Directions: Read the following passage. Answer the questions according to the information given in the passage and the required words limit. Write your answers on your answer sheet.
The worst US economic recession (萧条) in 70 years is forcing senior citizens out of retirement, leaving them fighting for jobs in a weak labor market or risking homelessness.
A study by Experience Works, released on Tuesday, showed 46 percent of the 2,000 low income people over 55 years who participated needed to find work to keep their homes. Nearly half of them had been searching for work for more than a year.
“These people are at the age where they understandably thought their job-searching years were behind them,” said Cynthia Metzler, president and CEO of Experience Works.
“But here they are, many in their 60s, 70s and beyond, desperate to find work so they can keep a roof over their heads and food on the table.”
According to the study, many of the participants had no intention of working past their 60th birthday, but had to change plans after being dismissed or following the death of the partner. Over a third of the participants had retired.
Ninety percent of respondents 76 years and older planned to continue working for the next five years.
Huge medical bills due to a personal illness or that of a spouse(配偶) were also reasons for coming out of retirement, the survey found. The longest and deepest economic slump since the 1930s is making finding a job for the low-income elderly workers a difficult challenge.
The Experience Works study found that 46 percent of the elderly jobseekers were sometimes forced to choose between paying rent, buying food or medication. Almost three-quarters believed their age made it harder to compete for jobs with younger workers.
“This study underscores calls for the need to create policies that remove barriers to employment for older workers and provide additional programs and services specifically aimed at helping older people re-enter the work force or remain working,” said Metzler.
81. What has caused the American retired senior citizens back to work? ( No more than 8 words )
82. Why is it hard for the elderly job seekers to find a job? ( No more than 13 words )
83. Use several words to describe the possible feelings of the elderly job seekers? ( No more than 4 words )
84. What might be the solution to the problem according to the study? ( No more than 15 words )
During my elementary school years, I used to compare my mom with my best friend Tiffany’s mom.
Tiffany’s mom always gave her lots of money to buy the most fashionable clothes and favorite food. Her mom allowed her to do anything she liked. I really admired Tiffany. My mom didn’t give me much pocket money and she always told me that I should behave myself. I was annoyed with her.
Whenever I didn’t get what I wanted, I would complain to my mom, Tiffany’s mom would give her that! I wish she were my mom. Every time, my mom would calmly say “Poor Tiffany”. I couldn’t understand her. “She shouldn’t be feeling sorry for Tiffany!” I thought. “She should be feeling sorry for me.”
One day, I couldn’t help saying to Mom, “Poor Tiffany? Lucky Tiffany! She gets everything she wants! Why do you feel sorry for her?” I burst out crying.
My mom sat down next to me and said softly. “Yes, I do feel sorry for her. I have been teaching you a lesson that she will never be taught.”
I looked up at her. “What are you talking about?”
Mom said with care, “One day she will really want something. Maybe she’ll find out that she can’t have it. Her mother won’t always be around to give her money, and what’s more, money can’t buy everything.”
It took some time, but I eventually understood my mom’s words. Now I am a happy and successful woman.During the author’s elementary school years, she __________.
| A．wished that her mom were as good as Tiffany’s |
| B．went to school with Tiffany every day |
| C．usually compared her lesson with Tiffany’s |
| D．sometimes gave lots of money to Tiffany |
Why did the author’s mom always say “Poor Tiffany”?
| A．She felt sorry for Tiffany because Tiffany was poor. |
| B．She wanted to tell a lie to comfort the author. |
| C．She thought that Tiffany was spoiled by her mother. |
| D．She told the author this and wanted her to help Tiffany. |
What do we learn about the author’s mother?
| A．She was strict and taught the author to be independent. |
| B．She cared for other people’s children more than her own. |
| C．She thought that life lessons were as important as money. |
| D．She was so poor that she couldn’t give the author much money. |
What can we infer from the passage?
| A．The author was quite annoyed with her mother in the past. |
| B．The author’s mother felt sorry for Tiffany. |
| C．Tiffany’s mother took the author’s mother’s advice. |
| D．The author is thankful to her mother now. |
It was raining. I went into a café and asked for a coffee. ____ I was waiting for my drink, I realized there were other people in the place, but I sensed ____. I saw their bodies, but I couldn’t feel their souls ____ their souls belonged to the ____.
I stood up and walked _______the tables. When I came to the biggest computer, I saw a thin, small man _____ in front of it. “I’m Steve,” he ______ answered after I asked him a couple of times what his name was. “I can’t talk with you. I’m ____,” he said. He was chatting online and, ____, he was playing a computer game – a war game. I was ______.
Why didn’t Steve want to talk with me? I tried ____ to speak to that computer geek （怪人），____ not a word came out of his mouth. I touched his shoulder, but no reaction. I was _____. I put my hand in front of the monitor, and he started to shout, “____!”
I took a few steps back, wondering if all those people in the café were looking at me. I raised my head, and saw nobody showed any interest.
, I realized that the people there were having a nice conversation with their machines, not with people. They were more interested in having a relationship with the , particularly Steve. I wouldn’t want to the future of human beings if they preferred sharing their lives with machines with people.
I was worried and sank in my thoughts. I didn’t even ____ that the coffee was bad, ____ Steve didn’t notice there was a person next to him.
A．Before B．Since C．Although D．While
A．pain B．loneliness C．sadness D．fear
A．because B．when C．until D．unless
A．home B．world C．net D．café
A．beside B．among C．between D．on
A．sleeping B．laughing C．sitting D．learning
A．finally B．quickly C．patiently D．loudly
A．busy B．thirsty C．tired D．sick
A．first of all B．just then C．at the same time D．by that time
A．surprised B．delighted C．moved D．frightened
A．once B．again C．first D．even
A．but B．so C．if D．or
A．excited B．respected C．afraid D．unhappy
A．Shut up B．Enjoy yourself C．Leave me alone D．Help me out
A．From then on B．At that moment C．In all D．Above all
A．computer B．soul C．shop D．geek
A．tell B．plan C．imagine D．design
A．other than B．instead of C．except for D．as well as
A．pretend B．understand C．insist D．realize
A．as if B．just as C．so that D．even though
--Let’s have a game of tennis; the loser has to treat the other to an ice-cream.
-- _______.
| A．I’m afraid so | B．It’s a deal | C．You’ve got a point | D．I suppose not |
The loss has not yet been _______ accurately, but it is believed to be well beyond a hundred million dollars.
| A．calculated | B．considered | C．completed | D．controlled |
Teachers’ words and deeds ______ a great effect _____ their students.
| A．have ; on | B．give; to | C．make ;in | D．take; to |