Many parents in China know the long trip to a children’s hospital in a big city. The government wants to shorten it. On 14 September, the National Health Commission said that 1,000 more community health centres and township clinics will offer children’s care this year. By the end of the year, more than 95 per cent of them should be able to treat young patients.
The reason is simple. Children’s services can handle everyday cases, but when respiratory illnesses rise in autumn and winter, clinics and wards quickly become crowded. The shortage appears almost every year. To deal with it, the government started a three-year action plan for children’s and mental health services.
Opening the door is only the first step. Doctors must be there too. About 3,100 pediatricians have been sent from larger hospitals to work in smaller ones. Last year, 90 per cent of community health centres and township clinics already offered children’s care. This year’s target adds one thousand more.
The change fits a wider plan. China now has more than 1.1 million medical institutions, and over 90 per cent of residents can reach a medical point within fifteen minutes. During the next five years, the goal is to move from having services to having good services. The same idea was used for kidney dialysis, which was extended to every county with more than 100,000 people.
For families, the result is practical. A child with a fever can be seen near home, and parents do not need to take a day off. Large hospitals can then focus on serious cases. Good health care is not only about big buildings and advanced machines. It is also about being close enough to reach.
Words to know:
- clinic (诊所，门诊部)
- township (乡镇)
- respiratory (呼吸的，呼吸道的)
- ward (病房)
- pediatrician (儿科医生)
- resident (居民)
- dialysis (透析)
- advanced (先进的)
长难句拆解 · but 连接的并列句 + when 状语从句
例句：Children’s services can handle everyday cases, but when respiratory illnesses rise in autumn and winter, clinics and wards quickly become crowded.
主干是 Children’s services can handle everyday cases, but clinics and wards quickly become crowded（两个并列分句，由 but 连接）。
when respiratory illnesses rise in autumn and winter 是时间状语从句，插在第二个分句的主语之前，理解时要先把它挪到一边，抓住 clinics and wards become crowded 这个核心。
直译：儿科服务能应对日常的病例，但到了秋冬季呼吸道疾病增多时，门诊和病房很快就会挤满。
同义替换 · 雅思阅读利器
下面 6 组替换都出自本文，右侧是对应的替换说法，点开核对。
- The government wants to shorten it → The authorities aim to reduce it（government 与 authorities 常互换）
- offer children’s care → provide pediatric services（offer 与 provide 同义）
- rise in autumn and winter → increase in fall and winter（rise 与 increase 同义）
- quickly become crowded → soon become packed（quickly 与 soon 对应，crowded 与 packed 同义）
- This year’s target adds one thousand more → This year’s goal includes an extra thousand（target 与 goal 常互换）
- focus on serious cases → concentrate on severe cases（focus on 与 concentrate on 同义）
阅读自测 · 3 题
三道题分别对应细节、因果与词汇，先不看答案。
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- 判断正误（T / F / NG）：By the end of this year, more than 95 per cent of township clinics should be able to treat children.
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- 简答：Why do children’s services become crowded in autumn and winter?
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- 选词填空：About 3,100 ______ have been sent from larger hospitals to smaller ones.（A. pediatricians B. patients C. residents）
参考答案与解析
每题给出答案与判断依据，注意最后提到的干扰项套路。
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- T（正确）。第一段末句写 By the end of the year, more than 95 per cent of them should be able to treat young patients，其中 them 指代前文的社区中心和乡镇诊所，与题干一致。注意原文用 should，表示预期目标。
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- Because respiratory illnesses rise in autumn and winter. 依据在第二段第二句，题干问的就是该句 when 从句所给的原因。
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- A. pediatricians。文中明确说是从二级、三级医院选派儿科医生下基层。patients 和 residents 都在文中出现，属于「文中出现过就选」的典型陷阱。
中文译文
在中国，许多家长都熟悉带孩子长途跋涉去大城市儿童医院的路。政府想把这趟路缩短。9 月 14 日，国家卫生健康委表示，今年将新增 1000 家社区卫生服务中心和乡镇卫生院提供儿科诊疗服务。到今年年底，其中 95% 以上应能接诊儿童患者。
原因很简单。儿科服务足以应付日常病例，但一到秋冬季呼吸道疾病增多，门诊和病房很快就会挤满。这种短缺几乎年年出现。为应对这一问题，政府启动了为期三年的「儿科和精神卫生服务年」行动。
开门只是第一步，还得有医生。约 3100 名儿科医生已从大医院被派往较小的医疗机构工作。去年，90% 的社区卫生服务中心和乡镇卫生院已经能够提供儿科服务，今年的目标是在此基础上再增加一千家。
这一变化契合一项更宏大的规划。中国现有 110 余万家医疗卫生机构，90% 以上的居民能在 15 分钟内到达最近的医疗服务点。未来五年的目标，是从「有」服务转向「有好」服务。同样的思路也曾用于血液透析——这项服务已扩展到每一个十万人口以上的县。
对家庭来说，效果很实在。孩子发烧，在家附近就能看上病，家长不必请一天假。大医院则可以把精力集中在重症上。好的医疗不只关乎大楼和先进设备，也关乎它离你够不够近。