人教全日制普通高中英语（必修）高三UNIT9-1

A   Wang Lin is a carpenter who lives in eastern China with his wife and son. Two years ago, he was diagnosed¹ with tuberculosis². He was getting weaker and suffered from constant pain in his chest. The doctors told him that the treatment he needed would cost thousands of yuan. Mr Wang is a laid-off worker and his wife has an income of only 300 yuan per month. To make matters worse, he also had a son in college who had taken a bank loan³ to pay for his studies. The situation seemed hopeless.
 
B   Three months later, however, Wang Lin was told about a health care project that provides treatment at half the cost or less, depending on the needs of the patient. Thanks to the project and the kindness of his family and neighbours, he was able to receive treatment in time to prevent the disease⁴ from ruining his health. He has returned to his family and is looking for a job. He has also decided⁵ to get insurance for his family. "If I had had insurance, the sickness wouldn't have caused such a big problem. I don't want this to happen to anyone else in my family."
 
C   The project that saved Wang Lin's life is one of the many government programmes aimed at improving the situation for the poorest people in China. The project is designed to encourage health care reform and reduce poverty. It is the largest health and medical aid programme in the country and it is being tested in four cities. So far, the project has helped more than 2,000 people receive medical aid. The Chinese government is also working together with other countries and international organisations to provide easy access to hospitals and clinics for low-income families. The goal is to explore and develop a new health care model for China.
D   Wang Lin's situation is not unique. By the end of 2003, 22 million urban Chinese were living on money given to them by the government. A total of 1"5.1 billion yuan was spent on supporting those who were unable to make a living. This allowance⁶, however, is only enough to cover the most fundamental⁷ needs such as food and clothing. It does not cover health care, housing⁸ or education.
 
E   For laid-off workers in poor areas, disease puts extra pressure on the family. They cannot afford to consult a doctor or purchase medicines from a chemist when they get sick, nor can they make sure that their children keep a healthy diet. If someone becomes seriously ill, the family is forced into poverty. Statistics⁹ indicate that diseases¹⁰ have caused over 30 per cent of low-income residents¹¹ to live in poverty. Some families even have to spend all the money they receive from the government on medical treatment and hospital fees.
 
F   Among the many aspects of the government's efforts to fight poverty, health care occupies an important position. If low-income families cannot afford to purchase medical insurance, as was the case with Wang Lin, other measures to reduce poverty will not succeed.
 
G   Another great challenge for the government is to stop the spread of AIDS. The United Nations AIDS agency¹² warns that the number of infected people in China could reach 10 million by 2020 unless more is done to prevent the spread of the disease. In order to meet this challenge, the Chinese government has vowed¹³ to provide free AIDS tests for the general public as well as free treatment for those who cannot afford it.
 
H   It is sometimes said that a society can be judged by the way it cares for its weakest members. As our country develops, we must also remember the responsibilities that come with wealth and prosperity¹⁴. When we move forward, we must make sure that no one is left behind. We cannot allow ourselves to become too selfish. When problems arise, we must work together to try to solve them.
 
I   The government's efforts to fight poverty and improve, health care cover several aspects, reducing poverty, helping¹⁵ sick people get treated properly and providing medical insurance for the poor. The funds¹⁶ are limited and it is not possible for the government to meet all the needs, but a series of programmes and the development of local and nationwide health care networks are signs that the government is serious about health care.

1 diagnosed   

诊断( diagnose的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Some foetal malformations cannot be diagnosed until late in pregnancy. 有些胎儿的畸形部位得等到妊娠后期才能诊断出来。
• He diagnosed the trouble that caused the engine to knock. 他找出了引擎咔咔响的毛病所在。

2 tuberculosis   

n.结核病，肺结核

参考例句：

• People used to go to special health spring to recover from tuberculosis.人们常去温泉疗养胜地治疗肺结核。
• Tuberculosis is a curable disease.肺结核是一种可治愈的病。

3 loan   

n.贷款；借出的东西；借；vt.借出；贷予

参考例句：

• I asked the bank to help me with a loan.我请银行给我一笔贷款。
• Has the bank okayed your request for a loan?银行批准你的贷款要求了吗？

4 disease   

n.疾病，弊端

参考例句：

• The doctors are trying to stamp out the disease.医生正在尽力消灭这种疾病。
• He fought against the disease for a long time.他同疾病做了长时间的斗争。

5 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

6 allowance   

n.津贴，补贴，零用钱

参考例句：

• My monthly allowance is 50 yuan.我每月的津贴是50元。
• I have to work to earn my allowance.我非得工作挣零用钱。

7 fundamental   

adj.基本的，主要的；基本原则，基本法则

参考例句：

• The fundamental way out for agriculture lies in mechanization.农业的根本出路在于机械化。
• Fresh air is fundamental to good health.新鲜空气对健康是不可缺少的。

8 housing   

n.房屋，住宅；住房建筑；外壳，外罩

参考例句：

• Do you think our housing sales will turn around during this year?你认为今年我们的住宅销路会好转吗？
• The housing sales have been turning down since the summer.入夏以来，房屋的销售量日趋减少。

9 statistics   

n.统计，统计数字，统计学

参考例句：

• We have statistics for the last year.我们有去年的统计资料。
• Statistics is taught in many colleges.许多大学都教授统计学。

10 diseases   

n.疾病( disease的名词复数 )；弊端；恶疾；痼疾

参考例句：

• Smoking is a causative factor in several major diseases. 抽烟是引起几种严重疾病的病因。
• The illness frequently coexists with other chronic diseases. 这种病往往与其他慢性病同时存在。

11 residents   

n.居民( resident的名词复数 )；（旅馆的）住宿者

参考例句：

• Plans to build a new mall were deep-sixed after protests from local residents. 修建新室内购物中心的计划由于当地居民反对而搁浅。
• Local residents have reacted angrily to the news. 当地居民对这一消息表示愤怒。

12 agency   

n.经办；代理；代理处

参考例句：

• This disease is spread through the agency of insects.这种疾病是通过昆虫媒介传播的。
• He spoke in the person of Xinhua News Agency.他代表新华社讲话。

13 vowed   

起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He vowed quite solemnly that he would carry out his promise. 他非常庄严地发誓要实现他的诺言。
• I vowed to do more of the cooking myself. 我发誓自己要多动手做饭。

14 prosperity   

n.繁荣，昌盛，成功

参考例句：

• I wish you the life of happiness and prosperity. 我祝你生活幸福、万事如意。
• A prosperity never seen before appeared in the countryside.农村出现了前所未有的繁荣。

15 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

16 funds   

n.pl.资金

参考例句：

• He absconded with the company funds. 他卷走公司的资金潜逃了。
• They held a harambee meeting to raise funds for a new classroom. 他们为筹款建新教室而办了个募捐会。