Health Care in the USHealth care in the US is well-known but very expensive. Paying the doctor"s bill after a major illness or accident can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.In the US, a person"s company, not the government, pays for health insurance. Employers have contracts with insurance companies, which pay for all or part of employees "doctors" bills.The amount that the insurance company will pay out to a patient differs wildly. It all depends on what insurance the employer pays. The less the boss pays to the insurance company, the more the employee has to pay the hospital each time he or she gets sick. In 2004, the average worker paid an extra US $558 a year, according to a San Francisco report.The system also means many Americans fall through the cracks (遭遗漏). In 2004, only 61 per cent of the population received health insurance through their employers, according to the report. The unemployed, self-employed, part-time workers and graduated students with no jobs were not included.Most US university students have a gap between their last day of school and their first day on the job. Often, they are no longer protected by their parents" insurance because they are now considered independent adults. They also cannot buy university health insurance because they are no longer students.Another group that falls through the gap of the US system is international students. All are required to have health insurance and cannot begin their classes without it. But exact policies (保险单) differ from school to school.Most universities work with health insurance companies and sell their own standard plan for students. Often, buying the school plan is required, but luckily it"s also cheaper than buying direct from the insurance company. The health care system in the US takes care of everyone in the country.
A. Right
B. Wrong
C. Not mentioned
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Smoking Can Increase Depressive Symptoms in TeensWhile some teenagers may puff on cigarettes to "self-medicate" (自我治疗) against the blues (忧郁), scientists at the University of Toronto and the University of Montreal have found that smoking may actually 1 depressive symptoms in some teens."This observational study is one of the few to examine the perceived 2 benefits of smoking among teens," says lead researcher Michael Chariton, a research associate at the Ontario Tobacco Research Unit of the University of Toronto. " 3 cigarettes may appear to have self-medicating effects or to improve mood, in the long 4 we found that teens who started to smoke reported higher depressive symptoms. "As part of the study, some 662 high school teenagers completed up to 20 questionnaires about their use of cigarettes to 5 mood. Secondary schools were selected to provide a mix of French and English participants, urban and rural schools, and schools 6 in high, moderate and low socioeconomic neighborhoods.Participants were divided into three 7 : never smokers; smokers who did not use cigarettes to self-medicate improve mood or physical 8 ; smokers who used cigarettes to self-medicate. Depressive symptoms were measured using a scale that asked how often participants felt too tired to do things; had 9 going to sleep or staying asleep; felt unhappy, sad, or depressed; felt hopeless about the future; felt anxious or tense; and worried too much about things."Smokers who used cigarettes as mood 10 had higher risks of elevated (提升) depressive symptoms 11 teens who had never smoked," says co-researcher Jennifer O"Loughlin, a professor at the University of Montreal Department of Social and Preventive Medicine. "Our study found that teen smokers who reported emotional benefits from smoking are 12 higher risk of depressive symptoms."The 13 between depression and smoking exits 14 among that use cigarettes to feel better. " It"s 15 to emphasize that depressive symptom scores were higher among teenagers who reported emotional benefits from smoking after they began to smoke," says Dr. Chariton.
A. beauty
B. state
C. world
D. activity
Smoking Can Increase Depressive Symptoms in TeensWhile some teenagers may puff on cigarettes to "self-medicate" (自我治疗) against the blues (忧郁), scientists at the University of Toronto and the University of Montreal have found that smoking may actually 1 depressive symptoms in some teens."This observational study is one of the few to examine the perceived 2 benefits of smoking among teens," says lead researcher Michael Chariton, a research associate at the Ontario Tobacco Research Unit of the University of Toronto. " 3 cigarettes may appear to have self-medicating effects or to improve mood, in the long 4 we found that teens who started to smoke reported higher depressive symptoms. "As part of the study, some 662 high school teenagers completed up to 20 questionnaires about their use of cigarettes to 5 mood. Secondary schools were selected to provide a mix of French and English participants, urban and rural schools, and schools 6 in high, moderate and low socioeconomic neighborhoods.Participants were divided into three 7 : never smokers; smokers who did not use cigarettes to self-medicate improve mood or physical 8 ; smokers who used cigarettes to self-medicate. Depressive symptoms were measured using a scale that asked how often participants felt too tired to do things; had 9 going to sleep or staying asleep; felt unhappy, sad, or depressed; felt hopeless about the future; felt anxious or tense; and worried too much about things."Smokers who used cigarettes as mood 10 had higher risks of elevated (提升) depressive symptoms 11 teens who had never smoked," says co-researcher Jennifer O"Loughlin, a professor at the University of Montreal Department of Social and Preventive Medicine. "Our study found that teen smokers who reported emotional benefits from smoking are 12 higher risk of depressive symptoms."The 13 between depression and smoking exits 14 among that use cigarettes to feel better. " It"s 15 to emphasize that depressive symptom scores were higher among teenagers who reported emotional benefits from smoking after they began to smoke," says Dr. Chariton.
A. financial
B. material
C. emotional
D. political
The Slowing EconomyWhen it comes to the slowing economy, Ellen Spero isn"t biting her nails just yet. But the 47-year-old manicurist isn"t cutting, filing or polishing as many nails as she"d like to, either. Most of her clients spend $12 to $50 weekly, but last month two longtime customers suddenly stopped showing up. Spero blames the softening economy. "I"m a good economic indicator," she says. "I provide a service that people can do without when they"re concerned about saving some dollars." So Spero is downscaling, shopping at middle-brow Dillard"s department store near her suburban Cleveland home, instead of Neiman Marcus. "I don"t know if other clients are going to abandon me, too," she says.Even before Alan Greenspan"s admission that America"s red-hot economy is cooling, lots of working folks had already seen signs of the slowdown themselves. From car dealerships to Gap outlets, sales have been lagging for months as shoppers temper their spending. For retailers, who last year took in 24 percent of their revenue between Thanksgiving and Christmas, the cautious approach is coming at a crucial time. Already, experts say, holiday sales are off 7 percent from last year"s pace. But don"t sound any alarms just yet. Consumers seem only mildly concerned, not panicked, and many say they remain optimistic about the economy"s long-term prospects, even as they do some modest belt-tightening.Consumers say they"re not in despair because, despite the dreadful headlines, their own fortunes still feel pretty good. Home prices are holding steady in most regions. In Manhattan, "there"s a new gold rush happening in the $4 million to $10 million range, predominantly fed by Wall Street bonuses," says broker Barbara Corcoran. In San Francisco, prices are still rising even as frenzied overbidding quiets. "Instead of 20 to 30 offers, now maybe you only get two or three," says John Tealdi, a Bay Area real-estate broker. And most folks still feel pretty comfortable about their ability to find and keep a job.Many folks see silver linings to this slowdown. Potential home buyers would cheer for lower interest rates. Employers wouldn"t mind a little fewer bubbles in the job market. Many consumers seem to have been influenced by stock-market swings, which investors now view as a necessary ingredient to a sustained boom. Diners might see an upside, too. Getting a table at Manhattan"s hot new Alain Ducasse restaurant used to be impossible. Not anymore. For that, Greenspan & Co. may still be worth toasting. Why can many people see "silver linings" to the economic slowdown
A. They would benefit in certain ways.
B. The stock market shows signs of recovery.
C. Such a slowdown usually precedes a boom.
D. The purchasing power would be enhanced.
U.S. Life Expectancy Hits New HighLife expectancy rates in the United States are at an all-time high, with people born in 2005 projected to live for nearly 78 years, a new federal study finds.The finding reflects a continuing trend of increasing life expectancy that began in 1955, when the average American lived to be 69.6 years old. By 1995, life expectancy was 75.8 years, and by 2005, it had risen to 77.9 years, according to the report released Wednesday."This is good news", said report coauthor Donna Hoyert, a health scientist at the National Center for Health Statistics. "It"s even beer news that it is a continuation of trends, so it is a long period of continuing improvement."Despite the upward trend, the United States still has a lower life expectancy than some 40 other countries, according to the U. S. Census (人口普查) Bureau. The country with the longest life expectancy is Andorra at 83.5 years, followed by Japan, Macau, San Marino and Singapore.Much of the increase owes to declining death rates from the three leading causes of death in the country-heart disease, cancer and stroke.In addition, in 2005, the U. S. death rate dropped to an all-time low of less than 800 deaths per 100,000.Dr. David Katz director of the Prevention Research Center at Yale University School of Medicine, said, "News that life expectancy is increasing is, of course, good. But the evidence we have suggests that there is more chronic disease than ever in the U. S."Adding years to life is a good thing, Katz said. "But adding vital life to years is at least equally important. If we care about living well, and not just longer, we still have our work cut out for us." he said. The expression "adding vital life to years" in the last paragraph means ______.
A. living well
B. living longer
C. living longer and well
D. living at any cost