阅读理解
阅读理解
A:get Social Security checks B:feel productive C:enjoy themselves D:be religious
Work is a very important part of life in the United States. When the early Protestant immigrants came to this country, they brought the idea that work was the way to God and heaven. This attitude, the Protestant Work Ethic, still influences America today. Work is not only important for economic benefits, the salary, but also for social and psychological needs, the feeling of doing something for the good of the society. Americans spend most of their lives working, being productive. For most Americans, their work defines them: they are what they do. What happens then, when a person can no longer work Almost all Americans stop working at the age of sixty-five or seventy and retire. Because work is such an important part of life in this culture, retirement can be very difficult. Retirees often feel that they are useless and unproductive. Of course, some people are happy to retire; but leaving one’s job, whatever it is, is a difficult change, even for those who look forward to retiring. Many retirees do not know how to use their time or they feel lost without their jobs. Retirements can also bring financial problems. Many people rely on Social Security checks every month. During their working years, employees contribute a certain percentage of their salaries to the government. Each employer also gives a certain percentage to the government. When people retire, they receive this money as income. These checks do not provide enough money to live on, however, because prices are increasing very rapidly. Senior citizens, those over sixty-five, have to have savings in the bank or other retirement plans to make ends meet. The rate of inflation is forcing prices higher each year; Social Security checks alone cannot cover these growing expenses. The government offers some assistance, Medicare(health care)and welfare (general assistance), but many senior citizens have to change their life styles after retirement. They have to spend carefully to be sure that they can afford to buy food, fuel and other necessities.
Of course, many senior citizens are happy with retirement. They have time to spend with their families or enjoy their hobbies. Some continue to work part time, others do volunteer work. Some, like those in the Retired Business Executives Association, even help young people to get started in new business. Many retired citizens also belong to "Golden Age" groups. These organizations plan trips and social events. There are many chances for retirees.
American society is only beginning to be concerned about the special physical and emotional needs of its senior citizens. The government is taking steps to ease the problem of limited income. They are building new housing, offering discounts in stores and museums and on buses, and providing other services such as free courses, food service, and help with housework. Retired citizens are a rapidly growing percentage of the population. This part of the population is very important and we must meet their needs. After all, every citizen will be a senior citizen some day.
When Americans stop work, it’s difficult for them to ______.
A:get Social Security checks B:feel productive C:enjoy themselves D:be religious
Text 1
The American economy, whether in government or private industry, has found retirement a convenient practice for managing the labor force. On the positive side, widespread retirement has meant an expansion of leisure and opportunities for self-fulfillment in later life. On the negative side, the practice of retirement entails large costs, both in funding required from pension systems and in the loss of the accumulated skills and talents of older people.
Critics of retirement as it exists today have pointed to the rigidity of retirement practices: for example, the fact that retirement is typically an all-or-nothing proposition. Would it not be better to have some form of flexible or phased retirement, in which employees gradually reduce their work hours or take longer vacations Such an approach might enable older workers to adjust better to retirement, while permitting employers to make gradual changes instead of coping with the abrupt departure of an employee. Retirement could be radically redefined in the future.
Earlier criticism of retirement at a fixed age led to legal abolition of the practice, for the most part, in 1996. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act forbids older workers from being limited or treated in any way that would harm their employment possibilities. Still, most observers admit that age discrimination in the workplace remains widespread. Sometimes such discrimination against older workers is based on mistaken ideas, such as the false belief that older workers are less productive.
In fact, empirical studies have not shown older workers to be less dependable in their job performance, nor are their absenteeism rates higher.
There is also much support for the idea of work life extension; that is, adaptations of retirement rules or employment practices to enable older people to become more productive. In favor of this idea is the fact that three-quarters of employed people over 65 are in white-collar occupations in service industries, which are less physically demanding than agriculture or manufacturing jobs. As a result, it is sometimes argued, older people can remain in productive jobs now longer than in the past. In addition, some analysts point to declining numbers of young people entering the workforce, thus anticipating a labor shortage later. That development, if it occurred, might stimulate a need for older workers and a reversal of the trend toward early retirement.
A:are less productive than younger people. B:prefer working to retiring. C:are reliable workers. D:are less dependable.
(Research shows) that employees (whose) obtain (satisfaction) from their jobs are more (productive).（ ）
A:Research shows B:whose C:satisfaction D:productive
{{B}}第一篇{{/B}}
| ? ? ?Cough is a normal physiologic
reflex(生理反射) mediated by the "cough center" of the brain. The function of this
reflex is to clear airways of inhaled irritants, debris(碎屑), or secretions that
have accumulated as a result of bacterial or viral infection. Cough may also
occur in response to irritation of inflame respiratory epithelium(呼息道上皮), as is
commonly seen with some viral infections. Irritant-initiated cough often has
little effect on clearance of secretions and is called "nonproductive
cough"(咳痰). ? ? ?APPROACHES TO TREATMENT ? ? ?Cough accompanies many different disorders. Suppressing a productive cough(千咳)can interfere with normal defense mechanisms and be potentially harmful. Suppression of nonproductive cough is safer but is not essential. Antitussive(镇咳的) use is justifiable in severe cases in which nonproductive cough is causing emesis, exhaustion, or significant loss of sleep. ? ? ?ANTITUSSIVE AGENTS ? ? ?Three antitussive agents are commonly used: ? ? ?Codeine. Codeine suppresses the cough reflex by acting directly on the medullary(延髓的) cough center of the brain. Its drying effect on the respiratory mucosa can increase the viscosity of bronchial secretions. Antitussive effects of codeine are dose dependent in adults, but complete cough suppression may not be possible at nontoxic doses. Although codeine is the standard against which other antitussive medications are compared, it may be less effective in children than in adults. ? ? The recommended dosage for children is 1mg/kg/day in four divided doses(maximum of 60 mg/day). Antitussive effects are greatest at one to two hours and persist for about four hours. Nausea, vomiting, constipation, and dizziness are the most common side effects. In over doses, toxicity consists primarily of respiratory depression and narcosis. Limited data suggest that single doses of more than 5 mg/kg may be lethal in children. Infants may be more sensitive to codeine’ s effects and may have decreased ability to metabolize the drug, thus, use of codeine in children less than one year old should be discouraged. ? ? Dextromethorphan(美沙芬). Like codeine, dextromethorphan has antitussive activity but a very low addictive potential. In adults, the two drugs are considered equipotent. ? ? Dextromethorphan’s antitussive effect can begin as early as 15 to 30 minutes after a dose is taken, and its duration of action is between three and six hours. Because the drug is metabolized through oxidative pathways, infants metabolize dextromethorphan slowly and are at greater risk of dose-dependent side effects, particularly if given multiple doses. ? ? Dextromethorphan and codeine both act at the same central nervous system(CNS)site. Although CNS depression can be seen with either agent, dextromethorphan has a wider margin of safety. Overdoses of up to 100 times the usual adult dose have not resulted in any fatalities. Treatment of overdose should include supportive measures and use of naloxone(纳洛酮), if respiratory depression occurs. Minor adverse effects (副作用) sometimes seen in nonintoxicated patients include nausea, dizziness, and slight drowsiness. ? ? ?Diphenhydramine(苯海拉明). The antihistamine diphenhydramine has weak anti tussive effects. These effects may often be incomplete, however, and cough suppression may not be achived without side effects. In addition to acting on medullary cough centers, diphenhydramine has peripheral anticholinergic(抗胆碱能的) effects that may contribute to its cough-suppressing action. The anticholinergic effects may also help to dry the respiratory tract and thicken secretions—undesirable effects in patients with productive cough. In adults, 25 to 50 mg of diphenhydramine has produced cough suppression equivalent to that of 15 mg of codeine. Similar data in children are not available. ? ? ?GUIDELINES FOR USE OF ANTITUSSIVES ? ? ?·Remember that cough is a sign of a disorder, and it does not always require an antitussive. If it is caused by another disorder (e. g., foreign body, allergy, or asthma), therapy is more appropriately directed at the underlying cause. ? ? ?·Do not suppress productive cough associated with chronic pulmonary diseases such as cystic fibrosis, asthma, or chronic bronchitis. Concentrate on good fluid intake, to help mobilize pulmonary secretions, and treatment of the underlying disorder. ? ? ?·Remember that suppression of mild cough that commonly accompanies a cold or uncomplicated respiratory tract infection has not been proven to be either safe or harmful. ? ? ?·Teach parents that cough is a protective mechanism—not something to be stopped. Stress that the expectorants, anti-histamines, and decongestants contained in many cough preparations have not been shown to be more effective than an antitussive agent used alone. ? ? ?·Centrally acting cough suppressants are specifically contraindicated in the acute phases of pertussis(百日咳) and acute bronchial asthma because they can contribute to plugging(堵塞) of mucus and lead to clinical deterioration(恶化). |
A:severe nonproductive cough B:acute phases of pertussis C:productive cough D:asthma
A:get Social Security checks B:feel productive C:enjoy themselves D:be religious
Work is a very important part of life in the United States. When the early Protestant immigrants came to this country, they brought the idea that work was the way to God and heaven. This attitude, the Protestant Work Ethic, still influences America today. Work is not only important for economic benefits, the salary, but also for social and psychological needs, the feeling of doing something for the good of the society. Americans spend most of their lives working, being productive. For most Americans, their work defines them: they are what they do. What happens then, when a person can no longer work Almost all Americans stop working at the age of sixty-five or seventy and retire. Because work is such an important part of life in this culture, retirement can be very difficult. Retirees often feel that they are useless and unproductive. Of course, some people are happy to retire; but leaving one’s job, whatever it is, is a difficult change, even for those who look forward to retiring. Many retirees do not know how to use their time or they feel lost without their jobs. Retirements can also bring financial problems. Many people rely on Social Security checks every month. During their working years, employees contribute a certain percentage of their salaries to the government. Each employer also gives a certain percentage to the government. When people retire, they receive this money as income. These checks do not provide enough money to live on, however, because prices are increasing very rapidly. Senior citizens, those over sixty-five, have to have savings in the bank or other retirement plans to make ends meet. The rate of inflation is forcing prices higher each year; Social Security checks alone cannot cover these growing expenses. The government offers some assistance, Medicare(health care)and welfare (general assistance), but many senior citizens have to change their life styles after retirement. They have to spend carefully to be sure that they can afford to buy food, fuel and other necessities.
Of course, many senior citizens are happy with retirement. They have time to spend with their families or enjoy their hobbies. Some continue to work part time, others do volunteer work. Some, like those in the Retired Business Executives Association, even help young people to get started in new business. Many retired citizens also belong to "Golden Age" groups. These organizations plan trips and social events. There are many chances for retirees.
American society is only beginning to be concerned about the special physical and emotional needs of its senior citizens. The government is taking steps to ease the problem of limited income. They are building new housing, offering discounts in stores and museums and on buses, and providing other services such as free courses, food service, and help with housework. Retired citizens are a rapidly growing percentage of the population. This part of the population is very important and we must meet their needs. After all, every citizen will be a senior citizen some day.
When Americans stop work, it’s difficult for them to ______.
A:get Social Security checks B:feel productive C:enjoy themselves D:be religious
您可能感兴趣的题目
