Not long ago, many doctors in the West laughed at the suggestion that they might learn something
from traditional Asian systems of healing. Most of them thought that Asian herbal (药草的) medicine
and acupuncture(针灸) were believed in only by people who knew no better. Western doctors
relied mainly on chemical cures as the safest and surest way to treat illnesses. The scientific age of
antibiotics(抗生素), 'miracle drugs' and heart transplants encouraged the public to that there must be
a pill for every illness. It was true that often the drug companies prov ided what the public wanted: a
speedy temporary cure and didnot remove the real cause of the illness. Moreover, some people actually
became ill through taking too much medicine.
Many people in the West are now beginning to look for more natural cures for their illnesses and
often they turn to the ancient wisdom of the East. There are some doctors in Britain now who offer their
patients acupuncture treatment. Recently an Indian company which produces a natural medicine based
on the biba root has sold some to Germany. The World Health Organization(WHO) encourages
doctors not to rely too greatly on expensive Western medicines but to choose them carefully and use
also their traditional herbal cures.
The mixture of Eastern and Western medicine has been practiced very successfully in China. China is
still the only country in the world where the traditional doctor using herbal medicine and acupuncture is
as respected as the Western-trained doctor. Through China all types of doctors are expected to work
together. Western-style doctors are required to take at least a one-year course in traditional medicine,
and the acupunctures must also study the basics ofwestern medicine. China's way of 'having the best
of both worlds' has greatly impressed many visiting doctors from the West.
Experts from the WHO have decided that the time has come to study herbal medicine very carefully
and to decide, by carefully controlled scientific experiments, what good these medicine might do. They
are especially interested in finding cures for illnesses which Western medicine has found 'incurable'. Six
WHO units have been set up in Hong Kong, Seoul, Sri Lanka, London and Chicago, and so far the
results have been encouraging.
1. What conclusion can we draw from the first paragraph?
A. Miracle drugs are born with science.
B. Chemical cures have got some side-effects if taken too much.
C. Chemical cures are better than Asian systems of healing because of its immediate response.
D. Drug companies are willing to meet the public demands.
2. What is the true reason for Western doctors to turn to the ancient wisdom of the East ?
A. Herbal medicine are less expensive.
B. Western medicines can't work very well in some areas.
C. China has already set a good example of combining Eastern and Western medicines.
D. All of the above.
3. What do you think a Chinese doctor should learn?
A. Chinese medicine only.
B. Western medicine only.
C. Both with different emphasis.
D. Both equally.