While most travelers aim to stay out of the hospital while on vacation, a growing number of medical tourists－people who combine treatment with travel － are crossing international borders for the purpose of getting medical services, which can range from a hip replacement to a tummy tuck. Widespread air travel, increasing healthcare costs in developed countries, long waiting lists and an ageing world population have all contributed to a global increase in medical tourism in the past decade. And Asia takes the lead in terms of world market share.
More than 89% of medical tourists travelled to Thailand, India or Singapore in 2010, with Bangkok and Singapore leading the pack. But the cost of hotel rooms and treatment are both far more expensive in Singapore than in the Thai capital, making Bangkok the most popular place for medical tourism in the world. Even after the serious floods of 2011, 19 million tourists visited Thailand in 2011, a 20% jump from 2010, with about 500,000 tourists travelling specifically for medical treatment.
Given Thailand’s reputation for outstanding service, it is not hard to see why Bangkok has quickly become the medical tourism centre of Asia. The Tourism Authority of Thailand(TAT), which began medical tourism in 2004, has a detailed medical tourism website that lists many of the most popular treatments available, including dental work, dermatology and cosmetic surgery, as well as listing reputed hospitals, making it easy for potential visitors to decide on a procedure. TAT has also recently partnered with Krungthai Bank, the national bank of Thailand, to offer tourists a card called the Miracle Thailand Card, which offers some medical and life insurance coverage in case of an accident.
“The hospitals in Bangkok are some of the highest quality in the world，meeting US standards，”said Steven Lash, CEO of a US-based medical travel company that sends tourists to Bangkok as well as to seven other countries, including Turkey and Mexico. "All of the tourists we have sent to these hospitals have given us excellent feedback (反馈) on their procedures and their experiences at the hospitals."
1. Medical tourism is so popular nowadays partly because_____.
A．aged patients prefer to travel
B．air travel is cheaper than before
C．local hospitals lack advanced equipment
D．medical treatment is expensive in some countries
2.Why is Bangkok’s medical tourism ahead of Singapore’s?
A．Bangkok provides an excellent service at lower prices.
B．Medical tourists in Bangkok get high health insurance.
C．The local authority in Bangkok has a good reputation.
D．Bangkok has a detailed medical tourism website.
3.The author develops the third paragraph mainly by _________.
A．giving figures B．Presenting effects
C．using examples D．making comparisons
4.Steven Lash thinks Bangkok’s hospitals_______.
A．are really excellent B．are welcomed by Americans
C．are famous mainly for their service D．are better than hospitals in the USA
5.What is the text mainly about?
A．The background of medical tourism.
B．The rise of medical tourism in Bangkok.
C．The advantages of medical tourism in Bangkok.
D．The comparison of medical tourism in Asian countries.
An anxious mother watched as rescuers freed her baby from a muddy well. After being pulled from the well，the baby joyfully ran to its mom as the rescuers took a break.
It was a difficult and potentially dangerous rescue: the baby was an 8-month-old elephant, and at first its mother thought the humans were trying to harm it. The baby elephant fell into the five-foot-deep well near Kenya's Amboseli National Park. Local people had dug the well for water.
It took 30 minutes to remove the trapped elephant. While Vicki Fishlock of the Amboseli Trust for Elephants made a loud shout to frighten the mother away, two men struggled to get a rope around the baby elephant. Once the rope was in place, Fishlock used her jeep to pull the baby out.
Fishlock recognized Zombe, the mother of the trapped baby elephant，from a mark on her ear. She believes that in the end Zombe realized the humans were trying to help.
“Rescues where the elephant’s family members are around are always stressful, and I'm always happy when everyone is safe,” Fishlock said.“The reunions (团聚) always bring tears to my eyes. The depth of their love for each other is one of the things that make elephants so unusual.”
The very next day, another baby elephant fell into the same well. The 3-month-old's family had been driven away from the area by local people. Once it had been rescued, the Amboseli Trust had to send it to an elephant orphanage (孤儿院) in Nairobi, Kenya's capital city.
The rescues showed the plight of elephants across Africa. Elephants are fighting to survive, as conflicts between the animals and humans are increasing. Thousands of elephants are also being killed for their tusks. The tusks are sold in Asia, where ivory trinkets are in high demand.
The Amboseli Trust has been studying elephants and trying to help them since 1972. Fishlock said, “We hope this rescue persuades people that elephants are special and deserve to be protected and treasured.”
1.We can learn from the text that _____.
A．Fishlock had seen the baby elephant before
B．The mother elephant was a great help to rescuers
C．the well was dug by local people to trap elephants
D．the mother elephant was unfriendly at first to the rescuers
2.What causes Fishlock to think that elephants are special?
A．Their trust in humans. B．The deep love between them.
C．Their great ability to survive. D．The good communication between them.
3.What did the two baby elephants have in common?
A．They were both 8 months old. B．They were both rescued by local people.
C．They were both trapped in the same well. D．They were both reunited with their mothers.
4.The underlined word "plight" in Paragraph 7 probably means“______”.
A．a strong personality B．A dangerous situation
C．an annoying habit D．a close relationship
5.What would be the best title for the text?
A．An elephant rescue B．The elephant, an unusual animal
C．An elephant rescue organization D．Conflicts between humans and elephants
"Remember, your father is only one year older than you．" That was Mom's usual excuse when Dad said the 36 things or did something foolish．
Dad 37 drinking exactly one year before I was born．He 38 a group of other people who had also stopped drinking．I loved my dad but I 39 the way his weekly meetings took him away from me．It seemed they were more 40 to him than I was．But with my 41 coming up I thought Dad would make an exception．"Can" t you 42 it just this time? Saturday is my birthday! " I begged him．He 43 , "I'm chairing the meeting this Saturday．We will have your party on Sunday．"
Saturday evening I sat on my bed, feeling 44 for myself．Dad started to leave, then 45 and said, "Why not come with me tonight? It' s an open meeting．All are 46 ．" What would I do at a meeting? But maybe I needed to see why something Dad did every week 47 so much。
After we arrived, Dad announced the 48 of the meeting was going to be gratitude．"Today I'm 49 seventeen years of stopping drinking, " he continued．"One year after quitting drinking I received the most 50 gift of my life, my daughter．I'm so grateful that she has 51 seen me drunk．" Shame washed over me．
Later, a man called Dave also told his 52 ．Only then did I know it was Dad that saved his life from drinking．Dad was the _53_ he was at the meeting that day．Showing up week after week and 54 with people, Dad was changing lives．I was so 55 of him．
1. A．wrong B．kind C．careful D．serious
2. A．considered B．enjoyed C．quitted D．practiced
3. A．encouraged B．joined C．respected D．mentioned
4. A．forgot B．explored C．regretted D．hated
5. A．important B．funny C．successful D．helpful
6. A．exam B．chance C．fortune D．birthday
7. A．change B．replace C．miss D．finish
8. A．declared B．promised C．continued D．refused
9. A．sorry B．ready C．good D．guilty
10. A．parked B．paused C．doubted D．wondered
11. A．surprised B．prepared C．welcome D．excited
12. A．benefited B．required C．offered D．mattered
13. A．theme B．result C．origin D．secret
14. A．facing B．performing C．celebrating D．suffering
15. A．precious B．expensive C．generous D．attractive
16. A．Ever B．never C．nearly D．seldom
17. A．joke B．puzzle C．response D．story
18. A．value B．result C．purpose D．reason
19. A．living B．meeting C．arguing D．moving
20. A．tired B．proud C．fond D．ashamed
There is a general but false assumption _____ intelligent people do better in life.
A．as B．what C．that D．which
Some house plants grow better if placed near a window with plenty of sunlight ______ others prefer to be in a more shaded spot.
A．unless B．since C．when D．while
The doctors are doing all that they _____, but the old man is still not breathing properly.
A．shall B．need C．may D．can
