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 |
Mother Teresa was born in Yugoslavia(南斯拉夫), on August 27th,1910. She attended the government school near her home until she was eighteen. At that time, some doctors and nurses from Yugoslavia were working in India, and they often wrote to the school about their work. She decided to join them one day.
When she finished school, she went first to Britain. Then a year later she went to India, where she began to train to be a teacher. After training, she was sent to Calcutta(加尔各答),where she taught geography at a school and soon after became headmistress(女校长).
However, although she loved teaching, in 1946 Mother Teresa left the school and went to work in the poor parts of Calcutta. Later she trained to be a nurse in Patna, and then began her work helping the poor and comforting the dying in the streets of the city. Slowly, others came to help her, and her work spread to other parts of India.
Mother Teresa is now a well-known person. Many photos have been taken of her, as she travels the world to open new schools and hospitals in poor countries. In 1979, she was given the Nobel Peace Prize for the lifetime of love and service she has given to the poor.
61. Where did Mother Teresa receive her education?
A. In Yugoslavia and India. B. In Yugoslavia and Britain.
C. In Britain and India. D. In Yugoslavia, Britain and India.
62. What first inspired Mother Teresa to work in India?
A. Her visits to the poor parts of Calcutta.
B. Her visit to Britain after she left school.
C. The medical workers’ letters to her school.
D. The work of the nurse in the city of Patna.
63. In which order did Mother Teresa do the following things?
a. Trained to be a nurse. b. Went to India
c. Helped the dying. d. Studied to be a teacher.
e. Went to Britain. f. Worked as a headmistress.
A. b, a, c, e, d, f, B. b, f, a, d, e, c C. e, b, d, f, a, c D. e, a, b, c, d, f
64. Mother Teresa gave up teaching because she wanted _____.
A. to look after the poor B. to travel to poor countries
C. to build hospitals for the poor D. to train nurses to care for the poor
65. Mother Teresa is now a famous person because she has _____.
A. saved many poor people in India
B. helped to bring about world peace
C. helped to make India a more peaceful place
D. taken care of many poor people in the world
第三部分:阅读理解(共20小题;每小题2分,共40分)
阅读下列短文,从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中,选出最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
We cannot feel speed. But our senses let us know that we are moving. We see things moving. We see things moving past us and feel that we are being shaken.
We can feel acceleration, an increase in speed. But we notice it for only a short time. For instance, we feel it during the takeoff run of an airliner.
We feel the plane’s acceleration because our bodies do not gain speed as fast as the plane does. It seems that something is pushing us back against the seat. Actually, our bodies are trying to stay in the same place, while the plane is carrying us forward.
Soon the plane reaches a steady speed. Then, because there is no longer any change in speed, the feeling of forward motion stops.
56. We can feel that we are moving by _____.
A. watching things move past B. feeling the speed
C. feeling ourselves being shaken D. both A and C
57. In the second paragraph, the underlined word “ acceleration” means _____.
A. an increase in speed B. a steady speed
C. any kind of movement D. the movement of a plane
58. During the takeoff of a plane, we feel that we are being _____.
A. thrown forward B. pushed back against the seat
C. lifted out of the seat D. pushed down into the seat
59. We feel the plane’s acceleration because our bodies gain speed _____.
A. just as fast as the plane B. faster than the plane
C. more slowly than the plane D. before the plane
60. This feeling stops when _____.
A. the plane stops climbing B. the plane lands
C. there is no longer a change in speed D. we begin to feel speed
When I was young,I wished for a good car and a big house. That was my idea of success. I took all the advanced classes and tried to do well in the exams with my mind set on going to a key school. I just knew that I would somehow become famous and be able to afford the car and the dream house. All the way through junior years,my mind was planning this beautiful future.
Then in the eleventh grade, many losses changed my mind. First, one of my friends died at 16. Soon after, my great-grandmother passed away followed by my beloved fourth-grade teacher. These events left me not knowing what to do or where to go. Death had never touched me so closely.
After a long period of emptiness, it finally struck me: Life is not promised and neither is future success. Though I was attempting to achieve material success, I was not enjoying my daily life. I realized that finding inner peace, purpose and happiness will stick with me forever and that is real success.
Enjoying life's precious quirks (偶发事件) makes an ordinary person more successful than a wealthy person who isn't content and takes everything for granted. The summer before senior years, my attitude changed greatly. Instead of memorizing facts, I began learning skills. Instead of focusing on the future, I focused on today and the many blessings and successes that came with it.
I still get excellent grades, but now I devote weeks to studying instead of struggling for exams, and I think about the future with a deeper sense of meaning. For me, being successful means truly living life each day.
68.The reason why the author changed his idea of success is ____.
A.that he can't afford his house
B.that his beloved teacher was dead
C.that he didn't know what to do or where to go
D.that he lost a few beloved persons in a short time
69.What does the author want to tell the readers?
A.The true meaning of the life.
B.The true meaning of studying
C.How to achieve success.
D.His opinion about success.
70. According to the passage which of the following is TRUE?
A.The writer thinks the success is not promised.
B.His teacher died before the death of his grandpa.
C.The writer didn’t do well in all the exams.
D.He didn’t want to take all the exams.
The Official Theme for the 2005 World Exposition , Aichi,Japan is “Nature’s Wisdom”.
Name: The 2005 World Exposition, Aichi, Japan
Theme: “Nature’s Wisdom”
Site: Steo City, Nagakute Town, Toyata City, in Aichi Prefecture, Japan
Period: March 25 to September 25, 2005
Projected number of visitors: 15 million
Nature has provided humanity with a means to develop into complex societies based on this very basic relationship.
A vast network of knowledge and wisdom has evolved from this basic relationship between humans and nature. Nature's wisdom,her mysteries, inspiring beauty and power,have been unlocked by minds and scientific processes. Humans have become masters of this knowledge and have developed incredible technologies to employ energy and other resources.
In an increasingly overcrowded world, it is sometimes hard to focus beyond everyday life and onto the long term effects of our technological progress. Surely then,we must be reminded of the true wisdom found in a continuous relationship with nature. After all,we are in a world seeing an increasing amount of media coverage of international debates concerned about damage to the environment. It is commonly accepted that as far as the environment is concerned,it is a time to re-think our relationship with nature before it is too late.
Model Community
Continuous development is what the Eco-communities project at Expo 2005 is all about. The Eco-communities project has been expected to reuse energy and to reduce and make use of existing waste. As well, the entire Expo 2005 site--expected to host 25 million people over a six-month period--has been designed with the conservation(保持)of nature and the local environment as the top priority(优先考虑的事).
Finding answers for today' s world must be done in the background of technology. Thus,the idea of eco-communities was developed. Yet, an understanding of the socio-historical background is just as important in today’s richly multi-cultural world of economically various states and unions. And so the "Art of Life" Expo 2005 sub-theme was expected to be a model of human participation on a global scale. Expo 2005 offers to the people of the world an opportunity to come together and discuss many global issues that face humankind. It is a place to bring together the world's talent to create a model community for the future where humans can live in harmony with nature.
64.What is the period of Expo 2005 Japan?
A.May 1-October 31. B.March 25-September 25.
C.May 1-October 30. D.October 9-0ctober 21.
65. Which of the following themes is Expo 2005 Japan's?
A.Better City,Better Life
B.Interactions between Urban and Rural Areas
C.Nature’s Wisdom
D.Environment, Resource and Technique
66.According to paragraph 3, nature has many features except ______.
A. danger B. power C. beauty D. wisdom
67. We can infer that______according the contents of the passage.
A.the relationship between nature and humans isn’t close
B.it is easier for us to find the true wisdom
C.it is important and necessary for human to protect environment
and nature
D.harmonious community and Art of life can’t realize
The unimaginable earthquake in Haiti has shocked the world. Thanks to modern communication technology, the world has seen the scale of destruction by the 7.0- magnitude quake. Images on TV and the Internet show the Haiti capital has been reduced to rubble and helpless survivors waiting for relief.
So far, at least 50,000 people are feared dead, and tens of thousands left injured or homeless in one of the poorest countries in the West. The number of dead is rising with each passing hour for a few days. Considering Haiti’s total population is only about 8.5 million, the extent of damage will reach every field of the country’s social structures.
Rescuers from countries such as China, the United States, France and Dominican Republic have already reached Haiti, carrying necessary things like food and medicines, life-detecting devices and other rescue equipment. Politicians,workers and Hollywood actors have opened their wallets and called for donations to help disaster relief. The whole world is ready to help them. The world is a village today where no one can remain indifferent when a neighbor falls in disaster.
The suffering of people anywhere in the world strikes the hearts of Chinese people. The death of eight Chinese peacekeepers in Haiti has little to do with it. Chinese people feel a special sympathy for Haitians because just less than 20 months ago they were struggling to rise from the earthquake.
Though Beijing and Port-au-Prince have no diplomatic relations, China was among the first nations to send a rescue team and to announce a donation. In the face of natural disasters, respect for human lives overtakes diplomacy and national boundaries. We share the pain of the Haitian people, and we believe China’s experience in rescue and operations and reconstructions will help reduce that pain.
The most pressing task after a quake is the golden-hour rescue operation. Many Haitians are buried under rubble, and relentless efforts must be made to save as many of them as possible. Yet there remains a question on how effectively the flows of aid from around the world be managed. It is here that the UN can play the leading role, for it should be responsible for common humanitarian efforts from across the globe to reach the benefits to the maximum number of people.
After the 2004 tsunami killed more than 200,000 people in Asia, some experts said the UN needed to build a well-equipped and trained force disaster rescue specialists and keep it on standby to help people after natural disasters such as the Haiti quake. It is time the UN gave the idea a serious thought, for a life-saving force could play as important as its peacekeeping soldiers.
60.According to the passage, which of the following is true?
A.The number of Haiti’s total population is about 8.5 billion
B.Rescuers from many countries have reached Haiti, carrying necessary things like food, water and medicines.
C.Chinese people feel a special sympathy for Haitians because we have the same experiences.
D.The flows of aid from the world has been managed well.
61.The word “indifferent” underlined in the third paragraph most probably means ______.
A.cruel B.friendly C.cold D.warm
62. We can infer that people around the world actively help the Haitians because ______.
A.people among countries have close relations
B.earthquake is a natural disaster, people respect human lives, and show common feelings to people in trouble
C.people should be responsible
D.people have ever been rescued by Haitians
63.Which of the following would be the best title for the text?
A.The UN plays an important role
B.We are with you, Haiti
C.People share the pain with the Haitian people
D.Modern communication technology is used widely