Medical technology: New frontiers in health care 15111 · 7
EXERCISEReading for interpretation and inferenceFor each of the following statements
from the reading text, choose the answer that is closer in meaning to the boldface word,
phrase, or clause.- “Before computers became ubiquitous, medical records were handwritten and iled in
drawers or cabinets.”
a. Before computers became popular
b. Before computers became common - “In the future, computer networking infrastructure will allow housebound and bedridden
patients to receive medical care without having to go out the door.”
a. without leaving home
b. without walking - “Although robotic technology is still very costly and surgeons face a steep learning curve,
robotic surgery is the future.”
a. have to overcome danger
b. need a long time to master it - “Of course, all of this [telehealth units in homes] will not happen overnight, due to the high
costs of building infrastructure and the time involved, but the long-term savings to the
health care industry and the convenience to patients make the expansion of computer use
inevitable.”
a. this will take a long time
b. this will take a few days - “... we do not ind the idea of robots that clean loors and sterilize surgical instruments or
function as nursing assistants all that far-fetched.”
a. unbelievable
b. far into the future - “On the other side of the technological coin, research in nanotechnology and stem cells is
embarking on a journey that is as controversial as it is mind-boggling.”
a. crazy
b. overwhelming - “Because stem cells know exactly where to go when they are needed in the body and can
live forever if frozen, the sky is the limit in how they could be used.”
a. everything is impossible
b. anything is possible - “Back then, only few could imagine how commonplace organ transplants would become
and how many lives they would save.”
a. usual
b. unusual