Old Americans are separating into two classes. Retirement(退休) can be either heaven or hell. “I do believe on the whole the retirees(退休者) of tomorrow will be wealthier and healthier than the same group of 30 years ago,” says Robert Friedland, director of the National Academy on Ageing. “But that's only part of the picture.” There is also a large group whose household income hasn't been growing very much. For them the future is unhappy.
“Nature is not always kind,” says Dr Robert Butler, an expert in medical care of old people, who was founding director of the National Institute on Ageing. The relationship between social-economic position and life expectancy(估计寿命) has been known for a long time. Race is also connected. And education is a powerful tool in lengthening life.
“The reality is that poor people get sick easily as they age because they live in dirty neighbourhoods and have dirty jobs, they are left unprotected from environmental pollution, and the pressure of being poor wears down people's health,” according to Karen Davis, president of the Commonwealth Fund, which studies health issues.
“Cigarette smoking has a great effect because it is more common in lower socio-economic groups,” says Elizabeth Whelan, president of the American Council on Science and Health. “If you live in a state of hopelessness and helplessness and don't think about the future, you are more likely to take up life threatening habits.”
1. The sentence “Retirement can be either heaven or hell” means “_______”.
A. If an American is out of work, he or she will feel happy
B. If an American retires from his post, he or she will lead a miserable life
C. Old people in America have to choose a life style
D. Some old people in America lead a hard life, others may lead a happy life
2. According to Dr Robert Butler's opinion, _______ plays the most important role in people's life expectancy.
A. nature B. race C. education D. colour
3. The reason why poor people are more likely to get ill as they grow old is that _______.
A. they live in the countryside B. they work with their hands
C. their families are too large D. they suffer a lot from poverty
4. What Elizabeth Whelan says means that _______.
A. smoking makes people poor and hopeless B. smoking is very popular among poor people
C. poor people should give up smoking D. rich people in America never smoke
【答案与解析】美国的退休老人将来可分为两类：幸福型和悲惨型。专家们发现寿命的长短不仅与社会经济地位和种族有关，而且与教育也密切相关。
1. D。语义理解题。从heaven 和 hell的词义就能猜出此话的含义。
2. C。语义理解题。因为And education is a powerful tool in lengthening life，所以答案选C。
3. D。判断题。从第 3 段第 1 句话 …they live in dirty neighbourhoods and have dirty jobs, they are left unprotected from environmental pollution, and the pressure of being poor wears down people's health, 可以明白穷人为什么年老时容易患病。
4. B。语义理解题。根据最后一段第 1 句话it (smoking) is more common in lower socio-economic groups 可知答案为 B。
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