A serious problem for today’s society is who should be responsible for our elder

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A serious problem for today’s society is who should be responsible for our elderly(老年人) 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 tak

e 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（养老金）. Furthermore, some in-situation 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（选择）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.
小题1: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.

小题2:According to the passage, how can the government help to improve the lives of retired people?

A．Set aside some profits to help people with problems after they retire.

B．Increase savings levels of people during their working years.

C．Increase the discounts for food and transport for the old.

D．Make available pensions for those who have retired.

小题3:The underlined word “viable” most probably means “__________”.

A．impossible

B．practical

C．useful

D．successful

小题4:What can be concluded from the passage?

A．Taking care of the old is mainly an issue of money.

B．Employers should allow their workers to retire at a later age.

C．Becoming independent should be the goal of most old people.

D．There is no single solution to the problems of the old.

小题5: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.

答案

小题1:C小题1:D小题1:B小题1:D小题1:C

解析

略

举一反三

Too cold for recess? School policies vary as much as temps
When is it too cold for schoolchildren to go outside for recess（课间休息）? The answer varies widely based on where a school is located and what the kids are used to.
Consider: One northern Minnesota school says it has to be 15 below zero before kids are kept inside. But in areas along the East Coast, temperatures below 35 to 40 degrees could keep kids inside. Canceling recess because of the cold is no small issue considering that much of the USA is trembling through what may be its coldest winter in a generation, according to

AccuWeather.
There is no national temperature standard for when to keep kids inside during the winter months, the U.S. Department of Education says. Decisions are made at the local level, either by principals or school districts.
Consequently, policies are all over the map:
• In International Falls, Minn., the self-described "Icebox of the Nation," where the average high temperature in January is 13 degrees, Falls Elementary School Principal Jerry Hilfer says, "if it"s 15 below (or warmer), they go out, no matter what." "At 20 below, it gets iffy," he adds.
• In Wicomico County, Md., principals typically keep children indoors when temperatures drop below freezing, or if it"s raining or snowing, says Susan Jones, the school system"s director of elementary education.
"That"s the bottom line," says Curtis Twilley, principal of Pemberton Elementary School in Salisbury, Md. Twilley says students get little exercise when recess stays indoors. At Pemberton Elementary, the students will typically play board games or computer games in a classroom because the school"s gym is occupied with other classes, he says.
• For schools in Marquette, Mich., which averages about 12 feet of snow per season, school officials acknowledge students are probably a little more prepared than those in some more mild climates.
小题1:Which of the following is not true according to the passage_________.

A．No national temperature standard is made for when to keep kids inside during the winter months.

B．Susan Jones insists students get little exercise when recess stays indoors.

C．In Wicomico County, children are kept indoors when temperatures dip below freezing.

D．Mich has about 12 feet of snow per season on average.

小题2: Which place calls itself Box of Ice?
Wicomico County B. Marquette C.Salisbury D. Minn
小题3: Considering_______, canceling recess In USA because of the cold is a big issue.

A．different schools have different principles.

B．much of the USA has very cold winter.

C．physical activity can boost student performance.

D．decisions are made at the local level,

小题4: The underlined word iffy means _______.

A．uncertain

B．surprising

C． serious

D．worse

小题5: What will be talked about next?

A．More school policies

B．The reasons why school policies vary.

C．Measures to improve the situation.

D．Necessities to improve the situation

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Armed only with iPhones, the inventive rock band Atomic Tom has gone viral（广为流传） by way of the New York subway． The band has scored an Internet hit with the video to the song “Take Me Out．”
Singer Luke White says the production was a top-secret operation．
“We didn"t tell anyone about this． It was completely top-secret from our family, from our friends, from our label, our management, everybody． So the first time that people saw this video was last Friday when we put it on YouTube,” explained White．
Since uploading the video to YouTube, band members have spent several days refreshing the page to watch the number of hits rise．
The video has also made its way around Twitter as many people have shared it with their friends．
“I mean, it still hasn"t quite hit． It"s just kind of blowing our minds right now that we"re getting this: many people are fond of it, and they"re sharing it with their friends． We don"t know what it"s like really to have something that"s viral, so all of this is very new to us．” said Eric Espiritu, the lead guitarist of the band．
White explains how the video came together:
“We did our research with the applications（应用程序） and found applications that worked out really well with the instruments and then we plugged them all into, plugged our phones into mini-battery powered amplifiers（扩音器） that we put underneath our seats, and we did a lot of, you know, practices, in terms of figuring out what the balance of the sound and like who was overpowering, who was too loud or who was too soft．”
The idea for the video came from Espiritu"s younger brother Benjamin． The yo

unger Espiritu directed the video from his initial concept through the final edit and upload to the Internet．　
“I"ve seen a lot of the music applications come out, and I"ve never actually had the chance to play with them," says Ben Espiritu． "When I started hearing about how they sound and everything, I thought it might be unique to take it one step further and then create an entire band just performing solely（单曲） on the iPhones, and I thought it would be a pretty cool idea．”
Ben says the success of the band’s music video is a credit to the talent and ability of the musicians, but it"s also a sign of the times．
“It really comes down to seeing something different, seeing something unique, and I think that that"s always, in any type of art form, what will speak to people, and I think it does reflect the times that we live in, taking a smart phone and then being able to turn it into an instrument, not only just an instrument, but making it sound really good．”
小题1: Who first saw the video of the song “Take Me Out”?

A．Their friends	B．The people on line
C．Their family	D．Their management

小题2: What is the band members’ attitude towards the sudden fame?

A．They are thrilled．

B．They are quite used to it．

C．They are kind of confused．

D．They are so excited as to tell everyone they know．

小题3: How did the video come into being?

A．The band copied from it other musicians．

B．It had already existed in the iPhones before they bought them．

C．The band created it with the help of the applications in the iPhones．

D．The band made full use of the traditional instruments to make the song．

小题4: What is the significance of the success of the band"s music video?

A．It has introduced us several talented musicians．

B．It has made the musicians into millionaires．

C．It teaches the young a big lesson．

D．It reflects the talent and ability of the musicians and the times that we live in．

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As is known, healthy foods can help save your life. Now, here is a list of healthy foods that can save your memory. It is best that every person knows what he eats, as he takes in, can make or break himself, in terms of health.
Fish is helpful in regaining back the kind of memory that a person once has. Eating fish can help you save the trouble of forgetfulness. Vegetables rich in fiber and other dark and green leafy kinds are very suitable for people who want to avoid mental blocks. These foods contain high units of vitamin E.
Another food that is considered having different effects on preventing this brain deficiency (缺陷) is avocado (鳄梨), which is also rich in vitamins E and C. It is really good to know these healthy foods that can save your memory are always at hand so as to help you in your fight against diseases. Sunflower seeds are regarded as Vitamin C-powered seeds and also give you enough energy.
As for red wine, do not over consume it, as it is said to have to be taken in moderate amounts in order to help the body. Over-drinking can cause illness and like anything else. This is considered as one of the healthy foods that can save your memory; alcohol can otherwise lose it.
It is better to consume colored bread, rice and whole grains for you to get the best out of fiber. These foods can lower the body’s risk of being infected with Alzheimer’s disease（老年痴呆病）.
Knowing the healthy foods that can save your memory is living the life that you have longed and desired. Among the others, the best, of course, is exercise. Taking in different kind of exercises, physical activities or sports can keep both your body and mind healthy.
小题1: If you suffer from loss of memory, you _______.

A．should eat cucumbers and cabbages	B．can drink as much wine as possible
C．had better take in fish in your meals	D．may as well take more Vitamin C

小题2: To prevent mental disease from happening, _______.

A．people are advised to take avocados	B．it is best to eat vegetables high in fiber
C．it is better to have more sunflower seeds	D．red wine is the first and best choice

小题3: Which of the following is the most important for health?

A．Drinking a proper amount of red wine every day.

B．Eating bread made of whole grains.

C．Adding Vitamin C-powered seeds to meals.

D．Taking moderate exercise every day.

小题4: How many means for health does the author mention in the passage?

A．Six

B．Seven

C．Eight

D．Nine

小题5: Which of the following is most suitable for the passage?
(①="Para.1  " ②="Para.2  " ③="Para.3  " ④="Para.4  " ⑤="Para.5  " ⑥=Para.6)
①                          ①
↙ ↘                     ↙ ↘

A．②③④⑤	B．②③④⑤ ↖↗↖↗ ⑥⑥ ①① ↙↘↙↘
C．②③④⑤	D．②③

↖ ↗ ↙↘
⑥ ④ ⑤
↖↗
⑥

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Americans this year will swallow 15,000 tons of aspirin, one of the safest and most effective drugs invented by man. The most popular medicine in the world today, it is an effective pain reliever. Its bad effects are relatively mild and it is cheap.
For millions of people suffering from arthritis(关节炎), it is the only thing that works. Aspirin, in short, is truly the 20th-century wonder drug. It is also the second largest suicide drug and is the leading cause of poisoning among children. It has side effects that, although relatively mild, are largely unrecognized among users.
Although aspirin was first sold by a German company in 1899, it has been around much longer than that. Hippocrates, in anc

ient Greece, understood the medical value of the leaves and tree bark which today are known to contain salicylates(水杨酸碱), the chemical in aspirin. During the 19th century, there was a great deal of experimentation in Europe with this chemical, and it led to the introduction of aspirin. By 1915, aspirin tablets were available in the United States.
A small quantity of aspirin (two five-grain tablets) relieves pain and inflammation(炎症). It also reduces fever by interfering with some of the body’s

reactions.
小题1:The passage is written to .

A．suggests us using more aspirin	B．reminds us of the side effects of aspirin
C．gives us a whole view of aspirin	D．discusses the good effects of aspirin

小题2:According to the author, aspirin .

A．is very safe	B．first appeared in 1899
C．can be harmful to children	D．can hardly be dangerous

小题3:Generally speaking, the author seems to be .

A．in favor of aspirin	B．against the use of sapirin
C．not interested in aspirin	D．careful in using aspirin

小题4:What is the best title for this passage?

A．How to Use Aspirin	B．Why I Take Aspirin
C．The Most Popular Medicine	D．The Side Effects of Aspirin

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If you don’t have a college degree, you’re at greater risk of developing memory problems or even Alzheimer’s (老年痴呆). Education plays a key role in lifelong memory performance and risk for mental disorder, and it"s well documented that those with a college degree possess a cognitive（认知的） advantage over those less educated in middle and old age.
Now, a large national study from Brandeis University published in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry shows that those with less schooling can significantly make up for poorer education by frequently engaging in mental exercises such as word games, puzzles, reading, and lectures.
“The lifelong benefits of higher education for memory in later life are quite impressive, but we do not clearly understand how and why these effects last so long,” said lead author Margie Lachman, a psychologist. She suggested that higher education may encourage lifelong interest in cognitive efforts, while those with less education may not engage as frequently in mental exercises that help keep the memory agile (敏捷地).
But education early in adulthood does not appear to be the only route to maintain your memory. The study found that intellectual activities undertaken regularly made a difference. “Among individuals with low education, those who are engaged in reading, writing, attending lectures, doing word games or puzzles once a week or more had memory scores similar to people with more education,” said Lachman.
The study, called Midlife in the United States, assessed 3,343 men and women between the ages of 32 and 84 with an average age of 56 years. Almost 40 percent of the participants had at least a 4-year college degree. The researchers evaluated how the participants performed in two cognitive areas, verbal (言语的)memory and executive function --- brain processes involved in planning, abstract thinking and cognitive flexibility. Participants were given a series of tests, including tests of verbal fluency, word recall, and backward counting.
As expected, those with higher education said they engaged in cognitive activities more often and also did better on the memory tests, but some with lower education also did well, explained Lachman.
“The findings are promising because they suggest there may be ways to level the playing field for those with lower educational achievement, and protect those at greatest risk for memory declines,” said Lachman. “Although we can not rule out the possibility that those who have better memories are the ones who take on more activities, the evidence is consistent with cognitive plasticity (可塑性), and suggests some degree of personal control over cognitive functioning in adulthood by adopting an intellectually active lifestyle.”
小题1: What is the text mainly about?

A．Higher education has a better cognitive advantage.

B．Better memories result from college degree.

C．Cognitive activity does good to one’s mind.

D．Poor education has more risk of memory declines.

小题2:According to the result of Margie Lachman’s study, we can conclude that ________.

A．education is responsible for the lifelong memory performance and risk for mental disorder

B．education early in adulthood can be the only route to maintain your memory

C．those with higher education did better on the memory tests than those with lower education

D．an intellectually active lifestyle does help to maintain your memory

小题3: What do we know about the study called Midlife?

A．Participants each were given a battery to test their memory.

B．The average age of the participants are 56 years old.

C．Participants had to perform in one of the two cognitive areas.

D．One in four of the participants had a 4-year college degree.

小题4:Why are the findings of the Lac

hman’s study promising?

A．The lower educated may have the same opportunities to keep up memory.

B．We may have ways to cure the people who have memory declines.

C．Adopting a different lifestyle can control cognitive functioning.

D．We can find out the possibility to have better memories.

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