“I'm seventy years old, ”says the gray-haired lady proudly to the entertainer at her Community Club dinner．
“Did you hear that, everyone?”says the entertainer．“This lovely lady is just seventy years young!And she doesn't look a day over fifty．”
He has been careful not to use the word“old”．In a society where youth is so admired, old age is often seen as something sad, something to fight against．Americans prefer not to say“old”people．They use the expression“senior citizens”．They do not talk about“old people's”homes, but“retirement”homes．
In fact, the entertainer is not so wrong．Seventy is not very old these days．People in the US are living longer and longer．In 1980, 12 percent of Americans were over sixty-five years old．By 2030,21 percent will be over sixty-five．One reason for this is that families are getting smaller．The average couple now has only 1.8 children．At the same time, improved medical care means that people are living longer．
This change in the age of Americans is going to have serious results．For one thing, medical costs are rising．The government is unable to pay the elderly people's medical bills that have gone up very much．Some old people have to leave hospital“sicker and quicker”than they should, before they are really better．
More fortunate senior citizens, though, who still have good health, want new laws to be passed to allow them to stay at work．In the past, the retirement age was sixty-five, but that is changing now．Older people are stronger and more energetic than ever before．Many of them refuse to stop working just because they have reached a certain age．
There is a change, too, in the way in which elderly people see themselves．Many are no longer happy to accept the gray hair, bald heads, and boring clothes of their own parents．They like to wear younger-looking clothes and bright makeup(化妆品)．American women spend millions of dollars a year on operations to lift their faces and make those ugly wrinkles disappear．Men are prepared to spend even more on operations to plant new hair on their bald spots．It's worth any money to look younger．
(1)
In America people try to avoid using the word“old”because ________．
[ ]
A．
the old age is seen as something that isn't admired
B．
it is now believed to bring bad luck to elderly people
C．
the standard of getting old has changed
D．
the change in the age has caused a healthy problem
(2)
According to the passage, which of the following does NOT describe the American society correctly?
[ ]
A．
People live longer because of improved medical care．
B．
The government finds it difficult to afford the medical bills of the elderly．
C．
People use polite expressions when talking about old age．
D．
The old patients' time in hospital is strictly limited．
(3)
Which of the following is not the result of the changing in the age of Americans?
[ ]
A．
Medical costs are rising．
B．
The family becomes smaller．
C．
The retirement age needs changing．
D．
Elderly people spend a lot on keeping young．
(4)
The underlined word“Many”in the last paragraph refers to ________．
[ ]
A．
American adults
B．
American old people
C．
young Americans
D．
American women
(5)
This passage is most probably taken from ________．
A few days ago I asked my son's governess(女家庭教师)Julia to come into my study．“Be seated, Julia,”I said, “Let's settle our accounts．I guess you most likely need some money, but maybe you're too polite to mention it．Now then, we agreed on thirty dollars a month…”
“Forty．”
“No, thirty．I made a note of it．I always pay our governess thirty．Well, um, you've been here two months, so…”
“Two months and five days．”
“Exactly two months．I made a special note of it．That means you have sixty dollars coming to you．Take off nine Sundays…you know you didn't work with Tom on Sundays, you only took walks．And three holidays…”Julia was biting her finger nail nervously, her face red, but－not a word．
“Three holidays, therefore take off twelve dollars．Four days Tom was sick and there were no lessons, as you were occupied(从事)only with Dick．Three days you had a toothache and my wife gave you permission not to work after lunch．Twelve and seven-nineteen．Take nineteen off…that leaves…hmm…forty one dollars．Correct?”
Julia's left eye reddened with tears welling up．Her chin trembled; she coughed nervously and blew her nose, but－still not a word．
“Around New Year's Day you broke a teacup and a saucer; take off two dollars．The cup cost more, it was a treasure of the family, but － forget it．When didn't I take a loss! Then, due to your neglect(疏忽), Tom climbed a tree and tore his jacket; take away ten．Also due to your carelessness the maid stole Dick's shoes．You ought to watch everything! You get paid for it．So, that means five more dollars off．The tenth of January I gave ten dollars．”
“You didn't．” sobbed Julia．
“But I made a note of it．”
“Well…if you say so．”
“Take twenty seven from forty one－that leaves fourteen．”
Both her eyes were filled with tears．Beads of sweat stood on the thin pretty little nose．Poor girl!
“Only once was I given any money,” she whispered, her voice trembling, “and that was by your wife．Three dollars, nothing more．”
“Really? You see now, and I didn't know that! Take three from fourteen－that leaves eleven．Here's your money, my dear．Three, three, three, one and one．Here it is!”
I handed her eleven dollars．She took them and pocketed them．
“Merci(法语：谢谢),”she whispered．
I jumped to my feet and started pacing the room．I was overcome with anger．“For what, this ‘merci'?” I asked．
“For the money．”
“But you know I've cheated you－robbed you! I have actually stolen from you! Why this ‘merci'?”
“In my other places they didn't give me anything at all．”
“They didn't give you anything? No wonder! I played a little joke on you, a cruel lesson, just to teach you．．．I m going to give you all the eighty dollars! Here they are in the envelope all ready for you．．．Is it really possible to be so spineless(懦弱)?Why didn't you protest? Why were you silent? Is it possible in this world to be without teeth and claws(爪)－to be such a fool?”
Embarrassed, she smiled．And I could read her expression, “It is possible．”
I asked her pardon for the cruel lesson and, to her great surprise, gave her the eighty dollars．She murmured her little “merci” several times and went out．I looked after her and thought, “How easy it is to crush(压榨)the weak in this world !”
(1)
What shocked the writer was Julia's ________．
[ ]
A．
nervousness in front of her boss
B．
acceptance of injustice(不公平)
C．
shyness when talking about money
D．
unwilling to express herself
(2)
The writer said, “Is it possible in this world to be without teeth and claws?” He was actually telling the governess ________．
[ ]
A．
to be more aggressive(侵略的)
B．
to be more careful in her work
C．
to protect her right
D．
to live independently
(3)
At the end of the story, the writer said, “How easy it is to crush the weak in this world!” to show ________．
[ ]
A．
his understanding of Julia's anxiety
B．
his worry about Julia's future
C．
his concern on the living condition of working - class people
D．
his sympathy(同情)for the mental state of the weak
(4)
From the story, we can tell that Julia's employer was ________．
[ ]
A．
greedy(贪婪)but honest
B．
ill - tempered but warm - hearted
C．
strict but forgiving
D．
none of the above
阅读理解
Once upon a time the colors of the world started to quarrel．Green said,“Clearly I am the most important．I am the sign of life and hope．I was chosen for grass, trees and leaves．Without me, all animals would 1 ．”
Blue interrupted,“You only think about the 2 , but consider the sky and the sea． 3 the water that is the basis of life and drawn up by the clouds from the deep sea．Without my peace, you would all be 4 ．”
Yellow chuckled(笑道),“You are all so serious．I bring laughter, fun, and 5 into the world．”
Orange started next to blow her trumpet,“I am the color of health and strength．I may be 6 , but I am precious for I serve the needs of human life．When I fill the sky 7 , my beauty is so striking that no one gives another 8 to any of you．”
Red could stand it 9 and he shouted out,“I am the ruler of all of you．I am the color of danger and of bravery．I am willing to 10 truth．I am also the color of passion and of love．”
Then came Purple and Indigo(深蓝)…．
The colors went on boasting, each convinced of his or her own 11 ．Their quarreling became louder and louder．Suddenly there was a startling flash of bright lightening thunder．Rain started to pour down 12 ．The colors crouched(蜷缩)down 13 , drawing close to one another for comfort．
In the midst of the clamor(叫嚷), rain began to speak,“You foolish colors, fighting 14 yourselves, each trying to dominate 15 ．Don't you know that you were each made for a special purpose, 16 ?Join hands with 17 and come to me．”
Doing as they were told, the colors 18 and joined hands．They formed a colorful rainbow．From then on, whenever a good rain 19 the world, a rainbow appears in the sky．They remember to 20 one another．
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