题目
The traditional treatment of strep infections has been a seven-day course of antibiotics, either penicillin or erythromycin. However, since many patients stop taking those drugs within three days, reinfection is common in cases where those drugs are prescribed. A new antibiotic requires only a three-day course of treatment. Therefore, reinfection will probably be less common in cases where the new antibiotic is prescribed than in cases where either penicillin or erythromycin is prescribed.
Which of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument?
选项
A.Some of the people who are allergic to penicillin are likely to be allergic to the new antibiotic.
B.A course of treatment with the new antibiotic costs about the same as a course of treatment with either penicillin or erythromycin.
C.The new antibiotic has been shown to be effective in eradicating bacterial infections other than strep.
D.Some physicians have already begun to prescribe the new antibiotic instead of penicillin or erythromycin for the treatment of some strep infections.
E.Regardless of whether they take a traditional antibiotic or the new one, most patients feel fully recovered after taking the drug for three days.
解析
链球菌感染的传统治疗方法是为期七天的抗生素疗程,使用青霉素或红霉素。然而,由于许多患者在三天内就停止服药,在使用这些药物的病例中,再次感染很常见。一种新抗生素只需要三天的疗程。因此,在使用新抗生素的病例中,再次感染可能比使用青霉素或红霉素的病例中更少见。
- **核心论点**:使用新抗生素的病例中,再次感染的概率比使用青霉素/红霉素的病例更低。
- **论据**:传统药物(青霉素/红霉素)需7天疗程,但多数患者3天内停药,导致再感染常见;新抗生素仅需3天疗程。
- **隐含逻辑**:患者服用新抗生素时,会完成3天的疗程(因为疗程短,患者3天停药的行为恰好能完成治疗,从而彻底消除感染,减少再感染)。
- **正确答案方向**:需支持“新抗生素3天疗程+患者3天停药”的组合能有效治疗,从而减少再感染(即说明患者3天停药的行为对新抗生素的治疗效果无负面影响,甚至有正面作用)。
- **选项A**:一些对青霉素过敏的人可能对新抗生素过敏。
分析:讨论的是“过敏人群”,与“再感染频率”无关,话题偏离,排除。
- **选项B**:新抗生素的疗程费用与青霉素/红霉素相近。
分析:“费用”与“再感染频率”无关,无法加强论点,排除。
- **选项C**:新抗生素能有效消除链球菌以外的细菌感染。
分析:题目讨论的是“链球菌感染的再感染”,“其他细菌感染”与论点无关,排除。
- **选项D**:一些医生已开始用新抗生素代替传统药物治疗部分链球菌感染。
分析:“医生是否开处方”与“再感染频率”无关,排除。
- **选项E**:无论服用传统抗生素还是新抗生素,大多数患者在服药三天后都感觉完全康复。
分析:说明患者**普遍在3天内停药**(因为“感觉康复”就会停药)。对于传统药物(7天疗程),3天停药会导致疗程不足,治疗不彻底,再感染风险高;对于新抗生素(3天疗程),3天停药恰好完成疗程,能彻底治疗,因此再感染风险更低。该选项通过“患者3天停药的行为”,解释了新抗生素疗程短的优势,直接支持了论点。
综上,正确答案为E。