题目内容
D
Who takes care of the elderly in the United States today? Many people wrongly believe that when people reach old age, their families place them in nursing homes. They are left there in the hands of strangers for the rest of their lives. Their grown-up children visit them only occasionally, but more often, they do not have any regular visitors. Actually this is not true. In fact, family members provide over 80 percent of the care that elderly people need.
Prof. Samuel Preston, a sociologist at the University of Pennsylvania, studied how the American family is changing. He reported that by the time the average American couple reaches 40 years of age, they have more parents than children. This statistic (统计) shows the change in life-styles and responsibilities of aging Americans. The average middle-aged couple can look forward to caring for elderly parents some time after their own children have grown up. Moreover, because people today live longer after an illness than people did years ago, family members must provide long-term care. These facts also mean that after care-givers provide for their elderly parents, who will eventually die, they will be old and may require care too. When they do, their spouses (配偶, 指夫或妻) will probably take care of them.
Because Americans are living longer than ever, more psychologists and social workers have begun to study care-giving to improve care of the elderly. They have found that all caregivers share a common characteristic: all caregivers believe that they are the best person for the job, for different reasons. One caregiver said that she had always been close to her mother. Another was the oldest child. In other words, they all felt that they could do the job better than anyone else. Social workers interviewed caregivers to find out why they took on the responsibility of caring for an elderly, dependent relative. They discovered three basic reasons. Many caregivers believed that they had the responsibility to help their relatives. Some stated that helping others made them feel more useful. Others hoped that by helping someone now, they would deserve care when they became old and dependent.
( )68. It can be inferred that a middle-aged couple in the US _______.
A. spend more time with their children than with their parents
B. depend on their children’s assistance in caring for the elderly
C. don’t pay more attention to their children than to their parents
D. spend more time taking care of their parents than before
( )69. The most common characteristic of caregivers is ______.
A. they all have professional qualifications in care-giving
B. they all believe themselves to be the best caregiver
C. they are the eldest child in the family
D. they are close to their parents
( )70. Which of the following is NOT a basic reason for care-giving?
A. Respect from other members of the family.
B. Prepayment for the care they will get in old age.
C. A feeling of being needed and helpful.
D. A strong sense of duty to the elderly.
( )71. What is the main idea of this passage?
A. Most old people in the US are living a happy life.
B. Most old people in the US live longer today after an illness than people did years ago.
C. Most elderly people in the US are taken care of by their families, who often find the experience satisfying.
D. Most elderly people in the US prefer living with their families to living nursing houses.
68---71 DBAC
Pigs are always considered dirty animals because they roll in mud.But in fact they prefer being quite clean.They cover themselves with mud to help stay cool.During cooler weather, they prefer to stay clean.So do elephants, who also cover themselves in dust or mud to keep cool.When they find a place with clean water they will take a bath,using their long noses to give themselves—or each other—a nice shower
Some animals use dust to get clean.Chinchillas (南美洲栗鼠) have very fine fur. They don’t like to take water baths because water is not warm enough for them.So, instead, they roll around in fine dust.The dust helps to keep their fur and skin dry.This protects them from disease
Usually, a small bird is a light meal for a crocodile.But when a crocodile wants its teeth cleaned.it lies on the ground with its mouth open.The crocodile bird goes in and picks out any parasites(寄生虫)between the crocodile’s teeth or under its tongue.The crocodile gets its mouth cleaned,and the crocodile bird gets dinner.
You wouldn’t think fish would need baths.But some undersea parasites live under the fish’s skin.“Cleaner” fish,like the wrasse(隆头鱼),help take them away.The wrasse stands on its head and dances to signal a big fish that it is ready to go into the cleaning business.The big fish will stop moving and open its mouth wide so the wrasse can swim inside and pick out parasites and bits of food.
【小题1】The passage is mainly about how animals __________.
A.stay clean | B.help each other | C.get their food | D.Take baths |
A.They can help each other take baths. |
B.They are dirtier during cooler weather. |
C.They prefer taking baths to rolling in mud. |
D.They like to stay cool and clean. |
A.dust can dry their fur and skin |
B.They are not good at swimming |
C.Water is too cold for them |
D.Dust is good for their health |
A.Some animals can get clean from others’ help |
B.Most animals are friendly to each other |
C.Small animals couldn’t get food from big ones |
D.All of the animals prefer to stay clean |
A.is often eaten by other fish |
B.1ikes under other fish’s skin |
C.is a small kind of fish |
D.1ikes taking baths |
According to sociologists(社会学家), every modern industrial society has some form of social stratification(阶层). Class, power and status are important in deciding people’s rank in society.
Class means a person’s economic position in society. A commonly used classification is lower class, middle class and upper class. While sociologists disagree on how these terms should be exactly defined, they do describe societies like the United States quite well. One study shows that 53% of Americans belong to the lower class, 46% the middle class, and 1% the upper class. Interestingly, a surgeon earning $500,000 a year and a bus driver earning $50,000 a year both regard themselves as the middle class!
Power refers to the amount of control a person has over other people. Obviously, people in positions of great power (such as governors) exercise(行使)big power, but people who take orders from others have less power. Power and class do not always go hand in hand, however. For example, the governor of a state has great power, but he or she may not belong to a corresponding (相应的)economic class. Generally, however, there is a relationship between power and class.
To our knowledge, there aren’t too many people who aren’t millionaires in the U.S. Senate!
Status is the honor or respect attached to a person’s position in society. It can also be affected by power and class, but not necessarily so. For example, a university professor may have a high status but not belong to a high social class or have a lot of power over others.
【小题1】What can we learn about “the middle class” from Paragraph 2?
A.People earning $50,000 a year belong to the middle class. |
B.Nearly half Americans belong to the middle class. |
C.People generally consider bus drivers as the middle class. |
D.Sociologists have a clear definition of the middle class. |
A.power and class do not always correspond with each other |
B.status refers to a person’s economic position in society |
C.people with high status have a lot of control over others |
D.class is less important in deciding a person’s social rank |