Question

Our risk of cancer rises rapidly as we age. So it makes sense that the elderly should be routinely screened(拍片检查) for new tumors (肿瘤) or doesn’t it?

While such tracking of cancer is a good thing in general, researchers are increasingly questioning whether all of this testing is necessary for the elderly. With the percentage of people over age 65 expected to nearly double by 2050, it s important to weigh the health benefits of screening against the risks and costs of routine testing.

In many cases, screening can lead to additional examinations and operations to remove cancer, which can cause side effects, while the cancers themselves may be slow-growing and may not cause serious health problems in patients’ remaining years. But the message that everyone must screen for cancer has become so ingrained (根深蒂固的) that when health care experts recommended that women under 50 and over 74 stop screening for breast cancer, it caused a noisy reaction among doctors, patients and social groups.

It’s hard to uproot deeply-held beliefs about cancer screening with scientific data. Certainly, there are people over age 75 who have had cancers detected by routine screening, and gained several extra years of life because of treatment. And clearly, people over age 75 who have other risk factors for cancer, such as a family history or previous personal experience with the disease, should continue to get screened regularly. But for the rest, the risk of cancer, while increased at the end of life, must be balanced with other factors like remaining life expectancy.

A recent study suggests that doctors start to make more objective decisions about who will truly benefit from screening—especially considering the explosion of the elderly.

It’s not an easy calculation to make, but one that makes sense for patients. Dr. Otis Brawley said, “Many doctors are ordering these tests purely to cover themselves from medical disputes（争端）. We need to think about the wise use of health care, which means making some difficult decisions with elderly patients, and going against the misguided belief that when it comes to health care, more is always better.”

1. Routine cancer screening for the elderly people makes sense because ______.

A. it is believed to contribute to a long life

B. it is part of their health care package

C. they are more sensitive about the health

D. they are in greater danger of tumor growth

2.How do some researchers now look at routine cancer screening for the elderly?

A. It adds too much to their medical bills.

B. They are doubtful about its necessity.

C. It helps increase their life expectancy.

D. They think it does more harm than good.

3. What is the traditional view about women screening for breast cancer?

A. It is a must for adult women.

B. It applies to women over 50.

C. It is intended for young women.

D. It doesn’t apply to women over 74.

4.What does the writer say is the general view about health care?

A. Better care, longer life.

B. Prevention is better than cure.

C. Better early than late.

D. The more, the better.

Answer 1

1.D

2.B

3.A

4.D

【解析】本文是一篇关于癌症与健康检查的说明文，年纪越大，患有癌症的几率也就越来越大。似乎排片检查是很重要的事情，医生们也在思考着检查癌症的问题。

1. risk of cancer rises rapidly as we age癌症的危险随着我们年龄的增加而增加。故选D

2. are increasingly questioning whether all of this testing is necessary for the elderly.研究人员越来越质疑是否所有的检查对于老年人来说是必要的。故选B

3. when health care experts recommended that women under 50 and over 74 stop screening for breast cancer, it caused a noisy reaction among doctors, patients and social groups. 当健康专家们推荐50以下，74以上的女性停止检查乳腺癌时，这种言论在医生、病人和社会群体中引起了强烈的反响。结合语境可以推断出，社会是反对这种说法的，所以检查乳腺癌是必要的。故选A

4. need to think about the wise use of health care, which means making some difficult decisions with elderly patients, and going against the misguided belief that when it comes to health care, more is always better.”我们需要思考明智的使用健康保健，这意味着对于年纪大的病人们做出更困难的决定，还有抵制这种误导的观念，当谈到健康保健时，越多越好。故选D

考点：考察说明文阅读