AyoungmanwholivedinLondonwasin-优题课

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 retired 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 working places 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 problems 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.

The underlined word "viable" most probably means"".

A．impossible

B．practical

C．useful

D．important

What is the writer's main purpose in writing this article?

A．To point out the need for government support 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 text is most likely to be found in a book about____.

A．social science	B．historical events
C．political problem	D．political systems

Halloween Fun Run
Start date: Sept. 9---Oct. 28
Rate: $80 / $10 per class
Time: 4:15---5:15
Dress according to weather. Please note that your child does not need to run races in order to participate in this run training. Focus is on fun and participation. No run experience needed. All ages of kids are welcome.
Class format: 40 minutes of running and running games.
Saturday Indoor Long Rides 2---5 pm
Start date: Sat. Oct.17---Dec.19
Pre-registered rate: $200 / $ 20 per ride
Drop-in rate: $22
This class is designed for road riders, Ride to Conquer Cancer participants, athletic cross-training, and people wanting a great weekly challenge. Participants are encouraged to work within their own level of comfort. No previous riding experience needed; all are welcome. We will begin long rides at 2 hours, and after a few weeks add 15 minutes until we reach 3 hours. At that point, rides will remain 3 hours in length until the outdoor season begins.
Please bring liquid that you drink, nutrition and a towel. Room accommodates 18 spin bikes(健身车).
Family Fun Fit Private Coaching
Learn with Christina Kaufmann. Family Fun Fit’s Private Coaching Service begins with a one-hour face-to-face meeting where we map out where you are and where you wish to be. Next, Christina creates a personalized training program and schedule that will systematically train you and encourage you to achieve your desired goal.
Clients(顾客) have the access to the coach via email or phone. Christina’s past clients have successfully achieved their goals.
This service is ongoing(进行中). Cost is $150 per month.
Halloween Fun Run is held to make kids ______.

A．learn how to compete

B．become professional runners

C．have a good time

D．build self-confidence

When you attend Saturday Indoor Long Rides, you’re required to _____.

A．begin long rides at three hours

B．have precious riding experience

C．prepare some drinks

D．be a road rider

What do we know about Christina Kaufmann ?

A．Her class is very lively and interesting.

B．She gives her instructions on the phone in most cases.

C．She offers service for free.

D．She helps make training plans.

What’s the purpose of the text ?

A．To introduce Christina Kaufmann.

B．To help people form good habits.

C．To try to teach people how to keep fit.

D．To encourage people to join the club.

Last winter ,when I was heavily pregnant , I was visiting my sister and brother-in –law’s house and had to park in a nearby parking lot because they didn’t have accessible parking .The snow was extremely heavy and there was lots of ice on the ground –not many people had ventured out that evening !
When I returned to my car around 11pm, I noticed that I was the only car left. Nervously, I hopped into the car and let it warm up a bit. When I finally tried to drive away, my wheels began to spin. I was stuck! I spun and spun and wondered what to do.
All of a sudden, in my rear view mirror, I saw four teen-aged boys approaching my car. They were walking side by side in a line and dressed a bit like gang members --- at least I thought that's what they looked like. My car was in a very isolated area and I began to panic. I was certain they were coming to my car to harm me. Terrified, I just froze. One of the young men tapped on my window and said "Excuse me, Ma'am, can we help you? You seem stuck." Still afraid and fearing the worst, I said "I am stuck." And the young man said "It's okay, stay in your car and we'll push you out of the snow." And they did!
When they finally got me out of the snow, they smiled and waved. I rolled down my window and thanked them, embarrassed to have judged them so poorly.
Why did the author just freeze when the four young men walking toward her car?

A．Because she was afraid of being harmed.

B．Because she sat in her car for too long a time.

C．Because she was cold indeed in that freezing evening.

D．Because she knew they would rob her of the car.

Which of the following words can best describe the four young men?

A．Impolite

B．Ill-mannered

C．Unfriendly

D．Warm-hearted.

Which of the following is true according to the text?

A．One of the four teenagers was a gang member.

B．The kids wanted to help the author out of trouble.

C．The author would have a baby in her car.

D．The young men enjoyed pushing cars out of the snow.

The best title for the text would be___________．

A．Every man has his faults

B．Fortune favors those who use their judgment

C．Don't judge a book by its cover

D．Think twice before you do

At the top of a three-storey brick house Sue and Johnsy had their studio. In November a cold, unseen stranger, whom the doctors called Pneumonia(肺炎), touched one here and there with its icy fingers. Johnsy was struck down, and she lay, hardly moving, on her bed looking through the window at the blank side of the next brick house.
One morning the busy doctor invited Sue into the hallway(走廊).
“She has one chance in ten,” he said, “And that chance is for her to want to live. She has made up her mind that she’s not going to get well. I will do all that I can. But whenever my patient begins to count the carriages in her funeral procession(队列), I subtract 50 percent from her chance to live.”
After the doctor had gone, Sue went into the workroom and cried. Then she came into Johnsy’s room with her drawing board, whistling.
Johnsy lay hardly moving with her face toward the window. Sue stopped whistling, thinking she was asleep.
She arranged her board and began a drawing. As Sue was sketching, she heard a low sound. She went quickly to the bedside.
Johnsy’s eyes were open wide. She was looking out the window and counting backward.
“Twelve,” she said, and a little later “eleven”; and then “ten”, and “nine”; and then “eight” and “seven”, almost together.
Sue looked out the window. What was there to count? There was only the blank side of the brick house twenty feet away. An old ivy vine(常春藤) climbed halfway up the brick wall. Its branches clung(紧紧缠着), almost bare, to the bricks.
“What is it, dear?” asked Sue.
“Six,” said Johnsy, in almost a whisper. “They’re falling faster now. Three days ago there were almost a hundred. There goes another one. There are only five left now”.
“Five what, dear? Tell me.”
“Leaves. On the ivy vine. When the last one falls, I must go, too. Didn’t the doctor tell you?”
“Oh, I never heard of such nonsense,” said Sue. “What have old ivy vine leaves to do with your getting well? Why, the doctor told me this morning that your chances for getting well real soon were ten to one! Try to take some soup now.”
“There goes another. No, I don’t want any soup. I want to see the last one fall before it gets dark. Then I’ll go , too.”
“Johnsy, dear,” said Sue, bending over her, “will you promise me to keep your eyes closed, and not look out the window until I’m done working? I need the light or I would draw the shade down.”
“Tell me as soon as you have finished,” said Johnsy, closing her eyes, “because I want to see the last one fall. I’m tired of waiting. I want to turn loose my hold on everything and go sailing down, down, just like one of those poor, tired leaves.”
By saying “Pneumonia touched one here and there” (in the first paragraph), the author means that _________.

A．some people were affected by the illnesses of others

B．pneumonia caused damage to the ivy vine

C．two people became ill

D．many people came down with the illness

How did Johnsy feel about the situation during the passage?

A．confident

B．hopeless

C．tired

D．curious

We can learn from the passage that _____________.

A．Sue came into the room whistling perhaps because she thought Johnsy might like the music.

B．Johnsy’s life was compared to the carriages in a funeral procession

C．Sue told a lie to Johnsy about the doctor’s words

D．Johnsy wanted to know about the falling ivy leaves to meet her own curiosity

The underlined word “subtract” in the third paragraph probably means “________”.

A．reduce

B．hope

C．add

D．doubt

The passage is probably taken out of ______________.

A．a newspaper	B．a novel
C．a medical report	D．a girl’s diary

It was an international drug dealing case, one that involved a lot of money and a lot of violence. Agents who had entered the organization had worn wires and collected evidence for years. A conviction(法庭判决) depended on an accurate translation of their tape recordings. “Five languages were involved, “says Liz Elting, 44, one of the owners of TransPerfect, the translation company chosen for the job. “The slightest mistake could mean the criminals would go free.”
When Elting started her business 18 years ago with Phil Shawe, both were attending New York University’s Stern School of Business. Neither realized just how many situations would require their services. TransPerfect’s 4,000 linguists(通晓外语的人) cover more than 100 languages.
Getting Ahead with Liz Elting
What inspired you to start TransPerfect?
When I was eight, my dad bought a KFC in Portugal. Unfortunately, the Portuguese didn’t want anything American. They thought my dad was a CIA spy! That taught me how fast things can change. I’ve studied in Spain and worked in Venezuela. This business is the perfect combination of my love for languages, cultures and business.
Is the staff multilingual?
Many are. I speak French and Spanish. My partner, Phil, who is American, likes to say he speaks English on a good day.
What languages are requested most often?
Spanish and Japanese. Chinese, Middle Eastern, Indic(South Asia), and Eastern Europeans are on the rise.
How difficult is it to manage such a diverse workforce（员工团队）?
Our challenge is to be culturally appropriate in every country. When we hand our year-end bonuses in the US, for example, we have to remember that in India, bonuses are given in the fall.
Any advice for someone starting a business?
Get started before you have kids. In the beginning, I didn’t know how to do this business on the side. I wasn’t married, didn’t have kids, and wasn’t concerned about balancing my work and personal life. Now, with strong managers in place, I can spend more time with my family (husband Michael Burlant and sons Zachary, nine and Jacob, seven), traveling and playing baseball.
What is the purpose of the first paragraph?

A．To report on an international drug dealing case.

B．To encourage people to start a business before they have kids.

C．To present the importance of learning foreign languages.

D．To introduce Liz Elting and her company TransPerfect.

What does the underlined word “wires” mean in the passage?

A．A type of clothes costing a lot of money.

B．A piece of equipment designed to record messages.

C．Thin metal worn to protect yourself against violence.

D．A organization symbol made of thin metal.

Neither realized just how many situations would require their services. is ______________.

A．a company that offers international legal services

B．one which has branches in countries all over the world

C．one whose staff all have to speak several languages.

D．a company whose services are in great demand.

It can be inferred that _______________.

A．Liz learned that love is the answer to problems of cultural misunderstanding

B．Liz started her company with a schoolmate at the age of 18.

C．The success is simply a little beyond Liz and her partner’s expectations

D．Liz and Phil are now strong managers with rich experience.