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【阅读理解】Reading: The Cost of a Cure
Dr. Maria Chen spent her childhood in a fishing village in Portugal, where her mother ran a small clinic.
Watching women wait for hours to see a male doctor, she learned that access to care often depended on who you were.
That memory pushed her toward medical research, though she never cared for awards or titles.
In 2018, she started a trial for a drug that used gene-editing tools to repair damaged heart tissue.
The first results looked promising: patients in the treated group could climb stairs without pain.
But the trial had a flaw. It compared the drug with a placebo, yet the two groups were not similar in age.
When the data were rechecked, the gap shrank. A patient who seemed cured was simply younger and stronger.
Chen felt her optimism drain away. She stayed late, repeating the numbers until they lost all meaning.
She began to suspect the drug was not repairing the heart but masking its decline.
In healthy tissue, the compound seemed to exhaust the body's own repair cells.
She told her team, "I will not trade a headline for a patient's future."
The board agreed and stopped the trial. Chen was disappointed but not defeated.
She had faced pressure before. A private company had once offered to buy her patents and remove her name.
She refused then, and she refused now. "Hope can be a trap," she said.
She teamed up with Dr. Patel, a researcher known for linking lab work to real clinics.
Together they designed a new trial with strict controls and careful monitoring of each patient.
By 2022, the follow-up data were clear. The earlier drug had worsened a hidden condition.
The revised drug, given in smaller doses, was safe and helped some patients.
Chen did not celebrate loudly. She knew that one success does not prove a cure.
She said, "We must not damage the body to save it. We must not destroy trust."
Her lesson was simple: progress needs patience, and honesty is the only foundation that lasts.
Questions
1. What was the main flaw in Dr. Chen's 2018 trial?
A. The drug was tested on too many patients. B. The placebo was not effective. C. The two groups differed in age. D. The trial was stopped too early.
2. What does the word "masking" in paragraph 9 mean?
A. Hiding B. Speeding up C. Repairing D. Measuring
3. Why did Dr. Chen refuse the private company's offer?
A. The offer was too low. B. She wanted to keep her name on the patents. C. She preferred to work alone. D. She did not trust the company's methods.
4. What can be inferred about Dr. Chen's attitude toward her work?
A. She believes one success proves a cure. B. She values recognition more than results. C. She prioritizes patient safety over personal glory. D. She is willing to take risks without evidence.
5. What is the main idea of the passage?
A. The challenges of designing clinical trials. B. How private companies hinder medical research. C. A scientist's journey from failure to success through honesty and patience. D. The importance of gene-editing tools in modern medicine.