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 题目和参考答案——青夏教育精英家教网—

题目内容

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

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阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从46—65各题所给的四个选项中，选出最佳选项。

I left my friend’s house nearly after seven. It was still too early for me to have my evening meal, 41 I walked along the sea front for about an hour 42 I began to feel hungry. By that time I was not far from a favorite restaurant of mine, 43 I often went to eat. I went into the restaurant and 44 my meal. While I was waiting for the soup 45 , I looked around to see if I knew anyone in the restaurant. It was then 46 I noticed that a man seated at a corner table kept glancing 47 my direction, as if he knew me. The man had a newspaper in front of him, which he was 48 to read. When the waiter 49 my soup, the man was clearly puzzled by the 50 way in which the waiter and I addressed (称呼) each other. He became more 51 as time went on and it was 52 that I was well known in the restaurant. Eventually, he stood up and went into the 53 . After a few minutes he came out again, 54 the bill and left. Then I called the owner of the restaurant and asked him 55 the man had wanted. At first the owner did not want to tell me, but I 56 . “Well,” he said. “That man was from the police.” “Really?” I said, considerably surprised. “He was very 57 you.” “But why?” I asked. “He 58 you here because he thought you were the man he was 59 ,” the owner said. “When he came into the kitchen, he showed me a photograph of the 60 . Of course, it was not you.”

41. A. and B. but C. so D. yet

42. A. until B. when C. because D. after

43. A. where B. what C. which D. that

44. A. sent B. ordered C. carried D. got

45. A. making B. to arrive C. carrying D. to take

46. A. that B. when C. who D. which

47. A. back B. in C. off D. at

48. A. trying B. pretending C. holding D. going

49. A. brought B. fetched C. sent D. took

50. A. familiar B. strange C. interesting D. easy

51. A. puzzled B. interested C. funny D. impatient

52. A. clear B. known C. difficult D. impossible

53. A. office B. restaurant C. kitchen D. WC

54. A. gave B. sent C. paid D. ordered

55. A. how B. that C. which D. what

56. A. thought B. said C. explained D. insisted

57. A. excited at B. worried about C. satisfied with D. interested in

58. A. searched B. followed C. persuaded D. advised

59. A. finding B. looking for C. talking to D. listening to

60. A. wanted man B. owner C. policeman D. waiter

Should parents ever hit their children?

Research suggests many of us are likely to respond “no”, and public support for spanking (打屁股) has been falling over the years. But surveys also show that 75 percent to nearly 90 percent of parents admit spanking their child at least once.

I was raised in a zero-tolerance( 零容忍) home for disrespect, and my parents often turned to physical punishment. And, no, I don’t feel I was damaged by it.

Nothing is more annoying than watching ill-mannered behavior from children.

But there is data to suggest that a return to old-school spanking isn’t the answer.

Two years ago , Newsweek reported that it had found data suggesting that teens whose parents used physical punishment were more likely to become aggressive(好斗的).

Murray Straus, professor at the University of New Hampshire in America, has studied the topic of children and spanking for decades. He said that children who were physically punished have lower IQs than their peers. It may be that children with lower IQs were more likely to get spanked, but the punishment may have been counterproductive (反作用) to their mental development, as well.

Some researchers make the argument that occasional open-handed smacks (用巴掌打) on the bottom are not only harmless but can have some benefit.

Last year, Marjorie Gunnoe, a psychologist at Calvin College, studied teens who have never been spanked. There are a greater number of children growing up without ever having been physically punished. Gunnoe’s research suggests they don’t turn out any better than those who were sometimes spanked.

There are some parents who simply cannot control their tempers. But I still believe that the best parents are the ones who are able to offer fair and firm discipline (管教) without ever turning to physical punishment.

What can we know from the research in the second paragraph?

A. Many of the parents made no response to the survey.

B. More and more people support spanking in public.

C. Most parents have the experience of spanking their children.

D. Many of the parents think they should hit their children.

According to Marjorie Gunnoe’s research, ________ .

A. the children who have never been spanked do better than those who were sometimes spanked

B. instead of harmless, spanking can have a little benefit

C. spanking has little effect on the children’s future performance

D. the teens who were often spanked are more likely to be aggressive

In the author’s opinion, the best parents are the ones ______.

A. who often use physical punishment B. who never use physical punishment

C. who use physical punishment properly D. who take physical punishment as useful tool

Which of the following is NOT TRUE according to the passage?

A. The author’s parents were strict with him when he was young.

B. The author thinks his parents’ spanking did no harm to him.

C. Murray Straus thinks spanking has nothing to do with children’s IQs.

D. Some parents spank their children because they can’t control their tempers.

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 __________．

【小题2】What can we learn from the first paragraph about pigs?

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．

【小题3】Chinchillas use dust to get clean for the following reasons EXCEPT that ________．

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

【小题4】From Paragraphs 3 and 4，we can know that __________．

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

【小题5】We can infer from the last paragraph that the wrasse_____.

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

第三部分阅读理解（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Barrier Islands
Texas has an extensive coastline that runs along the Gulf of Mexico. If you look closely at the map, you’ll notice that there are narrow islands located just off the coast of Texas. These are called barrier islands.
Barrier islands stretch along about 15 percent of the world’s coastlines. They are separated from the mainland by a shallow body of water. Some barrier islands spread out for more than 100 miles. In Texas, some of the largest barrier islands include Galveston Island, Mustang Island, and Padre Island.
Barrier islands are fragile (脆弱的) areas that contain an interdependent community of land, plants, and animals. All three need each other to exist. If one is harmed in some way, then the other two can suffer. For example, barrier islands are in constant danger of erosion, or loss of land, from wind, waves, and people. The steady movement of ocean waves and wind moves sand along the beaches. This movement contributes to erosion, which changes the shape and size of a barrier island over time. Plants not only provide animals with food and shelter, but it also helps keep an island’s sand and soil in place. When people pick native plants, it advances the process of erosion. This can harm the environmental balance that keeps an island’s ecosystem healthy. For this reason, visitors to barrier islands are usually warned to leave plants alone and to stay on roads and public beaches so that the land, plants, and animals are not disturbed.
As their name suggests, barrier islands provide a natural barrier that helps block the mainland from very bad weather such as strong windstorms and hurricanes. This protection saves lives, homes, and money every year. Barrier islands are also a major source of income for an area’s economy. Padre Island, for example, is visited every year by hundreds of thousands of tourists who take advantage of its sandy beaches and beautiful waters that are perfect for swimming, boating, and fishing. The dollars that tourists spend on the island help financially support the region and state.
1．Paragraph 3 is mostly about _____________.
A．what barrier islands are like    B．how barrier islands form
C．how barrier islands can exist   D．why barrier islands are important
2．Which of the following can do harm to barrier islands?
A．Keeping plants wherever they are.    B．Going wherever visitors like.
C．Fishing on public beaches.            D．Driving about on roads.
3．We can tell from the article that the author ___________.
A．lives on Padre Island and loves it
B．cares about the ecosystem on barrier islands
C．wishes less and less travelers would visit barrier islands
D．is concerned about the beautiful waters around the islands
4．Barrier islands are important because they ___________.
A．help prevent bad weather damaging mainland
B．bring in much more money than mainland
C．can protect rare plants and animals
D．provide more shelters for people

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.

【小题2】According to the text, we know that _____.

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

【小题3】Which of the following shows the structure of the whole text?

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