The age of wealthy youth is over．Today's under-thirties are the first generation for a century who can expect a lower living standard than their parents．
Research into the lifestyle and prospects of people born since 1970 shows that they arelikely to face a lifetime of longer working hours, lower job security and higher taxes than the previous generation．
When they leave work late in the evening they will be more likely to return to a smallrented flat than to a house of their own．When, eventually, they retire it will be on pensions(养老金)far lower in real terms than those of their immediate ancestors．
The findings are revealed in a study of the way the ageing of Britain's population isaffecting different generations．
Anthea Tinker, professor of social gerontology at King's College London, who carried out much of the work, said the growth of the proportion(比例)of people over 50 had reversed the traditional flow of wealth from older to younger generations．
“Today's older middle-aged and elderly are becoming the new winners,” she said．“Theymade relatively small contributions in tax but now makerelativelybigclaimsonthe welfare system．Generations born in the last three to four decades face the prospect of handing over more than a third of their lifetime's earnings to care for them”．
The growing number of older people, many living alone, has also increased demand forproperty and pushed up house prices．While previous generations found it easy to raise a mortgage(抵押), today's under-thirties have to live with their parents or rent．If they can afford to buy a home it is more likely to be a flat than a house．
Laura Lenox-Conyngham, 28, grew up in a large house and her mother did not need to work．Unlike her wealthy parents, she graduated with student and postgraduate loan debts of ￡13, 000．She now earns about ￡20,000 a year, preparing food to be photographed for magazines．Her home is a one-bedroom flat in central London and she rents the lounge sofa-bed to her brother．
“My father took pity and paid off my student debts,” she said．“But I still have no pensionand no chance of buying a property for at least a couple of years－and then it will be some-thing small in a bad area．My only hope is the traditional one of meeting a rich man．”
Tinkers research shows Lenox-Conyngham is representative of many young professionals, especially in London, Manchester, Edinburgh and Bristol．
(1)
By saying “the growth of the proportion of people over 50 had reversed the traditional
flow of wealth from older to younger generations”(Lines 23, Para．5), Anthea Tinker
really means that ________．
[ ]
A．
currently wealth flows from old generation to younger generation
B．
traditionally wealth flows from younger generation to old generation
C．
with the increasingly big population of over 50, the trend arises that wealth flows
from younger generation to old generation
D．
with more and more people of over 50, traditions have been reversed
(2)
Why are today's older middle-aged and elderly becoming the new winners?
[ ]
A．
Because they made relatively small contributions in tax, but younger generation will possibly hand over more than a third of their lifetime's earnings for the care of them．
B．
Because they contributed a lot in tax and now can claim much on the welfare system．
C．
Because they made small contributions, but now can make money easily．
D．
Because they outnumber(在数量上超过)younger generation and enjoy more privileges in the present society．
(3)
Which factor pushed up house prices?
[ ]
A．
Many young men, who live alone, have increased demand for houses．
B．
Many young men need to rent more houses．
C．
It is easy to apply for a mortgage for young generation．
D．
The number of older people, many of whom live alone, becomes bigger and bigger．
(4)
We can conclude from the passage that ________．
[ ]
A．
today's under-thirties are leading a miserable life in Britain
B．
Laura Lenox-Conyngham's attitude to work and life represents that of many young professionals in Britain
C．
life can get harder for under-thirties in Britain
D．
elders enjoy extremely high living standard in Britain
Student Date of Birth：19/08/1988 Department of Education and Training
International Students Centre
Hong Xue 827-839 George Street PO Box 707
60 Waratah Street Broadway NSW 21007
Croydon Park NSW 2133 Phone：(612)9217 4801 1300 302 456
Fax：(612)9212 6721
http：//www.tafensw.edu.au/international/
WARNING LETTER
Dear Hong Xue,
As you are aware, your student visa regulations set out a number of conditions applying to your visa．It has come to our attention that you are failing to meet the following conditions：You must maintain accommodation, support and general welfare arrangements that have been approved by your education provider if you：
●have not turned 18; and
●are not staying in Australia with：
－a parent
－a custodian(监护人); or
－a relative who has been nominated(指定)by your parent or a custodian, is aged at least 21 and is of good character．
Note：You must not change those arrangements without the written approval of your education provider．
You must obey the following rules：
1．During term time you must：
a)remain in your homestay during the school term;
b)come home every night; and
c)inform your guardian at all times of your whereabouts．
2．On weekends you must：
a)have your guardian's permission to stay with friends; and
b)inform your guardian of the name, address and phone numbers of people you are visiting．
3．You must return your guardian's telephone calls．
This will be your only warning．If you continue to breach(违反)your student visa regulations we will report you to the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs．Such action may lead to the cancellation(取消)of your student visa．Please contact me on(612)9217 4801 or fax(612)9212 6721 if you have questions about your enrolment．
Yours sincerely
Tracey Carlon
Student Advisor
International Students Centre
NSW Department of Education and Training
(1)
What's the purpose of writing this letter?
[ ]
A．
To remind the recipient of the conditions for applying for a student visa．
B．
To warn the recipient not to do anything against his student visa regulations again．
C．
To tell the recipient how to contact his student advisor．
D．
To inform the recipient of the student visa regulations．
(2)
What can be learned about the recipient from this letter?
[ ]
A．
He is under 18 and studies in Australia with his parents．
B．
He is required to come home every night according to the rules．
C．
He can stay with his friends on weekends if permitted．
D．
His student Visa has been cancelled．
(3)
To which address should the recipient reply if he feels like answering the letter?
[ ]
A．
Hong Xue at 60 Waratah Street, Croydon Park NSW 2133．
B．
Tracey Carlon at the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs．
C．
Hong Xue at NSW Department of Education and Training．
D．
Tracey Carlon at 827-839 George Street, PO Box 707, Broadway NSW 21007．
阅读理解
One night when my wife was preparing dinner, our little son took a piece of paper to her which read：
For washing the car ＄5.00
For making my own bed this week ＄1.00
Going to the provision shop ＄0.50
Playing with little sister ＄0.25
Taking out the rubbish ＄1.00
Getting a good report card ＄5.00
And for sweeping the common corridor ＄2.00
Total ＄14.75
His mother looked at him standing there expecting payment．I could see a thousand memories flashed through her mind．So she picked up the pen and turning the paper over, this is what she wrote：
For nine months I carried you, growing inside me No Charge
For the nights I sat up with you, doctored and prayed for you No Charge
For the toys, food and clothes and wiping your nose No Charge
When you add it all up, the full cost of my love No Charge
Well, when he finished reading, he had big tears in his eyes．He looked at his mother and said,“Mummy, I love you．”Then he took the pen and in great big letters wrote on the“bill”“All paid．”
(1)
What's the best title for this passage?
[ ]
A．
Part-time Job
B．
Mother's Love, No Charge
C．
Payment for House Work
D．
Greedy Mother
(2)
The write wrote the passage in order to ________．
[ ]
A．
show that children should be paid for their housework
B．
show that children should not be paid for their housework
C．
show a clever way of teaching children
D．
tell children how to spend their spare time
(3)
How do you think of the mother in the passage?
[ ]
A．
Clever
B．
Greedy
C．
Cold－hearted
D．
Selfish
(4)
From the last passage we know that ________
[ ]
A．
the boy got all the money he wanted
B．
the mother was unwilling to give the money to the boy
C．
the boy realized that it was not right to ask for money for the housework
D．
the mother was angry with what the boy said
阅读理解
Psychology(心理学)has a new application in the field of medicine．Many doctors, together with their patients, are looking for alternative methods of treatment of physical problems．In large hospitals, modern therapy(疗法)seems to focus on the physical disease．Patients may feel they are treated like broken machines．Some doctors have recognized this as a problem．They are now using psychological therapy, in which the patient is working with the doctors against the disease with the help of medicine．The patient does not wait for the medicine and treatment to cure him or her, but instead the patient joins in the fight．
The doctor knows that a disease affects a patient's body physically．The body of the patient changes because of the disease．He is not only physically affected, but also has an emotional response to the disease．Because his mind is affected, his attitude and behavior change．The medical treatment might cure the patient's physical problems, but the patient's mind must fight the emotional ones．For example, the studies of one doctor, Carl Simonton, M．D．, have shown that a typical cancer patient has predictable attitudes．She typically feels depressed, upset, and angry．Her constant depression makes her acts unfriendly toward her family, friends, doctors, and nurses．Such attitudes and behaviors prevent recovery．Therefore, a doctor's treatment must help the patient change that．Simonton's method emphasizes treatment of the “whole” patient．
The attitude of a cancer patient receiving radiation therapy, an X-ray treatment, can become more positive．The physician who is following Simonton's psychological treatment plan suggests that the patient imagine that he or she can see the tumor(肿瘤)in the body．In the mental picture, the patient "sees" a powerful beam of radiation like a million bullets of energy．The patient imagines the beam hitting the tumor cells and causing them to shrink．For another cancer patient, Dr．Simonton asks him to imagine the medicine going from the stomach into the bloodstream and to the cancer cells．The patient imagines that the medicine is like an army fighting the diseased cells and sees the cancer cells gradually dying and his blood carry away the dead cells．Both the medical therapy and the patient's positive attitude fight the disease．
Doctors are not certain why this mental therapy works．However, this use of psychology does help some patients because their attitudes about themselves change．They become more confident because they use the power within their own minds to help stop the disease．
Another application of using the mind to help cure disease is the use of suggestion therapy．At first, the doctor helps the patient to concentrate deeply．The patient thinks only about one thing．He becomes so unaware of other things around him that he is asleep, or rather in a trance(催眠状态)．Then the physician makes “a suggestion” to the patient about the medical problem．The patient's mind responds to the suggestion even after the patient is no longer in the trance．In this way, the patient uses his mind to help his body respond to treatment．
Doctors have learned that this use of psychology is helpful for both adults and children．For example, physicians have used suggestion to help adults deal with the strong pain of some disease．Furthermore, sometimes the adult patient worries about her illness so much that the anxiety keeps her from getting well．The right suggestions may help the patient to stop being anxious．Such treatment may help the patient with a chronic(慢性的)diseases．Asthma(哮喘)is an example of a chronic disorder．Asthma is a disease that causes the patient to have difficulty in breathing．The patient starts to cough and sometimes has to fight to get the air that he or she needs．Psychology can help relieve the symptoms of this disorder．After suggestion therapy, the asthma patient breathes more easily．
Physicians have learned that the psychological method is very useful in treating children．Children respond quickly to the treatment because they are fascinated by it．For example, Dr．Basil R．Collison has worked with 121 asthmatic children in Sydney, Australia, and had good results．Twenty-five of the children had Excellent results．They were able to breathe more easily, and they did not need medication．Another forty-three were also helped．The symptoms of the asthma occurred less frequently, and when they did, they were not as strong．Most of the children also felt better about themselves．Doctors have also used suggestion to change habits like nail-biting, thumb-sucking, and sleep-related problems．
Many professional medical groups have accepted the medical use of psychology and that psychology has important applications in medicine．
(1)
What does the passage mainly discuss?
[ ]
A．
How suggestion therapy benefits adults and children．
B．
How modern therapy focuses on the disease．
C．
Responses from the medical world．
D．
How to use the mind against disease．
(2)
How does psychological therapy work?
[ ]
A．
The patient waits for the medicine and treatment to cure him．
B．
The doctor uses medical treatment to cure the patient's problems．
C．
The doctor, the medicine, and the patient work together to fight disease．
D．
The patient uses his mind to cure himself．
(3)
What can we learn from the studies of Carl Simonton, M．D．?
[ ]
A．
The medical treatment can cure the patient's mental disease．
B．
The treatment of a patient by treating the body and the mind is necessary．
C．
The mental treatment is more important than medical treatment．
D．
Few patients have emotional response to the disease．
(4)
The use of psychological therapy is helpful to some patients in that ________．
[ ]
A．
the medical effect is better with psychological therapy than without it
B．
the patients can see a powerful beam of radiation hitting their tumor cells
C．
the patients' attitudes towards themselves have changed
D．
the patients are easy to accept the methods the doctors use to treat them
(5)
It can be learned from the passage that suggestion therapy cannot be used to ________．
[ ]
A．
help adults deal with the strong pain of some diseases
B．
help the patients with chronic diseases
C．
help change some bad habits
D．
help cure patients of insomnia(失眠症)
(6)
According to the passage, which of the following remains unknown so far?
[ ]
A．
The value of mental therapy．
B．
The effectiveness of suggestion therapy．
C．
The working principle of suggestion therapy．
D．
The importance of psychology in medical treatment．
阅读理解
Once upon a time the colors of the world started to quarrel．Green said,“Clearly I am the most important．I am the sign of life and hope．I was chosen for grass, trees and leaves．Without me, all animals would 1 ．”
Blue interrupted,“You only think about the 2 , but consider the sky and the sea． 3 the water that is the basis of life and drawn up by the clouds from the deep sea．Without my peace, you would all be 4 ．”
Yellow chuckled(笑道),“You are all so serious．I bring laughter, fun, and 5 into the world．”
Orange started next to blow her trumpet,“I am the color of health and strength．I may be 6 , but I am precious for I serve the needs of human life．When I fill the sky 7 , my beauty is so striking that no one gives another 8 to any of you．”
Red could stand it 9 and he shouted out,“I am the ruler of all of you．I am the color of danger and of bravery．I am willing to 10 truth．I am also the color of passion and of love．”
Then came Purple and Indigo(深蓝)…．
The colors went on boasting, each convinced of his or her own 11 ．Their quarreling became louder and louder．Suddenly there was a startling flash of bright lightening thunder．Rain started to pour down 12 ．The colors crouched(蜷缩)down 13 , drawing close to one another for comfort．
In the midst of the clamor(叫嚷), rain began to speak,“You foolish colors, fighting 14 yourselves, each trying to dominate 15 ．Don't you know that you were each made for a special purpose, 16 ?Join hands with 17 and come to me．”
Doing as they were told, the colors 18 and joined hands．They formed a colorful rainbow．From then on, whenever a good rain 19 the world, a rainbow appears in the sky．They remember to 20 one another．
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