【Directions】
There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D).You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.
[Passage One]
For an increasing number of students at American universities, Old is suddenly in. The reason is obvious: the graying of America means jobs, coupled with the aging of the baby-boom (生育高峰) generation, a longer life span means that the nation’s elderly population is bound to expand significantly over the next 50 years. By 2050, 25 percent of all Americans will be older than 65, up from 14 percent in 1995. The change poses profound questions for government and society, of course. But it also creates career opportunities in medicine and health professions, and in law and business as well. “In addition to the doctors, we’re going to need more sociologists, biologists, urban planners and specialized lawyers,” says Professor Edward Schneider of the University of Southern California’s (USC) School of Gerontology (老年学).
Lawyers can specialize in “elder law,” which covers everything from trusts and estates to nursing-home abuse and age discrimination (歧视). Businessmen see huge opportunities in the elder market because the baby boomers, 74 million strong, are likely to be the wealthiest group of retirees in human history. “Any student who combines an expert knowledge in gerontology with, say, an MBA or law degree will have a license to print money,” one professor says.
Margarite Santos is a 21-year-old senior at USC. She began college as a biology major but found she was “really bored with bacteria.” So she took a class in gerontology and discovered that she lied it. She says, “I did volunteer work in retirement homes and it was very satisfying.”
1. “...Old is suddenly in” (Line 1, Para. 1) most probably means “________”.
A) America has suddenly become a nation of old people
B) gerontology has suddenly become popular
C) more elderly professors are found on American campuses
D) American colleges have realized the need of enrolling older students
2. With the aging of America, lawyers can benefit ________.
A) from the adoption of the “elder law”
B) from rendering special services to the elderly
C) by enriching their professional knowledge
D) by winning the trust of the elderly to promote their own interests
3. Why can businessmen make money in the emerging elder market?
A) Retirees are more generous in spending money.
B) They can employ more gerontologists.
C) The elderly possess an enormous purchasing power.
D) There are more elderly people working than before.
4. Who can make big money in the new century according to the passage?
A) Retirees who are business-minded.
B) The volunteer workers in retirement homes.
C) College graduates with an MBA or law degree.
D) Professionals with a good knowledge of gerontology.
5. It can be seen from the passage that the expansion of America’s elderly population ________.
A) will provide good job opportunities in many areas
B) will impose an unbearable burden on society
C) may lead to nursing home abuse and age discrimination
D) will create new fields of study in universities
[Passage Two]
The decline in moral standards—which has long concerned social analysts—has at last captured the attention of average Americans. And Jean Bethke Elshtain, for one, is glad.
The fact the ordinary citizens are now starting to think seriously about the nation’s moral climate, says this ethics (伦理学) professor at the University of Chicago, is reason to hope that new ideas will come forward to improve it.
But the challenge is not to be underestimated. Materialism and individualism in American society are the biggest obstacles. “The thought that ‘I’m in it for me’ has become deeply rooted in the national consciousness,” Ms. Elshtain says.
Some of this can be attributed to the disintegration of traditional communities, in which neighbors looked out for one another, she says. With today’s greater mobility and with so many couples working, those bonds have been weakened, replaced by a greater emphasis on self.
In a 1996 poll of Americans, loss of morality topped the list of the biggest problems facing the U.S. and Elshtain says the public is correct to sense that: Data show that Americans are struggling with problems unheard of in the 1950s, such as classroom violence and a high rate of births to unmarried mothers.
The desire for a higher moral standard is not a lament (挽歌) for some nonexistent “golden age,” Elshtain says, nor is it a wishful (一厢情愿的) longing for a time that denied opportunities to women and minorities. Most people, in fact, favor the lessening of prejudice.
Moral decline will not be reversed until people find ways to counter the materialism in society, she says. “Slowly, you recognize that the things that matter are those that cant’ be bought.”
6. Professor Elshtain is pleased to see that Americans ________.
A) have adapted to a new set of moral standards
B) are longing for the return of the good old days
C) have realized the importance of material things
D) are awakening to the lowering of their moral standards
7. The moral decline of American society is caused manly by ________.
A) its growing wealth
B) the self-centeredness of individuals
C) underestimating the impact of social changes
D) the prejudice against women and minorities
8. Which of the following characterizes the traditional communities?
A) Great mobility.
B) Concern for one’s neighbors.
C) Emphasis on individual effort.
D) Ever-weakening social bonds.
9. In the 1950s, classroom violence ________.
A) was something unheard of
B) was by no means a rare occurrence
C) attracted a lot of pubic attention
D) began to appear in analysts’ data
10. According to Elshtain, the current moral decline may be reversed ________.
A) if people can return to the “golden age”
B) when women and mean enjoy equal rights
C) when people rid themselves of prejudice
D) if less emphasis is laid on material things
【参考答案】
1. B 2. B 3. C 4.D 5. A
6. B 7. A 8. C 9.D 10. A
【技巧点拨】
阅读理解中，存在着一些表示文章观点态度的词汇，根据这些词汇可以很快的了解文章的主要态度、获取作者的意图和观点，从而快速的做出类似于“下面那些选项正确表达了作者观点”的题目，从而节省时间，获得英语四级。如Passage Two,第一题“ Professor Elshtain is pleased to see that Americans ________.”中的pleased。
表赞同
positive adj.肯定的, 实际的, 积极的, , 确实的
favorable adj.赞成的, 有利的, 赞许的, 良好的
approval n. 赞成, 承认, 正式批准
enthusiasm n.狂热, 热心, 积极性
supportive adj.支持的，支援的
defensive 为……而辩护
表否定
negative adj.否定的, 消极的, 负的, 阴性的
disapproval 不赞成
objection 异议
opposition 反对
critical 批评的
criticism 批评批判
表怀疑
suspicion n.猜疑, 怀疑
suspicious adj.(～ of) 可疑的, 怀疑的
doubt
doubtful adj.可疑的, 不确的, 疑心的
question
puzzling adj.使迷惑的, 使莫明其妙的
客观 (即好的坏的都说，选的可能性极大)
objective adj.客观的
neutral adj.中立的
impartial adj.公平的, 不偏不倚的
disinterested adj.无私的
imprejudiced adj.没有偏见的
unbiased adj.没有偏见的
unprejudiced adj.公平的, 无偏见的, 没有成见的
detached 不含个人偏见的
表主观
subjective adj.主观的, 个人的
indifference n.不关心
tolerance n.宽容，容忍，忍受
pessimism n.悲观, 悲观主义
gloomy adj.黑暗的, 阴沉的, 令人沮丧的, 阴郁的
optimistic adj.乐观的
sensitive 有感觉的, 敏感[锐]的,易受伤害的
scared adj.恐惧的
reserved adj.保留的, 包租的
consent vi.同意, 赞成, 答应n.同意, 赞成, 允诺
radical adj.激进的
moderate adj.中等的, 适度的, 适中的v.缓和
mild adj.温和的, 温柔的, 淡味的, 轻微的, 适度的
ironic adj.说反话的, 讽刺的
confused adj.困惑的, 烦恼的
amazed adj.吃惊的, 惊奇的
worried
concerned adj.关心的, 有关的
apprehensive adj.担忧，担心
mixed 喜忧参半
biased 有偏见的
indignant adj.愤怒的, 愤慨的
表积极
objective 客观的
concerned 关注的
confident adj.自信的, 确信的
interested adj.感兴趣的, 有成见的, 有权益的
optimistic adj.乐观的
positive 正面的
impressive adj.给人深刻印象的, 感人的
表消极
negative 消极的
indifferent 漠不关心的
depressed 消沉的
subjective 主观的
pessimistic 悲观的
unconcerned 不关心的
contemptuous adj.轻蔑的, 侮辱的
hostile adj.敌对的, 敌方的
biased 片面的
