Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.
People are living longer and, in some parts of the world, healthier lives. This represents one of the crowning achievements of the last century, but also a significant challenge. Longer lives must be planned for. Societal aging may affect economic growth and lead to many other issues, including the sustainability of families, the ability of states and communities to provide resources for older citizens, and international relations. The Global Burden of Disease, a study conducted by the World Health Organization, predicts a very large increase in age-related chronic disease in all regions of the world. Dealing with this will be a significant challenge for all countries’ health services.
Population aging is driven by declines in fertility and improvements in health and longevity. In more developed countries, falling fertility beginning in the early 1900’s has resulted in current levels being below the population replacement rate of two live births per woman. Perhaps the most surprising demographic development of the past 20 years has been the pace of fertility decline in many less developed countries. In 2006, for example, the total fertility rate was at or below the replacement rate in 44 less developed countries.
One central issue for policymakers in regard to pension funds is the relationship between the official retirement age and actual retirement age. Over several decades in the latter part of the 20th century, many of the more developed nations lowered the official age at which people become fully entitled to public pension benefits. This was propelled by general economic conditions, changes in welfare philosophy, and private pension trends. Despite the recent trend toward increased workforce participation at older ages, a significant gap between official and actual ages of retirement persists. This trend is emerging in rapidly aging developing countries as well. Many countries already have taken steps towards much-needed reform of their old-age social insurance programs. One common reform has been to raise the age at which workers are eligible for full public pension benefits. Another strategy for bolstering economic security for older people has been to increase the contributions by workers. Other measures to enhance income for older people include new financial instruments for private savings, tax incentives for individual retirement savings, and supplemental occupational pension plans.
As life expectancy increases in most nations, so do the odds of different generations within a family coexisting. In more developed countries, this has manifested itself as the ‘beanpole family,’ a vertical extension of family structure characterized by an increase in the number of living generations within a lineage and a decrease in the number of people within each generation. As mortality rates continue to improve, more people in their 50’s and 60’s will have surviving parents, aunts, and uncles. Consequently, more children will know their grandparents and even their great-grandparents, especially their great-grandmothers. There is no historical precedent for a majority of middle-aged and older adults having living parents.
(Adapted from https://www.ielts-mentor.com)
Which of the following best describes the main purpose of the author in the passage?
Giải bởi Vietjack
Đáp án A
Điều nào sau đây mô tả đúng nhất mục đích chính của tác giả trong đoạn văn?
A. Để trình bày tóm tắt về nguyên nhân và ảnh hưởng của dân số già.
B. Để cung cấp một cái nhìn tổng quan về những hạn chế của dân số già trên thế giới.
C. Để đề xuất một số giải pháp hiệu quả để đối phó với sự gia tăng nhanh chóng của dân số già.
D. Để chứng minh sự đóng góp đáng kể của dân số già cho nền kinh tế thế giới.
=> Đáp án A là chính xác nhấtMark the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the word whose underlined part differs from the other three in pronunciation in each of the following questions.
John admitted ____ a lot of compulsory courses in his higher education curriculum.
One of the main drawbacks of office work is that people can be easily inflicted _________________ back pains.
Mark the letter A, B, C or D to indicate the correct answer to each of the following questions.
____ Internet is offering human beings a wide range of benefits and some drawbacks as well.
In the United States, there has risen a demand that guns ____ from the public.
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the word that differs from the other three in the position of the primary stress in each of the following questions.
Alex dreams of going on tour – he’s just waiting for his big ______________ to get his foot in the door of the music industry.
Urbanization is the triumph of the unnatural over the natural, the grid over the organic.
Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks.
STREET PAPERS
The problem of homelessness is an international one. In the capital cities of the world, the sight of people begging on the streets is becoming increasingly rare. But all over the world, homeless people are taking the future into their own (23) _____________. By selling "street papers" they no longer need to beg for a (24) ____________.
The concept of the street paper is simple. It is sold by homeless and ex-homeless people (25) ________ buy it at a fixed price of 30p and sell it to the public for 70p, keeping 40p for themselves. If they have no money, then they can get the first ten copies on (26) _____________ and pay for them later. Every paper seller receives training and is given a special identity badge.
The paper itself contains articles of general and social interest, film and book reviews, cartoons and the occasional celebrity interview. Advertising and sales provide most of the income, and all profits go (27) ______________ into helping homeless people.Mark the letter A, B, C or D to indicate the word(s) OPPOSITE in meaning to the underlined word(s) in each of the following questions.
The matches went on till as late as 10 p.m. on Saturday and even then the A division final had to be carried over to the next day.
