Module 4 A Social Survey-My Neighbourhood

　　閱讀理解提速練——練速度

　　(限時：20分鐘)

　　A

　　Melbourne, Australia

　　Melbourne is a hotspot travel destination, and it's easy to see its beautiful beaches and busy city life.

　　Why it's a great choice: Australia as a whole is considered a safe destination for international travel, and because of that, many solo travelers go there. As an English-speaking country, you won't be faced with any language barriers. Melbourne is easy to get around because you can walk or bike practically anywhere!

　　Thailand

　　Thailand is great for solo travelers — perhaps because it is one of the Buddhist mindsets, which promote equality among the sexes.

　　Why it's a great choice：Thailand is known for its friendly atmosphere, and as a travel hotspot, there are plenty of chances to meet other like-minded travelers. Well known for being very cheap, especially in the north. A good choice if you want to get away on a budget. Thailand has a lot to offer, from the party-central Bangkok to beautiful beaches and tropical (熱帶的) jungle.

　　Hong Kong, China

　　Hong Kong is a great place to relax for solo travelers as it is full of “Zen Moments”， such as beautiful gardens and Tai Chi classes.

　　Why it's a great choice：Hong Kong is regarded as one of the safest cities in the world. If you're not well-traveled, or perhaps a bit tired of things like language barriers, Hong Kong is a great place to start, as it mixes both Eastern and Western at the same time.

　　Bali, Indonesia

　　Bali is a spiritual place with yoga, spas, healthy food and beaches. The combination of friendly people and splendid visual culture has made Bali number one tourist attraction.

　　Why it's so great: you won't be the only solo traveler in Bali. Everyone is known for being extremely friendly and you're sure to meet some amazing characters along the way. As a Hindu island, Bali is the perfect place for a relaxing and spiritual retreat (靜修). The Sacred Monkey Forest in Ubud is fantastic — if you like monkeys, anyway.

　　語篇解讀：本文是一篇說明文。主要介紹了澳大利亞的墨爾本、泰國、中國的香港和印度尼西亞的巴厘島這四個適合獨自旅行的旅游勝地，以及它們值得一去的原因。

　　1．What do the four places have in common according to the text?

　　A．They're cheap to travel around.

　　B．They're great for solo travelers.

　　C．They offer good spas and yoga.

　　D．There're no language barriers.

　　解析：選B　細節理解題。通讀全文可知，每個景點的介紹中都提及了 solo traveler(s), 因此選B。

　　2．Where can you enjoy both convenient transport and beautiful beaches?

　　A．Melbourne, Australia.

　　B．Thailand.

　　C．Hong Kong, China.

　　D．Bali, Indonesia.

　　解析：選A　細節理解題。根據 Melbourne, Australia 部分第一段的“its beautiful beaches and busy city life”以及第二段中的“Melbourne is easy to get around because you can walk or bike practically anywhere！”可知，在澳大利亞的墨爾本你可以享受到便利的交通和美麗的沙灘。

　　3．What has made Bali No. 1 tourist attraction?

　　A．Yoga, spas, healthy food and beaches.

　　B．Friendly people and splendid visual culture.

　　C．Meeting some amazing characters along the way.

　　D．Fantastic monkeys in the Sacred Monkey Forest.

　　解析：選B　細節理解題。根據 Bali, Indonesia 部分第一段的第二句可知，友好的人們與精彩的視覺文化融合使巴厘島成為第一觀光勝地。

　　4．What type of writing is this text?

　　A．A travel journal.

　　B．A business report.

　　C．A travel guide.

　　D．A press advertisement.

　　解析：選C　推理判斷題。文章主要介紹了四個熱點旅游勝地以及它們的特色、優勢，因此應選C “旅游指南”。

　　B

　　(2024·遼寧省實驗中學分校階段性測試)When should people be made to retire? 55? 65? Should there be a compulsory age limit?

　　Many old people work well into their 70s and 80s, running families, countries or corporations. Other people, however, despite being fit and highly talented, are forced to retire in their fifties or even earlier because of the regulations of a company or the nation. This essay will examine whether people should be allowed to continue working as long as they want or whether they should be encouraged to retire at a particular stage.

　　Some people think there are several arguments for allowing older people to continue working as long as they are able. First of all, older employees have a large amount of knowledge and experience which can be lost to a business or organization if they are made to retire. A second point is that older employees are often extremely loyal employees and are more willing to carry out company policies than younger less committed staff. However, a more important point is regarding the attitudes in society to old people. To force someone to resign or retire at 60 indicates that the society does not value the input of these people and that their useful life is over. Age is irrelevant to a working life, surely if older employees are told they cannot work after 60, this is age discrimination. That they become old does not necessarily mean they are going to be sick. Old people could be more aware, experienced and committed than some youngsters.

　　Others, however, think that allowing older people to work indefinitely is not a good policy. Age alone is no guarantee of ability. Old people are only ambitious workaholics who are too selfish and self-centered to believe that a younger person could do better. Actually, many younger employees have more experience or skills than older staff, who may have been stuck in one area or unit for most of their working lives. Having compulsory retirement allows new ideas in an organization. In addition, without age limits, however, many people would continue to work purely because they did not have any other plans or roles. A third point of view is that older people should be rewarded by society for their life's labor by being given generous pensions and the freedom to enjoy their leisure. We now have youngsters who can't find jobs because old people are choosing not to retire. Old people are not retiring because this new generation of “old people” think they will never die due to modern advances in medicine.

　　With many young people unemployed or frustrated in low-level positions, there are often calls to compulsorily retire older workers. However, this can affect the older individual's freedom and right to work and can deprive (剝奪) society of valuable experience and insights. I feel that giving workers more flexibility and choice over their retirement age will benefit society and the individual.

　　語篇解讀：本文為議論文，主要介紹了人們對于國家是否有必要限制退休年齡的看法。

　　5．What is the purpose of this passage?

　　A．To explain the compulsory age limit.

　　B．To discuss the retirement age.

　　C．To examine people's working life.

　　D．To introduce a particular stage.

　　解析：選B　主旨大意題。根據第一段及第二段的最后一句可知本文主要討論的是退休的年齡問題。

　　6．Which of the following is NOT a reason for allowing old people to continue working according to the passage?

　　A．Their contributions should be valued.

　　B．Their experience should be made use of.

　　C．They can help the youngsters.

　　D．They are loyal employees.

　　解析：選C　細節理解題。根據第三段的第五句可知A項正確；根據第三段的第二句可知B項正確；根據第三段的第三句可知D項正確，故應選C。

　　7．It can be inferred in the fourth paragraph that ________.

　　A．the young people have more creative spirits

　　B．modern advances in medicine make old people never die

　　C．pensions and freedom are not given to the old now

　　D．old people believe that a younger person could do better

　　解析：選A　細節理解題。根據第四段的最后一句可知B項不正確； 根據第四段的倒數第三句可知C項不正確；根據第四段的第三句可知D項不正確；根據第四段的第五句可知A項正確。

　　8．The passage is arranged as follows：________.

　　解析：選A　篇章結構題。通讀全文可知本文為“總分總”結構。第一、二段主要是提出話題，第三、四段從正、反兩方面介紹了人們對退休年齡的看法，最后一段對全文進行總結，故A項正確。

　　C

　　Dear Mr. Wolfson，

　　The purpose of this letter is to inform you of one of our citizens who I believe should receive some special recognition for dedicated (敬業的) community service. The person I recommend is Elizabeth Samuelson. I believe you know her in your position as volunteer coordinator (協調員)．

　　I have known Elizabeth for more than 20 years as both a friend and a neighbor. During that time I have seen her work tirelessly on scores of community projects and committees. As far as I know, she has never received any kind of recognition from the community for her work. I believe she should be given some sort of special recognition.

　　Just last year alone, she worked on at least six different community projects including the Park Renewal Project and the Heritage Homes Fund-Raising Banquet. In addition, she is a weekly driver for the Meals-on-Wheels program and she visits patients in the care unit on a regular basis. Whenever a project or committee needs her, she will put herself into the work wholeheartedly. I'm sure that if you check with a few of your staff members who have been there over the years, they will confirm Elizabeth's community service record and probably be able to add many examples to the few I have given here. By the way, Elizabeth has no idea that I am writing this. She is a humble (謙虛的) person, and if she were aware of it, she would not allow me to send it.

　　I thought about writing such a letter about her a number of times in the past but just never took action. Then last week, I noticed in the paper that you sponsor (主辦) an annual dinner at which dozens of awards are given out to people with much less community service than Elizabeth. In fact, I checked with her and she has never even been invited to that annual event!

　　I urge you to correct that omission (疏忽) now and take action to see that Elizabeth is properly recognized for her many years of silent but outstanding service to this community.

　　Sincerely，

　　Linda Sullivan

　　語篇解讀：本文是一篇應用文。作者寫信向Wolfson先生推薦一位多年來默默無聞為社區工作做出杰出貢獻的人。

　　9．Linda is Elizabeth's ________.

　　A．friend and colleague

　　B．neighbor and leader

　　C．neighbor and worker

　　D．friend and neighbor

　　解析：選D　細節理解題。根據第二段第一句可知，作者認識Elizabeth 20多年了，她們既是鄰居又是朋友。故選D。

　　10．From the letter we know that Linda ________ Elizabeth much.

　　A．depends on

　　B．looks down upon

　　C．ignores

　　D．respects

　　解析：選D　細節推斷題。作者在這封信里稱贊了Elizabeth為社區工作不求名利、默默奉獻并且很謙虛，希望Wolfson先生認可并表彰Elizabeth；由此可推知，她很尊敬Elizabeth。故選D。

　　11．According to the letter, Elizabeth ________.

　　A．wants to be asked to take part in the annual event

　　B．contributes much to the community

　　C．has been invited to the annual dinner

　　D．has been given a lot of honors

　　解析：選B　細節理解題。通過作者的介紹可知，Elizabeth在社區兢兢業業工作了20多年，為社區工作做出了貢獻，但她卻從未受到過表彰，也未被邀請參加社區年會。故選B。

　　12．What can we learn about Mr.Wolfson from the letter?

　　A．He knows Linda quite well.

　　B．He is a careless person.

　　C．He tries something to reward those who have done much community service.

　　D．He tries his best to find Elizabeth and do something to reward her.

　　解析：選C　細節推斷題。根據第四段第二句中的“Then last week ... given out to people”可知，Wolfson先生將舉辦年會獎勵那些為社區工作做出貢獻的人。故選C。

　　Module 4 A Social Survey-My Neighbourhood

　　閱讀理解提速練——練速度

　　(限時：20分鐘)

　　A

　　Melbourne, Australia

　　Melbourne is a hotspot travel destination, and it's easy to see its beautiful beaches and busy city life.

　　Why it's a great choice: Australia as a whole is considered a safe destination for international travel, and because of that, many solo travelers go there. As an English-speaking country, you won't be faced with any language barriers. Melbourne is easy to get around because you can walk or bike practically anywhere!

　　Thailand

　　Thailand is great for solo travelers — perhaps because it is one of the Buddhist mindsets, which promote equality among the sexes.

　　Why it's a great choice：Thailand is known for its friendly atmosphere, and as a travel hotspot, there are plenty of chances to meet other like-minded travelers. Well known for being very cheap, especially in the north. A good choice if you want to get away on a budget. Thailand has a lot to offer, from the party-central Bangkok to beautiful beaches and tropical (熱帶的) jungle.

　　Hong Kong, China

　　Hong Kong is a great place to relax for solo travelers as it is full of “Zen Moments”， such as beautiful gardens and Tai Chi classes.

　　Why it's a great choice：Hong Kong is regarded as one of the safest cities in the world. If you're not well-traveled, or perhaps a bit tired of things like language barriers, Hong Kong is a great place to start, as it mixes both Eastern and Western at the same time.

　　Bali, Indonesia

　　Bali is a spiritual place with yoga, spas, healthy food and beaches. The combination of friendly people and splendid visual culture has made Bali number one tourist attraction.

　　Why it's so great: you won't be the only solo traveler in Bali. Everyone is known for being extremely friendly and you're sure to meet some amazing characters along the way. As a Hindu island, Bali is the perfect place for a relaxing and spiritual retreat (靜修). The Sacred Monkey Forest in Ubud is fantastic — if you like monkeys, anyway.

　　語篇解讀：本文是一篇說明文。主要介紹了澳大利亞的墨爾本、泰國、中國的香港和印度尼西亞的巴厘島這四個適合獨自旅行的旅游勝地，以及它們值得一去的原因。

　　1．What do the four places have in common according to the text?

　　A．They're cheap to travel around.

　　B．They're great for solo travelers.

　　C．They offer good spas and yoga.

　　D．There're no language barriers.

　　解析：選B　細節理解題。通讀全文可知，每個景點的介紹中都提及了 solo traveler(s), 因此選B。

　　2．Where can you enjoy both convenient transport and beautiful beaches?

　　A．Melbourne, Australia.

　　B．Thailand.

　　C．Hong Kong, China.

　　D．Bali, Indonesia.

　　解析：選A　細節理解題。根據 Melbourne, Australia 部分第一段的“its beautiful beaches and busy city life”以及第二段中的“Melbourne is easy to get around because you can walk or bike practically anywhere！”可知，在澳大利亞的墨爾本你可以享受到便利的交通和美麗的沙灘。

　　3．What has made Bali No. 1 tourist attraction?

　　A．Yoga, spas, healthy food and beaches.

　　B．Friendly people and splendid visual culture.

　　C．Meeting some amazing characters along the way.

　　D．Fantastic monkeys in the Sacred Monkey Forest.

　　解析：選B　細節理解題。根據 Bali, Indonesia 部分第一段的第二句可知，友好的人們與精彩的視覺文化融合使巴厘島成為第一觀光勝地。

　　4．What type of writing is this text?

　　A．A travel journal.

　　B．A business report.

　　C．A travel guide.

　　D．A press advertisement.

　　解析：選C　推理判斷題。文章主要介紹了四個熱點旅游勝地以及它們的特色、優勢，因此應選C “旅游指南”。

　　B

　　(2024·遼寧省實驗中學分校階段性測試)When should people be made to retire? 55? 65? Should there be a compulsory age limit?

　　Many old people work well into their 70s and 80s, running families, countries or corporations. Other people, however, despite being fit and highly talented, are forced to retire in their fifties or even earlier because of the regulations of a company or the nation. This essay will examine whether people should be allowed to continue working as long as they want or whether they should be encouraged to retire at a particular stage.

　　Some people think there are several arguments for allowing older people to continue working as long as they are able. First of all, older employees have a large amount of knowledge and experience which can be lost to a business or organization if they are made to retire. A second point is that older employees are often extremely loyal employees and are more willing to carry out company policies than younger less committed staff. However, a more important point is regarding the attitudes in society to old people. To force someone to resign or retire at 60 indicates that the society does not value the input of these people and that their useful life is over. Age is irrelevant to a working life, surely if older employees are told they cannot work after 60, this is age discrimination. That they become old does not necessarily mean they are going to be sick. Old people could be more aware, experienced and committed than some youngsters.

　　Others, however, think that allowing older people to work indefinitely is not a good policy. Age alone is no guarantee of ability. Old people are only ambitious workaholics who are too selfish and self-centered to believe that a younger person could do better. Actually, many younger employees have more experience or skills than older staff, who may have been stuck in one area or unit for most of their working lives. Having compulsory retirement allows new ideas in an organization. In addition, without age limits, however, many people would continue to work purely because they did not have any other plans or roles. A third point of view is that older people should be rewarded by society for their life's labor by being given generous pensions and the freedom to enjoy their leisure. We now have youngsters who can't find jobs because old people are choosing not to retire. Old people are not retiring because this new generation of “old people” think they will never die due to modern advances in medicine.

　　With many young people unemployed or frustrated in low-level positions, there are often calls to compulsorily retire older workers. However, this can affect the older individual's freedom and right to work and can deprive (剝奪) society of valuable experience and insights. I feel that giving workers more flexibility and choice over their retirement age will benefit society and the individual.

　　語篇解讀：本文為議論文，主要介紹了人們對于國家是否有必要限制退休年齡的看法。

　　5．What is the purpose of this passage?

　　A．To explain the compulsory age limit.

　　B．To discuss the retirement age.

　　C．To examine people's working life.

　　D．To introduce a particular stage.

　　解析：選B　主旨大意題。根據第一段及第二段的最后一句可知本文主要討論的是退休的年齡問題。

　　6．Which of the following is NOT a reason for allowing old people to continue working according to the passage?

　　A．Their contributions should be valued.

　　B．Their experience should be made use of.

　　C．They can help the youngsters.

　　D．They are loyal employees.

　　解析：選C　細節理解題。根據第三段的第五句可知A項正確；根據第三段的第二句可知B項正確；根據第三段的第三句可知D項正確，故應選C。

　　7．It can be inferred in the fourth paragraph that ________.

　　A．the young people have more creative spirits

　　B．modern advances in medicine make old people never die

　　C．pensions and freedom are not given to the old now

　　D．old people believe that a younger person could do better

　　解析：選A　細節理解題。根據第四段的最后一句可知B項不正確； 根據第四段的倒數第三句可知C項不正確；根據第四段的第三句可知D項不正確；根據第四段的第五句可知A項正確。

　　8．The passage is arranged as follows：________.

　　解析：選A　篇章結構題。通讀全文可知本文為“總分總”結構。第一、二段主要是提出話題，第三、四段從正、反兩方面介紹了人們對退休年齡的看法，最后一段對全文進行總結，故A項正確。

　　C

　　Dear Mr. Wolfson，

　　The purpose of this letter is to inform you of one of our citizens who I believe should receive some special recognition for dedicated (敬業的) community service. The person I recommend is Elizabeth Samuelson. I believe you know her in your position as volunteer coordinator (協調員)．

　　I have known Elizabeth for more than 20 years as both a friend and a neighbor. During that time I have seen her work tirelessly on scores of community projects and committees. As far as I know, she has never received any kind of recognition from the community for her work. I believe she should be given some sort of special recognition.

　　Just last year alone, she worked on at least six different community projects including the Park Renewal Project and the Heritage Homes Fund-Raising Banquet. In addition, she is a weekly driver for the Meals-on-Wheels program and she visits patients in the care unit on a regular basis. Whenever a project or committee needs her, she will put herself into the work wholeheartedly. I'm sure that if you check with a few of your staff members who have been there over the years, they will confirm Elizabeth's community service record and probably be able to add many examples to the few I have given here. By the way, Elizabeth has no idea that I am writing this. She is a humble (謙虛的) person, and if she were aware of it, she would not allow me to send it.

　　I thought about writing such a letter about her a number of times in the past but just never took action. Then last week, I noticed in the paper that you sponsor (主辦) an annual dinner at which dozens of awards are given out to people with much less community service than Elizabeth. In fact, I checked with her and she has never even been invited to that annual event!

　　I urge you to correct that omission (疏忽) now and take action to see that Elizabeth is properly recognized for her many years of silent but outstanding service to this community.

　　Sincerely，

　　Linda Sullivan

　　語篇解讀：本文是一篇應用文。作者寫信向Wolfson先生推薦一位多年來默默無聞為社區工作做出杰出貢獻的人。

　　9．Linda is Elizabeth's ________.

　　A．friend and colleague

　　B．neighbor and leader

　　C．neighbor and worker

　　D．friend and neighbor

　　解析：選D　細節理解題。根據第二段第一句可知，作者認識Elizabeth 20多年了，她們既是鄰居又是朋友。故選D。

　　10．From the letter we know that Linda ________ Elizabeth much.

　　A．depends on

　　B．looks down upon

　　C．ignores

　　D．respects

　　解析：選D　細節推斷題。作者在這封信里稱贊了Elizabeth為社區工作不求名利、默默奉獻并且很謙虛，希望Wolfson先生認可并表彰Elizabeth；由此可推知，她很尊敬Elizabeth。故選D。

　　11．According to the letter, Elizabeth ________.

　　A．wants to be asked to take part in the annual event

　　B．contributes much to the community

　　C．has been invited to the annual dinner

　　D．has been given a lot of honors

　　解析：選B　細節理解題。通過作者的介紹可知，Elizabeth在社區兢兢業業工作了20多年，為社區工作做出了貢獻，但她卻從未受到過表彰，也未被邀請參加社區年會。故選B。

　　12．What can we learn about Mr.Wolfson from the letter?

　　A．He knows Linda quite well.

　　B．He is a careless person.

　　C．He tries something to reward those who have done much community service.

　　D．He tries his best to find Elizabeth and do something to reward her.

　　解析：選C　細節推斷題。根據第四段第二句中的“Then last week ... given out to people”可知，Wolfson先生將舉辦年會獎勵那些為社區工作做出貢獻的人。故選C。