1 . 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 is how patients will react to a robot entering the room. Researchers from MIT and Brigham and Women’s Hospital recently set out to answer that question.
In a study, the team found that a large majority of patients reported that interacting with a health care provider through a video screen fixed on a robot was similar to an in-person interaction with a health care worker.
“We’re working on robots that can help provide care to ensure the safety of the patient and the health care workforce. The results of this study give us some confidence that people are ready and willing to join us. In a larger online survey carried out nationwide, we also found that a majority of respondents were open to having robots perform small tasks such as taking a nose swab (拭子).” says Giovanni Traverso, an MIT assistant professor and the senior author of the study.
After the COVID-19 pandemic began early last year, Traverso and his colleagues turned their attention toward new strategies to reduce interactions between potentially sick patients and health care workers. To that end, they created 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(脉搏) rate. The robots also carried an iPad for remote video communication with a health care provider.
The study suggests that it could be worthwhile to develop robots that can perform tasks that currently require a lot of human effort, such as turning a patient over in bed. These days, turning COVID-19 patients onto their stomachs requires several people. Doing Covid-19 tests is another task that takes a lot of time and effort from health care workers, who could be arranged for other tasks if robots could help.
1. Why did the researchers from MIT and BWH carry out the studies?| A．To shorten the social distance between doctors and patients. |
| B．To figure out the response of patients to robotic doctors. |
| C．To reduce the risk of being infected with coronavirus. |
| D．To ensure the safety of patients during the pandemic. |
| A．Robots are not welcomed by patients. |
| B．Robots will soon replace doctors. |
| C．Robots may help to deal with Covid-19 patients. |
| D．Robots can operate on different patients. |
| A．StrengthsAnd Weaknesses In Robot Care |
| B．The Robotic Doctor Will See You Now |
| C．The Robots Speed Up COVID-19 Testing |
| D．The Development Of Robots In Hospitals |
2 . Telemedicine is the name for when doctors give advice to patients by telephone or the Internet, or when health care providers in rural areas connect with specialists in big cities. Telemedicine has existed for a long time, but the rise of smartphone, tablets and webcam-equipped computers is raising telemedicine to new levels. Some health care systems in the United States now offer Virtual Urgent Care, so patients can see a doctor by video chat without having to leave home.
Diana Rae recently showed how Virtual Urgent Care works. She used an iPad tablet and Skype — the video chat service.
Doctor Green first has the patient describe her symptoms (症状). Then the doctor performs a physical exam by showing what he wants her to do. Doctor Green decides that the problem is an infection (感染) and gives her some medicine. He says about 3 out of 4 patients who have health problems can be treated like this — through Virtual Urgent Care, which means a video chat could substitute a visit to the doctor’s office.
The Franciscan Health System charges $35 for this kind of virtual house call. That is much less than the cost of going to an emergency room, a doctor’s office or an urgent care clinic. After trying the video conference, Diana Rae says she would be happy to pay the 35 dollars, when she was recently home with a bad cold. “I would have paid twice that for the convenience of getting taken care of without having to sit in a waiting room, wait, and get exposed to everyone else’s germs (细菌). ” Rae said.
But a company official says state rules have not kept progress with development in telemedicine. The workers who provide Virtual Urgent Care must be licensed separately in each state where the company does business. For now, that means Franciscan doctors can treat patients in Washington state and California, for example, but not in neighboring Oregon or Idaho.
1. What purpose does paragraph1 serve in the passage?| A．To persuade people to use telemedicine. |
| B．To claim the benefits of health care systems. |
| C．To make a general introduction of telemedicine. |
| D．To give a brief description of health care systems. |
| A．Organize. | B．Replace. | C．Arrange. | D．Postpone. |
| A．Convenient and safe. | B．Flexible and sufficient. |
| C．Time-saving but dangerous. | D．Advanced but expensive. |
| A．People don’t have enough access to the health care system. |
| B．The state rules have prevented it from developing fast. |
| C．Some states are in badly need of Franciscan doctors. |
| D．The workers are not permitted to get licenses. |
3 . The COVID-19 pandemic is having a negative influence on people with eating disorders, according to a new study from the UK.
While it is well known that COVID-19 is having a great effect on the global population, a research carried out by researchers from Northumbria University shows that the pandemic raises additional, unique challenges for individuals with eating disorders.
During the early stages of the UK pandemic lockdown, Dr. Dawn Branley-Bell and Dr. Catherine Talbot surveyed individuals across the country who are now experiencing, or in recovery from, an eating disorder.
The results suggest the disruption (扰乱) to daily life as a result of being locked at home and social distancing may have a detrimental influence on an individual’s well-being, with almost nine out of ten participants reporting that their symptoms had worsened as a result of the pandemic.
Detrimental impacts on psychological well-being include decreased feelings of control, increased feelings of social isolation (孤立), and low feelings of social support, the survey discovered.
Through an analysis of participants’ responses, researchers found the negative effects maybe due to changes in a number of factors, including regular routines, living situations, time spent with friends and family, access to treatment, engagement in physical activity, relationship with food, and the use of technology.
The research team warns that the effects of not being able to access professional eating disorder treatment during the pandemic could be severe, causing some people’s conditions to become much worse and—in some cases—could prove deadly.
“Our findings stress that we must not underestimate the impact of the pandemic,” Branley-Bell said, “Individuals with eating disorders will likely experience a long-tern effect on their symptoms and recovery. It is important that this is recognized by health care services, and beyond, in order to offer the necessary resources to support this population.”
1. The underlined word “detrimental” in the fourth paragraph probably means ________.| A．embarrassing | B．damaging |
| C．beneficial | D．professional |
| A．health care services are important for helping those with eating disorders |
| B．the lack of regular routines is the main factor for the negative effects of the pandemic |
| C．having access to medical treatment can improve people’s conditions immediately |
| D．individuals with eating disorders have an increased sense of control due to the pandemic |
| A．The deep influence of the pandemic on the worldwide population. |
| B．The serious effects of the changed time spent with friends and family. |
| C．The harmful effects of the pandemic on citizens with eating disorders. |
| D．The importance of the necessary resources provided by health care services. |
1. What does the woman plan to do today?
| A．Walk the dog. | B．Take the dog to a vet. | C．Eat out with the man. |
| A．Two years old. | B．Ten years old. | C．Eleven years old. |
| A．In a museum. | B．In a hospital. | C．In an office. |
