IT’S A TYPICAL morning: you wake up, take a shower, brush your teeth, and then prick (刺;扎) your arm with a tiny needle. Wait, what? Unless you have a serious disease such as diabetes, you probably haven’t ever tested your own blood. But in the future, that might change.
The company Cor already sells a system for home blood testing. You stick your arm using a supposedly painless, one-off, blood-drawing cartridge (针筒) about the size of a lipstick. Then you stick the cartridge into a device (装置) that looks like the base for an electric toothbrush. A few minutes later, an app on your phone buzzes with updated information, including your current health data (数据) and tips on what to eat and how to exercise during the day.
It’s true that blood contains a wealth of information about a person’s health. Blood tests can show if a person is infected with a disease or at risk for a variety of problems, including a heart attack or a stroke. But most people don’t test their own blood until a doctor says it’s time. Healthy young adults get regular blood tests about every five years. These tests happen at a lab, where a technician or a nurse sticks a long needle into the arm to draw out several tubes full of blood. Cor and similar companies, such as WellnessFX, are trying to change all that. They think people deserve access to more information about their own health.
But not everyone is convinced that regular blood testing for healthy people is a great idea. Cor’s system is expensive and may not offer much benefit. “The lightest result here is that you lose your money and then you’re reminded to get more sleep and to eat more fruits, vegetables, and fish,” Pieter Cohen of Harvard Medical School told the New York Times. “The worst result is that you end up getting frightened by probably abnormal results that are actually completely normal for you.”
Plus, the results of a home blood test might be wrong. It’s hard to get accurate results from a tiny amount of blood. So what do you think? Is monitoring your own health via pinpricks the way of the future? Or is it better to leave blood testing to medical professionals?
12. Why does the author mention the typical morning in the first paragraph?
A.To explain a scene. | B.To make a comparison. |
C.To provide an example. | D.To introduce the topic. |
13. What can we learn about the company Cor’s blood-testing system?
A.It is painless and cheap to use. |
B.It has won popularity among people. |
C.It offers accurate health information about our body. |
D.It may give advice on our diet according to the health data. |
14. What’s Pieter Cohen’s attitude towards this kind of system?
A.Negative. | B.Unclear. | C.Supportive. | D.Objective. |
15. Which of the following could be the best title for the text?
A.Home blood testing: your health monitor! | B.Home blood tests: yes or no? |
C.A new system of improving your health. | D.Should blood tests be allowed at home? |