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. |
For a while, my neighborhood was taken over by an army of joggers(慢跑者). They were there all the time: early morning, noon, and evening. There were little old ladies in gray sweats, young couples in Adidas shoes, middle-aged men with red faces.
“Come on!” My friend Alex encouraged me to join him as he jogged by my house every morning. “You’ll feel great.”
Well, I had nothing against feeling great and if Alex could jog every day, anyone could. So I took up jogging seriously and gave it a good two months of my life, and not a day more. Based on my experience, jogging is the most overvalued form of exercise around, and judging from the number of the people who left our neighborhood hogging army. I’m alone in my opinion.
First of all, jogging is very hard on the body. Your legs and feet take a real pounding(重击)running down a road for two or three miles. I developed foot, leg, and back problems. Then I read about a nationally famous jogger who died of a heart attack while jogging, and I had something else to worry about. Jogging doesn’t kill hundreds of people, but if you have any physical weaknesses, jogging will surely bring them out, as they did with me.
Secondly, I got no enjoyment out of jogging. Putting one foot in front of the other for forty-five minutes isn’t my idea of fun. Jogging is also a lonely pastime. Some joggers say, “I love being out there with just my thoughts.” Well, my thoughts began to bore me, and most of them were on how much my legs hurt.
And how could I enjoy something that brought me pain? And that wasn’t just the first week; it was practically every day for two months. I never got past the pain level, and pain isn’t fun. What a cruel way to do it! So many other exercises, including walking, lead to almost the same results painlessly, so why jog?
I don’t jog any more, and I don’t think I ever will. I’m walking two miles three times a week at a fast pace, and that feels good. I bicycle to work when the weather is good. I’m getting exercise, and I’m enjoying it at the same time. I could never say the same for jogging, and I’ve found a lot of better ways to stay in shape.What was the writer’s attitude towards jogging in the beginning?
He felt it was worth a try.
He was very fond of it.
He was strongly against it.
He thought it must be painful.From the first paragraph, we learn that in the writer’s neighborhood _____.
jogging became very popular
people jogged only during the daytime
Alex organized an army of joggers
Jogging provided a chance to get togetherThe underlined word “them” (paragraph 4) most probably refers to _____.
| A．heart attacks |
| B．back problems |
| C．famous joggers |
| D．physical weaknesses |
Why did the writer give up jogging two months later?
He dislikes doing exercise outdoors.
He found it neither healthy nor interesting.
He was afraid of having a heart attack.
He was worried about being left alone.From the writer’s experience, we can conclude that _____.
not everyone enjoys jogging
he is the only person who hates jogging
nothing other than jogging can help people keep fit
jogging makes people feel greater than any other sport
Among the sportsmen, medals and pride, Olympics viewers may find something that drives this international athletic movement. There actually are things called Olympic values, and they are based on the idea of Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympic Games. These values continue to inspire the Olympic tradition.
Coubertin considered respect, fair balance, pursuit of excellence, joy in effort, and balance between mind, body and will as the most essential Olympic values. Coubertin believed that sport can and should play a role in human development like science, literature and the arts. The self-control, adherence to rules, and respect for others necessary in athletic pursuits, are also necessary off the playing field, whether in the classroom, at work or at home.
So when he set out to revive the Olympic Games in 1894, he wanted to do more than establish a modern sporting competition. He wanted to create an international movement that combined sport and education as a model for peace and harmony.
According to Coubertin, the Olympics should have a set of values that become the base of all Olympic activities and can extend well beyond the playing field, making the Olympic Games different from all other sporting events.
This whole way towards sports taken by Coubertin is the same as taken by the ancient Greeks. “Sport is Man’s best way to achieve perfection in every respect,” Coubertin said. “The important thing in life is not the triumph(伟大胜利), but the fight.”
In order to place the original values in a modern context, the International Olympic Committee recently reframed them under three core theme: excellence, friendship and respect. Just like what Jacques Rogge said, “Sport is a universal language. It teaches us how to strive(奋斗)for excellence in all that we do, how to live in friendship and peace, and how to respect ourselves, each other and the rules. ”Which of the following does not belong to the Olympic values according to the passage?
| A．Disrespect. |
| B．Joy in effort. |
| C．Determination. |
| D．Pursuit of excellence. |
In Coubertin’s opinion, the Olympics should _____.
| A．be only a sporting competition |
| B．play a big role than science does |
| C．extend its themes all over the world |
| D．help encourage the human development |
Coubertin provided the Olympics with some values to _____.
| A．make the Olympics special |
| B．make the Olympics more modern |
| C．make the Olympics develop faster |
| D．make the Olympics more competitive |
Jacques Rogge considered sport as a universal language because _____.
| A．it is most people’s favorite activity |
| B．it’s the final aim for the Olympics |
| C．it spreads excellence, friendship and respect |
| D．the fight is more important than the triumph |
The passage is mainly to tell us _____.
| A．the Olympic tradition |
| B．the Olympic values |
| C．the founder of the modern Olympics |
| D．the development of the Olympics |
One of Britain’s favourite pastimes, gardening is to be celebrated during the Olympics. Last week, the Olympics minister Tessa Jowell announced a public competition to design a typically British garden within London’s new Olympic park.
Jowell said the idea behind the competition was to show off to the world one of the nation’s favourite hobbies. It’s likely the government also hopes that the competition will inspire more Brits to take an interest in the Olympics. It’s a good plan, as the British love gardens almost as much as they love tea.
Gardening is an iconic activity in Britain. In many ways it defines Brits, perhaps because they are some of the world’s keenest gardeners. The garden is seen as a private retreat(清静的场所)in the UK. Most Brits would far rather sit in their garden for instance than visit a park. They see their garden as an extension of their house outdoors, which is why so many Brits are as garden-proud as they are house-proud. There also seems to be something about the nourishing(滋养的)act of gardening that appeals to the nation’s gentle temperament(气质).
Interestingly, gardening has never been as widely enjoyed as it is today in Britain. Its growing popularity is no doubt due to people’s increased awareness of the environment and the success of several popular gardening programs.
Historically, Brits are also skillful gardeners. As Jowell noted when she made her announcement, if gardening were an Olympic sport then green-fingered Brits “would win gold, silver and bronze”.
Of course, the irony of Brits’ passion for gardening is that their climate is so wet that there are very few months in the year they can sit outside and enjoy their gardens. In fact, it may be the very preciousness of these few warm months that make gardens so prized and valued by Brits.What’s the main idea of the passage?
| A．Brits’ favourite tea. |
| B．Brits’ favourite pastime in the garden. |
| C．A public competition. |
| D．A typically British garden. |
The purpose of the competition is _____.
| A．to support the 2012 London Olympics |
| B．to require participants to design a typically British garden in their backyard |
| C．to attract foreign visitors |
| D．to show off one of the nation’s favourite hobbies |
The underlined word “iconic” in the third paragraph means _____.
| A．有代表性的 |
| B．活跃的 |
| C．积极的 |
| D．受欢迎的 |
Which of the following sentences does NOT contribute to people’s love for gardens in Britain?
| A．Brits think of their garden as an extension of their house outdoors. |
| B．Brits value the short warm months when they get to enjoy their garden. |
| C．Brits do not have many public parks to relax themselves in. |
| D．Brits’ gentle temperament makes them enjoy something like gardening. |
What can we conclude from the passage?
| A．Brits love their gardens than they love their houses. |
| B．Brits enjoy sitting in their gardens as much as sitting in a park. |
| C．Brits don’t adore gardening as much as before. |
| D．Brits are known to love gardening as much as they love tea. |
Isaac Stern was more than a great violin player. He was one of the most honored musicians in the world, an international cultural ambassador. And he was also a teacher and activist. For more than sixty years, Mr. Stern performed excellent music. He performed in concerts around the world and on recordings.
Isaac Stern was born in 1920 in Ukraine. His parents moved to California the following year. He began taking violin lessons after hearing a friend play the instrument. Later, he began studying music at the San Francisco Conservatory(旧金山音乐学院). He progressed quickly. When he was sixteen, he played with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra. The next year, he performed in New York and was praised by music critics.
Isaac Stern became one of the busiest musicians of his day. He played more than one hundred concerts a year. He also became one of the most recorded musicians in history. Isaac Stern also supported artistic development and freedom.
In 1979, Isaac Stern visited China. He met with Chinese musicians and students. He taught them about classical Western music. His visit was made into a film. It is called From Mao to Mozart: Isaac Stern in China. It won an Academy Award for best documentary film.
In 1984, Isaac Stern received the Kennedy Centre Honors Award for his gifts to American culture through music. He expressed his thoughts about the part that music plays in life. He said music is an important part of a civilized life. He said people need music as much as they need bread.
Isaac Stern died in 2001 at the age of eighty-one. He was a major influence on music in the twentieth century. He leaves the world richer with his many recordings.What did Isaac Stern think of music?
| A．Necessary. |
| B．Difficult. |
| C．Entertaining. |
| D．Interesting. |
The passage mentioned Isaac Stern’s visit to China mainly to _____.
| A．encourage people to develop the international relationship |
| B．advise the readers to take up music |
| C．introduce more achievements of Isaac Stern |
| D．show he acted as an international cultural ambassador |
Which of the following statements is TRUE about Isaac Stern?
| A．He was born in California in the 1920s. |
| B．He had visited many countries to advertise his recordings. |
| C．He played less than one hundred concerts in all. |
| D．His excellent music life lasted over 60 years. |
From the passage, we can infer that _____.
| A．Isaac Stern influenced the culture in the 20th century a lot |
| B．Isaac Stern was one of the most active musicians of his day |
| C．Isaac Stern was so busy that he couldn’t spare time to educate the youth |
| D．Isaac Stern led a rich life in his later life |
What will be the best title for the passage?
| A．Isaac Stern and the awards he got. |
| B．Isaac Stern’s life of pursuing music. |
| C．Isaac Stern: one of the most honored musicians |
| D．Isaac Stern’s visit to China |
Still seeking a destination for your weekend break？ There are some places which are probably a mere walk away from your college.
King’s Art Centre
A day at the Centre could mean a visit to an exhibition of the work of one of the most interesting contemporary artists on show anywhere. This weekend sees the opening of an exhibition of four local artists.
You could attend a class teaching you how to learn from the masters’ or get more creative with paint—free of charge.
The Centre also runs two life drawing classes for which there is a small fee.
The Botanic Garden
The Garden has over 8,000 plant species; it holds the research and teaching collection of living plants for Cambridge University.
The multi-branched Torch Aloe here is impressive. The African plant produces red flowers above blue-green leaves, and is not one to miss.
Get to the display house to see Dionaea muscipula, a plant more commonly known as the Venus Flytrap that feeds on insects and other small animals.
The Garden is also a place for wildlife-enthusiasts. Look for grass snakes in the lake. A snake called “Hissing Sid” is regularly seen lying in the heat of the warm sun.
Byron’s Pool
Many stores surround Lord Byron’s time as a student of Cambridge University. Arriving in 1805, he wrote a letter complaining that it was a place of “mess and drunkenness”. However, it seems as though Byron did manage to pass the time pleasantly enough. I’m not just talking about the pet bear he kept in his rooms. He spent a great deal of time walking in the village.
It is also said that on occasion Byron swam naked by moonlight in the lake, which is now known as Byron’s Pool. A couple of miles past Grantchester in the south Cambridgeshire countryside, the pool is surrounded by beautiful circular paths around the fields. The cries of invisible birds make the trip a lovely experience and on the way home you can drop into the village for afternoon tea. If you don’t trust me, then perhaps you’ll take it from Virginia Woolf—over a century after Byron, she reportedly took a trip to swim in the same pool.As mentioned in the passage, there is a small charge for _____.
| A．attending the masters’ class |
| B．working with local artists |
| C．learning life drawing |
| D．seeing an exhibition |
“Torch Aloe” and “Venus Flytrap” are _____.
| A．common insects |
| B．impressive plants |
| C．rarely-seen snakes |
| D．wildlife-enthusiasts |
We can infer from the passage that Byron seemed _____.
| A．to fear pet bears |
| B．to like walking |
| C．to be a heavy drinker |
| D．to finish university in 1805 |
In the passage Byron’s Pool is described as a lake _____.
| A．surrounded by fields |
| B．owned by Lord Byron |
| C．located in Grantchester |
| D．discovered by Virginia Woolf |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．Some places for weekend break. |
| B．A way to become creative in art. |
| C．The colorful life in the countryside. |
| D．Unknown stories of Cambridge University. |