英语真题阅读理解试题及名师解析（18）ItissaidthatinEnglanddeathispressing,inCanadainevitableandinCaliforniaoptional.Smallwonder.Americans’lifeexpectancyhasnearlydoubledoverthepastcentury.Failinghipscanbereplaced,clinicaldepressioncontrolled,cataractsremovedina30-minutesurgicalprocedure.SuchadvancesoffertheagingpopulationaqualityoflifethatwasunimaginablewhenIenteredmedicine50yearsago.Butnotevenagreathealth-caresystemcancuredeath—andourfailuretoconfrontthatrealitynowthreatensthisgreatnessofours.Deathisnormal;wearegeneticallyprogrammedtodisintegrateandperish,evenunderidealconditions.Weallunderstandthatatsomelevel,yetasmedicalconsumerswetreatdeathasaproblemtobesolved.Shieldedbythird-partypayersfromthecostofourcare,wedemandeverythingthatcanpossiblybedoneforus,evenifit'suseless.Themostobviousexampleislate-stagecancercare.Physicians—frustratedbytheirinabilitytocurethediseaseandfearinglossofhopeinthepatient—toooftenofferaggressivetreatmentfarbeyondwhatisscientificallyjustified.In1950,theU.S.spent＄12.7billiononhealthcare.In2002,thecostwillbe＄1，540billion.Anyonecanseethistrendisunsustainable.Yetfewseemwillingtotrytoreverseit.Somescholarsconcludethatagovernmentwithfiniteresourcesshouldsimplystoppayingformedicalcarethatsustainslifebeyondacertainage—say83orso.FormerColoradogovernorRichardLammhasbeenquotedassayingthattheoldandinfirm“haveadutytodieandgetoutoftheway”sothatyounger,healthierpeoplecanrealizetheirpotential.Iwouldnotgothatfar.Energeticpeoplenowroutinelyworkthroughtheir60sandbeyond,andremaindazzlinglyproductive.At78,ViacomchairmanSumnerRedstonejokinglyclaimstobe53.SupremeCourtJusticeSandraDayO'Connorisinher70s,andformersurgeongeneralC.EverettKoopchairsanInternetstart-upinhis80s.Theseleadersarelivingproofthatpreventionworksandthatwecanmanagethehealthproblemsthatcomenaturallywithage.Asamere68-year-old,Iwishtoageasproductivelyastheyhave.Yettherearelimitstowhatasocietycanspendinthispursuit.Askaphysician,Iknowthemostcostlyanddramaticmeasuresmaybeineffectiveandpainful.Ialsoknowthatpeoplei