英语听力精选进阶版 7175（在线收听）

Background:美国官员对参与一起重大医疗诈骗案的73个人提出指控。据信这些人都和亚美尼亚黑手党有关联。

The indictments paint a picture of a far-reaching and powerful organised crime network, which prosecutors say "puts the traditional mafia to shame". Most of those accused are of Armenian family origin. They allegedly operated under the protection of Armen Kazarian, a man described as an elite organised crime boss, now in a Los Angeles jail.

The group is accused of setting up more than 100 phantom clinics spanning 25 American states, and then invoicing the government for treatment that never took place. Investigators uncovered evidence of US$ 163 million in false billing, which targeted Medicare, the federal insurance program for the elderly. Prosecutors say it's the largest ever Medicare fraud committed by a single criminal entity, adding that the whole doctor-patient relationship was a "mirage".

FBI agents arrested 52 people on Wednesday. A total of 73 alleged gang members have been charged with racketeering and related offences. The indictment says some of the proceeds from the operation were couriered back to Armenia in cash.

Glossary 词汇表

indictment 控告，诉状 

far-reaching 深远的，影响大的 

to put ... to shame 小巫见大巫，远远不如 

allegedly 被指控 

phantom 挂假名的诊所，幽灵 

to span 跨越，分布 

to invoice 开...发票 

mirage 虚幻物，海市蜃楼 

racketeering 敲诈钱财 

proceeds 收入

Questions and Answers

True or False: Prosecutors say this is a traditional mafia crime. 

False. Prosecutors say this fraud is much more serious than the ones perpetrated by this traditional criminal organisation.

How was the gang trying to get money from the government? 

The group claimed to have been treated in non-existent clinics and asked the government to pay them back for their alleged expenses.

True or False: In this case, doctors and patients didn’t meet. 

True. Prosecutors say that there wasn't a relationship between them.

What happened to the money the gang got fraudulently? 

The US authorities say that some of the money was sent to Armenia.