While income worry is a rather common problem of the aged, loneliness is another problem that aged parents may face. Of all the reasons that explain their loneliness, a large geographical distance between parents and their children is the major one. This phenomenon(现象)is commonly known as “Empty Nest Syndrome”(空巢综合症).
In order to seek better chances outside their countries, many young people have gone abroad, leaving their parents behind with no clear idea of when they will return home. Their parents spend countless lonely days and nights, taking care of themselves, in the hope that someday their children will come back to stay with them. The fact that most of these young people have gone to Europeanized or Americanized societies makes it unlikely that they will hold as tightly to the value of duty as they would have if they had not left their countries. Whatever the case, it has been noted that the values they hold do not necessarily match what they actually do. This geographical and cultural distance also prevents the grown-up children from providing response(回应)in time for their aged parents living by themselves.
The situation in which grown-up children live far away from their aged parents has been described as “distant parent phenomenon”, which is common both in developed countries and in developing countries. Our society has not yet been well prepared for “Empty Nest Syndrome”.
1.According to the passage, the loneliness of aged parents is mainly caused by _________.
A.their earlier experience of feeling lonely
B.the unfavorable living conditions in their native countries
C.the common worry about their income
D.the geographical distance between parents and children
2.Many young people have gone abroad, leaving their aged parents behind, to _________.
A.live in the countries with more money
B.seek a better place for their aged parents
C.continue their studies abroad
D.realize their dreams in foreign countries
3.If young people go abroad, _________.
A.they do not hold to the value of duty at all
B.they can give some help to their parents back home
C.they cannot do what they should for their parents
D.they believe what they actually do is right
4.From the last paragraph, we can infer that ________.
A.the situations in the developed and developing countries are different
B. “Empty Nest Syndrome” has arrived unexpectedly in our society
C.children will become independent as soon as they go abroad
D.the aged parents are not fully prepared for “Empty Nest Syndrome”
When a rather dirty , poorly dressed person kneels at your feet and puts out his hands to beg for a few coins , do you hurry on , not knowing what to do , or do you feel sad and hurriedly hand over some money ? What should our attitude to beggars be ? There can be no question that the world is full of terribly sad stories . It must be terrible to have no idea where our next meal is going to come from . It seems cruel not to give some money to beggars .
Certainly , most of the world’s great religions (宗教) order us to be open-hearted and share what we have with those less fortunate than ourselves .But has the world changed ?Maybe what was morally(道德方面)right in the old days ,when one knew exactly who in the village had suffered misfortune and needed help ,is no longer the best idea. Quite a few people will not give to beggars .Let us look at their arguments.
First ,some believe that many city beggars dress up on purpose to look pitiable and actually
make a good living from begging .Giving to beggars only encourages this sort of evil(恶行).Secondly ,there is the worry that the money you give will be spent on beer ,wine or drugs .Thirdly ,there is the opinion that there is no real excuse for begging. One might be poor ,but that is no reason for losing one’s sense of pride and self-dependence.
Related to this is the opinion that the problem should be dealt with by the government rather than ordinary people .Some people think beggars should go to the local government department and receive help.
It is hard to come to any final conclusion ;there are various cases and we must deal with them differently .A few coins can save a life in some situations ,and even if the money is wasted ,that does not take sway the moral goodness of the giver.
5.What is mainly discussed in the passage?
A.Moral deeds of people. B.Religious activities of the church.
C.Moral goodness of the giver. D.Arguments on giving to beggars.
6.What can we infer from the sentence “But has the world changed ?”in the second paragraph?
A.People no longer know who suffers misfortune in the village.
B.Some people will not do what was morally right in the past .
C.We don’t meet with those who need help any more.
D.Now it is the government’s duty to help the beggars.
7.Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?
A.Some people dress up to pretend to be beggars .
B.Some beggars want money to help their children go to school.
C.Some beggars use the money to buy drugs.
D.Some beggars have no excuse for begging.
8.In the last paragraph ,the writer thinks that it is hard to come to any final conclusion ,because
A.the cases can be so different B.there are so many beggars
C.there is so much money wasted D.there are so many different arguments
The bad news: Stamp prices are expected to rise 2 cents in May to 41 cents, the Postal Regulatory Commission announced yesterday. The good news: With the introduction of a “forever stamp,” it may be the last time Americans have to use annoying 2-or-3-cent stamps to make up postage differences.
Beginning in May, people would be able to purchase the stamps in booklets of 20 at the regular rate of a first-class stamp. As the name implies, “forever stamps” will keep their first-class mailing value forever, even when the postage rate goes up.
The new “forever stamp” is the United States Postal Service’s (USPS) answer to the complaints about frequent rate increases. The May increases will be the fifth in a decade. Postal rates have risen because of inflation (通货膨胀), competition from online bill paying, and the rising costs of employee benefits, including healthcare, says Mark Saunders, a spokesman for USPS.
The USPS expects some financial gain from sales of the “forever stamp” and the savings from not printing as many 2-or-3-cent stamps. “It’s not your grandfather’s stamp,” says Mr. Saunders. “It could be your great-grandchildren’s stamp.”
Other countries, including Canada, England, and Finland use similar stamps.
Don Schilling, who has collected stamps for 50 years, says he’s interested in the public’s reaction. “This is an entirely new class of stamps.” Mr. Schilling says. He adds that he’ll buy the stamps because he will be able to use them for a long period of time, not because they could make him rich — the volume printed will be too large for collectors. “We won’t be able to send our kids to college on these,” he says, laughing.
The USPS board of governors has yet to accept the Postal Regulatory Commission’s decision, but tends to follow its recommendations. No plans have been announced yet for the design of the stamps.
9. The main purpose of introducing a “forever stamp” is ______.
A. to reduce the cost of printing 2-or-3-cent stamps
B. to help save the consumers’ cost on first-class mailing
C. to respond to the complaints about rising postal rates
D. to compete with online bill paying
10. By saying “It could be your great-grandchildren’s stamp”, Mr. Saunders means that forever stamps ________.
A. could be collected by one’s great-grandchildren
B. might be very precious in great-grandchildren’s hands
C. might have been inherited from one’s great-grandfathers
D. could be used by one’s great-grandchildren even decades later
11. Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A. The investment in forever stamps will bring adequate reward.
B. America will be the first country to issue forever stamps.
C. The design of the “forever stamp” remains to be revealed.
D. 2-or-3-cent stamps will no longer be printed in the future.
12. What can be concluded from the passage?
A. With forever stamps, there will be no need to worry about rate changes.
B. Postal workers will benefit most from the sales of forever stamps.
C. The inflation has become a threat to the sales of first-class stamps.
D. New interest will be aroused in collecting forever stamps.
答案
1-4 D .D .C .B
5-8 D .B .B .A
9-12 C .D .C .A