Read the passage carefullyThen answer the questions or complete the statements in the fewest possible words.

Most people look forward to retirement as a time when they can finally take up activities that they never had the time or energy to pursue before.But some recent studies on people in their golden years are disturbing: they suggest that retirees are more likely to suffer from depression and possibly higher rates of other diseases such as heart disease and high blood pressure.That’s why a new study of French workers is welcome news.

Led by Hugo Westland, a professor of psychology at Stockholm University, the study of more than 14,000 workers found lower rates of depression and fatigue (疲劳) in people after they got tired while they were still employed.

The scientists followed the employees of the French national gas and electric company for 14 years.They found in the year immediately after retirement, the volunteers reported 40% fewer depressive symptoms than they had in the year before their retirement.The researchers also found an 81% drop in reports of both mental and physical fatigue over the same time period.

Clearly, said Westerlund, much of these decrease in physical and mental fatigue can be traced back to relief from the stresses of work.The decline in depressive symptoms suggests that retirement may be having a positive mental effect, too, which may have a lot to do with the generous pensions (养老金) that French workers enjoy.Most retirees in that country still benefit from about 80% of their yearly salaries.

“The economic or financial situation in retirement is very important,” Westerlund says.“We don’t know if the decrease in fatigue and depressive symptoms is because of the removal of something bad while in work or the addition of something good while in retirement.But no matter the reason, if life in retirement is not comfortable, then we won’t see the improvements we did.”

However, in European nations like France, governments are considering changes to pension plans, which may affect retirees’ health after they leave their jobs-with less of a financial safety net, workers may no longer seem so mentally and physically happy to be out of work.   

(Note: Answer the questions or complete the statements in NO MORE THAN EIGHT WORDS.)

According to some recent studies, retired people may have depression and higher rates of other diseases like __________.

Westerlund’s group found that in the year just after the retirement most retired French workers felt much less tired both __________.

What does the word “improvements” in paragraph 5 refer to?

Retirement may make people happier with __________.

Most parents love the Internet and want their kids to use it. But a new survey in America finds almost as many also fear the online world—especially social networking sites such as My Space—and worry their kids will get in trouble with people they meet.

“The parents see the web’s incredible potential(可能性), and they know their kids have to be there.” says James Steyer, CEO of Common Sense Media, which released results from a survey that looked into parental attitudes toward the Internet. “It is also what they are scared of most.”

The study was conducted online May 5-10 by Insight Research Group. It says 80% of parents are concerned about kids meeting bad people online. That’s because young people who largely have grown up with the Net think of it as a social outlet(出口), say the researchers. To young people, the benefits of giving out some personal information to reach out to friends outweigh the risks. And the study shows they are so comfortable with the medium that 78% have a personal website or blog.

Parents also recognize the importance of the Internet. The survey shows 91% think the Net helps their children explore their passions, and 77% think the Internet is one of the most valuable education tools teens have. But 88% think it’s important to know what their kids are doing online.

Findings suggest both parents and teens need more education about using online media, Steyer says.

Internet safety has become an increasing concern for parents in America. Organizations like the Non-profit Common Sense have been trying to reach and help parents pay attention to the problem.

In the second paragraph, the underlined word “It” refers to_____.

A. Common Sense Media                         B. the result of the survey

C. the web’s incredible potential                   D. the website called My Space

Why do young people give out their personal information?

A. They think it has more advantages than disadvantages.

B. They want to make themselves famous by doing that.

C. They want to have a personal website each.

D. They want to get some information from others.

Most parents think it is important to know_____.

A. where their children give out the information  B. what kind of websites they have

C. how often they go online                        D. what their children are doing online

From the passage we can infer that_____.

A. children are too young to know how to use the Internet

B. parents must teach their children how to use the Internet

C. parents also need to learn more about using the Internet

D. the Internet is the most valuable tool for children to learn

完形填空(共20小题;每小题1.5分,满分30分)

阅读下面短文,从短文后各题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中,选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

Around twenty years ago I was living in Seattle and going through hard times. I could not find   36  work and I found this especially difficult as I had a lot of experience and a Master’s degree.

To my   37   I was driving a school bus to   38   my family. I had been through five   39   with a company and one day they   40   to say I did not get the job. I went to the bus barn, feeling   41  .

Later that afternoon,   42   doing my rounds through a quiet suburban neighborhood I had an inner wave   43   from deep inside me and I thought “Why has my   44   become so hard?” “Give me a sign, I asked, a physical sign, not some inner   45   type of thing.”

Immediately after this internal(内心的) scream I   46   the bus over to drop off a little girl and as she   47   she handed me an earring saying I should keep it   48   somebody looked for it. The   49   was stamped metal, painted black and said “BE HAPPY”. Then it struck me. I had been putting all of my   50   into what was wrong with my life   51   than what was right! 

One night there was a phone call for me from the   52   at a large hospital. She asked me whether I   53   do a report for 200 hospital workers. I said   54   and got the job.

My day with the hospital workers   55   very well. I got a great welcome and many more days of work. To this day I KNOW that it was because I changed my attitude to gratitude.

A. satisfying      B. probable       particular       D. considerate

 A. joy                    B. luck               shame             D. surprise

 A. meet                  B. supply           C. provide               D. support

 A. meetings            B. interviews      conferences         D. reports

 A. came                 B. hoped            called                 D. expected

 A. excited               B. worried          disappointed              D. frightened

 A. though               B. while             unless                 D. until

 A. rise                    B. shout             raise                   D. cry

  A. work                 B. situation         life                 D. position

A. sound                B. voice             noise                  D. thought

A. pulled                B. carried                  brought                     D. held

A. took off             B. put off                  gave off             D. got off

A. as long as           B. now that         in case                D. as soon as

A. earring               B. watch             necklace             D. bag

A. money               B. ideas              energies              D. strength

A. rather                B. other              more                  D. less

A. nurse                 B. work              patient                D. manager

A. should               B. would            must                  D. ought

A. no                            B. hello              yes                     D. nothing

A. went                  B. looked                  seemed               D. appeared

As a solo artist, Brightman has sold 26 million albums and two million DVDs in 34 countries. Her musical styles put opera, pop and jazz together. She is popular in the States but not here(Britain) – the image of her and her second husband, Andrew Lloyd Webber (he much older, she his muse) seems for ever frozen.

The 47-year-old singer talks about the new album Symphony that came out of a “very dark time”, including her decision to give up trying to have children. “People have suggested I could adopt,” Brightman says. “But work is central to my life now. And so I am going to put it to one side. After a while not having children becomes the norm and perhaps that might sound alarming, to parents especially, but I have never known anything different. I’m not hurt by not having children. My life and career are incredibly rich.”

Talking about growing up in a large family in Berkhamsted (father a property developer who later committed suicide), she says: “I was gifted as a child, and very musical. I seemed to be good at anything to do with the arts. At 5 I understood the music I was dancing to and had an eye for costume.” She first appeared in a West End musical at 11 and hated boarding school.

Brightman led the saucy dance troupe(辣妹三人舞) Hot Gossip and had her first hit with I Lost My Heart to a Starship Trooper in 1978. At 18 she married a music manager called Andrew Graham Stewart. “I was probably in love but I can’t remember. Girls change such a lot between 18 and 22. It didn’t really work out.” In 1981 she was spotted by Lloyd Webber. She became his leading lady in Song and Dance, Requiem and Phantom of the Opera. They married in 1984.

Brightman says she felt hostility(敌意) “from the beginning. I haven’t tried to understand it. I’ve done very well everywhere else, especially the US, where I now live, I just accept it for what it is. The more you are away from Britain, the more you appreciate it. But I don’t miss it, although I miss my family. Our profession can be uncomfortable but I enjoy what I do. I get on with it.”

The first paragraph tells us that _____.

  A. Brightman is very popular around the world except in America

  B. Brightman’s musical style is a mixture of opera, pop and jazz

  C. the British people don’t like her for her style of music

  D. Brightman is much older than Andrew Lloyd Webber

Brightman decided to give up having children because _____.

  A. she could adopt one    B. her life and career were unbelievably rich without children

  C. she felt it normal not to have children   D. she was too busy

The following statements are true except ______.

  A. Brightman first appeared in a West End musical at 5

  B. Brightman disliked life on the campus

  C. Brightman was very gifted when she was young

  D.The saucy dance troupe made Brightman famous

The underlined word in the fourth paragraph probably means _____.

  A. located     B. admired     C. followed     D. found

What does the author try to say in the last paragraph by quoting Brightman’s words?

  A. Brightman has to accept the fact that she is liked in Britain

  B. Brightman lives in America but she loves her own country

  C. The British coldness towards Brightman led to her hatred to her homeland

  D. Brightman was at a loss why she was not welcome in Britain

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