7．
阅读理解
It's no fun being in the hospital. Children
who have to be in hospital often feel bored or lonely, and this would make them
feel even sicker. Now some hospitals in the USA have computers connected to the
Net and let sick children talk to other sick children in other hospitals on the
computer anytime they want.
So far the system links (连接) eleven hospitals, each with about twenty
computers that can be moved from room to room. Sick children can get in touch
with patients like themselves for on-line talks or games.
Doctors agree that the system is more than a
play thing. It helps sick children feel better, and that may help them get
better.
With the computer children don't feel so
alone while they are in the hospital. They can get on-line and meet sick
children who have the same health problems, share their medical battle stories,
or anything.
One of the things that the system is trying
to do is to link outside the hospital network so that children can talk with
friends and family. Another is to link one hundred hospitals by the end of this
year.
