For almost two months Dominic York, a 23-year-old hairdresser, wandered about hospitals all night, wearing a white coat and pretending he was a doctor. Yesterday he proudly claimed in court that despite his complete lack of medical experience or qualifications, he had saved several people’s lives. He had even been allowed to assist a surgeon during an emergency operation on a patient who was about to die on something she had swallowed.
“I watched one of those TV dramas about a hospital and suddenly I felt like playing one of the roles myself. So I put on a white jacket and a stethoscope(听诊器)and walked around one of the biggest hospital in London. At first I just watched. Once you learn how doctors talk to patients, nurses and others doctors, it’s easy to take people in,” he said.
One of the patients he treated was Laura Kennan. She had been knocked down by a car and fainted. When she came to in hospital, York was standing over her.
“He looked very professional. He told me his name was Doctor Simon. Then he gave me some sort of injection,” she said. And then he suddenly cleared off when a nurse asked who he was. She didn’t think there was anything wrong. “I would never have realized he was a fake if a policewoman hadn’t showed me his photograph a week later. When the policewoman told me who he really was, I could hardly believe my ears.”
Judge Raymond Adams told York that he was “shocked and horrified” that he got away with his deceiving for so long, and then sentenced him to eighteen months in a special prison for criminal with mental disorders.
“I can only hope that this will not lead to further problems. After all, you will have considerable opportunity to study the behaviour of the psychiatrists(精神科医生)who will look after you while you are there. If you try to persuade people that you yourself are a psychiatrist after you are set free, I shall make sure that you are given a much longer sentence.” Judge Adams warned York.
1. York was proud of the fact that ___________.
A. a surgeon let him watch an operation.
B. he could perform some duties of a doctor
C. he had cheated doctors for so long
D. people thought he could become a real doctor
2. York learned how to behave like a doctor by __________.
A. watching other doctors work B. talking to doctors and nurses
C. getting some training and experience D. observing doctors while he was a patient
3. Why was Laura Kennan in hospital?
A. She had swallowed something and almost died.
B. She had to have and emergency operation.
C. She had been injured in a road accident.
D. She had lost consciousness while driving.
4. The judge’s remark implied that York would be more severely punished if he _________.
A. pretended to be a psychiatrist B. tried to get away from prison
C. was proud of what he had done D. studied the behaviour of the psychiatrist