For years, Chris Scharoun DeForge had a Valentine's Day routine. She celebrated like clockwork with her husband Paul Scharoun DeForge. On Valentine's Day they would go out to eat, maybe at Red Lobster or Olive Garden. They were celebrating each other.
But this year's Valentine's Day may be the most unusual one yet. That's because it is their 25th as husband and wife, a landmark that would be significant for most couples but it's extraordinary for the Scharoun DeForges. They were both born with Down syndrome and are believed to be the longest married couple with the condition in the country.
At the time of their wedding, some folks believed that people like them didn't have the emotional maturity to be married. Chris, who as a girl used to cut wedding photos from magazines and hang them on her wall knew better. “I looked into his eyes and saw my future,” Chris said about falling in love with Paul when they first met at a dance 30 years ago.
Still, they have had their struggles. And the most recent one may be the most monumental (极大的). This year's Valentine's Day is the first on which they won't be living together. Paul, 54, is coping with early stage dementia, an illness that affects many with his condition at a relatively young age. Several months ago, the state moved him into a community residence (住处) with intensive nursing care while Chris still lives in their cozy apartment in Liverpool.
Of course Chris doesn't want to be without him. Their family worked hard to keep them together. They even found a new apartment that met the state's standards. At first, the state agreed-a huge victory-but Paul's condition continued to deteriorate. By that time he was using a wheelchair and required round-the-clock care. The state decided he needed to move to the facility after all.
The couple is disappointed but not scared. Chris visits Paul regularly and they spend weekends together. Chris’s sister said they had an unconditional and sweet love.
1.Why is this year’s Valentine’s Day special to the Scharoun DeForges?
A.They will go out to eat at Red Lobster.
B.Their marriage was believed not to last so long.
C.They won’t be living together for the first time.
D.It is their 25th as a couple despite their Down syndrome.
2.Which of the following can replace the underlined word “deteriorate”?
A.change B.better C.worsen D.switch
3.What can we learn from the couple according to the passage?
A.They fell in love with each other at first sight.
B.They still can meet each other on a regular basis.
C.They had difficulty celebrating Valentine's Day together.
D.They moved into a community residence together.
4.What may be the best title for the text?
A.Struggles against Down syndrome B.A love without limits
C.A Valentine’s Day’s celebration D.A couple forced to get separated
People in Japan tend to live longer and stay healthier in their later years, with an increasing number of old people living alone. Japan is on a fast track to “ultra-age” with people aged 65 or above accounting for 28 percent of its total population in 2017; it was 26.7 percent in 2015. On the other hand, the number of births in 2017 fell to its lowest (about 941,000) since records began in 1899.
Demand for care services for elderly people has boomed. A shrinking working population means fewer able-bodied adults are available to look after the elderly. There is a shortage of state-provided elderly care facilities (养老院), while private ones are expensive. Any elderly people do not have the heart to burden other family members who may not live nearby. So they choose to live alone, and often die alone.
The country will be short of 380,000 of health nurses by 2025. The government has to turn to advanced robots to meet the shortage. Now about 5,000 nursing homes are testing robots which assist the elderly with a lot of physical issues, even emotional and psychological issues. A study found that using robots encouraged one third of the people to become more active and independent. Yet there is no robot that can provide the emotional support to the elderly by listening to their need, taking care of them and in general making their twilight year (暮年) happy.
Japan provides a case study for China, which is too faced with a fast aging population. 17.23 million babies were born in China in 2017, about 630,000 fewer than in 2016. people aged 60 accounted for 17.3% of China’s population in 2017. With insufficient elderly care facilities and unbalanced supply, China may find it tough to cope with the rapidly increasing number of senior citizens.
To meet the challenge, the Chinese government should make policy changes, which Japan is unwilling or unable to do or even consider. China should pay attention to the signals its aging population is sending and take proper and timely action.
1.What do you learn about the old Japanese?
A.More and more Japanese choose to live on their own.
B.A lot of old Japanese have to continue working at old age.
C.Most of old Japanese remain active with the help of robots.
D.Japanese aged 65 or above make up one third of its population.
2.What can be inferred from the passage?
A.The state-provided care facilities in Japan are affordable.
B.The family members do not have the heart to support the elderly people.
C.By 2025, the Japanese government will have brought in advanced robots to completely replace nurses.
D.Robots can make the elderly people more active and independent by providing emotional support to make their twilight year happy.
3.What is the main idea of the last two paragraphs?
A.Japan has set a good example for China to cope with aging population.
B.China is never too late to deal with its aging population.
C.China is now faced with a fast aging population.
D.Japan’s aging population is a timely lesson for China.
Better known by his stage name Kun, Cai Xukun is, without a doubt, one of the most popular stars in China.
On July 26, the 21-year-old dropped his new single Young. Within just 20 seconds, it reached 1 million views and in only 3 days topped the music charts of Tencent’s QQ music.
Cai wrote the song by himself to share his understanding of modern-day youth. The singer has mixed R&B with electronic music to make his new beat cheerful. One reviewer wrote on QQ Music: “When you listen to the song, you just seem to go back to youth again.”
August 2 is Cai’s birthday, and the song was a gift to himself. The singer hopes that he can always have the courage to follow his love of music, ignoring what anyone says. “My works are like my children and I have put my best effort into them. I want every piece of my work to have my own spirit in it. I feel more enjoyment when I am performing my own work.” He told the Global Times.
To find new inspiration, Kun attends different kinds of musical performances－from festivals to opera houses. “I just like to do everything, all for my music, all for my art,” he told i-D.
With talent and dedication(专注) to music, Cai is expected by many to make his mark in the competitive Chinese music industry.
1.What do we know about KUN’s newest single?
A.It has earned two million sales.
B.It makes people feel energetic.
C.It is a birthday gift to a friend of his.
D.It combines jazz and electronic music.
2.What can we learn from KUN’s words?
A.He gains great satisfaction from creating music.
B.He prefers singing songs to writing them.
C.He wants his every piece of work liked by everyone.
D.He is preparing another new single.
3.Which of the following would best describe KUN?
A.Courageous and patient B.Talented and humorous
C.Hardworking and creative D.Optimistic and generous
听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1.Who can join the senior class?
A.A thirteen-year-old boy. B.A fifteen-year-old boy. C.A sixteen-year-old girl
2.How long does each dance class last?
A.30 minutes. B.40 minutes. C.One hour.
3.When will the children give a public performance?
A.On July12th. B.On July 11th. C.On May16th.
4.What should parents do if they want their children to join the dance class?
A.Make a phone call to Melanie.
B.Go straight to the dance club.
C.Book a place in advance
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.Where does the woman work?
A.At a television station. B.At a newspaper office. C.At a university.
2.Why is the man applying for this position?
A.To make money.
B.To get working experience.
C.To meet famous people.
3.What is the man’s major at university?
A.Media and Communication. B.Advertising. C.English.
4.What does the man need to do next to get the position?
A.Talk to Miss Smith. B.Complete a form. C.Take some courses.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.What is the man’s problem?
A.He failed his English test.
B.He’s afraid of tomorrow’s test.
C.He’s worried about the result of his test.
2.What does the woman invite the man to do?
A.Meet another person. B.Have some coffee. C.Prepare for the test.
3.What does the man do when he’s in a bad mood?
A.He stays at home alone. B.He goes out to parties. C.He chats with his friends.
