Passage 3
If you are a male and you are reading this, congratulations: you are a survivor. According to statistics, you are more than twice as likely to die of skin cancer than a woman, and nine times more likely to die of AIDS. Assuming you make it to the end of your natural term, about 78 years for men in Australia, you will die on average five years before a woman.
There are many reasons for this, typically, men take more risks than women and are more likely to drink and smoke but perhaps more importantly, men don't go to the doctor.
“Men aren't seeing doctors as often as they should,” says Dr. Gullotta, “This is particularly so for the over-40s, when diseases tend to strike.”
Gullotta says a healthy man should visit the doctor every year or two. For those over 45, it should be at least once a year.
Two months ago, Gullotta saw a 50-year-old man who had delayed doing anything about his smoker's cough for a year.
When I finally saw him it had already spread and he has since died from lung cancer,” he says, “Earlier detection and treatment may not have cured him, but it would have prolonged his life.”
According to a recent survey, 95% of women aged between 15 and early 40s see a doctor once a year, compared to 70% of men in the same age group.
“A lot of men think they are invincible (不可战胜的),” Gullotta says. “They only come in when a friend drops dead on the golf course and they think, ‘Geez, if it could happen to him, _____’ ”
Then there is the ostrich approach, “some men are scared of what might be there and would rather not know,” says Dr. Ross Cartmill.
“Most men get their cars serviced more regularly than they service their bodies,” Cartmill says. He believes most diseases that commonly affect men could be addressed by preventive check-ups.
“Regular check-ups for men would inevitably place strain (紧张) on the public purse,” Cartmill says. “But prevention is cheaper in the long run than having to treat the diseases. Besides, the ultimate cost is far greater: it is called premature death.”
Why does the author congratulate his male readers at the beginning of the passage?
文章第一段第一句提到“If you are a male and you are reading this, congratulations: you are a survivor.”，后文还提到男性比女性因患癌症 或艾滋病死亡的概率高，男性平均要比女性早死五年。由此可知，作者祝贺看到这篇文章的男性读者，至少他们在看到这篇文章时还活着。故选C。
What does the author state is the most important reason men die five years earlier on average than women?
文章第二段提到“men take more risks than women and are more likely to drink and smoke but perhaps more importantly, men don't go to the doctor.”。由此可知，导致男性平均比女性早死五年的最重要的原 因是男性不去看医生。故选B。
Which of the following best completes the sentence—“Geez, if it could happen to him, ________”? (Iine2, para,8)
前文提到很多男性认为自己是不可战胜的，只有当他们的朋友 死在高尔夫球场上，他们才会想，如果这能发生在他身上，那肯定也 能发生在自己身上。故选A。
What does Dr. Ross Cartmill mean by “the ostrich approach”? (line 1, Para.9)
文章倒数第三段提到“Then there is the ostrich approach, ‘some men are scared of what might be there and would rather not know,’ says Dr. Ross Cartmill.”。由此可知，“鸵鸟态度”就是因为害怕而不愿去弄 清楚到底有没有得病。故选D。
What does Cartmill say about regular check-ups for men?
文章最后一段提到“ ‘Regular check-ups for men would inevitably place strain (紧张) on the public purse,’ Cartmill says.But prevention is cheaper in the long run…”。由此可知，常规检查可能会带来一笔开 支，但从长远看来，常规检查可以预防疾病，比治疗疾病更便宜。故选B。