Prolonging human life has increased the size of the human population. Many people alive today would have died of childhood diseases if they had been born 100 years ago. Because more people live longer, there are more people around at any given time. In fact, it is a decrease in death rates, not an increase in birthrates, that has led to the population explosion.

Prolonging human life has also increased the dependency load. In all societies, people who are disabled or too young or too old to work are dependent on the rest of society to provide for them. In hunting and gathering cultures, old people who could not keep up might be left behind to die. In times of famine, infants might be allowed to die because they could not survive if their parents starved, where as if the parents survived they could have another child. In most contemporary(当代的) societies, people feel a moral obligation to keep people alive whether they can work or not. We have a great many people today who live past the age at which they want to work or are able to work; we also have rules which require people to retire at a certain age. Unless these people were able to save money for their retirement, somebody else must support them. In the United States many retired people live on social security checks which are so little that they must live in near poverty. Older people have more illnesses than young or middle-aged people; unless they have wealth or private or government insurance, they must often “go on welfare” if they have a serious illness.

When older people become senile (衰老的) or too weak and ill to care for themselves, they create grave problems for their families. In the past and in some traditional cultures, they would be cared for at home until they died. Today, with most members of a household working or in school, there is often no one at home who can care for a sick or weak person. To meet this need, a great many nursing homes and convalescent (疗养的) hospitals have been built. These are often profit making organizations, although some are sponsored by religious and other nonprofit groups. While a few of these institutions are good, most of them are simply “dumping (倒垃圾的) grounds” for the dying in which “care” is given by poorly paid, overworked, and under skilled personnel.

It can be inferred from the passage that in hunting and gathering cultures _______.

A. it was a moral responsibility for the families to keep alive the aged people who could    not work

B. the survival of infants was less important than that of their parents in times of starvation

C. old people were given the task of imparting the cultural wisdom of the tribe to new generations

D. death was celebrated as a time of rejoicing for an individual freed of the hardships of life

According to the passage, which of the following statements about the old people in the United States is true?

A. Many of them live on social security money which is hardly enough.

B. Minority of them remain in a state of near poverty after their retirement.

C. When they reach a certain age, compulsory retirement is necessary and beneficial.

D. With the growing inflation, they must suffer more from unbearable burdens than ever.

The phrase “this need” in paragraph 3 refers to ________.

A. prolonging the dying old people’s lives

B. reducing the problems caused by the retired people

C. making profits through caring for the sick or weak people

D. taking care of the sick or weak people

Which of the following best describes the author’s attitude toward most of the nursing homes and convalescent hospitals?

A. Sympathetic.        B. Approving.         C. Optimistic.        D. Critical.

One cold rainy evening last October, as a medical student, I was in a hospital, gathering data

for my graduation paper.

     Holding a patient questionnaire   34   some simple yes-or-no questions, I walked towards a 43-year-old patient who lay in bed alone. I was worried whether she would approve of my demands at such a late hour.   35  , she treated it with consideration. Soon I finished and prepared to leave.   36   I could stand up, she spoke up in a weak voice asking where I was from and why I was working so late in the evening.

    Then she started talking about herself as well as her   37  , "My husband died about a year ago,   38   me the only breadwinner of my family. My pay as a cleaner is   39   enough for me and my three kids. I don't know what my children would be if something bad happened to me."

     I didn't know what to say. I desperately tried to remember the lessons from a communication skills class I had taken years earlier, but my mind was  40.

    Without realizing it, I had begun   41   her hand. Now that I didn't have anything to say, I just sat quietly while she talked. That's when it occurred to me that she was not expecting any 42 from me. She   43   wanted me to listen. All 1 did was nod my head as a way of showing my 44.

    The conversation went on for about 20 minutes. Finally, she stopped talking. "I'm very sorry for keeping you here to listen to my problems, but I feel   45   now. I had no one to   46 out my problems to. Thank you so much, doctor."

     Sometimes patients do not need expensive medicine or advanced technology.   47  , they just need someone with the   48   to lend an ear and spare a little of their time. For me, that is one of the best things a doctor can do for a patient, doesn't it?

1.A. made up of     B. fed up with    C. put up with        D. come up with

2.A. Calmly         B. Excitedly       C. Gladly             D. Eagerly

3.A. When                 B. Before          C. As                       D. After

4.A. job            B. illness         C. family            D. children

5.A. causing        B. getting         C. forcing              D. leaving

6.A. extremely      B. exactly        C. especially         D. absolutely

7.A. casual         B. clear          C. steady                     D. blank

8.A. holding        B. shaking         C. carrying          D. treating

9.A. thanks         B. praise          C. warmth                 D. reply

10.A. even           B. ever           C. just                   D. still

11.A. sympathy       B. support         C. sorrow            D. respect

12.A. relaxed        B. awkward        C. fragile            D. satisfied

13.A. leave          B. pour            C. try               D. find

14.A. However             B. Otherwise       C. Instead            D. Besides

15.A. emotion        B. patience        C. experience              D. preference

 

Living an Adventurous Life

Nearly ten years ago, I was told that I had a brain tumor (瘤), and this experience changed my attitude about adventure forever.I thought that I was going to die and that all my adventures were over.I did not have a brain tumor, it turned out, but rather multiple sclerosis (多发性硬化症), which meant that, although they were not over, the nature of my adventures could have to change.

Each morning that I wake up is a fresh event, something that I might not have had.Each gesture that I make carries the weight of uncertainty and demands significant attention: buttoning my shirt, changing a light bulb, walking down stairs.I might not be able to do it this time.If I could not delight in them, they would likely drown me in anger and in self-pity.

I admire the grand adventures of others.I read about them with interest.With Peter Matthiessen I have hiked across the Himalayas to the Crystal Mountain.I have walked with Annie Dillard up, down, into, and across Tinker Creek in all seasons.David Bain has gone with me along 110 miles of Philippine coast, and Ed Abbey has rowed me down the Colorado River.I enjoy the adventures of these courageous figures, who can strike out on difficult trips – 2 miles, 250 miles, 3000 miles – ready to bear cold and tiredness, indeed not just to bear but to celebrate.

But as for me, I can no longer walk very far from the armchair in which I read.Some days I don’t even make it to the backyard.And yet I’m unwilling to give up the adventurous life, the difficulty of it, even the pain, the anxiety and fear, and the sudden brief lift of spirit that makes a hard journey more attractive.

I refine adventure, make it smaller and smaller.And now, whether I am moving on my hands and knees across the dining room to help my cat, lying wide-eyed in the dark battling another period of sadness, gathering flowers from the garden, meeting a friend for lunch, I am always having the adventures that are mine to have.

1.Which of the following is TRUE about the author’s reaction after the illness?

         A.The author is drowned in anger and self-pity.

         B.The author travels to places he/she has dreamed of.

         C.The author can’t take care of himself/herself any longer.        

         D.The author adapts to the condition successfully.

2.Why does the author admire the people mentioned in Paragraph 3?

         A.Because they write popular novels.                                                                                           B.Because they are great adventurers.

         C.Because they are famous geographers.                                                                                   D.Because they fight with hardship in life.

3.Which of the following shows the author’s strong love for adventures?

         A.The author spends almost every day looking for adventures.

         B.The author works hard to make more money for adventures.

         C.The author imagines having adventures while reading.

         D.The author expects to recover only to continue adventures.

 

 

首先,请阅读下列的应用文:

A.Music Box:

Dan Moore and Alex Bowen mix funk, house, disco, jazz, electro and hip hop.

7 pm to midnight, £8 entry, 0870 1220334

B.Breathing Space:

Caroline Broadhead’s installation that change the space of the building’s interior(内部)using a suspended(悬挂)textile ceiling.

Until Jan9, daily 11am to 5pm, free.

C.Hypnotic:

Pete Kelly presents his surround-sound installation, set in a dark room with black walls and five speakers playing a fantastic melody.

Mon to Sat 10am to 5pm, Sun 1 pm to 5pm, free.

D.Susie Perring:

   Colourful etching(蚀刻), aquatints and silk-screen prints on porcelain(瓷器), Metro-life four-star rating. Tue to Fri 10am to 5pm. Until Feb 15.0113 247 8245

E.Skool Disco at Corporation

    Cheesy tunes and school-themed high jinks, place for gathering occasions. 9pm to 2am; £2.1-3 Milton Street.

F.The Factory Of Dreams: Inside Mexico’s Soap Operas

Stefan Ruiz’s look at Mexico’s soap operas, including Los Ricos Tambien Lloran, watched regularly by 200 million people, yet actually unheard of in the West.

Tue to Sat 10am to 5:30pm, free.

请阅读以下个人信息,然后匹配到合适的地方。

56.Lance is interested in interior decoration. He has recently helped his uncle with the decoration of his new house. He now majors in architecture: the designing of buildings.

57.William is an amateur director. He likes to invite some friends together and perform plays. With new high-tech equipment, he even starts to produce DIY(Do-It-Yourself) mini films. He wishes he will be a big name in the film industry one day.

58.Jim is working in a big company and has just got his first-month pan and would like to invite some young fellow workers to have fun this Saturday.

59.Patric is a super fan of classical music. He always finds it a high joy to be lost in some excellent symphonies, like those of Beethoven’s. Recently, he is planning to purchase some musical equipment.

60.Victor is now a college freshman majoring in engineering in another city. At this time of Christmas, he is back at home for the holiday. He plans to invite some of former fellow students in high school for a get-together.

56.Lance        A  Music Box

57.William     B  Breathing Space

58.Jim   C  Hypnotic

59.Patric        D  Susie Perring

60.Victor       E  Skool Disco at Corporation

                   F  The Factory Of Dreams

 

 

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