The literature on drug addiction has grown at a rate that
defies anyone to keep abreast of the literature, and
apparently in inverse proportion to our understanding of
the subject. Addiction, or dependence, as it is more
5 fashionable to call it, excites controversy and speculation
yet true understanding of the phenomenon remains elusive.
In fact the area is fraught with speculation and
acrimonious debate. Definition of terms such as �drug�,
�addiction�, and �abuse� is obviously less controversial
10 than attempts to explain the nature of drug dependence,
yet even the terminology is imprecise and overlain with
subjective connotations. At its most basic, a drug, as
defined by the World Heath Organization, is simply �any
substance which when taken into the living organism may
15 modify one or more of its functions�. This kind of
definition is too wide to be of any use in a discussion
of dependence: it covers everything from insulin to
aspirin, penicillin to alcohol.
1. The author implies that he thinks the term �dependence� in the context of drugs
A. is more accurate the older term �addiction�
B. has not always been the preferred term
C. is a currently under-used term
D. is an avant-garde aberration
E. is more controversial than the term �addiction�
2. We can infer from the first sentence that
A. not all that has been written on the subject of addiction has added to our understanding
B. no one can have read all the literature on any drug
C. the more that is published the more we are likely to understand
D. the rate of growth should be higher if we are to understand the subject
E. writing about addiction is fashionable