While surfing television channels over the weekend，a scene from a family classic of last year portraying the now-so-familiar sorry state of retired parents being ill-treated by their children and families caught my attention. I wondered why the description of this relationship had not changed much over the many years! Even though the same movies and soaps accurately capture several other social changes around us — from value systems to new found economic freedom to the importance of technology and the changing approach to consumerism(消费主义) — are these creative efforts far from the truth in telling us that an average retiree is still struggling?
Look around and you will agree that the post-retired lifestyle for an ex-salaried class people is often a pale shadow of their last working years. Even self employed people, who have handed over the responsibility to the next generation, are no exception. Did the average middle class not save enough through his working years?
Socially, we already know that the Indians are taught the benefits of start saving early on in life. Household savings data supports this social behavior — India has the highest rates of savings among various economies and is far ahead of the west. Yet, tragically, a lifetime of savings does not seem to provide enough for a comfortable retirement!
A closer look at the pattern of what we do with our financial savings may tell us a bit more. Over half of households’ financial savings is put into a “safe” deposit, followed by large portions in insurance, pension, provident funds（福利基金） and the rest in physical currency. Less than a tenth goes into “risky” assets(资产) like stocks. While there might be nothing, in particular, worrisome in this investment pool, one has to consider inflation(通货膨胀). The real value of savings, over a few decades, may actually be lower than the starting point.
1.What had not changed much over the many years according to the passage?
A. Value systems B. The poor situation of retirees
C. Economic freedom D. Approach to consumerism
2.Which of the following statements about saving in India is right?
A. the concept of saving has been well received by Indians.
B. the amount of the savings ranks number one across the world.
C. long-standing savings can help the retirees live a care-free life.
D. saving early can not benefit people at all.
3. What can be inferred according to the last paragraph?
A. Half of the financial savings in stocks can be accepted.
B. The real value of saving must be lowered in a few years.
C. A loss of savings may hardly be avoided.
D. Inflation can be avoided on condition that you consume instead of saving.
4.What’s the best title of the text?
A. Retirees being treated unfairly
B. Is saving enough
C. Saving in India
D. How to deal with saving
完形填空（共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分）
阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的四个选项（A、 B、 C 和 D ）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
“So teach him to close the door”, my daughter Emma responded after listening to me 36 , again, about the dog coming in from the back door, bringing with him a blast of Buffalo January 37 air．
Teach a dog to close a door behind him? That has got to be a really, really 38 thing to do．But then she took it a step 39 ．“Come on Kolby”, she said, grabbing(抓住) some treats and 40 him in front of the open door．“Touch．” And “touch” he did, which moved the door to a 41 position．She 42 him with a treat, smiled, looked at me, and said “see!” And I saw and became 43 ．Over the last few days I have been consistent（一致的） with Kolby．Each time he comes in I 44 him back to the open door patiently and ask him to close．There have been 45 in the beginning, but lately more and more successes．
However, there remains much work to be done．I have to get him follow my hand signal again and again 46 he will close the door from a distance．But, I now realize, as long as you keep to the 47 , the task will be completed, and, with the way things are progressing, 48 quickly．
What a 49 treat to have a dog that can close the door after himself! Even more wonder can be found in the 50 I learned so clearly from both Emma and Kolby．
A wish is just a wish until you decide to take 51 ．Once you 52 the belief that it is “too hard”, then it remains “too hard ” and out of 53 ．Once you decide to accomplish a goal, and 54 that it is “easy”, then it becomes “easy” to do what needs to be done．Just 55 doing it．
1. A．complain B．scream C．worry D．scare
2.A．thin B．fresh C．dirty D．cold
3.A．last B．funny C．hard D．possible
4.A．again B．further C．deeper D．backward
5.A．pushing B．tying C．seating D．positioning
6. A．stopped B．fixed C．closed D．locked
7.A．rewarded B．provided C．offered D．thanked
8.A．persuaded B．convinced C．inspired D．puzzled
9.A．bring B．pull C．drag D．call
10.A．pleasures B．experiments C．failures D．pauses
11. A．in case B．even if C．as if D．so that
12. A．interest B．focus C．progress D．harmony
13. A．determined B．taught C．bought D．completed
14.. A．wonderful B．small C．different D．simple
15. A．knowledge B．skills C．lessons D．experience
16.A．patience B．part C．delight D．action
17. A．hold on to B．pay attention to C．come up with D．get used to
18. A．date B．touch C．reach D．power
19. A．prove B．decide C．conclude D．realize
20. A．imagine. B．start C．keep D．enjoy
The purpose of her talking to me last night actually _______this: That I shall never trust him any more in future.
A. comes round B. comes out C. comes on D. comes to
The price system is a complex network composed of the prices of all the products bought and sold in the economy as well as of a great number of services.
A. the one B. that C. ones D. those
I ______ tell you with certainty that he won’t be able to finish it before the deadline.
A. will B. must C. can D. may
His humorous closing speech was a welcome addition to the ______dull meeting．
A．therefore B．meanwhile C．otherwise D．nevertheless
