Passage 7

Just seven years ago, the Jarvik-7 artificial heart was being cheered as the model of human creativeness.The sight of Barney Clark Glark —— alive and conscious after trading his diseased heart for a metal-and-plastic pump ——convinced the press, the public and many doctors than the future had arrived.It hadn't.After monitoring production of the Jarvik—7, and receiving its effects on the 150 or so patients (most of whom got the device as a temporary measure), the U.S.Food and Drug Administration concluded that the machine was doing more to endanger lives than to save them.Last week the agency canceled its earlier approval.effectively banning the device.

The recall may hurt Symbin Inc., maker of the Jarvik—7, but it won't end the request for an artificial heart.One problem with the banned model is that the tubes connecting it to an external power source created a passage for infection.Inventors are now working on new devices that would be fully placed, along with a tiny power pack, in the patient's chest.The first sampleproducts aren't expected for another 10 or 20 years.But some people are already worrying that

they'll work —— and that America's overextended health — care programs will lose a precious $2.5 billion to $5 billion a year providing them for a relatively few dying patients.If such expenditures cut into funding for more basic care, the net effect could actually be a decline in the nation's health.

  1. According to the passage the Jarvik—7 artificial heart proved to be .

    1. a good life—saver

    2. a technical wonder

    3. a technical failure

    4. an effective means to treat heart disease.

  2. From the passage we know that Symbin Inc. .

    1. has been banned by the government from producing artificial

      hearts

    2. will review the effects of artificial hearts before designing

      new models

    3. may continue to work on new models of reliable artificial hearts

    4. can make new models of artificial hearts available on the market

      in 10 to 20 years

  3. The new models of artificial hearts are expected .

    1. to have a working life of 10 or 20 years

    2. to be set fully in the patient's chest

    3. to be equipped with an external power source

    4. to create a new passage for infection

  4. The word "they" in Line 8, Para.2 refers to .

    1. doctors who treat heart diseases

    2. new models of artificial hearts

    3. America's health—care programs

    4. makers of artificial hearts

  5. Some people feel that .

    1. artificial hearts are seldom effective

    2. the country is not spending enough money on artificial hearts

    3. the country should not spend so much money on artificial hearts

    4. America's heath—care programs are not doing enough for the

      nation's health.