On Wednesday, the Chinese government, decided to increase its medical subsidies(补贴)  for farmers from 10 Yuan (US$1.23) to 20 Yuan (US$2.47) a head a year from 2006.

　　 As part of the country's healthcare reform programme, the co-operative rural （农村）medical system was first introduced in 2003 to set up self-help among farmers on a voluntary basis.  Due to insufficient government input to finance hospitals that are mostly State-owned, the country's healthcare reform has largely turned out to be a failure, adding hugely to the financial burden on the public.

While everyone complains about quickly-rising medical costs, rural residents are suffering more than their urban(城镇) cousins because of a lack of money, as well as not being able to enjoy high quality health services. At present, farmers earn on average only one-third of what urban residents make. Most of the country's medical resources are located in cities even though rural residents make up two-thirds of the population.

　　Poor health conditions make it more difficult to help farmers get out of poverty; and poverty, in turn, refuses farmers the chance to improve their health.　To end this vicious circle, policy-makers tried the co-operative medical system, with a small sum of central and local financial support for each rural participant. But the system has proved to be less than perfect. Due to the limited financial input, the programme still does not benefit the majority of farmers in a significant way. This has reduced many farmers' enthusiasm for participating. A high percentage of involvement is of course a precondition for such a system.

　　The central government intends to expand the programme into a national medical system by 2008. Increasing government subsidies is a necessary step to make the co-operative medical system more attractive to farmers. But an increase of 10 Yuan for each participant is surely far from enough to perfect the system. The total cost is not particularly heavy compared to the rapid growth in government revenue(财政).

　　 Clearly, policy-makers are becoming increasingly aware of how urgent the narrowing of the development gap between rural and urban areas really is. Besides economic policies to push the rural economy, large amount of government investment on improving rural healthcare and education is badly needed.

1. Compared with that in 2006, what will be the rate of coming increase in China’s medical subsidies for farmers?

A. 100%               B. 50%                 C. 200%                      D. 150%

2. What is the reason for the failure in the country’s healthcare reform?

A. Bad management system.        

B. The government didn’t input enough money to support hospitals that are mostly

state-owned.

C. The health conditions in the country is too bad.

D. There are too many farmers that need medical care.

3. What is needed to narrow the development gap between rural and urban areas?

①. Large amount of government investment in economy.

②. Large amount of government investment on improving rural healthcare and education.

③. Economic policies to push the rural economy

④. A high percentage of farmers’ involvement in the medical system

⑤. A better management system

A. ①②③ B. ②③④             C. ①②③④⑤          D. ②③

4. Why are many farmers not enthusiastic in joining the co-operative medical system?

A. It doesn’t benefit most of the farmers in an effective way.

B. They cannot spare the needed money to join the programme.

C. They don’t believe in the system.

D. They don’t think it necessary.

5. What can be inferred from the last but one paragraph?

A. An increase of 10 Yuan in medical subsidies for each person is not enough.

B. The government can afford to increase the medical subsidies for farmers.

C. The government will get farmers of the whole country involved in a medical system by 2008. 

D. If the government increase subsidies, more farmers are likely to join the medical system.