Part V Cloze (15 minutes)

Every year more than half a million American kids have drainage (排泄) tubes surgically implanted in their ears to combat persistent infections. The procedure, know as tympanostomy, may not be as 62 as the tonsillectomy was in the 1940s, but it now 63 as the nation's leading childhood 64 and a new study suggests it's being vastly overused. In 65 more than 6,000 scheduled ear tube operations, a team of experts 66 by Harvard pediatrician Lawrence Kleinman found that fewer than half were clearly justified. "Each year", the researchers write in the current Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), "several hundred thousand children in the United States may be 67 tympanostomy tubes that offer them no demonstrated 68 ...and may place them at increased 69 ."

Tube placement isn't a 70 risky procedure, but it costs $1,000 to $1,500 and sometimes scars the eardrum, causing a partial loss of 71 . Studies show that the benefits are most likely to 72 the risks if a child's middle ear has produced sticky fluid 73 more than four months despite treatment 74 antibiotics. For less virulent infections, drug treatment is usually a(n) 75 , safer alternative (though drugs, too, can be overused). In the new JAMA study, Kleinman's team reviewed the medical charts of 6,429 kids, all under 16, 76 doctors had recommended the procedure. Even making "generous assumptions" about the likely 77 , the researchers found that a quarter of the proposed operations were 78 , since less invasive alternatives were available, 79 another third were as likely to harm the recipients as help them.

Parents needn't 80 about ear tubes that are already in place. Once 81 implanted, the tiny devices provide drainage for six months to a year, then come out by reducing health costs by hundreds of millions of dollars every year.

62. [A] rare [B] common [C] general [D] abnormal
63. [A] considers [B] alternates [C] ranges [D] ranks
64. [A] operation [B] disease [C] condition [D] injection
65. [A] finding [B] reviewing [C] amending [D] performing
66. [A] controlled [B] conducted [C] legitimated [D] led
67. [A] receiving [B] accepting [C] undertaking [D] initiating
68. [A] disadvantage [B] agreement [C] advantage [D] shortcoming
69. [A] bottom [B] risk [C] edge [D] extent
70. [A]subtly [B] hopefully [C] merely [D] terribly
71. [A] feeling [B] hearing [C] health [D] memory
72. [A] outfit [B] outflow [C] outweigh [D] outgrow
73. [A] for [B] on [C] in [D] to
74. [A] by [B] upon [C] with [D] along
75. [A] expensive [B] faster [C] further [D] cheaper
76. [A] which [B] whose [C] that [D] who
77. [A] risks [B] dangers [C] chances [D] benefits
78. [A] inappropriate [B] favorable [C] preferable [D] inadequate
79. [A] where [B] when [C] whether [D] while
80. [A] outrage [B] panic [C] complain [D] protest
81. [A] lively [B] quickly [C] successfully [D] formally