Work is a very important part of life in the United States. When the early Protestant immigrants(新教徒移民) came to this country, they brought the idea that work was the way to God and heaven. This attitude, the Protestant Work Ethic(道德规范), still influences America today. Work is not only important for economic benefits, the salary, but also for social and psychological needs, the feeling of doing something for the good of the society. Americans spend most of their lives working, being productive. For most Americans, their work defines(给…下定义) them: they are what they do. What happens then, when a person can no longer work? Almost all Americans stop working at age sixty-five or seventy and retire. Because work is such an important part of life in this culture, retirement can be very difficult. Retirees often feel that they are useless and unproductive. Of course, some people are happy to retire; but leaving one’s job, whatever it is, is a difficult change, even for those who look forward to retiring. Many retirees do not know how to use their time or they feel lost without their jobs. Retirements can also bring financial problems. Many people rely on Social Security checks every month. During their working years, employees contribute a certain percentage of their salaries to the government. Each employer also gives a certain percentage to the government. When people retire, they receive this money as income. These checks do not provide enough money to live on, however, because prices are increasing very rapidly. Senior citizens, those over sixty-five, have to have savings in the bank or other retirement plans to make ends meet. The rate of inflation(通货膨胀) is forcing prices higher each year; Social Security checks alone cannot cover these growing expenses. The government offers some assistance(补助), Medicare(health care)and welfare(general assistance), but many senior citizens have to change their life styles after retirement. They have to spend carefully to be sure that they can afford to buy food, fuel and other necessities.

Of course, many senior citizens are happy with retirement. They have time to spend with their families or enjoy their hobbies. Some continue to work part time, others do volunteer(志愿) work. Some, like those in the Retired Business Executives Association, even help young, people to get started in new business. Many retired citizens also belong to “Golden Age” groups. These organizations plan trips and social events. There are many chances for retirees.

American society is only beginning to be concerned about the special physical and emotional needs of its senior citizens. The government is taking steps to ease the problem of limited income. They are building new housing, offering discounts(折扣) in stores and museums and on buses, and providing other services such as free courses, food service, and help with housework. Retired citizens are a rapidly growing percentage of the population. This part of the population is very important and we must meet their needs. After all, every citizen will be a senior citizen some day.

1. The author believes that work first became important to Americans because of _______.

A. religion             B. economy           C. psychology               D. family

2. The passage is mainly about _______.

A. money and check                           B. senior and junior

C. work and retirement                       D. Protestants and Americans

3. When Americans stop work, it’s difficult for them to _______.

A. get Social Security checks               B. feel productive

C. enjoy themselves                            D. be religious

4. The author mentions _______ examples of the government' steps to ease the problem of limited income.

A. two            B. four           C. five            D. three

根据短文内容，从下框A--F选项中选出能概括每段主题的最佳选项，并把答案填涂在答题卡的相应位置上。填涂选项中有一项为多余项。特别提示: 如果选E, 则同时填涂AB; 如果选F, 则同时填涂CD.

【小题1】_______________.
As awareness of the benefits of humour increases, most of us want to get all the laughs we can. It seems that almost every day there is another new discovery about the power of humour to help us physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Every system of the body responds to laughter in some important or positive way .
【小题2】________________.
Many people mistakenly believe that we are born with a sense of humour. They think that when it comes to a sense of humour. “either you have got it or you don't .” This is false! What is true, however, is that the ability to laugh and smile is actually something we are born with. For example, we laugh when we are tickled under the arm, even without thinking about how to react.
【小题3】_______________.
The parts of the brain and central nervous system that control laughing and smiling are mature at birth in human infants, but that is not the same thing as having a sense of humour. (After all, when a baby laughs in his small bed we don’t rush over and say, “That kid has a great sense of humour!”) Your sense of humour is something you can develop over a lifetime. Don’t be nervous before others and try to laugh at yourself-then you will make them laugh too.
【小题4】_______________.
Humour includes a lot more than laughing and joke telling. Many people worry needlessly that they do not have a good sense of humour because they are not good joke tellers. More than jokes, a sense of humour requires being willing and able to see the funny side of life’s situations as they happen. In fact, one of the best definitions（定义）of a sense of humour is “the ability to see the non-serious element in a situation.”
【小题5】_____________.
There may be a thousand different ways to express your sense of humour, but joke telling is only one of those ways. As more is discovered about how humour benefits our life, more people will be able to see and enjoy the humour when they are in a difficult situation. Life depends on air, food and water, but it is made easier to live with a good sense of humour.

1. 教室里太乱了，我无法集中精力学习。

It’s so noisy in the classroom that I can’t ______ ______ my study.

2. 为了减肥，她目前正在尽力节食。

In order to lose weight，she is trying to go on ______ ______at the moment.

3. 不要对学生们太苛求，他们毕竟还是孩子。

Don’t be too ______ ______the students. After all, they are still children.

4. 他还告诉我们赢得尊重的最佳途径就是专心学习并取得好成绩。

He also told us that the best way to earn respect was to ______ ______ to study and get high grades.

5. 我发现这里布置的家庭作业不像我以前在原来学校时那么繁重。

I found that the homework here was not so heavy ______ ______I used to get in my old school.

6. 很多青少年感到孤独，好像没有人理解他们以及他们正在经历的变化。

Many teenagers feel lonely, as if no one understands them and the changes they are ______ ______.

7. 男孩和女孩在这方面往往有所不同。

Boys and girls______ ______ be different in this regard.

8. 你应该充分利用每分每秒来实现目标。

Every minute and every second should be made the most of ______ ______ your goal.

9. 这个问题值得在课上再次讨论。

This problem ______ ______ be discussed again in class.

10. 如果你能遵循以上建议，你的气色和感觉很快就会好得多。

If you ______ the suggestions above，you will look and feel much better _____no time.