Unit 1 A land of diversity Grammar课时作业

　　阅读理解

　　A

　　In many developed countries, people who have high degrees begin to work longer than those who don't. About 65% of American men aged 62－74 with a professional degree are in the workforce (劳动人口), compared with 32% of men who only finish high school. This gap is part of a deepening divide between the well­educated wealthy and the unskilled poor. Rapid technological advance has raised the incomes of the highly skilled while squeezing those of the unskilled. The consequences, for individuals and society, are profound.

　　The world is facing an astonishing rise in the number of old people, and they will live longer than ever before. Over the next 20 years the global population of those aged 65 or more will almost double, from 600 million to 1.1 billion. The experience of the 20th century, when greater longevity (长寿) translated into more years in retirement rather than more years at work, has persuaded many observers that this shift (变化) will lead to slower economic growth, while the swelling (渐增的) ranks of pensioners will create government budget problems.

　　Policies are partly responsible. Many European governments have abandoned policies that used to encourage people to retire early. Even the better­off must work longer to have a comfortable retirement. But the changing nature of work also plays a big role. Pay has risen sharply for the highly educated, and those people continue to reap (获得) rich rewards into old age because these days the educated elderly are more productive than the preceding (先前的) generation. Technological change may well reinforce (强化) that shift: the skills that complement (补充) computers, from management know­how to creativity, do not necessarily decline with age.

　　1．What is the common phenomenon in the workforce in rich countries?

　　A．Younger people are replacing the elderly.

　　B．Well­educated people tend to work longer.

　　C．People with no college degree cannot find any job.

　　D．Unemployment rates are decreasing year after year.

　　解析：选B　细节理解题。根据文章第一段的第一句"In many developed countries, people who have high degrees begin to work longer than those who don't"可知，在发达国家，受过良好教育的人的工作年限更长，故选B。

　　2．In view of the experience of the 20th century, many observers predict that ________.

A．economic growth will slow down