题目内容
Working women over 70 caught in the retirement trap at 74 ,Marie Maes is struggling to find work.
Even though she spent four 1 working in Colorado hospitals and Seattle nursing homes,the retired licensed practical 2 lives just above the poverty line on little more than $12 a day after she pays her rent.
She is among a nearrecord and 3 number of women working well into their 70s,thanks to smaller Social Security checks,4 careers,smaller pensions,longer life spans than men and bad 5 planning.
"Of course I need to 6 to work," said Maes,a direct and optimistic woman. Asked whether she 7 herself poor,she replied, "I never gave it a thought,but I guess I am."
Over the past 14 years,the number of women 8 in the United States between the ages of 70 and 74 nearly 9 from 324,000 to 618,000,according to the Labor Department.
More elderly Seattleites are looking for work these days,10 city job fairs not necessarily because they want to,11 because they need the money.
Single older women like Maes are particularly vulnerable (易受伤害的) .Nearly one in five of them lives in 12 ,more than three times the rate of the 13 people of the same age,according to a National Women's Law Center analysis of 2002 Social Security data. And many carry fewer resources into their 70s than men.
The gap suggests the nation's retirement system is 14 Maes and plenty of other women. Instead of 15 the New Mexico native for decades of hard work,it left heir with no pension,an empty bank account, $824 a month from Social Security and 16 to get back to work.
Maes' 1 7 is not uncommon. She started work later in life,18 less money and relied on her husband to prepare for their retirement.
"We're still in that Beaver Cleaver generation," said Marge Hampton,70, chairwoman for Crone of Puget Sound,a community group for older 19 . "We looked to the man to take care of us ... Then we 20 up one day and said, ' Oh my God,what is here?'"
( ) 1. A. years B. months C. weeks D. decades
( ) 2. A. nurse B. doctor C. teacher D. professor
( ) 3. A. decreasing B. extending C. spreading D. growing
( ) 4. A. longer B. better C. earlier D. shorter
( ) 5. A. working B. family C. financial D. studying
( ) 6. A. get back B. come back C. fall back D. hold back
( ) 7. A. made B. implied C. considered D. kept
( ) 8. A. living B. playing C. working D. staying
( ) 9. A. doubled B. developed C. lifted D. improved
( ) 10. A. taking B. covering C. packing D. seeking
( ) 11. A. but B. and C. so D. then
( ) 12. A. richness B. poverty C. happiness D. sorrow
( ) 13. A. single B. married C. rich D. poor
( ) 14. A. preventing B. discouraging C. failing D. stopping
( ) 15. A. saying B. paying C. prizing D. rewarding
( ) 16. A. pressure B. force C. ability D. pleasure
( ) 17. A. condition B. situation C. event D. state
( ) 18. A. saved B. wasted C. made D. spent
( ) 19. A. women B. men C. workers D. employees
( ) 20. A. made B. got C. put D. woke
1. D 指工作40年。
2. A从上文她的工作经历可推断出是护士。
3. D指不断在增长的数目。
4. D指工作时间短，积蓄少。
5. C指财政计划，说明为什么退休后还要工作的原因。
6. A指她目前需要继续工作。
7. C指认为自己很穷。
8. C指在工作的妇女的人数。
9. A从下文的数字的变化可推断出。
10. C指挤满了劳动市场。
11. A 此处为"not ... ，but"句型。
12. B指生活在贫困之中。
13. B由此段开头的Single older women like Maes可推断出，即：married为上文single (未婚的) 之相对词。
14. C fail指忽略，忘记。
15. D指数十年工作的奖赏。
16. A (以及) 不得不重返工作的压力。
17. B situation"情形"。condition"条件"，event "事件"，state"状态"。
18. C make money"赚钱"。
19. A从全文可推断出。
20. D指突然醒来。
