1 . Being able to find high quality health care at an affordable price is a problem to be solved in many countries. In the United States, Walmart, a large chain store, is trying to help. It is offering something new to its employees: cutting the cost of a doctor’s appointment to only $4 instead of the usual $40 for the same service.
The catch is that the patient and doctor must meet over the internet. This online service is called “telemedicine.”
Walmart is the latest major business in the United States to push its workers toward a high-tech way to be examined and treated by doctors. Thanks to telemedicine, people can talk with medical experts from the privacy of their own homes, often using a secure video connection.
Supporters say online visits make it easier for patients to see an expert or quickly find help for problems considered non-emergencies.
Some healthcare needs are well-suited for telemedicine. It can help people seeking treatment for insect bites or skin conditions. Patients who have had medical treatments and cannot move around easily can use telemedicine for their follow-up visits. Also, people seeking help for mental health issues can benefit from the privacy that telemedicine gives.
But still, many people do not use telemedicine, they continue to go to the doctor’s office when they are sick. 80 percent of middle-size and large U.S. companies offered telemedicine services to their workers in 2018. However, only 8 percent of its employees used telemedicine at least once in 2017.
Compared with seeing a real doctor in person, some people may think the quality of telemedicine is not as good. Parents, for example, may feel they are not giving their child the best care if they use a virtual doctor appointment. Older adults may look forward to their in-person doctor appointments. For them, going to the doctor’s office is a big event, something they look forward to.
Another reason some adults may not use telemedicine services is trust. Tom Hill, aged 66, says he has no plans to ever use telemedicine. He does not buy anything online, let alone do something as personal as seeing a doctor. He says, for him, it is important to look his doctor in the eye and shake hands.
However, for some people, especially young people and busy students, telemedicine might be a good choice. It can cut down on the time away from work. It can also cut down on the cost of doctor visits.
1. What is Walmart trying to help with?| A．Finding something new for its employees. |
| B．Promoting the online service “telemedicine”. |
| C．Cutting the online cost of a doctor’s appointment. |
| D．Reducing the cost of seeing a doctor at a much lower price. |
| A．It enables patients to see doctors at home for free. |
| B．It has become increasingly popular in America. |
| C．It is the online service that is provided by most large US companies. |
| D．It makes it easier to see a doctor for emergency problems. |
| A．Because their company doesn’t provide telemedicine. |
| B．Because they don’t trust the doctors online. |
| C．Because they look forward to a virtual doctor appointment. |
| D．Because they have made friends with the doctors. |
| A．Jenny, a shy woman who suffers from mental illness. |
| B．Smith, a grandpa who has been bitten by a running dog. |
| C．Wilson, a worker who got seriously injured in a car accident. |
| D．Kate, a mother whose kid is suffering from a skin disease. |
| A．Positive. | B．Negative. | C．Objective. | D．Doubtful. |
2 . Jenny was driving her six-year-old son, Tony, to his piano lesson. They were late, and Jenny was beginning to think she should have given it up. There was always so much to do, and Jenny recently helped with an operation. She was tired. The storm and ice roads added to her tension. Maybe she should turn the car around.
“Mom!” Tony cried. “Look!” Just ahead a car had lost control on the patch of ice. As Jenny tapped the brakes, the other car wildly rolled over; then crashed sideways into a telephone pole.
Jenny pulled over, stopped and threw open her door. Thank goodness she knew her job well—she might be able to help these unfortunate passengers. Then she paused. What about Tony? She couldn’t take him with her. Little boys shouldn’t see scenes like that. But was it safe to leave him alone? What if their car were hit from behind? For a brief moment Jenny considered going on her way.
She asked Tony to stay in the car and ran, slipping and sliding, toward the crash site. It was worse than she’s feared. Two girls of high school age in the car. One was killed. The driver, however, was still breathing. Jenny quickly applied pressure to the wound in the teenager’s head while her practiced eye checked the other injuries. A broken leg, maybe two, along with probable internal bleeding. But if help came soon, the girl would live.
A trucker had pulled up and was calling for help on his cellphone. Soon ambulance and rescue workers came. “Good job,” one said while examining the wounds. “You probably saved her life!” Later the families of the victims came to meet Jenny, expressing their gratitude for the help she had offered.
1. What was Jenny doing when the accident happened?| A．She was helping with an operation. |
| B．She was driving for her son’s lesson. |
| C．She was driving home with her son. |
| D．She was making a telephone for help. |
| A．A taxi-driver. | B．A firefighter. |
| C．A nurse. | D．A teacher. |
| A．the tiredness of the driver |
| B．the truck who was telephoning while driving |
| C．the students’ careless driving |
| D．the bad weather and terrible road conditions |
| A．her poor skills of saving people |
| B．her little son’s safety in the car |
| C．her little son’s piano lesson |
| D．the students killed in the accident |
| A．the driver was saved thanks to Jenny’s timely help |
| B．there were at least two deaths in the car accident |
| C．Jenny was to blame for the terrible car accident |
| D．Jenny was late for his piano lessons for this accident |
