As all governments know，health budgets are infinitely expandable．But Warren Buffett’s gift to the Bill&Melinda Gates Foundation will make a useful difference to the fight against disease in poor countries．Mr Buffett’s wealth will be transferred in annual tranches，the first worth around$1．5 billion．This is more than three-quarters of the amount spent each year on malaria and tuberculosis combined．a(chǎn)nd about a fifth of that spent on AIDS．①The question is，how to spend it wisely．In particular，there is the ticklish issue of how much to disburse on preventing and treating now，and how much to reserve for reseatch into better ways of doing things in the future．
On the face of it，instant action looks compellin9．According to UNAIDS，the agency in charge of the United Nations’response to the epidemic，$22 billion could usefully be spent preventing and treating AIDS in poor countries in 2008．Actual spending last year was$8 billion．The World Health Organisation。another UN agency，reckons$56 billion needs to be spent on tuberculosis by 2015．On current projections，spending will be$25 billion．And the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation，which is heavily backed by the Gates Foundation，reckons that a full vaccination programme in the 72 poor countries in which it operates would cost。over the next decade，between$1 1 billion and$15 billion．④At the moment，annual spending on vaccinations is under$250m．
Yet，tempting as it is to blow the Buffett billions on bolstering these programmes，research also has a claim on the pot．④The Gates Foundation is notable for its willingness to sponsor research into better means of prevention and treatment．In particular，its Grand Challenges in Global Health initiative is backin9 43 projects that will，if they succeed，eliminate important obstacles to a healthier world．
At the moment，the amount spent around the planet on health research does not reflect the damage a disease does．Such damage is not always lethal．Publie-heahh researchers employ a figure known as a DALY(disability-adjusted life year)to measure the true impact of a disease．This figure combines the effects of premature death with those of disease-induced disability in survivors．
Malaria，for example，kills fewer people than tuberculosis，but inflicts more DALYs．And it is the One where research is most underfunded compared with the damage caused．⑤Diabetes，a concern of the rich as well as the poor，gets more than 16 times as much money per DALY，and cardiovascular disease ten times as much．⑥Evening out these egregious differences would be cash well spent．[430 words]
1．It is obvious that Buffett’s endowment is______．
A．far from the amount needed each year to fight against AIDS
B．not enough to fight against malaria and tuberculosis combined
C．of great value to improve the health condition of poor countries
D．beyond the expectation of the Bill&Melinda Gates Foundation
2．The author points out that______．
A．it is not easy to use Mr．Buffet’s gift most effectively
B．more money should be reserved for medical research
C．1es$money should be spent to prevent and treat diseases
D．it is urgent to spend more on malaria，tuberculosis and AIDS
3．It can be learned from the text that______．
A．urgent actions should be taken to prevent and treat various epidemics
B．UNAIDS is an agency mainly in charge of fighting against various epidemics
C．a(chǎn)ctual amount spent on prevention and treatment isinuch less than what is needed
D．more moneY should be spent on AIDS than on malaria and tuberculosis combined
4．The Gates Foundation is willing to sponsor medical research in order to______
A．use IeSS money to do things more effectively
B．generate better ways of prevention and treatment
C．a(chǎn)lleviate the damage a disease inflicts on patients
D．eliminate important obstacles to a healthier world
5．The author claims that______．
A．the damage inflicted by diabetes is usually irreversible
B．tuberculosis is a more threatening disease than malaria
C．diabetes is entitled to more funding as it affects more people
D．research on malaria should be funded much higher per DALY
On the face of it，instant action looks compellin9．According to UNAIDS，the agency in charge of the United Nations’response to the epidemic，$22 billion could usefully be spent preventing and treating AIDS in poor countries in 2008．Actual spending last year was$8 billion．The World Health Organisation。another UN agency，reckons$56 billion needs to be spent on tuberculosis by 2015．On current projections，spending will be$25 billion．And the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation，which is heavily backed by the Gates Foundation，reckons that a full vaccination programme in the 72 poor countries in which it operates would cost。over the next decade，between$1 1 billion and$15 billion．④At the moment，annual spending on vaccinations is under$250m．
Yet，tempting as it is to blow the Buffett billions on bolstering these programmes，research also has a claim on the pot．④The Gates Foundation is notable for its willingness to sponsor research into better means of prevention and treatment．In particular，its Grand Challenges in Global Health initiative is backin9 43 projects that will，if they succeed，eliminate important obstacles to a healthier world．
At the moment，the amount spent around the planet on health research does not reflect the damage a disease does．Such damage is not always lethal．Publie-heahh researchers employ a figure known as a DALY(disability-adjusted life year)to measure the true impact of a disease．This figure combines the effects of premature death with those of disease-induced disability in survivors．
Malaria，for example，kills fewer people than tuberculosis，but inflicts more DALYs．And it is the One where research is most underfunded compared with the damage caused．⑤Diabetes，a concern of the rich as well as the poor，gets more than 16 times as much money per DALY，and cardiovascular disease ten times as much．⑥Evening out these egregious differences would be cash well spent．[430 words]
1．It is obvious that Buffett’s endowment is______．
A．far from the amount needed each year to fight against AIDS
B．not enough to fight against malaria and tuberculosis combined
C．of great value to improve the health condition of poor countries
D．beyond the expectation of the Bill&Melinda Gates Foundation
2．The author points out that______．
A．it is not easy to use Mr．Buffet’s gift most effectively
B．more money should be reserved for medical research
C．1es$money should be spent to prevent and treat diseases
D．it is urgent to spend more on malaria，tuberculosis and AIDS
3．It can be learned from the text that______．
A．urgent actions should be taken to prevent and treat various epidemics
B．UNAIDS is an agency mainly in charge of fighting against various epidemics
C．a(chǎn)ctual amount spent on prevention and treatment isinuch less than what is needed
D．more moneY should be spent on AIDS than on malaria and tuberculosis combined
4．The Gates Foundation is willing to sponsor medical research in order to______
A．use IeSS money to do things more effectively
B．generate better ways of prevention and treatment
C．a(chǎn)lleviate the damage a disease inflicts on patients
D．eliminate important obstacles to a healthier world
5．The author claims that______．
A．the damage inflicted by diabetes is usually irreversible
B．tuberculosis is a more threatening disease than malaria
C．diabetes is entitled to more funding as it affects more people
D．research on malaria should be funded much higher per DALY