Many of the world’s countries have reached or are approaching zero population growth (ZPG) .Nearly all such lands are economically well developed.They include much of Europe(including Russia),the United States,Canada,Japan.and Australia.As the rate of natural increase(RNI)declines,two things happen.First,the population begins to decline if the loss is not balanced by immigration.Second,a country’s population ages because there are fewer births.

Is achieving ZPG good or bad? What happens when a country’s population begins to drop? Many people,after all,believe that population decline is a good thing.But is it good for everyone? Does everyone agree?

An aging population can create many problems.Senior citizens require more health care and medical attention.Rather than paying into retirement programs,they begin to draw from their pensions.In the US,the Social Security program,according to many experts,will be used up by 2018.It will pay out more money than it takes in.Additionally, a great number of jobs go begging in search of people willing or entry level positions that pay low wages.With an able to do them.Many of these jobs are aging population,who will fill them? At the other extreme,some positions require a large number of training and highly specialized skills.Who will fill these positions as retirees leave the workforce?

The answer to the problem of declining and aging population is simple:increased migration.Today many people,particularly those from less developed countries,are migrating in search of employment.Many are willing to take jobs that cannot(or will not) be filled by the domestic population.Others are well educated and highly skilled.Both groups contribute to a country’s economy progress in many ways.Further, they add to the richness of a country’s culture.Of greatest importance,perhaps,is the fact that they have become absolutely necessary to the economy of many lands.As you can see,for many countries and for most immigrants,migration is a win—win situation.

1.In the writer’s view,which of the following statements is TRUE?

A.Not everyone agrees that achieving ZPG is absolutely good.

B.Achieving ZPG is every country’s aim in spite of its side effects.

C.Achieving ZPG is bad for senior citizens.

D.Achieving ZPG is good for employment.

2.According to the passage,the best way to solve the problem of declining and aging population is

A.to improve the health care system

B.to increase RNI

C.to increase employment

D.to increase migration

3.The underlined words “the domestic population’’ can be replaced by

A.people within the country

B.people from developing countries

C.people without a college education

D.people living abroad

4.The main idea of the last paragraph is .

A.the advantages of increased migration

B.the problem of declining and aging population

C.how to increase migration

D.some ways to enrich a country’s culture

(RAMALLAH, West Bank) — Israel(以色列) freed 26 Palestinian(巴勒斯坦) prisoners early Wednesday, the second of four groups to be released as part of an agreement that started the current Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, which had broken down since 2008. In all, 104 prisoners are to be released in four rounds over the coming months.

In the West Bank and Gaza(加沙), the mood was overexcited as hundreds of Palestinians welcomed the prisoners back home, after many had spent more than 20 years behind bars.

Crowds of people rushed toward the 5 prisoners released to Gaza, raising them on their shoulders, waving Palestinian flags and dancing to music. Relatives held signs that read “we will never forget our heroes.” More than 2,000 people welcomed the 21 prisoners released to the West Bank, who were greeted at a ceremony by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah.

Hazem Shubair, thrown into prison in 1994 for the death of an Israeli according to the Israeli Prison Service, was over delighted upon his return to Gaza. “I am speechless,” he said. “Thanks to God. God is greater than the aggressors (meaning Israel)”.

Abbas said a final peace agreement with Israel was possible on the release of the prisoners. “There will be no final agreement without the release of all the prisoners,” he told the violent crowd.

Israel’s Supreme Court (最高法院) earlier refused an appeal that intended to cancel the prisoner release. An organization of bereaved (失去亲人的) families behind the appeal has said it fears the prisoners, all in connection to the deaths of Israelis, will return to violence once freed.

1.Why did Israel free 26 Palestinian prisoners early Wednesday?

A. Because they would take part in the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.

B. Because that was part of an agreement between Israel and Palestinians.

C. Because the current Israeli-Palestinian peace talks failed.

D. Because the peace talks had broken down since 2008.

2.How many Palestinian prisoners had been released by Wednesday?

A. 21 B. 26. C. Over 26. D. 104.

3.Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A. Wednesday’s release was the whole part of the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.

B. The other 104 Palestinian prisoners will be freed in the coming months.

C. All the Palestinian prisoners were greeted by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

D. All the Palestinian prisoners were welcomed warmly.

4.There will be no final peace agreement between Israel and Palestinians until ______.

A. all the Palestinian prisoners kept in Israeli prisons are set free

B. all the prisoners return to violence once again

C. God is greater than the aggressors

D. Palestinians welcome some prisoners back home

5.From the last paragraph we know _______.

A. Israel stopped to release the rest of the Palestinian prisoners

B. some Israelis didn’t agree to release the Palestinian prisoners

C. all the Israelis are in favor of setting the Palestinian prisoners free

D. the Palestinian prisoners will return to violence once freed

Jerry was the kind of guy you love to hate from the bottom of your heart, for he was always in a good mood and always had something positive to say. When asked how he was able to do so, he would reply,“ If I were any better, I would be twins!

There was no doubt that Jerry was unique because he had several followers who were in his shadow from restaurant to restaurant. Obviously, these colleagues were greatly touched by Jerry’s attitude so as to follow him here and there. Being a natural motivator, Jerry was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation whenever he or she was having a bad day.

Curious about his style, I went up to Jerry and asked him, “ I can’t believe it! You can’t be a positive person all the time. How do you do it? ” Jerry replied, “ Each morning I wake up and say to myself, ‘Jerry, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or in a bad mood.’ I choose to be in a good mood. Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or to learn from it. I choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or to point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life.”

“Yeah, right, it’s not that easy,” I protested. “ Yes, it is,” Jerry said. “ Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people will affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It’s your choice how you live life.”

I reflected on what Jerry said. Soon after I left the restaurant industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it.

Several years later, I heard that Jerry did something you are never supposed to do in a restaurant business: he left the back door open one morning and was held up at gunpoint by three armed robbers. While trying to open the safe, his hand, shaking from nervousness, slipped off the combination(密码组合). The robbers panicked and shot him. Luckily, Jerry was found relatively quickly and rushed to the local hospital. After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, Jerry was released from the hospital with fragments(碎片) of the bullets still in his body.

I bumped into Jerry about six months after the terrifying accident. When I asked him how he was, he replied, “ If I were any better, I’d be twins. Want to see my scars(伤疤)?” I declined to see his wounds, but did ask him what had gone through his mind as the robbery took place. “The first thing that went through my mind was that I should have locked the back door,” Jerry replied. “ Then, as I lay on the floor, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live, or I could choose to die. I chose to live.” “Weren’t you scared?” I asked.

Jerry continued, “The paramedics(护理人员)were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the emergency room and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read,‘ He’s a dead man.’ I knew I needed to take action.” “What did you do?” I asked. “Well, there was a big nurse shouting questions at me,” said Jerry. “She asked if I was allergic to anything. ‘Yes’ I replied. The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, ‘Bullets(子弹)!’. Over their laughter I told them, ‘I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead.’ ”

Jerry lived thanks to the skill of his experienced doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude. I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully.

1.By saying “If I were any better, I would be twins!”(Paragraphs 1&7), Jerry means that_________.

A. he felt depressed in life

B. he was content with his life

C. he regretted not having a twin brother

D. he attempted to live as good a life as his twin brother

2.According to Paragraph 3, what did the writer think of Jerry’s positive thinking style at first?

A. He accepted it and tried to copy it.

B. He was jealous of and even hated it.

C. He was in favor of and reflected on it.

D. He failed to understand it and tended to confirm it.

3.Why did Jerry think he needed to take action in hospital?

A. He couldn’t bear the rudeness of a big nurse.

B. The medical staff were not skilled enough to save him.

C. He was in danger and had to follow the nurses’ instructions.

D. He had to encourage the doctors and nurses for the operation.

4.The underlined part” declined to”(Paragraph 7) can best be replaced by__________.

A. refused to B. promised to

C. agreed to D. intended to

5.Which of the following would best describe Jerry according to the passage?

A. Humorous and optimistic.

B. Unique(独特) and unselfish.

C. Positive and cautious.

D. Outstanding and ambitious.

6.Which of the following is conveyed in this article?

A. Jerry’s survival is a miracle (奇迹).

B. Unique people may achieve success.

C. Attitude is everything.

D. Choices mean success.

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