A serious problem for today’s society is who should be responsible for our elderly and how to improve their lives. It is not only a financial problem but also a question of the system we want for our society. I would like to suggest several possible solutions to this problem.
First, employers should take the responsibility for their retried employees. To make this possible, a percentage of profits should be set aside for this purpose. But when a company must take life long responsibility for its employees, it may suffer from a commercial disadvantage due to higher employee costs.
Another way of solving the problem is to return the responsibility to the individual. This means each person must save during his working years to pay for his years of retirement. This does not seem a very fair model since some people have enough trouble paying for their daily life without trying to earn extra to cover their retirement years. This means the government might have to step in to care for the poor.
In addition, the government could take responsibility for the care of the elderly. This could be financed through government taxes to increase the level of pensions. Furthermore, some institutions should be created for senior citizens, which can help provide a comfortable life for them. Unfortunately , as the present situation in our country shows, this is not a truly viable answer. The government can seldom afford to care for the elderly, particularly when it is busy trying to care for the young.
One further solution is that the government or social organizations establish some workplaces especially for the elderly where they are independent.
To sum up, all these options have advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, it is reasonable to expect that some combination of these options may be needed to provide the care we hope to give to our elderly generations.What is the passage mainly about?
| A．The problem faced by the old in society. |
| B．Why we should take responsibility for the old. |
| C．How we can improve the lives of the old |
| D．Where the old can go to get their pensions. |
According to the passage, how can the government help to improve the lives of retired people?
| A．Set aside some profits to help people with problems after they retire |
| B．Increase saving levels of people during their working years |
| C．Increase the discounts for food and transport for the old |
| D．Make available pensions for those who have retired |
The underlined word “viable” most probably means ____.
| A．impossible | B．practical | C．usefull | D．successful |
What can be concluded from the passage?
| A．Taking care of the old is mainly an issue of money |
| B．Employers should allow their workers to retire at a later age |
| C．Becoming independent should be the goal of most old people |
| D．There is no single solution to the problem of the old |
What is the writer’s main purpose of writing this article?
| A．To point out the need for government supporting for old people |
| B．To make general readers aware of the problems of retired people |
| C．To discuss some possible solutions to an important social problem |
| D．To instruct retired people on how they can have a happier life. |
The more people I meet, the more I love my dog. Every day I am reminded why I love him so much.
Three weeks before Christmas in 2008 at about 2:00 in the morning, my dog woke us up out of a sound sleep because someone was knocking at our door. He barked in front of me as if to protect me from the stranger who was knocking. My husband answered, and it was a local police officer telling us that my father-in-law had called the police because he forgot our number. My mother-in-law was suffering from a brain disease and was in the hospital. We thanked the officer and raced to the hospital. We would have taken him, but the hospital would consider him to be a dirty pet.
After visiting the hospital we drove home and hugged our dog once more. At this point it was unlikely that little dog remembered waking us up. What he did remember was that we left him alone for several hours and he missed us. He thought we missed him, too, so he greeted us at the door with his tail wagging (摇摆).
Someone tried to break in our house that summer, but, once again, our little dog saved the day. Our curtains were damaged, but no one got in. When I got home from work, I found parts of my curtains lying on the floor. We called the police and the officer said that he did a great job.
My dog is a loving sweet dog who just wants some attention. I worked with him for months and now he sits, dances, sings, shakes hands, and so much more. The best part is he looks out for me as much as I look out for him.
My husband says the dog is spoiled (宠坏的); I say he finally has a loving home.The author’s dog woke her up to tell her that _____.
| A．her mother-in-law was ill |
| B．her father-in-law called her |
| C．someone was knocking at the door |
| D．someone had broke into her house |
Why did the police say the dog did a great job?
| A．The dog saved the author. |
| B．The dog stopped the thief. |
| C．The dog did well what people told it. |
| D．The dog helped to find the thief. |
The purpose of the text is to tell readers _____.
| A．why the author’s dog is her best friend |
| B．what the proper attitude towards dogs is |
| C．what dogs can bring us |
| D．how to raise dogs |
Having parked near the car wash beside the supermarket, I came away to wait for my wife to come from work. Coming my way from across the parking lot was what society would consider a bum (流浪汉). From the looks of him, he had no car, no home, no clean clothes, and no money. There are times when you feel generous but there are other times that you just don’t want to be bothered (打扰). This was one of those “don’t want to be bothered times.”
“I hope he doesn’t ask me for any money,” I thought. He didn’t. He came and sat on the seat by the bus stop but he didn’t look like he could have enough money to even ride the bus. After a few minutes he spoke, “That’s a very pretty car”. He was ragged (衣着破旧的) but he had an air of dignity (尊严) around him. I said, “thanks,” without taking a look at him.
He sat there quietly for a moment. The expected begging for money never came. As the silence between us widened something inside said, “Ask him if he needs any help.” I was sure that he would say “yes”. So I asked, “Do you need any help?” He answered in three simple words that I shall never forget. The three words shook me. “Don’t we all?” he said.
I was feeling successful and important, above a bum in the street, until those three words hit me. Don’t we all? I needed help. Maybe not for bus fare or a place to sleep, but I needed help. I reached in my wallet and gave him not only enough for bus fare, but enough to get a warm meal and shelter for the day. Those three little words still ring true. No matter how much you have, you need help too. However, no matter how little you have, you can give help too.The author walked away from the car wash to _____.
| A．go to work |
| B．wash his car |
| C．go shopping |
| D．meet his wife |
When the author first saw the bum, he planned to _____.
| A．ignore his difficulty |
| B．give him a lesson |
| C．offer him some help |
| D．make friends with him |
When the bum said “Don’t we all?”, the author felt _____.
| A．satisfied | B．shy | C．sad | D．shocked |
What is the best title for the text?
| A．The clever bum |
| B．Never lose your dignity |
| C．Don’t we all need help? |
| D．To give or not? |
I’m trying to be a writer, but I can’t even start. What should I do?
Abraham, Nebraska
There are many ways to come up with ideas, one of which is to write down a list of your experiences, as well as things from your imagination. When you want to write, look in the notebook for ideas.
Books for writers often have good suggestions, too. One we like is Spilling Ink: A Yong Writer’s Handbook by Anne Mazer and Ellen Potter. Perhaps your library has it.
My classmates keep asking about a new movie I’ve seen. But I don’t want to spoil it for them. What should I do?
Corinne (by e-mail)
You could ask your classmates whether they are sure they want to know and if they insist, go ahead and tell them. You may be able to give them a general idea of the movie without revealing details of the ending.
I’m going to a soccer camp for youth, but I’m not sure if I’m good at soccer or if I’ll make friends.
Louise, New Hampshire
Soccer camp is for people who share an interest in the sport. No matter what a person’s ability is at the beginning, it’s likely that everyone will leave camp with improved skills.
Sharing a common interest may make conversations easier. Smile, be friendly, and have a sense of humor. Before long, you may find that you’ve made some good friends.
Someone invited me to a birthday party. When I got there, kids were doing stuff I’m not interested in, like watching scary movies. I told them my mom would pick me up, so I just left. Was I rude for doing that?
Sam (by e-mail)
You just did the right thing and that isn’t being rude.
We hope you’ll talk with your parents about this. They’re probably proud of what you did. They may have other suggestions for you, too. Talk about different situations that might come up and what would be the best way to handle (处理) them.Who is interested in Spilling Ink: A Yong Writer’s Handbook?
| A．Corinne. | B．Louise. |
| C．Abraham. | D．Sam. |
What can we learn about the soccer camp?
| A．The practice is hard but interesting. |
| B．It is difficult to make friends in the camp. |
| C．The camp only wants people who are new to soccer. |
| D．One’s skills can be improved when leaving the camp. |
The answer to Sam’s question shows what Sam did is _____.
| A．funny | B．strange |
| C．foolish | D．smart |
This purpose of the text is to _____.
| A．give advice | B．tell stories |
| C．find friends | D．share interests |
Jason had been watching the X Games on TV. Athletes from all over the world were competing in the most amazing sports. Just then his grandmother walked into the room. “I want to be extreme. Would you really let me do that? You always worry about my safety!” said Jason.
“You will have to follow some rules,” said his grandmother. “You can only ride in the park — never on the streets. You have to promise to wear a helmet (头盔). If you hurt yourself too much, I have the right to take your skateboard away. Is it a deal?”
“You bet!” Jason was so excited that he jumped off the sofa. A week later he had a board and a helmet.
On Saturday, his grandmother dropped him off near the park. He was happy to have a grandmother who let him try new things.
Kids in the park were moving quickly up and down the ramps (坡道). They flew into the air and landed as easily as birds. When he watched the X games, Jason felt like he was doing the tricks himself. But watching these kids up close, he knew that none of it was going to be easy. He felt a little bit scared.
Very slowly he carried his board to the ramp. Taking a deep breath, he put his right foot on the board. He kicked off with his left foot. For a few seconds he glided (滑行) along, just waiting to fall. Then he came to a stop. Kicking off again, he waited for the worst to happen. Again, he stayed up. The third time he kicked, lost his balance, and fell hard on his left knee.
It hurt, but it was no big deal! Why had he been so scared? Now he felt calm because things had gone wrong, and he was fine!
Next time he kicked off harder and went fast and farther. “Excellent!” said a girl as she passed him. “Extreme!” laughed Jason to himself. “Not quite.”Jason’s grandmother agreed to let him try skateboarding unless _____.
| A．he finished his homework |
| B．he liked the sport |
| C．he observed some rules |
| D．he won a bet |
Jason jumped off the sofa because _____.
| A．he was allowed to go skateboarding |
| B．he was angry at his grandmother |
| C．he was going to play outside |
| D．he was given a board and a helmet |
After watching the kids skateboarding in the park, Jason felt skateboarding was _____.
| A．easy | B．difficult |
| C．boring | D．exciting |
The girl praised Jason for his _____.
| A．skill | B．honesty |
| C．courage | D．kindness |
One night in February 1962, John H. Glenn. Jr., flew over Australia. The man in the Mercury(水星) capsule（宇宙飞行容器）was alone, but friendly voices reached him by radio. On the dark land 100 miles below, he saw a sprinkling of light. They marked the city of Perth, where people had turned on their lights as a greeting to him.
In Friendship7, Glenn radioed, “ The lights show up very well. Thank for everybody for turning them on.” His capsule raced on to the east.
During his three orbits（绕……轨道而行） of the earth, Glenn could always reach one of eighteen tracking stations. Some of them were on ship at sea. Others were in the United States.
Many of the stations had been built with the help of other countries. These countries allowed Americans to bring in radio equipment and set it up. Without the help of such lands as Nigeria（尼日利亚）, Zanzibar（尚巴西，坦桑尼亚领土的一部分）, and Mexico, there would have been breaks in the worldwide radio network.
John H. Glenn. Jr., was the first America to orbit the earth. For his flight, the tracking network（跟踪网络） covered 60,000 route miles. Five hundred men worked in the stations along the route. Since his flight, the network has grown. Today, it covers more than 100,000 route miles and has about one hundred stations. One-third of these stations are outside of the United States.This passage is mainly about .
| A．talking to ships at sea around the world |
| B．breaks in the worldwide network |
| C．the first American to orbit the earth |
| D．a satellite which fell into the ocean |
From the passage we can see that .
| A．Friendship7 stopped in Perth, Australia |
| B．all tracking stations are inside the United States |
| C．radio equipment is important in space flight |
| D．many people could see Glenn in his capsule when he made the flight |
During his flight Glenn could always .
| A．see lights turned on on the ground |
| B．reach ships at sea |
| C．reach one of the tracking stations |
| D．arrive at Mercury in his Friendship7 |
Why did people in Perth turn on the lights?
| A．They wanted guide him to land. |
| B．It was too dark for them to see in the room. |
| C．They wanted to see the Friendship7. |
| D．They wanted to greet Glenn. |
Which of the following is not true?
| A．Countries must work together to track satellites. |
| B．There are now about 70 tracking stations in the United States. |
| C．The tracking network covers many more route miles now than before. |
| D．Nobody has orbited the earth besides Glenn. |