NEW YORK - People who keep doing some work in their field after they retire may enjoy better physical and mental health than those who stop work completely or switch to another area of work, according to a U.S. study.

Researchers from the University of Maryland said the findings suggest that prospective retirees should consider moving into so-called "bridge employment" as a transition to full retirement.

"In essence, if someone is in a field where part-time work or self-employment is possible, he or she should consider it as they plan for retirement," researcher Dr. Mo Wang, an assistant professor of psychology, told Reuters Health.

For their study, Wang and his colleagues used data on more than 12,000 workers in a U.S. health study begun in 1992. Participants, who were between the ages of 51 and 61 at the outset, were surveyed every two years over a six-year period.

Overall, Wang's team found, people who went into some form of bridge employment reported lower rates of major diseases like high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes and arthritis during the study period than their counterparts who went straight into full retirement.

The findings were not explained by older age or worse initial health among people who opted for full retirement, the investigators report in the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology.

On top of their better physical health, "bridge" workers also tended to report fewer mental health problems, such as depression.

The same mental health benefits were not seen, however, when retirees took part-time work in other fields -- possibly, Wang said, because many of these people may have taken those jobs out of financial need rather than choice.

He noted that the lack of benefit could also stem from the fact that these retirees had to adjust to an unfamiliar job position or had to make lifestyle changes.

Bridge work, particularly in one's accustomed field, may benefit physical and mental health for a number of reasons, according to Wang.

In general, he explained, such work may help older adults maintain the active lifestyles they had during their careers and decrease any stress they might feel from the transition into retirement.   wwwWang said when it comes to mental health, for instance, bridge work may help by allowing people to keep some of the "role identity" that they have formed over their careers.

Staying active in general, not only through work, can also benefit retirees' physical health, Wang noted. He added, however, that any mental health benefits are likely to depend on the type of activity -- whether it is something that the person truly enjoys, and that helps ease any stress of moving into retirement.

"These findings," Wang said, "suggest that for retirees and prospective retirees, carefully considering whether to engage in bridge employment -- and if so, what types of bridge employment -- is quite important."

What does the underlined phrase “at the outset” mean?__________

A. at least  B. at least  C. at the beginning  D. at last

People who went into some form of bridge employment have less chances to get the following diseases, EXCEPT___________.

A. arthritis      B. heart disease      C. diabetes      D. low blood pressure

Which of the following statement is WRONG?_________

A. As long as retirees move into “bridge employment”, they must be healthier than those who do not.

B. The participants in the study were between 51 and 61 years old.

C. The bridge workers are also less likely to get depression.

D. Staying active is beneficial to the retirees’ physical health.

What can we infer from the passage?________

A. The study was begun in 1992 and lasts for two 6-year periods

B. If a bridge worker is older than 61 years old, it does not mean that he will get a better health than others who enjoy full retirement.

C. Only by moving into “bridge employment” can the retirees enjoy better health both physically and psychologically.

D. Any activity can benefit the retirees’ mental health.

Which is the best title of the passage?

A. A US study

B. Bridge Work

C. Working after retiring can be good for your health

D. Stay active

A serious problem for today’s society is who should be responsible for our elderly and how to improve their lives. It is not only a financial problem but also a question of the system we want for our society. I would like to suggest several possible solutions to this problem.

First, employers should take the responsibility for their retried employees. To make this possible,  a percentage of profits should be set aside for this purpose. But when a company must  take life long responsibility for its employees, it may suffer from a commercial disadvantage due to higher employee costs.

Another way of solving the problem is to return the responsibility to the individual. This means each person must save during his working years to pay for his years of retirement. This does not seem a very fair model since some people have enough trouble paying for their daily life without trying to earn extra to cover their retirement years. This means the government might have to step in to care for the poor.

In addition, the government could take responsibility for the care of the elderly. This could be financed through government taxes to increase the level of pensions. Furthermore, some institutions should be created for senior citizens, which can help provide a comfortable life for them. Unfortunately , as the present situation in our country shows, this is not a truly viable  answer. The government can seldom afford to care for the elderly, particularly when it is busy trying to care for the young.

One further solution is that the government or social organizations establish some workplaces especially for the elderly where they are independent.

To sum up, all these options have advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, it is reasonable to expect that some combination of these options may be needed to provide the care we hope to give to our elderly generations.

What is the passage mainly about?

A. The problem faced by the old in society.

B. Why we should take responsibility for the old.

C. How we can improve the lives of the old

D. Where the old can go to get their pensions.

According to the passage, how can the government help to improve the lives of retired people?

A. Set aside some profits to help people with problems after they retire

B. Increase saving levels of people during their working years

C. Increase the discounts for food and transport for the old

D. Make available pensions for those who have retired

The underlined word “viable” most probably means ____.

A. impossible   B. practical   C. usefull   D. successful

What can be concluded from the passage?

   A. Taking care of the old is mainly an issue of money

   B. Employers should allow their workers to retire at a later age

   C. Becoming independent should be the goal of most old people

   D. There is no single solution to the problem of the old

What is the writer’s main purpose of writing this article?

   A. To point out the need for government supporting for old people

   B. To make general readers aware of the problems of retired people

   C. To discuss some possible solutions to an important social problem

   D. To instruct retired people on how they can have a happier life.

One day, a poor boy who was trying to pay his way through school by selling goods door to door found that he only had one dime (一角银币) left. He was hungry so he decided to   1  for a meal at the next house. However, he lost his nerve when a lovely young woman opened the door.   2  a meal he asked for a drink of water. She thought he looked   3  so she brought him a large glass of milk. He drank it slowly, and then asked, “How much do I  4  you?” “You don’t owe me anything,” she replied, “Mother has taught me never to accept   5  for a kindness.” He said, “Then I thank you from the bottom of my heart.” As Howard Kelly left that house, he not only felt stronger   6  , but it also increased his faith in God and the human race. He was about to give up and   7  before this point. Years later the young woman became critically ill. The   8  doctors were baffled (阻挡). They finally sent her to the big city, where specialists can be called in to study her   9  disease. Dr. Howard Kelly, now   10 was called in for the consultation (会诊). When he heard the name of the town she came from, a(an)   11 light filled his eyes.   12 , he rose and went down through the hospital hall into her room. Dressed in his doctor’s gown he went in to see her. He   13 her at once. He went back to the   14 room and determined to do his best to save her life. From that day on, he gave special   15 to her case.

After a long struggle, the battle was   16 . Dr. Kelly requested the business office to pass the final bill to him for approval. He looked at it and then   17 something on the side. The bill was sent to her room. She was   18 to open it because she was sure that it would take the rest of her life to pay it off. Finally she looked, and the note on the side of the bill   19 her attention. She read these words…

“Paid in full with a glass of   20 .”

(Singed) Dr. Howard Kelly

Tears of joy flooded her eyes as she prayed silently: “Thank you, God. Your love has spread through human hearts and hands.”

46.A. ask B. beg   C. wait  D. look

47. A. Because of  B. In front of C. In case of  D. Instead of

48. A. upset  B. thirsty C. hungry    D. sad

49. A. owe   B. cost  C. lend  D. own

50. A. offer   B. pay   C. help  D. thanks

51. A. quickly B. mentally   C. physically  D. warmly

52. A. quit   B. continue   C. retire  D. surrender

53. A. local   B. poor  C. kind  D. cruel

54. A. common   B. ordinary   C. rare  D. scarce

55. A. old    B. famous    C. unknown  D. retired

56. A. strange B. special C. poor  D. angry

57. A. Suddenly   B. Generally  C. Unfortunately   D. Immediately

58. A. called     B. recognized C. remembered   D. found

59. A. waiting B. treating    C. information D. consultation

60. A. interest B. food  C. attention      D. effort

61. A. defeated    B. won  C. lost   D. completed

62. A. changed    B. read  C. crossed   D. wrote

63. A. excited B. afraid C. nervous   D. surprised

64. A. caught B. called C. paid  D. caused

65. A. water         B. coffee           C. milk             D. ice cream

A serious problem for today’s society is who should be responsible for our elderly(老年人) and how to improve their lives. It is not only a financial problem but also a question of the system we want for our society. I would like to suggest several possible solutions to this problem.
First, employers should take the responsibility for their retired employees. To make this possible, a percentage of profits should be set aside for this purpose. But when a company must take life-long responsibility for its employees, it may suffer from a commercial disadvantage due to higher employee costs.
Another way of solving the problem is to return the responsibility to the individual. This means each person must save during his working years to pay for his years of retirement. This does not seem a very fair model since some people have enough trouble paying for their daily life without trying to earn extra to cover their retirement years. This means the government might have to step in to care for the poor.
In addition, the government could take responsibility for the care of the elderly. This could be financed through government taxes to increase the level of pensions(养老金). Furthermore, some in-situation should be created for senior citizens, which can help provide a comfortable life for them. Unfortunately, as the present situation in our country shows, this is not a truly viable answer. The government can seldom afford to care for the elderly, particularly when it is busy trying to care for the young.
One further solution is that the government or social organizations establish some working places especially for the elderly where they are independent.
To sum up, all these options(选择)have advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, it is reasonable to expect that some combination of these options may be needed to provide the care we hope to give to our elderly generations.
【小题1】What is the passage mainly about?

A.The problems faced by the old in society.
B.Why we should take responsibility for the old.
C.How we can improve the lives of the old.
D.Where the old can go to get their pensions.
【小题2】According to the passage, how can the government help to improve the lives of retired people?
A.Set aside some profits to help people with problems after they retire.
B.Increase savings levels of people during their working years.
C.Increase the discounts for food and transport for the old.
D.Make available pensions for those who have retired.
【小题3】The underlined word “viable” most probably means “__________”.
A.impossibleB.practicalC.usefulD.successful
【小题4】What can be concluded from the passage?
A.Taking care of the old is mainly an issue of money.
B.Employers should allow their workers to retire at a later age.
C.Becoming independent should be the goal of most old people.
D.There is no single solution to the problems of the old.
【小题5】What is the writer’s main purpose in writing this article?
A.To point out the need for government support for old people.
B.To make general readers aware of the problems of retired people.
C.To discuss some possible solutions to an important social problem.
D.To instruct retired people on how they can have a happier life.

When my family moved to America in 2010 from a small village in Guangdong, China, we brought not only our luggage, but also our village rules, customs and culture. One of the rules is that young people should always respect elders. Unluckily, this rule led to my very first embarrassment in the United States.

I had a part-time job as a waiter in a Chinese restaurant. One time, when I was serving food to a middle-aged couple, the wife asked me how the food could be served so quickly. I told her that I had made sure they got their food quickly because I always respect the elderly. As soon as I said that, her face showed great displeasure. My manager, who happened to hear what I said, took me aside and gave me a long lecture about how sensitive Americans are and how they dislike the description “old”. I then walked back to the table and apologized to the wife. After the couple heard my reason, they understood that the problem was caused by cultural differences, so they laughed and were no longer angry.

In my village in China, people are proud of being old. Not so many people live to be seventy or eighty, and people who reach such an age have the most knowledge and experience. Young people always respect older people because they know they can learn from their rich experience.

However, in the United States, people think “growing old” is a problem since “old” shows that a person is going to retire or that the body is not working well. Here many people try to keep themselves away from growing old by doing exercises or jogging, and women put on makeup, hoping to look young. When I told the couple in the restaurant that I respect the elderly, they got angry because this caused them to feel they had failed to stay young. I had told them something they didn’t want to hear.

After that, I changed the way I had been with older people. It is not that I don’t respect them any more; I still respect them, but now I don’t show my feelings through words.

By Jack

1.Jack brought the couple their food very fast because _______.

A. the manager asked him to do so                   B. he respected the elderly

C. the couple wanted him to do so                    D. he wanted more pay

2.When Jack called the couple “elderly”, they became _______.

A. nervous             B. satisfied     C. unhappy              D. excited

3.In Jack’s hometown, _______.

A. people dislike being called “old”

B. people are proud of being old

C. many people reach the age of seventy or eighty

D. the elderly are the first to get food in restaurants

4.After this experience, Jack _______.

A. lost his job in the restaurant

B. made friends with the couple

C. no longer respected the elderly

D. changed his way with older people

5. Which of the following is TRUE?

A. The more Jack explained, the angrier the couple got.

B. Jack wanted to show his feelings through words after his experience.

C. The manager went back to the table and apologized to the couple.

D. From this experience, Jack learned more about American culture.

 

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