Question

    At one time it was the dream of many little girls to become a nurse. 1. Recently about 2,000,000 nurses are needed and 60 percent of all hospitals in the US have shortages, large enough to threaten the quality of care provided.

What has become of these women in white? 2. One possibility is the fact that women have greater career options. In the past, women who chose to work outside the home had two basic choices: nursing or teaching. Today, more women than ever are in the workforce, but their options have greatly increased. 3.In fact, women today are found in nearly every field of work. Nursing has been left behind, as women move on to jobs with higher pay and greater status. A woman or man in the nursing field is often looked down upon as “merely a nurse”. Teachers may be also at fault. 4.

Americans are living longer than ever and requiring more medical attention. 5. Obviously a larger population requires more nurses. AIDS and other diseases have caused more and more people to need nursing care. Usually fatal（致命的）diseases mean long hospital stay, that is to say, more nurses are needed to care for these patients. It is estimated that the demand for nurses will be doubled the supply in the coming ten years.

A.The answer lies in not one but several causes.

B.Many students are actually away from nursing, told by teachers that they are “too bright to be a nurse”.

C.Today, however, many nurses have lost their jobs and led a poor life.

D.There are women doctors, lawyers, firefighters and police officers.

E.Today, however, America is facing its worst nurse shortage since World War I.

F.Women are treated unfairly when applying for jobs for quite a long time.

G.In fact, the number of elderly patients has almost doubled in the past twenty years.

Answer

1.E

2.A

3.D

4.B

5.G

【解析】

本文是一篇说明文。目前，在美国60%的医院护士短缺，将要威胁医疗护理的质量。本文分析了女孩不想当护士的原因。

1.考查对上下文的理解及推理判断能力。根据上句At one time it was the dream of many little girls to become a nurse.（曾经成为一名护士是很多小女孩的梦想）以及下句Recently about 2,000,000 nurses are needed and 60 percent of all hospitals in the US have shortages（近来，需要200万名护士，在美国60%的医院护士短缺）可知。由此可推断出题空处应该是表与前文话题转折且承接下文，因此选项E. Today, however, America is facing its worst nurse shortage since World War I. 然而，今天美国正面临着自从一战以来最严重的护士短缺。符合题意，故选E。

2.考查对上下文的理解及推理判断能力。上句What has become of these women in white?提到这些白衣女士发生了什么呢？接下来应该是回答这个问题，由此可推断出选项A. The answer lies in not one but several causes. 答案可能存在与多个原因。符合题意，故选A。

3.考查对上下文的理解及推理判断能力。根据下文In fact, women today are found in nearly every field of work.可知，实际上在当今社会，女性几乎参与到社会的各个领域。由此可推断出前句应该是讲女性就业选择得到扩大，因此选项D. There are women doctors, lawyers, firefighters and police officers. 有女医生，女律师和女警官。符合题意，故选D。

4.考查对上下文的理解及推理判断能力。根据上文Teachers may be also at fault.（老师也有失误之处）可知接下来应该是讲老师对于越来越的女性当护士这一现象中起到的作用。因此选项 B. Many students are actually away from nursing, told by teachers that they are “too bright to be a nurse”. 被老师告知，你的前途太光明以至于不能当护士，很多学生远离护士行业。符合题意，故选B。

5.考查对上下文的理解及推理判断能力。根据下文Obviously a larger population requires more nurses.(很明显大量的人口需要更多的护士)可知前句应该提到老年病人数量的增加，因此选项G. In fact, the number of elderly patients has almost doubled in the past twenty years. 事实上在过去二十年里老年病人的数量几乎翻倍。符合题意，故选G。