Part Ⅲ Reading Comprehension

　　Section B

　　Directions: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it. Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.

　　Into the Unknown

　　The world has never seen population ageing before. Can it cope?

　　[A] Until the early 1990s nobody much thought about whole populations getting older. The UN had the foresight to convene a world assembly on ageing back in 1982, but that came and went. By 1994 the World Bank had noticed that something big was happening. In a report entitled Averting the Old Age Crisis , it argued that pension arrangements in most countries were unsustainable.

　　[B] For the next ten years a succession of books, mainly by Americans, sounded the alarm. They had titles like Young Old, Gray Dawn and The Coming Generational Storm, and their message was blunt: health-care systems were heading for the rocks, pensioners were taking young people to the cleaners, and soon there would be intergenerational warfare.

　　[C] Since then the debate has become less emotional, not least because a lot more is known about the subject. Books, conferences and research papers have multiplied. International organisations such as the OECD and the EU issue regular reports. Population ageing is on every agenda, from G8 economic conferences to NATO summits. The World Economic Forum plans to consider the future of pensions and health care at its prestigious Davos conference early next year. The media, including this newspaper, are giving the subject extensive coverage.

　　[D ] Whether all that attention has translated into sufficient action is another question. Governments in rich countries now accept that their pension and health-care promises will soon become unaffordable, and many of them have embarked on reforms, but so far only timidly. That is not surprising: politicians with an eye on the next election will hardly rush to introduce unpopular measures that may not bear fruit for years, perhaps decades.

　　[E ] The outline of the changes needed is clear. To avoid fisca. Immigration in the developed world is the highest it has ever been, and it is making a useful difference. In still-fertile America it currently accounts for about 40% of total population growth, and in fast-ageing western Europe for about 90%.

　　[H] On the face of it, it seems the perfect solution. Many developing countries have lots of young people in need of jobs; many rich countries need helping hands that will boost tax revenues and keep up economic growth. But over the next few decades labour forces in rich countries are set to shrink so much that inflows of immigrants would have to increase enormously to compensate: to at least twice their current size in western Europes most youthful countries, and three times in the older ones. Japan would need a large multiple of the few immigrants it has at present. Public opinion polls show that people in most rich countries already think that immigration is too high. Further big increases would be politically unfeasible.

　　[I] To tackle the problem of ageing populations at its root, old countries would have to rejuvenate themselves by having more of their own children. A number of them have tried, some more successfully than

　　others. But it is not a simple matter of offering financial incentives or providing more child care. Modern urban life in rich countries is not well adapted to large families. Women find it hard to combine family and career. They often compromise by having just one child.

　　[J] And if fertility in ageing countries does not pick up? It will not be the end of the world, at least not for quite a while yet, but the world will slowly become a different place. Older societies may be less innovative and more strongly disinclined to take risks than younger ones. By 2025 at the latest, about half the voters in America and most of those in western European countries will be over 50and older people turn out to vote in much greater number than younger ones. Academic studies have found no evidence so far that older voters have used their power at the ballot box to push for policies that specifically benefit them, though if in future there are many more of them they might start doing so.

　　[K] Nor is there any sign of the intergenerational warfare predicted in the 1990s. After all, older people themselves mostly have families. In a recent study of parents and grown-up children in 11 European countries, Karsten Hank of Mannheim University found that 85% of them lived within 25km of each other and the majority of them were in touch at least once a week.

　　[L] Even so, the shift in the centre of gravity to older age groups is bound to have a profound effect on societies, not just economically and politically but in all sorts of other ways too. Richard Jackson and Neil Howe of Americas CSIS, in a thoughtful book called The Graying of the Great Powers, argue that, among other things, the ageing of the developed countries will have a number of serious security implications.

　　[M] For example, the shortage of young adults is likely to make countries more reluctant to commit the few they have to military service. In the decades to 2050, America will find itself playing an ever-increasing role in the developed worlds defence effort. Because Americas population will still be growing when that of most other developed countries is shrinking, America will be the only developed country that still matters geopoliticallyi 地 緣政治上).

　　Ask me in 2023

　　[ N] There is little that can be done to stop population ageing, so the world will have to live with it. But some of the consequences can be alleviated. Many experts now believe that given the right policies, the effects, though grave, need not be catastrophic. Most countries have recognised the need to do something and are beginning to act.

　　[ O] But even then there is no guarantee that their efforts will work. What is happening now is historically unprecedented. Ronald Lee, director of the Centre on the Economics and Demography of Ageing at the University of California, Berkeley, puts it briefly and clearly: We dont really know what population ageing will be like, because nobody has done it yet.

　　46. Employers should realise it is important to keep older workers in the workforce.

　　47. A recent study found that most old people in some European countries had regular weekly contact with their adult children.

　　48. Few governments in rich countries have launched bold reforms to tackle the problem of population ageing.

　　49. In a report published some 20 years ago, the sustainability of old age pension systems in most countries was called into doubt.

　　50. Countries that have a shortage of young adults will be less willing to send them to war.

　　51. One-child families are more common in ageing societies due to the stress of urban life and the difficulties of balancing family and career.

　　52. A series of books, mostly authored by Americans, warned of conflicts between the older and younger generations.

　　53. Compared with younger ones, older societies tend to be less innovative and take fewer risks.

　　54. The best solution to the pension crisis is to postpone the retirement age.

　　55. Immigration as a means to boost the shrinking labour force may meet with resistance in some rich countries.

　　Part Ⅲ Reading Comprehension

　　Section B

　　46. [F]。題干意為，雇主們應該意識到留住老齡員工很重要。注意抓住題干中的關鍵詞employers和older workers。文章段落中，談及雇主和老齡員工關系的內容在[F]段出現，該段第二句提到，我們仍需說服雇 主們繼續雇用老齡員工是值得的。由此可知，題干是對原文的同義轉述，故答案為[F]。

　　47. [K]。題干意為，最近的一項研究發現，在一些歐洲國家，大多數的老年人每周都會聯系他們的成年子女。 注意抓住題干中的關鍵詞a recent study, European countries和adult children。文章段落中，有關歐洲國家老人 及其成年子女的研究的內容在[K]段出現，該段第三句提到，在最近的一項關于11個歐洲國家的父母及其

　　成年子女的研究中，他們中的大多數至少每周都會聯系一次。由此可知，題干是對原文的同義轉述， 故答案為[K ]。題干中的 adult children對應原文中的 grown-up children，題干中的 had regular weekly contact 對應原文中的 were in touch at least once a week，同時還用 some European countries替代 了 原文中的 11 European countries。

　　48. [D]。題干意為，很少有發達國家的政府開展大膽的改革去解決人口老齡化的問題。注意抓住題干中的關 鍵詞governments in rich countries和reforms。文章段落中，談及發達國家政府和改革的內容在[D]段出現， 該段第二句提到，發達國家的政府已經承認自己很快就會無法負擔其退休金，無法兌現醫療保障承諾，許 多國家也已開始著手改革，但迄今為止都是畏首畏尾的改革。由此可知，題干是對原文的同義轉述，故答

　　案為[D]。

　　49. [A]。題干意為，大概20年前發表的一份報告中指出，大多數國家的養老金系統的可持續性受到質疑。注 意抓住題干中的關鍵詞20 years ago, a report和old age pension。文章段落中，談及質疑養老金報告的內容在 文章第一段出現，該段最后兩句中提到，到1994年，它在一份題為避免老齡化危機的報告中指出， 大多數國家的養老金計劃無法維持下去。由此可知，題干是對原文的同義轉述，故答案為[A]。此處需要注 意的是題干提到了20 years ago，數字是瀏覽信息時需要注意的重要信息，此處為時間概念，快速瀏覽涉及 時間的段落，可較快地做出解答。

　　50. [M]。題干意為，缺少年輕人的國家比較不愿意將年輕人送往戰場。注意抓住題干中的關鍵詞a shortage of young adults和war。文章段落中，談及缺少年輕人的內容在[M]段出現，該段首句提到，缺少年輕人可能會 使國家不愿意將僅有的年輕人送去服兵役。由此可知，題干是對原文的同義轉述，故答案為[M]。題干中 的less willing和原文中reluctant相對應。

　　51. [I]。題干意為，由于城市生活的壓力和平衡家庭與工作的困難，獨生子女家庭在老齡化社會中變得更為 普遍。注意抓住題干中的關鍵詞one-child families, urban life和family and career。文章段落中，談及獨生子女 家庭、城市生活以及家庭和工作的內容在[I]段出現，該段最后三句提到，發達國家的現代都市生活并不 適合大家庭。女性發現她們很難平衡家庭和工作的關系。她們往往采用折中的方法，即只生一個孩子。由 此可知，題干是對原文內容的概括，屬于同義轉述的范疇，故答案為[I]。

　　52. [B]。題干意為，主要由美國人撰寫的一系列圖書對老一輩和年輕一代將發生沖突提出了警告。注意抓住 題干中的關鍵詞a series of books, mostly authored by Americans和warned。文章段落中，談及美國人的著作 的內容在[B]段出現，該段第一句提到，主要由美國人撰寫的一系列圖書給全世界敲響了警鐘。文章之后 接著說明了這些著作所闡述的問題：在退休金問題上新老兩代人的沖突。由此可見，題干對原文做了同義 改寫，故答案為[B]。題干中的warned和原文中的sounded the alarm對應。

　　53. [J]。題干意為，與年輕的社會相比，老齡化社會傾向于缺乏創新精神，較少去冒險。注意抓住題干中的關 鍵詞compared, innovative和risks。文章段落中，對兩代人在創新精神和冒險方面做對比的內容在[J]段出 現，該段第三句提到，與年輕的社會相比，老齡化社會可能會缺乏創新精神，也不愿意冒險。由此可知，答 案為[J]。題干中的take fewer risks對應原文中的disinclined to take risks。

　　54. [E]。題干意為，解決養老金危機的最好方法是推遲退休年齡。注意抓住題干中的關鍵詞solution, pension crisis和retirement age。文章段落中，談及解決養老金危機方法的內容在[E]段出現，該段第三句提到，到目 前為止，抑制養老金支出最有效的方法是延長人們的工作年限，由此可知，題干是對原文的同義改 寫，即延長工作年限改寫為推遲退休年齡，故答案為[E]。題干中的the best solution對應原文中的the most effective method。

　　55. [H]。題干意為，在一些發達國家，把移民當做改善勞動力短缺狀況的一種手段可能會遭遇抵制。注意抓住 題干中的關鍵詞immigration, shrinking labour force和resistance。文章段落中，談及移民和勞動力短缺的有 [G]段和[H]段，但談到抵制移民問題的僅有[H]段，該段最后兩句提出，民意調查顯示，多數富裕國家的 人認為移民的數量已經夠多了，進一步的增長在政治上是行不通的。由此可知，題干是對原文的進一步推 斷，故答案為[H]。此處需要注意，因原文段落之間具有連續性，對同一話題的闡述可能涉及兩個或多個段 落，所以在做題時一定要把題干的信息看全，排除干擾段落，從而確定最終答案。

　　Part Ⅲ Reading Comprehension

　　Section B

　　Directions: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it. Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.

　　Into the Unknown

　　The world has never seen population ageing before. Can it cope?

　　[A] Until the early 1990s nobody much thought about whole populations getting older. The UN had the foresight to convene a world assembly on ageing back in 1982, but that came and went. By 1994 the World Bank had noticed that something big was happening. In a report entitled Averting the Old Age Crisis , it argued that pension arrangements in most countries were unsustainable.

　　[B] For the next ten years a succession of books, mainly by Americans, sounded the alarm. They had titles like Young Old, Gray Dawn and The Coming Generational Storm, and their message was blunt: health-care systems were heading for the rocks, pensioners were taking young people to the cleaners, and soon there would be intergenerational warfare.

　　[C] Since then the debate has become less emotional, not least because a lot more is known about the subject. Books, conferences and research papers have multiplied. International organisations such as the OECD and the EU issue regular reports. Population ageing is on every agenda, from G8 economic conferences to NATO summits. The World Economic Forum plans to consider the future of pensions and health care at its prestigious Davos conference early next year. The media, including this newspaper, are giving the subject extensive coverage.

　　[D ] Whether all that attention has translated into sufficient action is another question. Governments in rich countries now accept that their pension and health-care promises will soon become unaffordable, and many of them have embarked on reforms, but so far only timidly. That is not surprising: politicians with an eye on the next election will hardly rush to introduce unpopular measures that may not bear fruit for years, perhaps decades.

　　[E ] The outline of the changes needed is clear. To avoid fisca. Immigration in the developed world is the highest it has ever been, and it is making a useful difference. In still-fertile America it currently accounts for about 40% of total population growth, and in fast-ageing western Europe for about 90%.

　　[H] On the face of it, it seems the perfect solution. Many developing countries have lots of young people in need of jobs; many rich countries need helping hands that will boost tax revenues and keep up economic growth. But over the next few decades labour forces in rich countries are set to shrink so much that inflows of immigrants would have to increase enormously to compensate: to at least twice their current size in western Europes most youthful countries, and three times in the older ones. Japan would need a large multiple of the few immigrants it has at present. Public opinion polls show that people in most rich countries already think that immigration is too high. Further big increases would be politically unfeasible.

　　[I] To tackle the problem of ageing populations at its root, old countries would have to rejuvenate themselves by having more of their own children. A number of them have tried, some more successfully than

　　others. But it is not a simple matter of offering financial incentives or providing more child care. Modern urban life in rich countries is not well adapted to large families. Women find it hard to combine family and career. They often compromise by having just one child.

　　[J] And if fertility in ageing countries does not pick up? It will not be the end of the world, at least not for quite a while yet, but the world will slowly become a different place. Older societies may be less innovative and more strongly disinclined to take risks than younger ones. By 2025 at the latest, about half the voters in America and most of those in western European countries will be over 50and older people turn out to vote in much greater number than younger ones. Academic studies have found no evidence so far that older voters have used their power at the ballot box to push for policies that specifically benefit them, though if in future there are many more of them they might start doing so.

　　[K] Nor is there any sign of the intergenerational warfare predicted in the 1990s. After all, older people themselves mostly have families. In a recent study of parents and grown-up children in 11 European countries, Karsten Hank of Mannheim University found that 85% of them lived within 25km of each other and the majority of them were in touch at least once a week.

　　[L] Even so, the shift in the centre of gravity to older age groups is bound to have a profound effect on societies, not just economically and politically but in all sorts of other ways too. Richard Jackson and Neil Howe of Americas CSIS, in a thoughtful book called The Graying of the Great Powers, argue that, among other things, the ageing of the developed countries will have a number of serious security implications.

　　[M] For example, the shortage of young adults is likely to make countries more reluctant to commit the few they have to military service. In the decades to 2050, America will find itself playing an ever-increasing role in the developed worlds defence effort. Because Americas population will still be growing when that of most other developed countries is shrinking, America will be the only developed country that still matters geopoliticallyi 地 緣政治上).

　　Ask me in 2023

　　[ N] There is little that can be done to stop population ageing, so the world will have to live with it. But some of the consequences can be alleviated. Many experts now believe that given the right policies, the effects, though grave, need not be catastrophic. Most countries have recognised the need to do something and are beginning to act.

　　[ O] But even then there is no guarantee that their efforts will work. What is happening now is historically unprecedented. Ronald Lee, director of the Centre on the Economics and Demography of Ageing at the University of California, Berkeley, puts it briefly and clearly: We dont really know what population ageing will be like, because nobody has done it yet.

　　46. Employers should realise it is important to keep older workers in the workforce.

　　47. A recent study found that most old people in some European countries had regular weekly contact with their adult children.

　　48. Few governments in rich countries have launched bold reforms to tackle the problem of population ageing.

　　49. In a report published some 20 years ago, the sustainability of old age pension systems in most countries was called into doubt.

　　50. Countries that have a shortage of young adults will be less willing to send them to war.

　　51. One-child families are more common in ageing societies due to the stress of urban life and the difficulties of balancing family and career.

　　52. A series of books, mostly authored by Americans, warned of conflicts between the older and younger generations.

　　53. Compared with younger ones, older societies tend to be less innovative and take fewer risks.

　　54. The best solution to the pension crisis is to postpone the retirement age.

　　55. Immigration as a means to boost the shrinking labour force may meet with resistance in some rich countries.

　　Part Ⅲ Reading Comprehension

　　Section B

　　46. [F]。題干意為，雇主們應該意識到留住老齡員工很重要。注意抓住題干中的關鍵詞employers和older workers。文章段落中，談及雇主和老齡員工關系的內容在[F]段出現，該段第二句提到，我們仍需說服雇 主們繼續雇用老齡員工是值得的。由此可知，題干是對原文的同義轉述，故答案為[F]。

　　47. [K]。題干意為，最近的一項研究發現，在一些歐洲國家，大多數的老年人每周都會聯系他們的成年子女。 注意抓住題干中的關鍵詞a recent study, European countries和adult children。文章段落中，有關歐洲國家老人 及其成年子女的研究的內容在[K]段出現，該段第三句提到，在最近的一項關于11個歐洲國家的父母及其

　　成年子女的研究中，他們中的大多數至少每周都會聯系一次。由此可知，題干是對原文的同義轉述， 故答案為[K ]。題干中的 adult children對應原文中的 grown-up children，題干中的 had regular weekly contact 對應原文中的 were in touch at least once a week，同時還用 some European countries替代 了 原文中的 11 European countries。

　　48. [D]。題干意為，很少有發達國家的政府開展大膽的改革去解決人口老齡化的問題。注意抓住題干中的關 鍵詞governments in rich countries和reforms。文章段落中，談及發達國家政府和改革的內容在[D]段出現， 該段第二句提到，發達國家的政府已經承認自己很快就會無法負擔其退休金，無法兌現醫療保障承諾，許 多國家也已開始著手改革，但迄今為止都是畏首畏尾的改革。由此可知，題干是對原文的同義轉述，故答

　　案為[D]。

　　49. [A]。題干意為，大概20年前發表的一份報告中指出，大多數國家的養老金系統的可持續性受到質疑。注 意抓住題干中的關鍵詞20 years ago, a report和old age pension。文章段落中，談及質疑養老金報告的內容在 文章第一段出現，該段最后兩句中提到，到1994年，它在一份題為避免老齡化危機的報告中指出， 大多數國家的養老金計劃無法維持下去。由此可知，題干是對原文的同義轉述，故答案為[A]。此處需要注 意的是題干提到了20 years ago，數字是瀏覽信息時需要注意的重要信息，此處為時間概念，快速瀏覽涉及 時間的段落，可較快地做出解答。

　　50. [M]。題干意為，缺少年輕人的國家比較不愿意將年輕人送往戰場。注意抓住題干中的關鍵詞a shortage of young adults和war。文章段落中，談及缺少年輕人的內容在[M]段出現，該段首句提到，缺少年輕人可能會 使國家不愿意將僅有的年輕人送去服兵役。由此可知，題干是對原文的同義轉述，故答案為[M]。題干中 的less willing和原文中reluctant相對應。

　　51. [I]。題干意為，由于城市生活的壓力和平衡家庭與工作的困難，獨生子女家庭在老齡化社會中變得更為 普遍。注意抓住題干中的關鍵詞one-child families, urban life和family and career。文章段落中，談及獨生子女 家庭、城市生活以及家庭和工作的內容在[I]段出現，該段最后三句提到，發達國家的現代都市生活并不 適合大家庭。女性發現她們很難平衡家庭和工作的關系。她們往往采用折中的方法，即只生一個孩子。由 此可知，題干是對原文內容的概括，屬于同義轉述的范疇，故答案為[I]。

　　52. [B]。題干意為，主要由美國人撰寫的一系列圖書對老一輩和年輕一代將發生沖突提出了警告。注意抓住 題干中的關鍵詞a series of books, mostly authored by Americans和warned。文章段落中，談及美國人的著作 的內容在[B]段出現，該段第一句提到，主要由美國人撰寫的一系列圖書給全世界敲響了警鐘。文章之后 接著說明了這些著作所闡述的問題：在退休金問題上新老兩代人的沖突。由此可見，題干對原文做了同義 改寫，故答案為[B]。題干中的warned和原文中的sounded the alarm對應。

　　53. [J]。題干意為，與年輕的社會相比，老齡化社會傾向于缺乏創新精神，較少去冒險。注意抓住題干中的關 鍵詞compared, innovative和risks。文章段落中，對兩代人在創新精神和冒險方面做對比的內容在[J]段出 現，該段第三句提到，與年輕的社會相比，老齡化社會可能會缺乏創新精神，也不愿意冒險。由此可知，答 案為[J]。題干中的take fewer risks對應原文中的disinclined to take risks。

　　54. [E]。題干意為，解決養老金危機的最好方法是推遲退休年齡。注意抓住題干中的關鍵詞solution, pension crisis和retirement age。文章段落中，談及解決養老金危機方法的內容在[E]段出現，該段第三句提到，到目 前為止，抑制養老金支出最有效的方法是延長人們的工作年限，由此可知，題干是對原文的同義改 寫，即延長工作年限改寫為推遲退休年齡，故答案為[E]。題干中的the best solution對應原文中的the most effective method。

　　55. [H]。題干意為，在一些發達國家，把移民當做改善勞動力短缺狀況的一種手段可能會遭遇抵制。注意抓住 題干中的關鍵詞immigration, shrinking labour force和resistance。文章段落中，談及移民和勞動力短缺的有 [G]段和[H]段，但談到抵制移民問題的僅有[H]段，該段最后兩句提出，民意調查顯示，多數富裕國家的 人認為移民的數量已經夠多了，進一步的增長在政治上是行不通的。由此可知，題干是對原文的進一步推 斷，故答案為[H]。此處需要注意，因原文段落之間具有連續性，對同一話題的闡述可能涉及兩個或多個段 落，所以在做題時一定要把題干的信息看全，排除干擾段落，從而確定最終答案。