单选题 Now the politics of US health reform is in a mess but the odds on a bill passing in the end are improving. It will not be a tidy thing, but if it moves the country close to universal health insurance the administration will call it a success.
At this moment, that point of view may seem too optimistic. Last Friday, the Democratic leadership in the House of Representatives had hoped to produce a finished bill. But they failed, because the party's fiscal conservatives demanded further savings. House Democrats are also divided on revenue-raising measures.
The Senate is dealing with the same problems: how to contain the cost of expanded insurance coverage, and how to pay for what remains, so that the reform adds nothing to the budget deficit o ver the course of 10 years.
Where the money comes from remains the crucial problem. Apparently, the answer is straight forward: tax employer-provided health benefits. At present, an employer in the U. S. is free from paying tax if he pays the health insurance while an individual purchaser has to buy it with after-tax dollars. This anomaly costs nearly $ 250bn a year in revenue—enough to pay for universal cover age, and then some. Yet many Democrats in both the House and the Senate oppose to ending it. Will there be a breakthrough in terms of that aspect?
However, to get employers out of health insurance should be an aim, not something to be feared. Many US workers have complained that if they lose their job, their health insurance will go with it and tying insurance to employment will undoubtedly worsen the insecurity.
What about high-risk workers who are thrown on to the individual market? If the tax break were abolished as part of a larger reform which obliges insurers to offer affordable coverage to all people regardless of pre-existing conditions, it will not be a problem. It's true this change needs to increase tax, and many people in Congress are reluctant to contemplate in any form. But some kind of increase is inescapable. This one makes more sense than most.
The President should say so. His Republican opponent John McCain called for this change during the election campaign and Mr Obama and other Democrats assailed the idea. So what? Mr. Obama has changed his ideas on other aspects of health reform. For example, it seems that he now prefers an individual mandate to buy insurance. Let us see a similar flexibility on taxing employer provided insurance.

单选题 According to the author, ______.
A. the politics of U. S. health reform is a total failure
B. there is no possibility of passing a bill
C. it's difficult to pass a bill
D. U. S. will achieve universal health insurance

【正确答案】 C

【答案解析】..the odds on a bill passing in the end are improving(最终通过一项法案的可能性正在上升)”可知，选项A和B不正确。由第一段最后一句“It will not be a tidy thing, but if it moves the country close to universal health insurance the administration will call it a success. (法案不会一步到位，但如果它能使美国向全民医疗保险迈进，政府就会称其是成功的。)”可知，作者并不认为美国最后一定能实现全民医疗保险，作者只是认为虽然法案很难通过，但倘若它能使美国向全民医疗保险迈进，对于奥巴马政府而言，就是成功。所以，本题选择C。

单选题 In the author's opinion, which of the following is "revenue-raising measures" ?
A. Tax employer-provided health benefits.
B. Tax individual-purchased health insurance.
C. Ending taxing employer-provided health benefits.
D. Ending taxing individual-purchased health insurance.

【正确答案】 A

【答案解析】由第四段第二句“Apparently, the answer is straightforward: tax employer-provided health benefits. (从表面上看，答案一目了然：对雇主提供的医疗保险征税。)”可知，作者认为“对雇主提供的医疗保险征税”是提高财政收入的一个办法。由第四段第四句中的“anomaly(反常)”可知，作者并不赞同对个人购买医疗保险征税，所以选项B不正确。选项C和D都不是提高财政收入的办法。所以，本题选择A。

单选题 Why did the author say that to get employers out of health insurance should be an aim?
A. Because employers evaded paying taxes.
B. Because tying insurance to employment was bad to workers.
C. Because it's illegal for employers to provide health insurance.
D. Because the administration needed to raise revenue.

【正确答案】 B

【答案解析】选项A“因为雇主逃税，”文中没有提到这一点。由第五段第二句“Many US workers have complained that if they lose their job, their health insurance will go with it and tying insurance to employment will undoubtedly worsen the Insecurity. (美国许多员工都在抱怨：失去了工作，也就失去了保险。将保险与就业捆绑在一起，毫无疑问会加剧这种不安全感。)”可知，选项B正确。选项C“因为雇主提供医疗保险违法，”文中没有提到这一点。选项D“因为政府需要提高财政收入”，让雇主脱离医疗保险并不能增加财政收入。所以，本题选择B。

单选题 What does the author feel about President's preference to an individual's buying insurance?
A. Going back on his word. B. Stubborn.
C. Flexible. D. Short-sighted.

【正确答案】 C

【答案解析】本题要求考生在通读最后一段的基础上进行判断。由最后一段可知，作者赞同奥巴马的立场，认为奥巴马改变立场，表现出了灵活姿态。Going back on his word. “食言、违背诺言”；stubborn“固执的”；short-sighted“目光短浅的”。选项A，B和D均不符合。所以，本题选择C。

单选题 What "change" did John McCain once called for during the election campaign?
A. Increasing tax.
B. Obliging insurers to offer affordable coverage to all people regardless of pre-existing conditions.
C. Insurance should be bought by individual instead of being provided by employers.
D. To get employers out of health insurance.

【正确答案】 A

【答案解析】由第六段最后两句“But some kind of increase is inescapable This one makes mote sense than most(但某种形式的增税是不可避免的。这种形式比其他大多数形式都更有意义。)”可知，第七段作者提到的美国总统应该说的观点和约翰?麦凯恩在竞选时曾经呼吁的改变指的是“增加税收”。选项B只是作者认为解决被迫进入零售市场的高风险员工医疗保险的一个办法。由第七段第五句“For example, it seems that he now prefer an individual mandate to buy insurance. (比如，他目前似乎更倾向于要求个人购买保险。)”可知，选项C是奥巴马改变立场后的一个观点。由第五段第一句“However, to get employers out of health insurance should be an aim, not something to be feared. (但是，计雇主脱离医疗保险应该是个目标，而非值得畏惧的事情。)”可知，选项D是作者的一个观点。所以，本题选样A。