Like many developing countries, Cambodia’s mainly agricultural society is changing fast, driven by urbanization and falling fertility rates. As young workers move to the cities, older people are staying back in the villages, where they have little support.
After Sok Soeun’s husband died 12 years ago, she left her village for the Saravan pagoda in Phnom Penh.
Twenty elderly people - most of them women - live here assisting the monks with Buddhist ceremonies.
In return, attendees donate cash that the women spend on food and medicine.
Although former civil servants and soldiers get a pension, more than 80 percent of Cambodia’s 850,000 elderly did not have formal employment and so do not qualify.
Like 73-year-old Soeun, many are widows and struggle to get by.
“My kids come here every two or three months and give me between 10 and 25 dollars," she said. "It depends - they are poor. But what can I do? It’s my fate. I’ve been at this pagoda for 12 or 13 years. Recently I started getting more ill, and so now I can’t join the religious events.”
Experts want the government to provide geriatric health care and a universal pension.
Annie Nut, an adviser to the non-profit organization HelpAge Cambodia, says such help is critical because of the increased responsibilities carried by many grandparents.
“Because of course when you migrate to the city or to another country it is very difficult - especially as a low-qualified laborer or worker - to bring your own children because their services are very expensive and renting a house is out of the question. So the grandparents have to take care of the grandchildren at home, and they also have to be the guardian of the households and the crops,” said Nut.
HelpAge has, with government support, set up 400 village-level groups to foster volunteer care of the elderly at the community level.
The opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party has proposed a $10 monthly pension and free healthcare for the elderly.
Opposition legislator and former minister of women’s affairs, Mu Sochua, speaks of a moral obligation to help.
“As I say, our culture elevates the elderly. We look up to the elderly - and for what they have gone through with Pol Pot and they have survived, the least the future government of the Cambodia National Rescue Party, the least thing we can do is provide them with that minimum package starting with $10 a month,” said Mu Sochua.
The clock is ticking: a baby boom at the end of the Khmer Rouge’s rule and a declining fertility rate mean that by 2050 the country will have more than 4 million senior citizens - a fivefold increase.Which is not the reason why Cambodia’s Elderly face increasing hardship ?
| A．Many young people go to the urban areas. |
| B．The fertility rates is rising. |
| C．Old people need to support their children. |
| D．Old people are short of help in villages where they remain. |
What is true about Sok Soeun?
| A．She works in the Saravan pagoda in her village. |
| B．Her children come to see her two or three years. |
| C．She is a widow who makes a living by helping the monks with religious events. |
| D．She is not well enough to look after herself. |
According to the passage, what may be the solution to this problem?
| A．Government should decrease the old people’s responsibility. |
| B．Young people should stay at home to support family. |
| C．People should look up to the old who support the family. |
| D．Government should supply free healthcare and a universal pension to the old. |
Why do many grandparents have to attend to their grandchildren?
| A．Grandchildren need to guard the household and the crops. |
| B．It is very difficult to move to the city or another country as a low-qualified laborer or worker. |
| C．The low-qualified workers can’t afford the expenses of raising their children in the city. |
| D．Their services are very expensive and renting a house is out of question. |
In search of Mr．or Mrs．Right，dozens of Japanese are attending a new school in Tokyo aiming to turn them into marriage material．
The school offers various classes for brides and grooms at a time when many people in
Japan are either avoiding marriage or are finding it very difficult to hook up with a partner．The school which is open to men and women，teaches students how to talk，walk and present themselves elegantly(优雅)in order to capture the hearts and minds of partners and their parents．who are often a major obstacle(障碍)to successful unions．The school，opened last month.now has about 30 female students．An almost equal number of males have signed up，but those actually coming to class are much fewer than females．
“I had never thought that my boyfriend’s mother could play such a big role in my relationship．but now I’ve realized I need to start thinking seriously about how to impress my future in-1aws，”said Kozue Sugawara，29，who joined the school after her previous marriage plans failed．
Government statistics show nearly two-thirds of women under the age of 34 are unmarried．
despite some 3,800 firms in Japan offering match—making services．The average age of the school’s female students is 30．
“Before，people would find it easy to get married because families and society would connect them in some way，sometimes pushing them to get married．But now，people have too many choices to make up their minds，”said Etsuko Satake，principal of the school．
Instructors provide suggestions on students’dress，posture and even details such as how they CROSS their legs or get out of a car．Men and women are taught different skills，which range from how to set a table well to how to be more emotionally expressive．Students also simulate (模拟)dates，during which their instructors grade their performance and point out what they did wrong．
57．The new school is opened to teach students how to．
A．get along with their parents-in—law B．prepare themselves for their marriage
C．behave and present themselves well D．get back to marriage after divorce
58．Nowadays many Japanese find it more difficult to get married because．
A．they are being forced to marry by parents
B．the society and family refuse to help them
C．they have fewer and fewer partners to make
D．they have too many choices to make a decision
59．Which of the following is true?
A．Successful marriage has little to do with future in-1aws．
B．Most women under 34 find it difficult to get married．
C．The school helps men and women while they are in love．
D．The number of men and women attending class is equal．
20．The undedincd part“Mr．or Mrs．Right”probably means．
A．a person with the family name“Right” B．a person who is always right
C．the righi person one wants to marry D．the couple who never tell lies
Let’s do some sleep math．You lost two hours of sleep every night last week because of a big project due on Friday．On Saturday and Sunday，you slept in，getting four extra hours．On Monday morning，you were feeling so bright—eyed that you only had one cup of coffee，instead of your usual two．But don’t be cheated by your energy．You’re still carrying around a heavy load of sleepiness，or what experts call “sleep debt”一in this case something like six hours，almost a full night’s sleep．
Sleep debt is the difference between the amount of sleep you should be getting and the amount you actually get．It’s a shortage that grows every time we skim some extra minutes off our nightly sleep．“People get more sleep debt gradually without being noticed，”says William C．Dement，founder of the Stanford University Sleep Clinic．Studies show that such short term sleep lack leads to a foggy brain，worsened vision，and trouble remembering．Long-term effects include obesity(肥胖)，insulin(胰岛素)resistance，and heart disease．A survey by the National Sleep Foundation reports that we’re losing one hour of sleep each night——more than two full weeks of sleep every year．
The good news is that，like all debt，with some work，sleep debt can be repaid．Adding all extra hour or two of sleep a night is the way to catch up．For the long-term lack of sleep，take it easy for a few months to get back into a natural sleep pattern．
Go to bed when you are tired，and allow your body to wake you in the morning(no alarm clock allowed)．You may find yourself catatonic(有紧张症的)in the beginning of the recovery cycle：expect to have ten hours shut—eye per night；As the days pass，however，the amount of sleeping time will gradually decrease．
So earn back that lost sleep and follow the rules of your innate(固有的)sleep needs. You’ll feel better．“When you put away sleep debt,you become a superman,”says Stanford's Dement，talking about the improved mental and physical capabilities that come with being well rested．
53．If rou have short-term sleep lack，you may．
A．put on weight B．get heart disease
C．hate eating food D．have a poor sight
54．The example of sleep math is used to show．
A．in what case you build up a sleep debt
B．in what way you can make up for lack of sleep
C．why you are energetic even without enough sleep
D．why you need six hours’sleep every night
55．By saying the underlined sentence，Dement means that．
A．you need a lot of sleep to be a superman
B．you will be in a good state with enough sleep
C．you need to be a superman to repay sleep debt
D．you will become a superman with more sleep debt
56．What might be the most suitable title for the passage?
A．How can you keep energetic? B．What is sleep debt?
C．Can you catch up on lost sleep?D．Can coffee refresh you?
BERLIN-A German woman，fearful that a burglar(夜贼)was trying to break into her second storey apartment，called police after she heard someone climbing up to her balcony shortly after midnight，police said Thursday.
Police discovered the “burglar” was a man carrying flowers and a bottle of wine who turned out to be the woman’s boyfriend．But then arrested him on an outstanding reason．
“He was trying to surprise her with the flowers and a bottle of wine but it all went wrong，”said Korbach police spokesman Volker Koenig．He said the man jumped down from the balcony and tried to escape but was quickly caught by police．
“He nevertheless gave the police who were taking him to jail the bottle of wine as a gesture of thanks for the friendly treatment after the arrest．”Koenig said．
LONDON-A smoker who died after battling emphysema(肺气肿)has had his dying wish granted with the placement of a “SMOKING KILLED ME” sign on his hearse and his grave.
Albert Whittamore blamed his youthful smoking habit for the lung disease. He said before he died in February that he wanted the sign to serve as a warning to young people about the dangers of tobacco smoking.
The sign was designed to look like the health warning on a packet of cigarettes. The printed notice at his grave will be left in place for a week. The hearse carrying his body through the town of Dover 100 miles (160 kilometers) southeast of London and several of the printed signs displayed in the windows.
49. The man climbing up .
A. was actually a wanted thief
B. was put into prison in the end
C. thanked the police for setting him free
D. was treated badly by the police
50. The best title for the first news item might be “ .”
A. A burglar’s love B. A devoted boyfriend
C. Flowers and wine D. Price for being romantic
51. The public paid more attention to the smoker because .
A．he died after smoking for many years
B．he had the sign put on his hearse and his grave
C．he(tied of a lung disease without any treatment
D．he wanted the sign left on his grave for one day
52．Which of the following is NOT true?
A．The sign will be printed on the packet of cigarettes．
B．The signs were also shown in the windows of the hearse．
C．London is to the northwest of the town of Dover．
D．The smoker regretted forming the habit of smoking．
Listen carefully，working people! We would like to tell you something that could save your precious time and money! Best of all, it is free!
It’s“no”．What do you ask? We’ll say it again：“No”,a sweet and simple“no”．Say“no” at your office and see how quickly that pile of work on your desk disappears．
“Saying ‘no’ to others means you are saying ‘yes’ to yourself. Time is precious．People are spending money buying time。And yet we are willing to give up our time because we can’t say ‘no’．”said Leslie Charles，a professional speaker from East Lansing，Michigan．Susie Watson，a famous writer，said people who always say “yes” need to say “no” without guilt(内疚)or fear of punishment．“I would rather have someone give me a loving‘no’ than all obligated(强制的)‘yes’，”she said．She feels “no” need to give an explanation when she says “no” either socially or professionally．Does she feel guilty about it?“Not at all，”said Watson，who is director of advertising and public relations at Timex Corp in Middlebury．Connecticut．“Most people are afraid of saying ‘no’．My advice is to say ‘yes’ only if you don’t mean ‘no’．”Watson said “no” is the most effective weapon against wasting time．“Every year there are more demands on your time．Other people are happy to use up your time．”Watson said．Time saving appears to be “no’s” greatest friend．
“No” can be your new friend．a powerful tool to take back your life．“No” may even take you further in the business world than “yes”．“No” is power and strength．“No” now seems completely correct．
“Saying ‘no’ isn’t easy．But finally it’s greatly liberating，”Charles said．But，he added，a “no” project needs to be worked on every day because it is hard to change long-term
habit．But．he also warns：“Don’t go to extremes．Don’t find yourself saying ‘no’ to everything． In return you should learn to hear ‘no’．”
45．The underlined part “you are saying ‘yes’ to yourself” probably means that .
A．you can have more time to play with others
B．you needn’t mind other’s feeling when happy
C．you are selfish and may treat others rudely
D．you can do with your business as planned
46．When you say “no” to others，you should say it .
A. secretly B．politely C．proudly D．guiltily
47．In Watson’s opinion，people can save much time if they .
A．1earn to refuse B. refuse as much as possible
C．fear to refuse D. refuse without hesitation
48．If you say “no” to everything．you’11 .
A．make a lot of money B．enjoy a more wonderful life
C．face difficulty in life D. forget to say “yes” in the end
After lunch,I walked back home. I was just to cross the street when I heard the sound of a coin dropping. It wasn’t much but,as I turned, my eyes caught the heads of several other people turning too. A woman had dropped what appeared to be a dime.
The tinkling sound of a coin dropping on pavement is an attention-getter．It Can be nothing more than a penny．Whatever the coin is，no one ignores the sound of it．It got me thinking about sounds again．We are surrounded by so many sounds that attract the most attention．
People in New York City seldom turn to look when a fire engine，a police car or an ambulance comes screaming along the street．When I’m in New York，I’m a New Yorker．I don’t turn either．Like the natives，I hardly hear a siren(警报)there．
However，at home in my little town in Connecticut，it’s different．The distant sound of a police car, all emergency vehicle or a fire siren brings me to my feet if I’m seated and brings me to the window if I’m in bed．It’s the quietest sounds that have most effect on us．not the loudest．In the middle of the night, I can hear a dripping tap a hundred yards away thigh three closed doors．I’ve been hearing little creaking noises and sounds which my imaginnation turns into footsteps in the middle of the night for twenty-five years in our house．How come I never hear those sounds in the daytime?
I’m quite clear in my mind what the good sounds are and what the bad sounds are,I’ve turned against whistling，for instance：I used to think of it as the mark of a happy worker but lately I’ve been associating the whistler with a nervous person making unconscious noises．The tapping，tapping，tapping of my typewriter as the keys hit the paper is a lovely sound to me．I often like the sound of what I write better than the looks of it．
41．The sound of a coin dropping makes people．
A．think of money B．look at each other
C．pay attention to it D．stop crossing the street
42．The author dislikes whistling because．
A．he has got tired of it B．it reminds him of tense people
C．he used to be happier D．he doesn’t like workers
43. What kind of sound does the author find pleasant?
A．Tapping sound of his typewriter． B．Clinking sound of keys．
C．Tinkling sound of a coin dropping．D．Creaking sound of footsteps．
44．How does the author feel about sounds in general?
A．They make him feel al home． B．He thinks they should be ignored．
C．He prefers silence to loud noises．D．He believes they ale part of our life．