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Many people seem to think that science fiction is typified by the covers of some of the old pulp ...
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Knockeddownbyaspeedingcar_________________________
many people didn’t think he was still alive
the car was stopped by a policeman
he was rushed to a nearby hospital
a stranger hurried over to help him
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阅读短文回答问题Whatdoyoudotorelax?DoyouwatchTV?Doyoureada
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ManyvisitorsfindsthefastpaceatwhichAmericanpeoplem
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Americans are impatient and unfriendly people
the fast pace in American life often causes much trouble
American city people seem to be always in a rush
ComputersareveryimportanttomodernlifE.Manypeopleth
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Mostpeoplewouldbe1bythehighqualityofmedicine2tomostAmericans.Thereisalotofspecializationagreatdealof3totheindividuala4amountofadvancedtechnicalequipmentand5effortnottomakemistakesbecauseofthefinancialriskwhichdoctorsandhospitalsmust6inthecourtsifthey7thingsbadly. ButtheAmericansareinamess.Theproblemisthewayin8healthcareisorganizedand9.10topubicbeliefitisnotjustafreecompetitionsystem.Theprivatesystemhasbeenjoinedalargepublicsystembecauseprivatecarewassimplynot11thelessfortunateandtheelderly. Butevenwiththishugepublicpartofthesystem12thisyearwilleatup84.5billiondollars—morethan10percentoftheU.S.Budget—largenumberofAmericansareleft13.Theseincludeabouthalfthe11millionunemployedandthosewhofailtomeetthestrictlimits14incomefixedbyagovernmenttryingtomakesavingswhereitcan. Thebasicproblemhoweveristhatthereisnocentralcontrol15thehealthsystem.Thereisno16towhatdoctorsandhospitalschargefortheirservicesotherthanwhatthepublicisabletopay.Thenumberofdoctorshasshotupandpriceshaveclimbed.Whenfacedwithtoothacheasickchildoraheartattackalltheunfortunatepersonsconcernedcandois17up.Twothirdsofthepopulation18coveredbymedicalinsurance.Doctorschargeasmuchastheywant19thattheinsurancecompanywillpaythebill. TherisingcostofmedicineintheU.S.A.isamongthemostworryingproblemsfacingthecountry.In1981thecountry’shealthbillclimbed15.9percent--abouttwiceasfastasprices20general. 4
AlthoughtherearemanyskillfulBraillereadersthousandsofotherblindpeoplefinditdifficulttolearnthatsystem.Theyaretherebyshut1fromtheworldofbooksandnewspapershavingto2onfriendstoreadaloudtothem. AyoungscientistnamedRaymondKurzweilhasnowdesignedacomputerwhichisamajor3inprovidingaidtothe4.HismachineCyclopshasacamerathat5anypageinterpretstheprintintosoundsandthendeliversthemorallyinarobot-like6throughaspeaker.Bypressingtheappropriatebuttons7Cyclops’skeyboardablindpersoncan"read"any8documentintheEnglishlanguage. Thisremarkableinventionrepresentsatremendous9forwardintheeducationofthehandicapped.AtpresentCyclopscosts$50000.10Mr.Kurzweilandhisassociatesarepreparingasmaller11improvedversionthatwillsell12lessthanhalfthatprice.WithinafewyearsKurzweil13thepricerangewillbelowenoughforeveryschoolandlibraryto14one.MichaelHingsonDirectoroftheNationalFederationfortheBlindhopesthat15willbeabletobuyhome16ofCyclopsforthepriceofagoodtelevisionset. Mr.Hingson’sorganizationpurchasedfivemachinesandisnowtestingtheminMarylandColoradoIowaCaliforniaandNewYork.Blindpeoplehavebeen17inthosetestsmakinglotsof18suggestionstotheengineerswhohelpedtoproduceCyclops. "Thisisthefirsttimethatblindpeoplehaveeverdoneindividualstudies19aproductwasputonthemarket"Hingsonsaid."Mostmanufacturersbelievedthathavingtheblindhelptheblindwasliketellingdisabledpeopletoteachotherdisabledpeople.Inthat20themanufacturershavebeentheblindones. 18
Anynormalspecieswouldbedelightedattheprospectofcloning.NomorenastysurpriseslikesicklecellorDownsyndrome--justbatchafterbatchofhigh-gradeandgeneticallyspeakingimmortaloffspring!ButrepresentativesofthehumanspeciesarerespondingasifsomeonehadproposedaddingSatanismtothegrade-schoolCurriculum.Suddenlyperfectlysecularfolksarethrowingaroundwordslikesanctityandretrievingmedieval-eraargumentsagainsttheprideofscience.Noonehasproposedburninghimatthestakebutthepoorfellowwhoinducedahumanembryotodoubleitselfhasvirtuallyrecantedproclaiminghisreverenceforhumanlifeinavoicethismagazinereported"chokingwithemotion." Thereisanelementofhypocrisytomuchoftheanti-cloningfurororifnothypocrisysuperstition.Thefactiswearealreadywelldownthepathleadingtogeneticmanipulationofthecreepiestsort.Life-formscanbepatentedwhichmeanstheycanbeboughtandsoldandpotentiallytradedonthecommoditiesmarkets.Humanembryosarelife-formsandthereisnothingtostopanyonefrommarketingthemnowonthesameshelfwiththeCabbagePatchdolls. Infactanyculturethatencouragesinvitrofertilizationhasnorighttocomplainaboutamarketinembryos.Theassumptionbehindtheinvitroindustryisthatsomepeople’sgeneticmaterialisworthmorethanothers’anddeservestobereproducedatanyexpense.Millionsoflow-incomebabiesdieeveryyearfrompreventableillslikedysenterywhileheroiceffortsgointomaintainingyuppiezygotesintesttubesattheunicellularstage.Thisisthedread"nightmare”ofeugenicsinfamiliarmarketplaceformwhichinvolvesbreedingthebest-paidinsteadofthebest.Cloningtechnologyisanalmostinevitablebyproductofinvitrofertilization.Onceyoudecidetogotothetroubleofinvitrowithitspotentiallyhazardousmegadosesofhormonesforthefemalepartnerandvariousindignitiesforthemaleyoumightaswellmakeafewbackupcopiesofanyviableembryothat’sproduced.Andonceyou’vegotthebackuporgancopieswhynotkeepafewinthefreezerincaseJunioreverneedsanewkidneyorcornea Thecriticsofcloningsayweshouldknowwhatwe’regettingintowithallitsOrwellianimplications.Butifwedecidetooutlawcloningweshouldunderstandtheimplicationsofthat.Wewouldbesayingineffectthatweprefertoleavegeneticdestinytothecrapshootingofnaturedespitesickle-cellanemiaandTay-Sachsandalltherestbecauseultimatelywedon’ttrustthemarkettoregulatelifeitself.Andthismaybethehardestthingofalltoacknowledge:thatitisn’tsomuch21stcenturytechnologywefearaswhatwillhappentothattechnologyinthehandsofold-fashioned20thcenturycapitalism. Welearnfromthefirstparagraphthat
TheearliestevidenceofstandardizedtestingbasedonmeritcomesfromChinaduringtheHandynasty.TheconceptofastateruledbymenofabilityandvirtuewasanoutgrowthofConfucianphilosophy.StandardizedtestinghasnottraditionallybeenapartofEuropeanpedagogy.Basedontheskepticalandopen-endedtraditionofdebateinheritedfromAncientGreeceWesternacademiafavoredtheessay.TheuseofstandardizedtestingintheUnitedStatesisa20thcenturyphenomenonwithitsoriginsinWorldWarI. Oneofthemainadvantagesofstandardizedtestingisthattheresultscanbeempiricallydocumented;thereforethetestscorescanbeshowntohavearelativedegreeofvalidityandreliabilityaswellasresultswhicharegeneralizableandreplicable.Thisisoftencontrastedwithgradesonaschooltranscriptwhichareassignedbyindividualteachers.Anotheradvantageisaggregation.Awelldesignedstandardizedtestprovidesanassessmentofanindividual’smasteryofadomainofknowledgeorskillwhichatsomelevelofaggregationwillprovideusefulinformation. Thoughmanyeducatorsrecognizethatstandardizedtestshaveaplaceintoolsusedtoassessstudentachievementcriticsfeelthatoveruseandmisuseofthesetestsishavingseriousnegativeconsequencesonteachingandlearning.Thetemptationistousetheteststodefinecurriculumandfocusinstruction.Whatisnottestedisnottaughtandhowthesubjectistestedbecomesamodelforhowtoteachthesubject.Moreoverstandardizedtestscoresareproblematictoolsforschoolaccountabilitybecausetheexamineescoresareinfluencedbythreethings:whatkidslearninschoolwhatkidslearnoutsideofschoolandinnateintelligence.Criticsbelievethisisnotpossible.Whileitispossibletouseastandardizedtestandnotletitslimitscontrolcurriculumandinstructionthiscanresultinaschoolputtingitselfatriskforproducinglowertestscoreswithnegativepoliticalconsequences. Somecriticssaythatsomechildrendonotdowellonstandardizedtestsdespitemasteryofthematerialduetotestinganxietyorlackoftimemanagementortest-takingskills.Thisreflectsthefactthattestscannotdirectlymeasurestudentknowledgeonlytheabilityofstudentstoapplyknowledgeinastressfulsituation. Someparentsarewillingtopaythousandsofdollarstopreparetheirchildrenfortestsafinancialbarrierthatmaygivechildrenofmorewealthyparentsanadvantagecomparedtolessaffluentfamilies.Howeverthiscriticismwouldprobablyapplyevenmoretotestingalternativessuchasportfoliosoressays.Manystudiesalsoshowthattestcoachinghaslittleeffectonscoresonwell-buihtests.Theabilityofwealthyfamiliestopayforhigher-qualityeducationisnotspecificallyrelatedtostandardizedtesting. Whichoneofthefollowingisastatementaboutthedisadvantagesofstandardizedtesting
TheearliestevidenceofstandardizedtestingbasedonmeritcomesfromChinaduringtheHandynasty.TheconceptofastateruledbymenofabilityandvirtuewasanoutgrowthofConfucianphilosophy.StandardizedtestinghasnottraditionallybeenapartofEuropeanpedagogy.Basedontheskepticalandopen-endedtraditionofdebateinheritedfromAncientGreeceWesternacademiafavoredtheessay.TheuseofstandardizedtestingintheUnitedStatesisa20thcenturyphenomenonwithitsoriginsinWorldWarI. Oneofthemainadvantagesofstandardizedtestingisthattheresultscanbeempiricallydocumented;thereforethetestscorescanbeshowntohavearelativedegreeofvalidityandreliabilityaswellasresultswhicharegeneralizableandreplicable.Thisisoftencontrastedwithgradesonaschooltranscriptwhichareassignedbyindividualteachers.Anotheradvantageisaggregation.Awelldesignedstandardizedtestprovidesanassessmentofanindividual’smasteryofadomainofknowledgeorskillwhichatsomelevelofaggregationwillprovideusefulinformation. Thoughmanyeducatorsrecognizethatstandardizedtestshaveaplaceintoolsusedtoassessstudentachievementcriticsfeelthatoveruseandmisuseofthesetestsishavingseriousnegativeconsequencesonteachingandlearning.Thetemptationistousetheteststodefinecurriculumandfocusinstruction.Whatisnottestedisnottaughtandhowthesubjectistestedbecomesamodelforhowtoteachthesubject.Moreoverstandardizedtestscoresareproblematictoolsforschoolaccountabilitybecausetheexamineescoresareinfluencedbythreethings:whatkidslearninschoolwhatkidslearnoutsideofschoolandinnateintelligence.Criticsbelievethisisnotpossible.Whileitispossibletouseastandardizedtestandnotletitslimitscontrolcurriculumandinstructionthiscanresultinaschoolputtingitselfatriskforproducinglowertestscoreswithnegativepoliticalconsequences. Somecriticssaythatsomechildrendonotdowellonstandardizedtestsdespitemasteryofthematerialduetotestinganxietyorlackoftimemanagementortest-takingskills.Thisreflectsthefactthattestscannotdirectlymeasurestudentknowledgeonlytheabilityofstudentstoapplyknowledgeinastressfulsituation. Someparentsarewillingtopaythousandsofdollarstopreparetheirchildrenfortestsafinancialbarrierthatmaygivechildrenofmorewealthyparentsanadvantagecomparedtolessaffluentfamilies.Howeverthiscriticismwouldprobablyapplyevenmoretotestingalternativessuchasportfoliosoressays.Manystudiesalsoshowthattestcoachinghaslittleeffectonscoresonwell-buihtests.Theabilityofwealthyfamiliestopayforhigher-qualityeducationisnotspecificallyrelatedtostandardizedtesting. Whatisthemainideaofparagraph5
Mostpeoplewouldbe1bythehighqualityofmedicine2tomostAmericans.Thereisalotofspecializationagreatdealof3totheindividuala4amountofadvancedtechnicalequipmentand5effortnottomakemistakesbecauseofthefinancialriskwhichdoctorsandhospitalsmust6inthecourtsifthey7thingsbadly. ButtheAmericansareinamess.Theproblemisthewayin8healthcareisorganizedand9.10topubicbeliefitisnotjustafreecompetitionsystem.Theprivatesystemhasbeenjoinedalargepublicsystembecauseprivatecarewassimplynot11thelessfortunateandtheelderly. Butevenwiththishugepublicpartofthesystem12thisyearwilleatup84.5billiondollars—morethan10percentoftheU.S.Budget—largenumberofAmericansareleft13.Theseincludeabouthalfthe11millionunemployedandthosewhofailtomeetthestrictlimits14incomefixedbyagovernmenttryingtomakesavingswhereitcan. Thebasicproblemhoweveristhatthereisnocentralcontrol15thehealthsystem.Thereisno16towhatdoctorsandhospitalschargefortheirservicesotherthanwhatthepublicisabletopay.Thenumberofdoctorshasshotupandpriceshaveclimbed.Whenfacedwithtoothacheasickchildoraheartattackalltheunfortunatepersonsconcernedcandois17up.Twothirdsofthepopulation18coveredbymedicalinsurance.Doctorschargeasmuchastheywant19thattheinsurancecompanywillpaythebill. TherisingcostofmedicineintheU.S.A.isamongthemostworryingproblemsfacingthecountry.In1981thecountry’shealthbillclimbed15.9percent--abouttwiceasfastasprices20general. 8
ThefirstmentionofslaveryinthestatutesoftheEnglishcoloniesofNorthAmericadoesnotoccuruntilafter1660--somefortyyearsaftertheimportationofthefirstBlackpeople.LestwethinkthatslaveryexistedinfactbeforeitdidinlawOscarandMarySimonassureusthatthestatusofBlackpeopledowntothe1660’swasthatofservants.46AcritiqueoftheSimons’interpretationofwhylegalslaverydidnotappearuntilthe1660’ssuggeststhatassumptionsabouttherelationbetweenslaveryandracialprejudiceshouldbereexaminedandthatexplanationsforthedifferenttreatmentofBlackslavesinNorthandSouthAmericashouldbeexpanded.47TheSimonsexplaintheappearanceoflegalslaverybycontendingthatduringthe1660’sthepositionofWhiteservantswasimprovingrelativetothatofBlackservants.ThustheSimonsargueBlackandWhiteservantsheretoforetreatedalikeeachattainedadifferentstatus.Therearehoweverimportantobjectionstothisargument.FirsttheSimonscannotadequatelydemonstratethattheWhiteservant’spositionwasimprovingduringandafterthe1660’s;severalactsoftheMarylandandVirginialegislaturesindicateotherwise.AnotherflawintheSimons’interpretationistheirassumptionthatpriortotheestablishmentoflegalslaverytherewasnodiscriminationagainstBlackpeople.Itistruethatbeforethe1660’sBlackpeoplewererarelycalledslaves.Butthisshouldnotovershadowevidencefromthe1630’sonthatpointstoracialdiscriminationwithoutusingthetermslavery.Suchdiscriminationsometimesstoppedshortoflifetimeservitudeorinheritedstatus--thetwoattributesoftrueslavery--yetinothercasesitincludedboth.48TheSimons’argumentexcludestherealpossibilitythatBlackpeopleintheEnglishcolonieswerenevertreatedastheequalsofWhitepeople.Thispossibilityhasimportantramifications.49IffromtheoutsetBlackpeoplewerediscriminatedagainstthenlegalslaveryshouldbeviewedasareflectionandanextensionofracialprejudiceratherthanasmanyhistoriansincludingtheSimonshavearguedthecauseofprejudice.InadditiontheexistenceofdiscriminationbeforetheadventoflegalslaveryoffersafurtherexplanationfortheharshertreatmentofBlackslavesinNorththaninSouthAmerica.50FreyandTerryhaverightlyarguedthatthelackofcertaintraditionsinNorthAmerica--suchasaRomanconceptionofslaveryandaRomanCatholicemphasisonequality--explainswhythetreatmentofBlackslaveswasmoreseveretherethanintheSpanishandPortuguesecoloniesofSouthAmerica.Butthiscannotbethewholeexplanationsinceitismerelynegativebasedonlyonalackofsomething.
[A]Storytellersfromantiquityknewthepowerofstar-crossedromanceandsodidAudreyNiffenegger.Her2003bestsellerTheTimeTraveler’sWifeissoplangentataleoffatallovewithtwoadorablepeoplefightingtobeattheoddsagainstthem.[B]Henryyouseehasthegiftorcurseoftime-traveling:disappearingfromonetemporalandspatialrealitytopopupnakedinanother.Thisscience-fictiontropewillbefamiliartofansofTheTerminatorbutHenryisnoaction-fantasygod.He’sjustaguywhosebodyhasawanderlusthecan’tharness.That’swhyashetellsthebesottedClareIneverwantedanythinginmylifethatIcouldn’tstandlosing.Ofcoursethey’redestinedtobeeachother’soneandonlyloves.[C]MyfriendandneighborthefilmmakerAlanWadehasaprovocativeexplanationforwhyTitanicstrucksuchastrongandreverberantchordwithhundredsofmillionsofmoviegoersespeciallywomen:theherodies.OKthatbreaksacardinalruleofmovieromance:thattheloverskisshappilyatthefinalfade-out.Mostexamplesofthegenreendwiththatrosyimageinpartbecausetheirmakersarereluctanttobumouttheiraudience.[D]HenryEricBanawhoworksinaChicagopubliclibraryisinthereadingroomwhenawomanhe’snevermetwalksuptohimandsaysdewilyI’velovedyouallmylife.She’sClareRachelMcAdamsayoungartistandinherpast--Henry’sfuture-hehasvisitedherandwonherundyingdevotion.[E]JamesCameronmusthavebeentemptedtoendhisfilmwithLeonardoDiCaprio’sJacksurvivingtheship’ssinkingandenjoyingalonglifewithKateWinslet’sRose.[F]Thatit’ssurprisingittooksixyearsforittogettothebigscreen.Maybeprospectiveproducerswerereluctanttobucktheprevailingwisdomofaconventionalhappyending.AnywayhereisthefilmversiondirectedbyRobertSchwentke.It’ssoppyenoughtosuittherequirementsoftheweepiegenreandthere’samusicscorethattriestocuealltheemotionsinviewersasifthey’reincapableoflocatingtheirownfeelings.Butthemoviealsohasanachingsoliditythatallowsyoutosurrendertoitscuddly-creepyfeelingswithouthatingyourselfinthemorning.[G]ButCameronrealizedthatbykillingoffJackhewasraisingthemovie’sstakesfromdomesticplatitudetoclassicromantictragedy.Jack’sdeathstampedbothfinalityandimmortalityonthelovers’shipboardtryst.Becauseheisgonetheirlovewillliveforever.Order:[*]
Mostpeoplewouldbe1bythehighqualityofmedicine2tomostAmericans.Thereisalotofspecializationagreatdealof3totheindividuala4amountofadvancedtechnicalequipmentand5effortnottomakemistakesbecauseofthefinancialriskwhichdoctorsandhospitalsmust6inthecourtsifthey7thingsbadly. ButtheAmericansareinamess.Theproblemisthewayin8healthcareisorganizedand9.10topubicbeliefitisnotjustafreecompetitionsystem.Theprivatesystemhasbeenjoinedalargepublicsystembecauseprivatecarewassimplynot11thelessfortunateandtheelderly. Butevenwiththishugepublicpartofthesystem12thisyearwilleatup84.5billiondollars—morethan10percentoftheU.S.Budget—largenumberofAmericansareleft13.Theseincludeabouthalfthe11millionunemployedandthosewhofailtomeetthestrictlimits14incomefixedbyagovernmenttryingtomakesavingswhereitcan. Thebasicproblemhoweveristhatthereisnocentralcontrol15thehealthsystem.Thereisno16towhatdoctorsandhospitalschargefortheirservicesotherthanwhatthepublicisabletopay.Thenumberofdoctorshasshotupandpriceshaveclimbed.Whenfacedwithtoothacheasickchildoraheartattackalltheunfortunatepersonsconcernedcandois17up.Twothirdsofthepopulation18coveredbymedicalinsurance.Doctorschargeasmuchastheywant19thattheinsurancecompanywillpaythebill. TherisingcostofmedicineintheU.S.A.isamongthemostworryingproblemsfacingthecountry.In1981thecountry’shealthbillclimbed15.9percent--abouttwiceasfastasprices20general. 14
It’seasytogetthesensethesedaysthatyou’vestumbledintoapartywithsomepowerfuldrugthatdramaticallyaltersidentity.Thefacesarefamiliarbutthewordscomingoutofthemaren’t.Somethinghashappenedtoalotofpeopleyouusedtothinkyouknew.They’vechangedintosomethingliketheirownopposite. There’sBillGateswhothesedaysisspendinglesstimeearningmoneythangivingitaway--andpullingotherbillionairesintothedeependofglobalphilanthropy慈善事业withhim.There’shistorianFrancisFukuyamaleadingawholegangofdisaffectedfellowtravelersawayfromneoconservatism.Toflip-flopishuman.Itcanstillsometimesbeapoliticalliabilityevidenceofaflakydispositionorrankopportunism.Buttherearecircumstancesinwhichnottoreversecourseseemsalmostpathological病态的.He’samodelofconsistencyStephenColbertsaidlastyearofGeorgeW.Bush:"HebelievesthesamethingWednesdaythathebelievedonMonday--nomatterwhathappenedonTuesday." OverthepastthreeyearsIfoundpeoplewhohadpulledabigU-turnintheirlives.Oftentheinsightcameinaforehead-smitingmomentinthemiddleofthenight:I’vegotitallwrong. Itlookedatfirstlikeasprinklingofoutliersbeyondthecurveofnormalhumanexperience.Butwhenyousteppedbackapatternemerged.Whatthesepersonalturnshadincommonwastheapprehensionthatwe’reallconnected.Everythingleansonsomethingisbothdependentanddependedon. "Thedifferencebetweenyouandme"avisitingChinesestudenttoldUniversityofMichiganpsychologistRichardNisbettnotlongago"isthatIthinktheworldisacircleandyouthinkit’saline."TheremarkpromptedtheprofessortowriteabookTheGeographyofThoughtaboutthedifferencesbetweentheWesternandtheAsianmind. ToWesternthinkingtheworldislinear;youcanchopitupandanalyzeitandwecanallworkonourlittlepartoftheprojectindependentlyuntilit’ssolved.TheclassicallyEasternmindaccordingtoNisbettseesthingsdifferently:theworldisn’talengthofropebutavastclosedchainincomprehensiblycomplexandeverchanging.Whenyoulookatlifefromthissecondperspectivesomeunlikelyconnectionsrevealthemselves. IrealizedthiswaswhatalmostalltheU-turnshadincommon:peoplehadswungaroundtofaceEast.Theyhadstoppedthinkinginalineandstartedthinkinginacircle.Moralitywaslookinglesslikeasetofrulesandmorelikeastoryoneinwhichtheywerepartofanensemblecastnolongerthestar. Intheauthor’sopinionthemajorcauseofmanypeopletomakeU-turnsisthat
Studythefollowingpicturecarefullyandwriteanessayto 1describethepicture 2interpretthemeaningand 3giveyourcommentsonthisissue.
Anynormalspecieswouldbedelightedattheprospectofcloning.NomorenastysurpriseslikesicklecellorDownsyndrome--justbatchafterbatchofhigh-gradeandgeneticallyspeakingimmortaloffspring!ButrepresentativesofthehumanspeciesarerespondingasifsomeonehadproposedaddingSatanismtothegrade-schoolCurriculum.Suddenlyperfectlysecularfolksarethrowingaroundwordslikesanctityandretrievingmedieval-eraargumentsagainsttheprideofscience.Noonehasproposedburninghimatthestakebutthepoorfellowwhoinducedahumanembryotodoubleitselfhasvirtuallyrecantedproclaiminghisreverenceforhumanlifeinavoicethismagazinereported"chokingwithemotion." Thereisanelementofhypocrisytomuchoftheanti-cloningfurororifnothypocrisysuperstition.Thefactiswearealreadywelldownthepathleadingtogeneticmanipulationofthecreepiestsort.Life-formscanbepatentedwhichmeanstheycanbeboughtandsoldandpotentiallytradedonthecommoditiesmarkets.Humanembryosarelife-formsandthereisnothingtostopanyonefrommarketingthemnowonthesameshelfwiththeCabbagePatchdolls. Infactanyculturethatencouragesinvitrofertilizationhasnorighttocomplainaboutamarketinembryos.Theassumptionbehindtheinvitroindustryisthatsomepeople’sgeneticmaterialisworthmorethanothers’anddeservestobereproducedatanyexpense.Millionsoflow-incomebabiesdieeveryyearfrompreventableillslikedysenterywhileheroiceffortsgointomaintainingyuppiezygotesintesttubesattheunicellularstage.Thisisthedread"nightmare”ofeugenicsinfamiliarmarketplaceformwhichinvolvesbreedingthebest-paidinsteadofthebest.Cloningtechnologyisanalmostinevitablebyproductofinvitrofertilization.Onceyoudecidetogotothetroubleofinvitrowithitspotentiallyhazardousmegadosesofhormonesforthefemalepartnerandvariousindignitiesforthemaleyoumightaswellmakeafewbackupcopiesofanyviableembryothat’sproduced.Andonceyou’vegotthebackuporgancopieswhynotkeepafewinthefreezerincaseJunioreverneedsanewkidneyorcornea Thecriticsofcloningsayweshouldknowwhatwe’regettingintowithallitsOrwellianimplications.Butifwedecidetooutlawcloningweshouldunderstandtheimplicationsofthat.Wewouldbesayingineffectthatweprefertoleavegeneticdestinytothecrapshootingofnaturedespitesickle-cellanemiaandTay-Sachsandalltherestbecauseultimatelywedon’ttrustthemarkettoregulatelifeitself.Andthismaybethehardestthingofalltoacknowledge:thatitisn’tsomuch21stcenturytechnologywefearaswhatwillhappentothattechnologyinthehandsofold-fashioned20thcenturycapitalism. Theauthor’sattitudetowardstheprospectofcloningseemstobethatof
ThenewsfromAmerica’shousingmarketisgettingnobetter.AssalesdeclinesanddefaultsandforeclosuresclimbpessimistsfearthatoveramillionAmericanscouldbedrivenoutoftheirhomesasadjustable-ratemortgagesarereset.WhatshouldpolicymakersdoCongressiseagertodomore:hencethecallstoexpandtheroleofFannieMaeandFreddieMacthegiantgovernment-sponsoredenterprisesGSESthattoweroverAmerica’smortgagemarket. Fannie’sandFreddie’spoliticalallieswanttwothings.Thefirstistheraisingofthe$417000limitonthesizeofloansthatthepairmayhandle.Theseconddemandistheliftingofcapsontheamountofmortgagestheymaybuyandholdforthemselves.FannieandFreddiecouldthenridetotherescueofstrugglingborrowersinjectingliquidityintopartsofthemarketthathaveseizedup.TheirargumentsarewinningsupportandoppositionfromtheBushadministrationandtheGSES’regulatorissoftening.UnfortunatelytheideasarelikelytodomoreforFannieandFreddiethanforthemortgagemarket. Startwiththe$417000limit.LiftingthiscouldhelpifFannieandFreddiescouredtheupperbracketforborrowerswhowerestrugglingbutviable.Buttheirhistorysuggeststhattheywouldcherry-pickthosewhocouldgetrefinancedelsewhere.Andthehuge-mortgagemarketmaybecorrectingitselfanyway:spreadsoverGSE-backedloansthoughstillunusuallyhigharefalling. Itisalsoriskier.Whentheyholdamortgagetheytakeonnotonlycreditriskbutalsointerest-rateandprepaymentrisk.Theloanstheyguaranteeincontrastcarryonlycreditrisk.Soaswellasbeingjustaseffectivetheguaranteebusinessisalsosafer—andthusbetterforthetaxpayerwhounwittinglystandsbehindtheGSES. Moreovereveniftheygrownomorethemortgagegiantsposeaclearsystemicthreat.Theirportfoliosofretainedmortgagesandmortgage-backedsecuritiesadduptonolessthan$1.4trillion.Itisbadenoughthatthisisconcentratedintwoinstitutions.Nomatterhowmuchrisktheytakeorhowtheymanageittheycanborrowatrock-bottominterestrates.Iftheygotintotroublebanksaswellastaxpayerswouldbeonthehook.BanksmayholdasmuchGSEdebtastheywant.Manyhaveamountsthatexceedtheirregulatorycapital. Thegiantsweresetupdecadesagotohelpbankspoolconcentratedregionalmortgageriskandtomakehousingmoreaffordable.Butasthemarkethasgrowndeeperandmoresophisticatedhistoryhasleftthembehind—hencetheirdesiretogetintoanybitofthebusinessthatwillturnaprofit.Theeventualaimshouldbetoturnthemintonormalprivate-sectorcompaniesbystrippingthemofthechartersthatgiverisetotheimplicitgovernmentguaranteesandbreakthemintosmallerpieces. AccordingtotheauthortheproposaloftheCongressmostprobably
TheearliestevidenceofstandardizedtestingbasedonmeritcomesfromChinaduringtheHandynasty.TheconceptofastateruledbymenofabilityandvirtuewasanoutgrowthofConfucianphilosophy.StandardizedtestinghasnottraditionallybeenapartofEuropeanpedagogy.Basedontheskepticalandopen-endedtraditionofdebateinheritedfromAncientGreeceWesternacademiafavoredtheessay.TheuseofstandardizedtestingintheUnitedStatesisa20thcenturyphenomenonwithitsoriginsinWorldWarI. Oneofthemainadvantagesofstandardizedtestingisthattheresultscanbeempiricallydocumented;thereforethetestscorescanbeshowntohavearelativedegreeofvalidityandreliabilityaswellasresultswhicharegeneralizableandreplicable.Thisisoftencontrastedwithgradesonaschooltranscriptwhichareassignedbyindividualteachers.Anotheradvantageisaggregation.Awelldesignedstandardizedtestprovidesanassessmentofanindividual’smasteryofadomainofknowledgeorskillwhichatsomelevelofaggregationwillprovideusefulinformation. Thoughmanyeducatorsrecognizethatstandardizedtestshaveaplaceintoolsusedtoassessstudentachievementcriticsfeelthatoveruseandmisuseofthesetestsishavingseriousnegativeconsequencesonteachingandlearning.Thetemptationistousetheteststodefinecurriculumandfocusinstruction.Whatisnottestedisnottaughtandhowthesubjectistestedbecomesamodelforhowtoteachthesubject.Moreoverstandardizedtestscoresareproblematictoolsforschoolaccountabilitybecausetheexamineescoresareinfluencedbythreethings:whatkidslearninschoolwhatkidslearnoutsideofschoolandinnateintelligence.Criticsbelievethisisnotpossible.Whileitispossibletouseastandardizedtestandnotletitslimitscontrolcurriculumandinstructionthiscanresultinaschoolputtingitselfatriskforproducinglowertestscoreswithnegativepoliticalconsequences. Somecriticssaythatsomechildrendonotdowellonstandardizedtestsdespitemasteryofthematerialduetotestinganxietyorlackoftimemanagementortest-takingskills.Thisreflectsthefactthattestscannotdirectlymeasurestudentknowledgeonlytheabilityofstudentstoapplyknowledgeinastressfulsituation. Someparentsarewillingtopaythousandsofdollarstopreparetheirchildrenfortestsafinancialbarrierthatmaygivechildrenofmorewealthyparentsanadvantagecomparedtolessaffluentfamilies.Howeverthiscriticismwouldprobablyapplyevenmoretotestingalternativessuchasportfoliosoressays.Manystudiesalsoshowthattestcoachinghaslittleeffectonscoresonwell-buihtests.Theabilityofwealthyfamiliestopayforhigher-qualityeducationisnotspecificallyrelatedtostandardizedtesting. WhichoneoftheregionsdoesNOThavealonghistoryofstandardizedtesting
ThefirstmentionofslaveryinthestatutesoftheEnglishcoloniesofNorthAmericadoesnotoccuruntilafter1660--somefortyyearsaftertheimportationofthefirstBlackpeople.LestwethinkthatslaveryexistedinfactbeforeitdidinlawOscarandMarySimonassureusthatthestatusofBlackpeopledowntothe1660’swasthatofservants.46AcritiqueoftheSimons’interpretationofwhylegalslaverydidnotappearuntilthe1660’ssuggeststhatassumptionsabouttherelationbetweenslaveryandracialprejudiceshouldbereexaminedandthatexplanationsforthedifferenttreatmentofBlackslavesinNorthandSouthAmericashouldbeexpanded.47TheSimonsexplaintheappearanceoflegalslaverybycontendingthatduringthe1660’sthepositionofWhiteservantswasimprovingrelativetothatofBlackservants.ThustheSimonsargueBlackandWhiteservantsheretoforetreatedalikeeachattainedadifferentstatus.Therearehoweverimportantobjectionstothisargument.FirsttheSimonscannotadequatelydemonstratethattheWhiteservant’spositionwasimprovingduringandafterthe1660’s;severalactsoftheMarylandandVirginialegislaturesindicateotherwise.AnotherflawintheSimons’interpretationistheirassumptionthatpriortotheestablishmentoflegalslaverytherewasnodiscriminationagainstBlackpeople.Itistruethatbeforethe1660’sBlackpeoplewererarelycalledslaves.Butthisshouldnotovershadowevidencefromthe1630’sonthatpointstoracialdiscriminationwithoutusingthetermslavery.Suchdiscriminationsometimesstoppedshortoflifetimeservitudeorinheritedstatus--thetwoattributesoftrueslavery--yetinothercasesitincludedboth.48TheSimons’argumentexcludestherealpossibilitythatBlackpeopleintheEnglishcolonieswerenevertreatedastheequalsofWhitepeople.Thispossibilityhasimportantramifications.49IffromtheoutsetBlackpeoplewerediscriminatedagainstthenlegalslaveryshouldbeviewedasareflectionandanextensionofracialprejudiceratherthanasmanyhistoriansincludingtheSimonshavearguedthecauseofprejudice.InadditiontheexistenceofdiscriminationbeforetheadventoflegalslaveryoffersafurtherexplanationfortheharshertreatmentofBlackslavesinNorththaninSouthAmerica.50FreyandTerryhaverightlyarguedthatthelackofcertaintraditionsinNorthAmerica--suchasaRomanconceptionofslaveryandaRomanCatholicemphasisonequality--explainswhythetreatmentofBlackslaveswasmoreseveretherethanintheSpanishandPortuguesecoloniesofSouthAmerica.Butthiscannotbethewholeexplanationsinceitismerelynegativebasedonlyonalackofsomething.
AlthoughtherearemanyskillfulBraillereadersthousandsofotherblindpeoplefinditdifficulttolearnthatsystem.Theyaretherebyshut1fromtheworldofbooksandnewspapershavingto2onfriendstoreadaloudtothem. AyoungscientistnamedRaymondKurzweilhasnowdesignedacomputerwhichisamajor3inprovidingaidtothe4.HismachineCyclopshasacamerathat5anypageinterpretstheprintintosoundsandthendeliversthemorallyinarobot-like6throughaspeaker.Bypressingtheappropriatebuttons7Cyclops’skeyboardablindpersoncan"read"any8documentintheEnglishlanguage. Thisremarkableinventionrepresentsatremendous9forwardintheeducationofthehandicapped.AtpresentCyclopscosts$50000.10Mr.Kurzweilandhisassociatesarepreparingasmaller11improvedversionthatwillsell12lessthanhalfthatprice.WithinafewyearsKurzweil13thepricerangewillbelowenoughforeveryschoolandlibraryto14one.MichaelHingsonDirectoroftheNationalFederationfortheBlindhopesthat15willbeabletobuyhome16ofCyclopsforthepriceofagoodtelevisionset. Mr.Hingson’sorganizationpurchasedfivemachinesandisnowtestingtheminMarylandColoradoIowaCaliforniaandNewYork.Blindpeoplehavebeen17inthosetestsmakinglotsof18suggestionstotheengineerswhohelpedtoproduceCyclops. "Thisisthefirsttimethatblindpeoplehaveeverdoneindividualstudies19aproductwasputonthemarket"Hingsonsaid."Mostmanufacturersbelievedthathavingtheblindhelptheblindwasliketellingdisabledpeopletoteachotherdisabledpeople.Inthat20themanufacturershavebeentheblindones. 20
ThefirstmentionofslaveryinthestatutesoftheEnglishcoloniesofNorthAmericadoesnotoccuruntilafter1660--somefortyyearsaftertheimportationofthefirstBlackpeople.LestwethinkthatslaveryexistedinfactbeforeitdidinlawOscarandMarySimonassureusthatthestatusofBlackpeopledowntothe1660’swasthatofservants.46AcritiqueoftheSimons’interpretationofwhylegalslaverydidnotappearuntilthe1660’ssuggeststhatassumptionsabouttherelationbetweenslaveryandracialprejudiceshouldbereexaminedandthatexplanationsforthedifferenttreatmentofBlackslavesinNorthandSouthAmericashouldbeexpanded.47TheSimonsexplaintheappearanceoflegalslaverybycontendingthatduringthe1660’sthepositionofWhiteservantswasimprovingrelativetothatofBlackservants.ThustheSimonsargueBlackandWhiteservantsheretoforetreatedalikeeachattainedadifferentstatus.Therearehoweverimportantobjectionstothisargument.FirsttheSimonscannotadequatelydemonstratethattheWhiteservant’spositionwasimprovingduringandafterthe1660’s;severalactsoftheMarylandandVirginialegislaturesindicateotherwise.AnotherflawintheSimons’interpretationistheirassumptionthatpriortotheestablishmentoflegalslaverytherewasnodiscriminationagainstBlackpeople.Itistruethatbeforethe1660’sBlackpeoplewererarelycalledslaves.Butthisshouldnotovershadowevidencefromthe1630’sonthatpointstoracialdiscriminationwithoutusingthetermslavery.Suchdiscriminationsometimesstoppedshortoflifetimeservitudeorinheritedstatus--thetwoattributesoftrueslavery--yetinothercasesitincludedboth.48TheSimons’argumentexcludestherealpossibilitythatBlackpeopleintheEnglishcolonieswerenevertreatedastheequalsofWhitepeople.Thispossibilityhasimportantramifications.49IffromtheoutsetBlackpeoplewerediscriminatedagainstthenlegalslaveryshouldbeviewedasareflectionandanextensionofracialprejudiceratherthanasmanyhistoriansincludingtheSimonshavearguedthecauseofprejudice.InadditiontheexistenceofdiscriminationbeforetheadventoflegalslaveryoffersafurtherexplanationfortheharshertreatmentofBlackslavesinNorththaninSouthAmerica.50FreyandTerryhaverightlyarguedthatthelackofcertaintraditionsinNorthAmerica--suchasaRomanconceptionofslaveryandaRomanCatholicemphasisonequality--explainswhythetreatmentofBlackslaveswasmoreseveretherethanintheSpanishandPortuguesecoloniesofSouthAmerica.Butthiscannotbethewholeexplanationsinceitismerelynegativebasedonlyonalackofsomething.
Mostpeoplewouldbe1bythehighqualityofmedicine2tomostAmericans.Thereisalotofspecializationagreatdealof3totheindividuala4amountofadvancedtechnicalequipmentand5effortnottomakemistakesbecauseofthefinancialriskwhichdoctorsandhospitalsmust6inthecourtsifthey7thingsbadly. ButtheAmericansareinamess.Theproblemisthewayin8healthcareisorganizedand9.10topubicbeliefitisnotjustafreecompetitionsystem.Theprivatesystemhasbeenjoinedalargepublicsystembecauseprivatecarewassimplynot11thelessfortunateandtheelderly. Butevenwiththishugepublicpartofthesystem12thisyearwilleatup84.5billiondollars—morethan10percentoftheU.S.Budget—largenumberofAmericansareleft13.Theseincludeabouthalfthe11millionunemployedandthosewhofailtomeetthestrictlimits14incomefixedbyagovernmenttryingtomakesavingswhereitcan. Thebasicproblemhoweveristhatthereisnocentralcontrol15thehealthsystem.Thereisno16towhatdoctorsandhospitalschargefortheirservicesotherthanwhatthepublicisabletopay.Thenumberofdoctorshasshotupandpriceshaveclimbed.Whenfacedwithtoothacheasickchildoraheartattackalltheunfortunatepersonsconcernedcandois17up.Twothirdsofthepopulation18coveredbymedicalinsurance.Doctorschargeasmuchastheywant19thattheinsurancecompanywillpaythebill. TherisingcostofmedicineintheU.S.A.isamongthemostworryingproblemsfacingthecountry.In1981thecountry’shealthbillclimbed15.9percent--abouttwiceasfastasprices20general. 10
[A]Storytellersfromantiquityknewthepowerofstar-crossedromanceandsodidAudreyNiffenegger.Her2003bestsellerTheTimeTraveler’sWifeissoplangentataleoffatallovewithtwoadorablepeoplefightingtobeattheoddsagainstthem.[B]Henryyouseehasthegiftorcurseoftime-traveling:disappearingfromonetemporalandspatialrealitytopopupnakedinanother.Thisscience-fictiontropewillbefamiliartofansofTheTerminatorbutHenryisnoaction-fantasygod.He’sjustaguywhosebodyhasawanderlusthecan’tharness.That’swhyashetellsthebesottedClareIneverwantedanythinginmylifethatIcouldn’tstandlosing.Ofcoursethey’redestinedtobeeachother’soneandonlyloves.[C]MyfriendandneighborthefilmmakerAlanWadehasaprovocativeexplanationforwhyTitanicstrucksuchastrongandreverberantchordwithhundredsofmillionsofmoviegoersespeciallywomen:theherodies.OKthatbreaksacardinalruleofmovieromance:thattheloverskisshappilyatthefinalfade-out.Mostexamplesofthegenreendwiththatrosyimageinpartbecausetheirmakersarereluctanttobumouttheiraudience.[D]HenryEricBanawhoworksinaChicagopubliclibraryisinthereadingroomwhenawomanhe’snevermetwalksuptohimandsaysdewilyI’velovedyouallmylife.She’sClareRachelMcAdamsayoungartistandinherpast--Henry’sfuture-hehasvisitedherandwonherundyingdevotion.[E]JamesCameronmusthavebeentemptedtoendhisfilmwithLeonardoDiCaprio’sJacksurvivingtheship’ssinkingandenjoyingalonglifewithKateWinslet’sRose.[F]Thatit’ssurprisingittooksixyearsforittogettothebigscreen.Maybeprospectiveproducerswerereluctanttobucktheprevailingwisdomofaconventionalhappyending.AnywayhereisthefilmversiondirectedbyRobertSchwentke.It’ssoppyenoughtosuittherequirementsoftheweepiegenreandthere’samusicscorethattriestocuealltheemotionsinviewersasifthey’reincapableoflocatingtheirownfeelings.Butthemoviealsohasanachingsoliditythatallowsyoutosurrendertoitscuddly-creepyfeelingswithouthatingyourselfinthemorning.[G]ButCameronrealizedthatbykillingoffJackhewasraisingthemovie’sstakesfromdomesticplatitudetoclassicromantictragedy.Jack’sdeathstampedbothfinalityandimmortalityonthelovers’shipboardtryst.Becauseheisgonetheirlovewillliveforever.Order:[*]
Mostpeoplewouldbe1bythehighqualityofmedicine2tomostAmericans.Thereisalotofspecializationagreatdealof3totheindividuala4amountofadvancedtechnicalequipmentand5effortnottomakemistakesbecauseofthefinancialriskwhichdoctorsandhospitalsmust6inthecourtsifthey7thingsbadly. ButtheAmericansareinamess.Theproblemisthewayin8healthcareisorganizedand9.10topubicbeliefitisnotjustafreecompetitionsystem.Theprivatesystemhasbeenjoinedalargepublicsystembecauseprivatecarewassimplynot11thelessfortunateandtheelderly. Butevenwiththishugepublicpartofthesystem12thisyearwilleatup84.5billiondollars—morethan10percentoftheU.S.Budget—largenumberofAmericansareleft13.Theseincludeabouthalfthe11millionunemployedandthosewhofailtomeetthestrictlimits14incomefixedbyagovernmenttryingtomakesavingswhereitcan. Thebasicproblemhoweveristhatthereisnocentralcontrol15thehealthsystem.Thereisno16towhatdoctorsandhospitalschargefortheirservicesotherthanwhatthepublicisabletopay.Thenumberofdoctorshasshotupandpriceshaveclimbed.Whenfacedwithtoothacheasickchildoraheartattackalltheunfortunatepersonsconcernedcandois17up.Twothirdsofthepopulation18coveredbymedicalinsurance.Doctorschargeasmuchastheywant19thattheinsurancecompanywillpaythebill. TherisingcostofmedicineintheU.S.A.isamongthemostworryingproblemsfacingthecountry.In1981thecountry’shealthbillclimbed15.9percent--abouttwiceasfastasprices20general. 18
Mostpeoplewouldbe1bythehighqualityofmedicine2tomostAmericans.Thereisalotofspecializationagreatdealof3totheindividuala4amountofadvancedtechnicalequipmentand5effortnottomakemistakesbecauseofthefinancialriskwhichdoctorsandhospitalsmust6inthecourtsifthey7thingsbadly. ButtheAmericansareinamess.Theproblemisthewayin8healthcareisorganizedand9.10topubicbeliefitisnotjustafreecompetitionsystem.Theprivatesystemhasbeenjoinedalargepublicsystembecauseprivatecarewassimplynot11thelessfortunateandtheelderly. Butevenwiththishugepublicpartofthesystem12thisyearwilleatup84.5billiondollars—morethan10percentoftheU.S.Budget—largenumberofAmericansareleft13.Theseincludeabouthalfthe11millionunemployedandthosewhofailtomeetthestrictlimits14incomefixedbyagovernmenttryingtomakesavingswhereitcan. Thebasicproblemhoweveristhatthereisnocentralcontrol15thehealthsystem.Thereisno16towhatdoctorsandhospitalschargefortheirservicesotherthanwhatthepublicisabletopay.Thenumberofdoctorshasshotupandpriceshaveclimbed.Whenfacedwithtoothacheasickchildoraheartattackalltheunfortunatepersonsconcernedcandois17up.Twothirdsofthepopulation18coveredbymedicalinsurance.Doctorschargeasmuchastheywant19thattheinsurancecompanywillpaythebill. TherisingcostofmedicineintheU.S.A.isamongthemostworryingproblemsfacingthecountry.In1981thecountry’shealthbillclimbed15.9percent--abouttwiceasfastasprices20general. 16
WhenitcomestosuingdoctorsPhiladelphiaishardlythecityofbrotherlylove.AcombinationofsprightlylawyersandsympatheticjurieshasmadePhiladelphiaahotspotformedical-malpracticelawsuits.Since1995Pennsylvaniastatecourtshaveawardedanaverageof$2minsuchcasesaccordingtoJuryVerdictResearchasurveyfirm.Somemedicalspecialistshaveseentheirmalpracticeinsurancepremiumsnearlydoubleoverthepastyear.Obstetriciansarenowpayingupto$104000ayeartoprotectthemselves. Theinsuranceindustryislargelytoblame.CarolGolintheMonitor’seditorarguesthatinthe1990sinsurerstriedtograbmarketsharebyofferingartificiallylowratesbettingthatanylosseswouldbecoveredbygainsontheirinvestments.Thestock-marketcorrectioncoupledwiththelargelegalawardshaserodedtheinsurers’reserves.ThreeinPennsylvaniaalonehavegonebust. Afewdoctors--particularlyolderones--willquit.Therestareadapting.Someareabandoninglitigation-proneproceduressuchasdeliveringbabies.Othersaremovingpartsoftheirpracticetoneighboringstateswhereinsuranceratesarelower.SomefromPennsylvaniahaveopenedofficesinNewJersey.Newdoctorsmayalsobedeterredfromsettingupshopinlitigationhavenshoweverprestigious. DespiteaRepublicanpresidenttortreformhasgotnowhereatthefederallevel.IndeeddoctorscouldgetclobberedindirectlybyaPatients’BillofRightswhichwouldfurtherexposemanagedcarecompaniestolawsuits.ThisprospecthasfuelledinterestamongdoctorsinPennsylvania’snewmedicalmalpracticereformbillwhichwassignedintolawonMarch20th.Itwillamongotherthingsgivedoctors$40mofstatefundstooffsettheirinsurancepremiumsspreadthepaymentofawardsoutovertimeandprohibitindividualsfromdoubledipping--thatissuingadoctorfordamagesthathavealreadybeenpaidbytheirhealthinsurer. ButwillitreallyhelpRandallBovbjergahealthpolicyexpertattheUrbanInstitutearguesthattheonlyproperwaytoslowdownthelitigationmachinewouldbetolimitthecompensationforpainandsufferingso-called"non-monetarydamages".Needlesstosayafixedcaponsuchawardsisresistedbymosttriallawyers.ButMrBovbjergreckonsamorenuancedapproachwithaslidingscaleofpaymentsbasedonwell-definedmeasuresofinjuryisabetterwayforward.Inthemeantimedoctorsandinsurersarebracingthemselvesforacouplemoreroughyearsbeforetheinsurancecycleturns. Nobodydisputesthathospitalstaffmakemistakes:a1999InstituteofMedicinereportclaimedthaterrorskillatleast44000patientsayear.Butthereislittleevidencethatmalpracticelawsuitsontheirownwillsolvetheproblem. Towhichofthefollowingistheauthormostlikelytoagree
Mostpeoplewouldbe1bythehighqualityofmedicine2tomostAmericans.Thereisalotofspecializationagreatdealof3totheindividuala4amountofadvancedtechnicalequipmentand5effortnottomakemistakesbecauseofthefinancialriskwhichdoctorsandhospitalsmust6inthecourtsifthey7thingsbadly. ButtheAmericansareinamess.Theproblemisthewayin8healthcareisorganizedand9.10topubicbeliefitisnotjustafreecompetitionsystem.Theprivatesystemhasbeenjoinedalargepublicsystembecauseprivatecarewassimplynot11thelessfortunateandtheelderly. Butevenwiththishugepublicpartofthesystem12thisyearwilleatup84.5billiondollars—morethan10percentoftheU.S.Budget—largenumberofAmericansareleft13.Theseincludeabouthalfthe11millionunemployedandthosewhofailtomeetthestrictlimits14incomefixedbyagovernmenttryingtomakesavingswhereitcan. Thebasicproblemhoweveristhatthereisnocentralcontrol15thehealthsystem.Thereisno16towhatdoctorsandhospitalschargefortheirservicesotherthanwhatthepublicisabletopay.Thenumberofdoctorshasshotupandpriceshaveclimbed.Whenfacedwithtoothacheasickchildoraheartattackalltheunfortunatepersonsconcernedcandois17up.Twothirdsofthepopulation18coveredbymedicalinsurance.Doctorschargeasmuchastheywant19thattheinsurancecompanywillpaythebill. TherisingcostofmedicineintheU.S.A.isamongthemostworryingproblemsfacingthecountry.In1981thecountry’shealthbillclimbed15.9percent--abouttwiceasfastasprices20general. 12
Mostpeoplewouldbe1bythehighqualityofmedicine2tomostAmericans.Thereisalotofspecializationagreatdealof3totheindividuala4amountofadvancedtechnicalequipmentand5effortnottomakemistakesbecauseofthefinancialriskwhichdoctorsandhospitalsmust6inthecourtsifthey7thingsbadly. ButtheAmericansareinamess.Theproblemisthewayin8healthcareisorganizedand9.10topubicbeliefitisnotjustafreecompetitionsystem.Theprivatesystemhasbeenjoinedalargepublicsystembecauseprivatecarewassimplynot11thelessfortunateandtheelderly. Butevenwiththishugepublicpartofthesystem12thisyearwilleatup84.5billiondollars—morethan10percentoftheU.S.Budget—largenumberofAmericansareleft13.Theseincludeabouthalfthe11millionunemployedandthosewhofailtomeetthestrictlimits14incomefixedbyagovernmenttryingtomakesavingswhereitcan. Thebasicproblemhoweveristhatthereisnocentralcontrol15thehealthsystem.Thereisno16towhatdoctorsandhospitalschargefortheirservicesotherthanwhatthepublicisabletopay.Thenumberofdoctorshasshotupandpriceshaveclimbed.Whenfacedwithtoothacheasickchildoraheartattackalltheunfortunatepersonsconcernedcandois17up.Twothirdsofthepopulation18coveredbymedicalinsurance.Doctorschargeasmuchastheywant19thattheinsurancecompanywillpaythebill. TherisingcostofmedicineintheU.S.A.isamongthemostworryingproblemsfacingthecountry.In1981thecountry’shealthbillclimbed15.9percent--abouttwiceasfastasprices20general. 2
Anynormalspecieswouldbedelightedattheprospectofcloning.NomorenastysurpriseslikesicklecellorDownsyndrome--justbatchafterbatchofhigh-gradeandgeneticallyspeakingimmortaloffspring!ButrepresentativesofthehumanspeciesarerespondingasifsomeonehadproposedaddingSatanismtothegrade-schoolCurriculum.Suddenlyperfectlysecularfolksarethrowingaroundwordslikesanctityandretrievingmedieval-eraargumentsagainsttheprideofscience.Noonehasproposedburninghimatthestakebutthepoorfellowwhoinducedahumanembryotodoubleitselfhasvirtuallyrecantedproclaiminghisreverenceforhumanlifeinavoicethismagazinereported"chokingwithemotion." Thereisanelementofhypocrisytomuchoftheanti-cloningfurororifnothypocrisysuperstition.Thefactiswearealreadywelldownthepathleadingtogeneticmanipulationofthecreepiestsort.Life-formscanbepatentedwhichmeanstheycanbeboughtandsoldandpotentiallytradedonthecommoditiesmarkets.Humanembryosarelife-formsandthereisnothingtostopanyonefrommarketingthemnowonthesameshelfwiththeCabbagePatchdolls. Infactanyculturethatencouragesinvitrofertilizationhasnorighttocomplainaboutamarketinembryos.Theassumptionbehindtheinvitroindustryisthatsomepeople’sgeneticmaterialisworthmorethanothers’anddeservestobereproducedatanyexpense.Millionsoflow-incomebabiesdieeveryyearfrompreventableillslikedysenterywhileheroiceffortsgointomaintainingyuppiezygotesintesttubesattheunicellularstage.Thisisthedread"nightmare”ofeugenicsinfamiliarmarketplaceformwhichinvolvesbreedingthebest-paidinsteadofthebest.Cloningtechnologyisanalmostinevitablebyproductofinvitrofertilization.Onceyoudecidetogotothetroubleofinvitrowithitspotentiallyhazardousmegadosesofhormonesforthefemalepartnerandvariousindignitiesforthemaleyoumightaswellmakeafewbackupcopiesofanyviableembryothat’sproduced.Andonceyou’vegotthebackuporgancopieswhynotkeepafewinthefreezerincaseJunioreverneedsanewkidneyorcornea Thecriticsofcloningsayweshouldknowwhatwe’regettingintowithallitsOrwellianimplications.Butifwedecidetooutlawcloningweshouldunderstandtheimplicationsofthat.Wewouldbesayingineffectthatweprefertoleavegeneticdestinytothecrapshootingofnaturedespitesickle-cellanemiaandTay-Sachsandalltherestbecauseultimatelywedon’ttrustthemarkettoregulatelifeitself.Andthismaybethehardestthingofalltoacknowledge:thatitisn’tsomuch21stcenturytechnologywefearaswhatwillhappentothattechnologyinthehandsofold-fashioned20thcenturycapitalism. Wecanlearnedfromthetextthatcloningtechniqueswouldbeappliedto
ThenewsfromAmerica’shousingmarketisgettingnobetter.AssalesdeclinesanddefaultsandforeclosuresclimbpessimistsfearthatoveramillionAmericanscouldbedrivenoutoftheirhomesasadjustable-ratemortgagesarereset.WhatshouldpolicymakersdoCongressiseagertodomore:hencethecallstoexpandtheroleofFannieMaeandFreddieMacthegiantgovernment-sponsoredenterprisesGSESthattoweroverAmerica’smortgagemarket. Fannie’sandFreddie’spoliticalallieswanttwothings.Thefirstistheraisingofthe$417000limitonthesizeofloansthatthepairmayhandle.Theseconddemandistheliftingofcapsontheamountofmortgagestheymaybuyandholdforthemselves.FannieandFreddiecouldthenridetotherescueofstrugglingborrowersinjectingliquidityintopartsofthemarketthathaveseizedup.TheirargumentsarewinningsupportandoppositionfromtheBushadministrationandtheGSES’regulatorissoftening.UnfortunatelytheideasarelikelytodomoreforFannieandFreddiethanforthemortgagemarket. Startwiththe$417000limit.LiftingthiscouldhelpifFannieandFreddiescouredtheupperbracketforborrowerswhowerestrugglingbutviable.Buttheirhistorysuggeststhattheywouldcherry-pickthosewhocouldgetrefinancedelsewhere.Andthehuge-mortgagemarketmaybecorrectingitselfanyway:spreadsoverGSE-backedloansthoughstillunusuallyhigharefalling. Itisalsoriskier.Whentheyholdamortgagetheytakeonnotonlycreditriskbutalsointerest-rateandprepaymentrisk.Theloanstheyguaranteeincontrastcarryonlycreditrisk.Soaswellasbeingjustaseffectivetheguaranteebusinessisalsosafer—andthusbetterforthetaxpayerwhounwittinglystandsbehindtheGSES. Moreovereveniftheygrownomorethemortgagegiantsposeaclearsystemicthreat.Theirportfoliosofretainedmortgagesandmortgage-backedsecuritiesadduptonolessthan$1.4trillion.Itisbadenoughthatthisisconcentratedintwoinstitutions.Nomatterhowmuchrisktheytakeorhowtheymanageittheycanborrowatrock-bottominterestrates.Iftheygotintotroublebanksaswellastaxpayerswouldbeonthehook.BanksmayholdasmuchGSEdebtastheywant.Manyhaveamountsthatexceedtheirregulatorycapital. Thegiantsweresetupdecadesagotohelpbankspoolconcentratedregionalmortgageriskandtomakehousingmoreaffordable.Butasthemarkethasgrowndeeperandmoresophisticatedhistoryhasleftthembehind—hencetheirdesiretogetintoanybitofthebusinessthatwillturnaprofit.Theeventualaimshouldbetoturnthemintonormalprivate-sectorcompaniesbystrippingthemofthechartersthatgiverisetotheimplicitgovernmentguaranteesandbreakthemintosmallerpieces. WhatcanbeinferredabouttheFannieandFreddiefromParagraph2and3
Mostpeoplewouldbe1bythehighqualityofmedicine2tomostAmericans.Thereisalotofspecializationagreatdealof3totheindividuala4amountofadvancedtechnicalequipmentand5effortnottomakemistakesbecauseofthefinancialriskwhichdoctorsandhospitalsmust6inthecourtsifthey7thingsbadly. ButtheAmericansareinamess.Theproblemisthewayin8healthcareisorganizedand9.10topubicbeliefitisnotjustafreecompetitionsystem.Theprivatesystemhasbeenjoinedalargepublicsystembecauseprivatecarewassimplynot11thelessfortunateandtheelderly. Butevenwiththishugepublicpartofthesystem12thisyearwilleatup84.5billiondollars—morethan10percentoftheU.S.Budget—largenumberofAmericansareleft13.Theseincludeabouthalfthe11millionunemployedandthosewhofailtomeetthestrictlimits14incomefixedbyagovernmenttryingtomakesavingswhereitcan. Thebasicproblemhoweveristhatthereisnocentralcontrol15thehealthsystem.Thereisno16towhatdoctorsandhospitalschargefortheirservicesotherthanwhatthepublicisabletopay.Thenumberofdoctorshasshotupandpriceshaveclimbed.Whenfacedwithtoothacheasickchildoraheartattackalltheunfortunatepersonsconcernedcandois17up.Twothirdsofthepopulation18coveredbymedicalinsurance.Doctorschargeasmuchastheywant19thattheinsurancecompanywillpaythebill. TherisingcostofmedicineintheU.S.A.isamongthemostworryingproblemsfacingthecountry.In1981thecountry’shealthbillclimbed15.9percent--abouttwiceasfastasprices20general. 6
It’seasytogetthesensethesedaysthatyou’vestumbledintoapartywithsomepowerfuldrugthatdramaticallyaltersidentity.Thefacesarefamiliarbutthewordscomingoutofthemaren’t.Somethinghashappenedtoalotofpeopleyouusedtothinkyouknew.They’vechangedintosomethingliketheirownopposite. There’sBillGateswhothesedaysisspendinglesstimeearningmoneythangivingitaway--andpullingotherbillionairesintothedeependofglobalphilanthropy慈善事业withhim.There’shistorianFrancisFukuyamaleadingawholegangofdisaffectedfellowtravelersawayfromneoconservatism.Toflip-flopishuman.Itcanstillsometimesbeapoliticalliabilityevidenceofaflakydispositionorrankopportunism.Buttherearecircumstancesinwhichnottoreversecourseseemsalmostpathological病态的.He’samodelofconsistencyStephenColbertsaidlastyearofGeorgeW.Bush:"HebelievesthesamethingWednesdaythathebelievedonMonday--nomatterwhathappenedonTuesday." OverthepastthreeyearsIfoundpeoplewhohadpulledabigU-turnintheirlives.Oftentheinsightcameinaforehead-smitingmomentinthemiddleofthenight:I’vegotitallwrong. Itlookedatfirstlikeasprinklingofoutliersbeyondthecurveofnormalhumanexperience.Butwhenyousteppedbackapatternemerged.Whatthesepersonalturnshadincommonwastheapprehensionthatwe’reallconnected.Everythingleansonsomethingisbothdependentanddependedon. "Thedifferencebetweenyouandme"avisitingChinesestudenttoldUniversityofMichiganpsychologistRichardNisbettnotlongago"isthatIthinktheworldisacircleandyouthinkit’saline."TheremarkpromptedtheprofessortowriteabookTheGeographyofThoughtaboutthedifferencesbetweentheWesternandtheAsianmind. ToWesternthinkingtheworldislinear;youcanchopitupandanalyzeitandwecanallworkonourlittlepartoftheprojectindependentlyuntilit’ssolved.TheclassicallyEasternmindaccordingtoNisbettseesthingsdifferently:theworldisn’talengthofropebutavastclosedchainincomprehensiblycomplexandeverchanging.Whenyoulookatlifefromthissecondperspectivesomeunlikelyconnectionsrevealthemselves. IrealizedthiswaswhatalmostalltheU-turnshadincommon:peoplehadswungaroundtofaceEast.Theyhadstoppedthinkinginalineandstartedthinkinginacircle.Moralitywaslookinglesslikeasetofrulesandmorelikeastoryoneinwhichtheywerepartofanensemblecastnolongerthestar. Theunderlinedwordflip-flopLine4Paragraph2mostprobablymeans
WhenitcomestosuingdoctorsPhiladelphiaishardlythecityofbrotherlylove.AcombinationofsprightlylawyersandsympatheticjurieshasmadePhiladelphiaahotspotformedical-malpracticelawsuits.Since1995Pennsylvaniastatecourtshaveawardedanaverageof$2minsuchcasesaccordingtoJuryVerdictResearchasurveyfirm.Somemedicalspecialistshaveseentheirmalpracticeinsurancepremiumsnearlydoubleoverthepastyear.Obstetriciansarenowpayingupto$104000ayeartoprotectthemselves. Theinsuranceindustryislargelytoblame.CarolGolintheMonitor’seditorarguesthatinthe1990sinsurerstriedtograbmarketsharebyofferingartificiallylowratesbettingthatanylosseswouldbecoveredbygainsontheirinvestments.Thestock-marketcorrectioncoupledwiththelargelegalawardshaserodedtheinsurers’reserves.ThreeinPennsylvaniaalonehavegonebust. Afewdoctors--particularlyolderones--willquit.Therestareadapting.Someareabandoninglitigation-proneproceduressuchasdeliveringbabies.Othersaremovingpartsoftheirpracticetoneighboringstateswhereinsuranceratesarelower.SomefromPennsylvaniahaveopenedofficesinNewJersey.Newdoctorsmayalsobedeterredfromsettingupshopinlitigationhavenshoweverprestigious. DespiteaRepublicanpresidenttortreformhasgotnowhereatthefederallevel.IndeeddoctorscouldgetclobberedindirectlybyaPatients’BillofRightswhichwouldfurtherexposemanagedcarecompaniestolawsuits.ThisprospecthasfuelledinterestamongdoctorsinPennsylvania’snewmedicalmalpracticereformbillwhichwassignedintolawonMarch20th.Itwillamongotherthingsgivedoctors$40mofstatefundstooffsettheirinsurancepremiumsspreadthepaymentofawardsoutovertimeandprohibitindividualsfromdoubledipping--thatissuingadoctorfordamagesthathavealreadybeenpaidbytheirhealthinsurer. ButwillitreallyhelpRandallBovbjergahealthpolicyexpertattheUrbanInstitutearguesthattheonlyproperwaytoslowdownthelitigationmachinewouldbetolimitthecompensationforpainandsufferingso-called"non-monetarydamages".Needlesstosayafixedcaponsuchawardsisresistedbymosttriallawyers.ButMrBovbjergreckonsamorenuancedapproachwithaslidingscaleofpaymentsbasedonwell-definedmeasuresofinjuryisabetterwayforward.Inthemeantimedoctorsandinsurersarebracingthemselvesforacouplemoreroughyearsbeforetheinsurancecycleturns. Nobodydisputesthathospitalstaffmakemistakes:a1999InstituteofMedicinereportclaimedthaterrorskillatleast44000patientsayear.Butthereislittleevidencethatmalpracticelawsuitsontheirownwillsolvetheproblem. Bymentioningdouble-dippingParagraph4theauthoristalkingabout
Mostpeoplewouldbe1bythehighqualityofmedicine2tomostAmericans.Thereisalotofspecializationagreatdealof3totheindividuala4amountofadvancedtechnicalequipmentand5effortnottomakemistakesbecauseofthefinancialriskwhichdoctorsandhospitalsmust6inthecourtsifthey7thingsbadly. ButtheAmericansareinamess.Theproblemisthewayin8healthcareisorganizedand9.10topubicbeliefitisnotjustafreecompetitionsystem.Theprivatesystemhasbeenjoinedalargepublicsystembecauseprivatecarewassimplynot11thelessfortunateandtheelderly. Butevenwiththishugepublicpartofthesystem12thisyearwilleatup84.5billiondollars—morethan10percentoftheU.S.Budget—largenumberofAmericansareleft13.Theseincludeabouthalfthe11millionunemployedandthosewhofailtomeetthestrictlimits14incomefixedbyagovernmenttryingtomakesavingswhereitcan. Thebasicproblemhoweveristhatthereisnocentralcontrol15thehealthsystem.Thereisno16towhatdoctorsandhospitalschargefortheirservicesotherthanwhatthepublicisabletopay.Thenumberofdoctorshasshotupandpriceshaveclimbed.Whenfacedwithtoothacheasickchildoraheartattackalltheunfortunatepersonsconcernedcandois17up.Twothirdsofthepopulation18coveredbymedicalinsurance.Doctorschargeasmuchastheywant19thattheinsurancecompanywillpaythebill. TherisingcostofmedicineintheU.S.A.isamongthemostworryingproblemsfacingthecountry.In1981thecountry’shealthbillclimbed15.9percent--abouttwiceasfastasprices20general. 20
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