单选题
Older people must be given more chances to learn if they are to contribute to society rather than be a financial burden, according to a new study on population published recently. The current approach which (1) on younger people and on skills for employment is not (2) to meet the challenges of demographic (人口结构的) change, it says. Only 1% of the education budget is (3) spent on the oldest third of the population. The (4) include the fact that most people can expect to spend a third of their lives in (5) , that there are now more people over 59 than under 16 and that 11.3 million people are (6) state pension age. " (7) needs to continue throughout life. Our historic concentration of policy attention and resources (8) young people cannot meet the new (9) ," says the report's author, Professor Stephen McNair. The major (10) of our education budget is spent on people below the age of 25. (11) people are changing their jobs, (12) , partners and lifestyles more often than (13) , they need opportunities to learn at every age. (14) , some people are starting new careers in their 50s and later. People need opportunities to make a" midlife review" to (15) to the later stages of employed life, and to plan for the transition (16) retirement, which may now happen. (17) at any point from 50 to over 90, says McNair. And there should be more money (18) to support people in establishing a (19) of identity and finding constructive (20) for the "third age", the 20 or more years they will spend in healthy retired life.
单选题
A. operates B. focuses C. counts D. depends
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】[解析] 动词辨析。根据首段Older people must be given more chances和下文Only 1% of the education budget is... spent on the oldest... 可知，本句应该是说现在只关注年轻人而老年人受到的关注不够。focus on意为“集中于，聚焦于”，符合语境，故B项为正确答案。depend on意为“依靠，依赖”，count on意为“依靠，指望”，operate on意为“对……实施手术”。
单选题
A. superior B. regular C. essential D. adequate
【正确答案】
D
【答案解析】[解析] 形容词辨析。由空格后的to meet the challenges... 和下旬的Only 1%...可知，本句应该是说，目前只关注年轻人和工作技能的做法是不足以应对人口结构的变化的，D项adequate意为“足够的”，符合语境，为正确答案。superior意为“上级的；优的”，regular意为“有规则的”，essential意为“必不可少的”，均不符合语境。
单选题
A. currently B. barely C. anxiously D. heavily
【答案解析】[解析] 介词辨析。由空格后的state pension age“国家规定的领取养老金的年龄”可知本句大意为“有……老年人已经超过了领取国家养老金的年龄”，由前面的。over 59 than under 16可知答案为A项。
单选题
A. Indentifying B. Learning C. Instructing D. Practicing
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】[解析] 动名词辨析。本文首段首句便点明主题，即应给予老年人more chances to learn,中间两段退一步叙述了社会现状后，本段应该是回归主题，承接上文指出“学习应贯穿人的一生”，故B项为正确答案。identify意为“识别，鉴别”，instruct意为“教导；命令”，practice意为“练习，训练”。