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  3. In much of the rich world 65 still marks the beginning of old age. Jobs end,

In much of the rich world 65 still marks the beginning of old age. Jobs end,

游客2024-01-24  39
问题    In much of the rich world 65 still marks the beginning of old age. Jobs end, subsidized bus travel begins and people start to be seen as a financial burden rather than an asset to the state. The larger the "65-plus" group becomes, compared with the population of working age, the more policymakers worry about the costs of their health care and pensions. By the end of the century the "old-age dependency ratio" , which tracks this relationship, will triple. Pessimists predict a " silver tsunami" that will bankrupt us all. But does it still make sense to call 65-year-olds " old" ?
   The Oxford English dictionary defines "old" as "having lived for a long time". It illustrates the sense with an accompanying phrase, "the old man lay propped up on cushions" : the old person as one who has made all the useful contributions he can possibly make to society and is now at rest. When pensions were first introduced in Prussia, in the 1880s, this was probably a fair characterisation for anyone over 65. Not many people lived beyond this age; those who did were rarely in good health. But today many 65-year-olds are healthy and active. Donald Trump (71) may be many things, but old he is not, nor for that matter is Vladimir Putin (64) , who qualifies for his bus pass in October. Yet governments and employers still treat 65 as a cliffs edge beyond which people can be regarded as "old" : inactive, and an economic burden.
   This is wrong, for three reasons. First, what "old" means is relative. Today the average 65-year-old German can expect to live another 20 years. So can most people in other rich countries, meaning old age now arguably kicks in later than before. Second, the term carries an underlying implication about health, or at least fitness. But healthy-life expectancy has grown roughly in tandem with life expectancy; for many, 70 really is the new 60. Third, surveys show that the majority of younger over-65-year-olds increasingly want to stay actively involved in their communities and economies. Few want to retire in the literal sense of the word, which implies withdrawing from society as a whole. Many want to continue working but on different terms than before, asking for more flexibility and fewer hours. [br] It can be concluded from the first paragraph that______.
选项 A、the "65-plus" group can enjoy some special welfare
B、the "65-plus" group is the precious treasure of a country
C、pessimists are more likely to go bankrupt
D、the author tends to agree with the view of pessimists
答案 A
解析 推理判断题。第一段提到，在大多数富裕国家，65岁仍标志着老年阶段的开始。人们结束工作，开始领公共汽车乘车补贴出行。由此判断，65岁以上的人可以享受一些特殊福利，故答案为A)。B)“65岁以上的人是国家的宝贵财富”，第一段第二句提到，他们开始被看作是财政负担，而不是国家的财富，故排除；C)“悲观主义者更有可能破产”，第一段倒数第二句提到，悲观主义者预测，一场“银发海啸”将会使我们所有人破产，并未提到悲观主义者自身是否容易破产的问题，故排除；D)“作者倾向于赞同悲观主义者的观点”，第一段末句用but转折提问——依然把65岁的人称作“老人”是否真的合理呢?显然作者并不赞同悲观主义者的观点，故排除。
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