125. A society’s infant mortality rate is an accepted indicator of that society’s general health status. Even though in some localities in the United States the rate is higher than in many developing countries. In the United States, overall the rate has been steadily declining. This declines does not necessarily indicate, however, that babies in the United States are now, on the average, healthier at birth than they were in the past.

Which one of the following reasons, if true, most strongly supports the claim made above about the implications of the decline?

(A) The figure for infant mortality is compiled as an overall rate and thus masks deficiencies in particular localities.

(B) Low birth weight is a contributing factor in more than half of the infant deaths in the United States.

(C) The United States has been developing and his achieved extremely sophisticated technology for saving premature and low-birth-weight babies, most of whom require extended hospital stays.

(D) In eleven states of the United States, the infant mortality rate declined last year.

(E) Babies who do not receive adequate attention from a caregiver fail to thrive and so they gain weight slowly.

答案c

请教：c选项的意思好像是通过新的技术使premature and low-birth-weight的死亡率降低，从而整个婴儿死亡率降低（premature and low-birth-weight虽然生存下来，但是是不健康的），可题干中已经明确了mortality rate is an accepted indicator of that society’s general health status，请nn们指教！

the key conclusion in the article is :"This declines does not necessarily indicate, however, that babies in the United States are now, on the average, healthier at birth than they were in the past. "

but there is no evidence in the article supporting this point.  So the answer is any explanation showing that the decline in mortality is not because the new born babies are healthier than before will be the right one.

A not related.

B weaken

D not related

E not related.

(C) The United States has been developing and has achieved extremely sophisticated technology for saving premature and low-birth-weight babies, most of whom require extended hospital stays.