Question

In December, after her third fall in a few months, Doris Carpenter was admitted to Rochdale infirmary（养老院）. Carpenter, 84, lives alone, but she is increasingly unsteady on her feet, and if she falls, she hasn’t the strength to get up again. Previously, a call to 111 would call nursing staff who could put her back into a chair, but it was increasingly clear she wasn’t coping, and needed more support.

This isn’t like any old hospital, however. Today Carpenter isn’t in bed but sitting in a chair, dressed in her own clothes, a fat Dan Brown book in front of her. “You don’t feel like you’re in hospital,” she says.

Two side rooms have been furnished with small groups of tables and chairs, with bright tablecloths. Those patients who are able can help themselves to food at mealtimes and sit with others to eat, or go to the library to select another page-turner. A physiotherapist helps Carpenter with her painful back, and is working to help improve her confidence on stairs.

Previously, an elderly person in Carpenter’s condition would most likely have ended up in an acute hospital ward（病房）.

There, very frequently, people of her age would get stuck, and many would go downhill fast.

“They come into hospital, and our model in the NHS is to put them to bed,” says Steve Taylor, the divisional director for community services. “Put your pyjamas on, you stay in that bed, we will feed you and toilet you.”

Shockingly quickly, he says, patients can lose what abilities they previously had. “And then, when it comes time to discharge you, you can no longer walk.”

This is probably the biggest challenge facing the NHS – the problem of an older population, the long years of illness that many of us will face and a fragile social care system underpinning it all.

1.What’s the main idea of the first paragraph?

A. Carpenter often falls at home.

B. No one looks after Carpenter.

C. There is something wrong with Carpenter’s legs.

D. Carpenter is in such poor condition that she had to go to hospital.

2.How might Carpenters feel living in the new hospital?

A. Lonely.    B. Desperate.

C. Relaxed.    D. Curious.

3.In which section of a newspaper can you find this text?

A. Society.    B. Technology.

C. Family.    D. Medicine.

Answer

1.D

2.C

3.A

【解析】本文主要通过Carpenter的故事向我们展示了英国国民健康保险制度的好处和它面临的最大挑战--老年人口问题。在十二月，她在几个月内摔倒三次后后住进了医院。在医院她得到比其他医院更好的照顾，这都得益于英国国民健康保险制度。但这老年人问题同时也是英国国民健康保险制度面临的最大问题。

1.主旨大意题。由第一段第一句话“In December, after her third fall in a few months, Doris Carpenter was admitted to Rochdale infirmary（养老院）.”在十二月，她在几个月内摔倒三次后后住进了医院。可知Carpenter身体状况很差，不得不去医院。D符合语境，故选D。

2.细节理解题。由“This isn’t like any old hospital, however. Today Carpenter isn’t in bed but sitting in a chair, dressed in her own clothes, a fat Dan Brown book in front of her. “You don’t feel like you’re in hospital,” she says.”但是这不像任何老医院。今天Carpenter没有在床上，而是坐在椅子上，穿着她自己的衣服，一个胖丹·布朗书在她面前。“你不觉得你在医院里，”她说。可看出她在这里很放松。C符合语境，故选C。

3.主旨大意题。本文主要通过Carpenter的故事向我们展示了英国国民健康保险制度的好处和它面临的最大挑战--老年人口问题。由此可知我们可能会在报纸的社会专栏看到这篇文章。故选A。