Question

In the past most Americans spent time with people of generations. Now mid-aged Americans may not keep in touch with old people until they are old themselves.

That’s because we group people by age. We put our three-year-olds together in day-care center, our 13-year-olds in school and sports activities, and our 80-year-olds in senior-citizen homes. Why?

We live away from the old for many reasons: young people sometimes avoid the old to get rid of fears for aging and dying. It is much harder to watch someone we love disappear before our eyes. Sometimes it’s so hard that we stay away from the people who need us most.

Fortunately, some of us have found our way to the old. And we havediscovered that they often save the young.

A reporter moved her family onto a block filled with old people. At first her children were disappointed. But the reporter baked banana bread for the neighbours and had her children deliver it and visit. Soon the children had many new friends, with whom they shared food, stories and projects. “My children have never been less lonely,” the reporter said.

The young, in turn, save the old. Once I was in a rest home when a visitor showed up with a baby. She was immediately surrounded. People who hadn’t gotten out of bed in a week suddenly were ringing for a wheelchair. Even those who had seemed asleep wake up to watch the child. Babies have an astonishing power to comfort and cure.

Grandparents are a special case. They give grandchildren a feeling of security and continuity. As my husband put it, “my grandparents gave me a deep sense that things would turn out right in the end.”

Grandchildren speak of attention they don’t get from worried parents. “My parents were always telling me to hurry up, and my grandparents told me to slow down,” one friend said. A teacher told me she can tell which pupils have relationships with grandparents: they are quieter, calmer, more trusting.

1.Now in an American family, people can find that ____.

A. children never live with their parents

B. not all working people live with their parents

C. aged people are supported by their grandchildren

D. grandchildren are supported by their grandparents

2.The reason why old people are left alone may be that ____.

A. the old don’t like to live in a big family

B. the young can’t get enough money to support the old

C. different generations have different lifestyles

D. the old are too weak to live with the young

3.The fact that the reporter told us shows that ___.

A. old people in America lead a hard life

B. old people in America enjoy banana bread

C. she had no time to take care of her children

D. old people are easy to get along with

4.Why do children not get attention from their parents?

A. Because they often make trouble and make their parents disappointed.

B. Because their parents are too busy to take care of them.

C. Because their parents have to take care of their grandparents.

D. Because their parents have been out of work for a long time.

Answer

1.B

2.C

3.D

4.B

【解析】

本文是一篇议论文，现在美国人不喜欢和老人生活在一起，文章分析了原因。通过列举实例证明和老人一起生活对年轻人和老人都有很多好处。

1.推理判断题。根据文章第二句Now mid-aged Americans may not keep in touch with old people until they are old themselves.可知现在美国的中年人直到自己变老以后才会和老人住在一起。所以说不是所有正在工作的人都和老人生活在一起。故B项正确。

2.生活常识题。文章中没有提及老人不喜欢住在大家庭里，也没有说年轻人养活不起老人，没有提及老人身体不好无法和年轻人生活在一起。实际上老人和年轻人分开生活最主要是因为生活方式不一样。故C项正确。

3.推理判断题。根据第五段后两句Soon the children had many new friends, with whom they shared food, stories and projects. “My children have never been less lonely,” the reporter said.可知老人们很好相处，他们和孩子成为了好朋友，孩子们也受到影响。故D项正确。

4.推理判断题。根据最后一段第二句“My parents were always telling me to hurry up, and my grandparents told me to slow down,” one friend said.可知父母总是催促孩子快点，因为父母工作很忙，节奏很快。所以孩子很少能够从父母那里得到足够的关注。故B项正确。