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　　Over the last decade, demand for the most common cosmetic surgery procedures, like breast enlargements and nose jobs, has increased by more than 400 percent. According to Dr. Dai Davies, of the Plastic Surgery Partnership in Hammersmith, the majority of cosmetic surgery patients are not chasing physical perfection. Rather, they are driven to fantastic lengths to improve their appearance by a desire to look normal. “What we all crave is to look normal, and normal is what is prescribed by the advertising media and other external pressures. They give us a perception of what is physically acceptable and we feel we must look like that.”

　　In America, the debate is no longer about whether surgery is normal; rather, it centres on what age people should be before going under the knife. New York surgeon Dr. Gerard Imber recommends “maintenance” work for people in their thirties. “The idea of waiting until one needs a heroic transformation is silly,” he says. “By then, you’ve wasted 20 great years of your life and allowed things to get out of hand.” Dr. Imber draws the line at operating on people who are under 18, however. “It seems that someone we don’t consider old enough to order a drink shouldn’t be considering plastic surgery.”

　　In the UK cosmetic surgery has long been seen as the exclusive domain of the very rich and famous. But the proportionate cost of treatment has fallen substantially, bringing all but the most advanced laser technology within the reach of most people. Dr. Davies, who claims to “cater for the average person”, agrees. He says:“I treat a few of the rich and famous and an awful lot of secretaries. Of course, ￡3,000 for an operation is a lot of money. But it is also an investment for life which costs about half the price of a good family holiday.”

　　Dr. Davies suspects that the increasing sophistication of the fat injecting and removal techniques that allow patients to be treated with a local anaesthetic in an afternoon has also helped promote the popularity of cosmetic surgery. Yet, as one woman who recently paid ￡2,500 for liposuction to remove fat from her thighs admitted, the slope to becoming a cosmetic surgery Veteran is a deceptively gentle one. “I had my legs done because they’d been bugging me for years. But going into the clinic was so low key and effective it whetted my appetite. Now I don’t think there’s any operation that I would rule out having if I could afford it.”

　　1. According to the text, the reason for cosmetic surgery is to _____.

　　[A] be physically healthy [B] look more normal

　　[C] satisfy appetite [D] be accepted by media

　　2. According to the third paragraph, Dr. Davies implies that_____.

　　[A] cosmetic surgery, though costly, is worth having

　　[B] cosmetic surgery is too expensive

　　[C] cosmetic surgery is necessary even for the average person

　　[D] cosmetic surgery is mainly for the rich and famous

　　3. The statement “draws the line at operating on people” (Line 3, Paragragh 2) is closest in meaning to_____.

　　[A] removing wrinkles from the face [B] helping people make up

　　[C] enjoying operating [D] refusing to operate

　　4. It can be inferred from the text that____.

　　[A] it is wise to have cosmetic surgery under 18

　　[B] cosmetic surgery is now much easier

　　[C] people tend to abuse cosmetic surgery

　　[D] the earlier people have cosmetic surgery, the better they will be

　　5. The text is mainly about _____.

　　[A] the advantage of having cosmetic surgery

　　[B] what kind of people should have cosmetic surgery

　　[C] the reason why cosmetic surgery is so popular

　　[D] the disadvantage of having cosmetic surgery

　　答案

　　1.B 2.A 3.D 4.B 5.C

　　总体分析

　　本文介绍了现代社会美容手术的普及及其原因。

　　第一段：引用专家的话指出大多数人做美容手术的目的。

　　第二段：引用专家的话指出适合做美容手术的年龄。

　　第三段：指出费用的降低促进了美容手术的普及。

　　第四段：技术的发展促进了美容手术的普及。