全国2012年1月自考《英语阅读(二)》试题和参考答案

月自考《英语阅读(二)》试题和参考答案课程代码：00596全部题目用英文作答(翻译题除外)，请将答案填在答题纸相应位置上I.ReadingComprehension(50points,2pointsforeach)Directions:Inthispartofthetest,therearefivepassages.Followingeachpassage,therearefivequestionswithfourchoicesmarkedA,B,CandD.ChoosethebestanswerandthenwritethecorrespondingletteronyourAnswerSheet.PassageOneTheover-60populationisgrowingfasterthananyotheragegroup.Between1950and2050itisexpectedtoincreasefrom200millionto2billion.Asthenumberofolderpersonsincreases,sowilltheneedtoensuretheirsocialinclusion,basedonanincomefromdecentworkorretirementandachancetoparticipateincommunitylifethroughemployment,volunteerworkorotheractivities.AccordingtotheInternationalLabourOrganization,“decentwork”isworkthatmeetspeople’sbasicaspirations,notonlyforincome,butalsoforsecurityforthemselvesandtheirfamilies,inaworkingenvironmentthatissafe.Decentworktreatsmenandwomenequally,withoutdiscriminationorharassment.Finally,decentworkprovidessocialsecurityandiscarriedoutinconditionsoffreedomandhumandignity.Butthereareover1.2billionpeopleintheworldwholiveonanincomeoflessthan$1aday,andanotherbillionwholiveonlessthan$2aday.Theylivehandtomouth,daytoday,anddonothaveenoughincometosupporttheirdailyexistence—muchlessputsomethingasideforretirement.Inmostdevelopingcountriesretirementisaluxuryfewolderpeoplecanafford.Evenindevelopedcountriessomehardworkingpeoplewillnothaveenoughtoliveonretirement.Manywomen—paidlessthanmen,workingmoreathomethanmen,andworkingmoreinformallythanmen—maynotbereadyorabletorestat65.Bytradition,atleastindevelopedcountries,thereisachangeinrolesasonemovesfromactivemiddleyearsinto“gentle”and“enjoyable”retirement.Thischangeinroleshasbeenviewedbythepublic,bygovernmentandbybusiness,asatransitionfromaproductivetimeoflifetoonethatisunproductiveanddependent.Buttodaymorethanever,thisisnottrue.Mostolderpeopledonotwithdrawfromsociety.Instead,theycontinuetocontributetotheirhouseholds,totheirdescendantsandtotheircommunities,althoughtheircontributionmaynotbepaidemployment.Insteadofproducinggoodsorservices—thetraditionaleconomicmodel“products”－olderpersonsmaycontributea“product”thathasvaluetosociety,suchascaringforchildren,caringforotherolderpersons,caringfortheoldestold,providingcommunityleadership,mentoringorbeinganeffectiverolemodel.Butinspiteoftheirsignificanthumanandeconomicbenefits,suchcontributionshavenotbeenfiguredintoaneconomy’sgrossnationalproduct.Andtheyhavenotbeenappropriatelyvalued.Overthepastseveraldecades,mostindustrializedcountrieshaveexperiencedasubstantialdropintheaverageageatwhichindividualsretirefromthelabourmarket.Longerlifeexpectancyandbetterhealthhavenotbeenaccompaniedbylongerworkinglives.Asaconsequence,thesecountriesarefacingseriousconcernsabouttheviabilityofsocialsecuritysystems.Akeychallengeforthesecountriesistomitigatetheeffectsofadropintheworkingagepopulationbyincreasingandprolongingtheparticipationofolderpeopleinthelabourmarket.Questions1-5arebasedonPassageOne.1.Theterm“socialinclusion”(inPara.1)heremeans______.A.havingdecentworkB.beingequalinjobsC.havingdecentincomeD.beingproductiveinlife2.ItisimpliedinParagraph2that______.A.peopleinrichcountriescanenjoyluxuryretirementB.womenifhardworkingcanobtaindecentretirementC.womenininformalworkarefreetochoosewhentoretire“Buttodaymorethanever,thisisnottrue.”(inPara.3)means______.A.elderpeopleusedtobedependentB.elderpeopleusedtoenjoyretirementC.elderpeoplenowdonotwanttoretirefromtheirworkD.elderpeoplenowdonotwanttobecutofffromsociety4.Tomeetthechallengeoffinancingsocialsecurity,thegovernmentindevelopedcountriesneedsto______.A.providemoreflexiblechoiceforretirementB.persuadeelderpeopletopostponeretirementC.promoteunpaidemploymentD.reformsocialsecuritysystem5.Thewriterinthepassagemainlywantstoexpressthatelderpeoplewould______.A.haveanenjoyableretirementB.prolongtheirproductivelife(2.haveamorehealthylifeD.prolongtheirworklifePassageTwoBecausespeechisthemostconvenientformofcommunication,inthefuturewewantessentiallynaturalconversationswithcomputers.Theprimarypointofcontactwillbeasimpledevicethatwillactasourwindowontheworld.Itwillhavetobesmallenoughtoslipintoyourpocket,sotherewillbeascreenbutnokeyboard:youwillsimplytalktoit.ThedevicewillbepermanentlyconnectedtotheInternetandwillbeeprelevantinformationuptoyouasitcomesin.Suchdeviceswillevolvenaturallyinthenextfivetotenyears.Justhowquicklypeoplewilladapttoavoice-basedInternetworldisuncertain.Manybelievethat,initiallyatleast,wewillneedsimilarconventionsforthevoicetothoseweuseatpresentonscreen:click,back,forward,andsoon.ButsoonyouwillundoubtedlybeabletointeractbyvoicewithallthoseIT-basedservicesyoucurrentlyconnectwithovertheInternetbymeansofakeyboard.ThiswillhelptheInternetservetheentirepopulation,notjusttechno-freaks.Changeslikethiswillencompassthewholeworld.BecauseEnglishisthelanguageofscience,itwillprobablyremainthelanguagetowhichthetechnologyismostadvanced,butmostspeech-recognitiontechniquesaretransf