7．Because osteoporosis （'骨質(zhì)疏松） often causes no symptoms at all until a fall snaps a bone，the only way to tell if you have it is through a bone mineral thickness test． This procedure is advised for anyone over 50who has suffered a broken bone and all women over 65．Right now，the test involves lying on your back while the arm of a special X-ray device moves over your body to measure the thickness of various bones．
CyberLogic，a New York R&D firm，has developed a simpler device that's nine inches high，runs on four AA batteries and scans bones with ultrasound （超聲波）．If the portable machine proves as reliable as X-rays，it could be a breakthrough，says New York osteoporosis expert Dr．Ethel Siris．"A small device like this could make bone checkups part of a routine office visit，because it's both affordable and user-friendly．"If testing shows that you have osteoporosis，some major advances in treatment can help．While there are several effective medications on the market，including Fosamax，Actonel，Evista，Miacalcin and Forteo，the latest wonder drug is Boniva，me first once-a-month pill for osteoporosis．The FDA recently approved this drug，which works by reducing activity in cells responsible for bone breakdown．
Should osteoporosis get severe enough to collapse a vertebra （脊髓），doctors have a new way to make repairs：Two tiny balloons are inserted into the bone through surgical tubes．The balloons are expanded to push the bone back into its normal position，then bone cement is used to keep it from collapsing again．
59．What does the underlined word"This"in Paragraph 1refer to？B
A．A fall snaps a bone．
B．A bone mineral thickness test．
C．Osteoporosis often causes no sign．
D．The only way to tell if you have osteoporosis．
60．What can we infer from the passage？A
A．Women are more likely to get osteoporosis．
B．Men are are more likely to get osteoporosis．
C．Anyone over 50is likely to get osteoporosis．
D．Men and women share equal chances to get osteoporosis．
61．Which of the following is true about the portable scanner？C
A．It's a breakthrough． B．It's as reliable as X-rays．
C．It's easy to carry along． D．It's a routine office visit．
