japan?| A．It delivers the best medications for the elderly. |
| B．It takes the lead in providing robotic care. |
| C．It provides retraining for registered nurses. |
| D．It sets the trend in future robotics technology. |
| A．It has been put to use in many Japanese hospitals. |
| B．It provides specific individualized care to patients. |
| C．It does not have much direct contact with patients. |
| D．It has not revolutionized medical service in Japan. |
| A．Directly interact with patients to prevent them from feeling lonely. |
| B．Cater to the needs of patients for recovering their cognitive capacity. |
| C．Closely monitor the patients' movements and conditions around the clock. |
| D．Facilitate communication between patients and doctors or family members. |
| A．Doctors and surgeons will soon be laid off. |
| B．The robotics industry will soon take off. |
| C．Robots will not make nurses redundant. |
| D．Collaboration will not replace competition. |
Mini-Biographies Help Clinicians Connect with Patients
Bog Hall was recovering from yet another surgery in March 2014 when a volunteer walked into his hospital room.
The volunteer wasn't there to check on his lungs or breathing. Instead, she asked Hall
The interview was part of a program
When the story is finished, it
Today more than 2,000 patients at the Madison VA
Project organizers say it could change the way providers interact with patients.
8 . Over the last decade, demand for the cosmetic surgery has increased by more than 400 percent. According to Dr. Dai Davies, of the Plastic Surgery Partnership in Hammersmith, the majority of cosmetic surgery patients are not chasing physical perfection. Rather, they are driven to improve their appearance by a desire to look normal. “What we all crave is to look normal. The advertising media give us a perception(概念)of what is physically acceptable and we feel we must look like that.”
In America, the debate is no longer about whether surgery is normal; rather, it centres on what age people should be before going under the knife. New York surgeon Dr. Gerard Imber recommends “maintenance” work for people in their thirties. “The idea of waiting until one needs a heroic transformation is silly,” he says. “By then, you've wasted 20 great years of your life and allowed things to get out of hand.” Dr. Imber draws the line at operating on people who are under 18, however. “It seems that someone we don't consider old enough to order a drink shouldn't be considering plastic surgery.”
In the U. K. cosmetic surgery has long been seen as the exclusive domain(领土)of the very rich and famous. But the cost of treatment has fallen considerably, bringing all but the most advanced laser technology within the reach of most people. Dr. Davies says, “Of course, ￡3,000 for an operation is a lot of money. But it is also an investment for life which costs about half the price of a good family holiday.”
Dr. Davies suspects that the increasing sophistication(精密)of the fat injecting and removal techniques that allow patients to be treated with a local anesthetic(麻醉)in an afternoon has also helped promote the popularity of cosmetic surgery. One woman who recently paid f2, 500 for liposuction to remove fat from her thighs admitted, “Going into the clinic was so low key and effective that it whetted my appetite. Now I don't think there's any operation that I would rule out having if I could afford it.”
1. The statement “draws the line at operating on people” (Paragraph 2) is closest in meaning to ________.| A．removing wrinkles from the face | B．helping people make up |
| C．enjoying operating | D．refusing to operate |
| A．cosmetic surgery, though costly, is worth having |
| B．cosmetic surgery is too expensive |
| C．cosmetic surgery is necessary even for the average person |
| D．cosmetic surgery is mainly for the rich and famous |
| A．it is wise to have cosmetic surgery under 18 |
| B．cosmetic surgery is now much easier |
| C．people tend to abuse cosmetic surgery |
| D．the earlier people have cosmetic surgery, the better they will be |
| A．the advantage of having cosmetic surgery |
| B．what kind of people should have cosmetic surgery. |
| C．the reason why cosmetic surgery is so popular. |
| D．the disadvantage of having cosmetic surgery |
| A. anxiety B. prepared C. abnormally D. plastic E. benefits F. engaged G. ensure H. quality I. guidelines J. entirely |
Cosmetic Surgery in London
Cosmetic surgery is a medical discipline focused on enhancing the aesthetic and social appeal of patients by changing the shape and proportion of their body parts. Unlike
Despite that, the medical community strongly believes that cosmetic surgery is capable of providing a host of valuable
In the United Kingdom, cosmetic surgery has become increasingly popular with the general public, even if the numbers pale considerably when compared against the United States. In 2016, 30,750 Britons
Please note that this website was created to provide readers with a general description of cosmetic surgery in London and the whole country in general. While we make every effort to
| A. protected B. damage C. minor D. managed E. recovery F. process G. common H. control I. injured J. serious K. benefit |
Many athletes can tell you about the terrible pain of a sports injury! Some sports injuries, such as broken bones and tom ligaments（韧带）, are serious. These injuries may require surgery. But more
P.R.I.C.E. is a handy way to remember five easy treatment steps. P and R stand for protection and rest right after an injury. Some light activity or exercise can help speed up your
C stands for compression. Compression just means wrapping the injury in something such as an elastic bandage （弹性绷带）. And the E means you should elevate the
The I stands for ice. Ice often has a noticeable
Icing an injury for too long can
