Passage One
The phrase almost completes itself; midlife crisis. It's the stage in the middle of the journey when people feel youth vanishing, their prospects narrowing and death approaching.
There's only one problem with the cliche (套话). It isn't true.
"In fact, there is almost no hard evidence for midlife crisis other than a few small pilot studies conducted decades ago," Barbara Hagerty writes in her new book, Life Reimagined. The bulk of the research shows that there may be a pause, or a shifting of gears in the 40 s or 50 s, but this shift "can be exciting, rather than terrifying".
Barbara Hagerty looks at some of the features of people who turn midlife into a rebirth. They break routines, because "autopilot is death". They choose purpose over happiness—having a clear sense of purpose even reduces the risk of Alzheimer's disease. They give priority to relationships, as careers often recede (逐渐淡化).
Life Reimagined paints a picture of middle age that is far from gloomy. Midlife seems like the second big phase of decision-making. Your identity has been formed; you've built up your resources; and now you have the chance to take the big risks precisely because your foundation is already secure.
Karl Barth described midlife precisely this way. At middle age, he wrote, "the sowing is behind; now is the time to reap. The run has been taken; now is the time to leap. Preparation has been made; now is the time for the venture of the work itself."
The middle-aged person, Barth continued, can see death in the distance, but moves with a "measured haste" to get big new things done while there is still time.
What Barth wrote decades ago is even truer today. People are healthy and energetic longer. We have presidential candidates running for their first term in office at age 68, 69 and 74. A longer lifespan is changing the narrative structure of life itself. What could have been considered the beginning of a descent is now a potential turning point—the turning point you are most equipped to take full advantage of.
What does the author think of the phrase "midlife crisis"?
推理题。第一段第一句指出，这个 短语几乎可以不假思索地脱口而出：中年危机。由此可推断，人们对于中年危机这个词非常 熟悉，说明作者认为人们普遍接受这个短语，B 项与原文意思相符，故答案为 B。A、C 项原 文均未提及，故排除。原文第二段指出，这个老生常谈的说法只有一个问题，那就是它不是 真的。这句话只是说明作者认为中年危机不是真的，并没有说中年危机歪曲了现实生活，D 项与原文不符，故排除。
How does Barbara Hagerty view midlife?
推理题。第四段第一句指出，Barbara Hagerty 对一些将中年视为重生的人的特点进行了研究，由此可知，Barbara Hagerty 把中年 视为重生。第五段前两句指出，《重新设想生活》描述的中年远不是黯淡无光的。中年看起 来像是第二个重大决策阶段。由此可推断，Barbara Hagerty 把中年看成是一个人生命的新阶 段，B 项与原文意思相符，故答案为 B。第三段第一句指出，“实际上，几乎就没有中年危 机存在的确凿证据，只有几十年前做过的一些规模不大的试点研究，”Barbara Hagerty 在其 新书《重新设想生活》中写道。由此可知，Barbara Hagerty 并不赞成存在中年危机这一说法， A 项与原文不符，故排除。C 项原文未提及，故排除。第四段第三句指出，有明确的目标意 识甚至能降低患上阿兹海默症的风险，D 项与原文不符，故排除。
How is midlife pictured in the book Life Reimagined？
推理题。原文第五段指出，《重新设 想生活》描述的中年远不是黯淡无光的。中年看起来像是第二个重大决策阶段。处于这个阶 段的人个性已经形成，已经积累了一定的资源，并且因为根基已经牢固，现在恰好有了承担 更大风险的机会。由此可知，书中描述的中年是相当美好的，A 项与原文意思相符，故答案 为 A。B 项与原文不符，文中未提到中年是难以忍受的，故排除。C 项与原文不符，文中提 到了中年做出转变，未提及中年经历了根本的转变，故排除。D 项原文未提及，且概括太绝 对，故排除。
According to Karl Barth, midlife is the time___________.
推理题。第六段指出，Karl Barth 描 述的中年也正是这样的。他写道，人到中年，“播种已是过去，现在该收获了；助跑已经完 成，现在该跳跃了；准备已经做好，现在该冒险尝试了。”由此可知，Karl Barth 认为中年是 成熟的时候，一切准备就绪，可以去尝试了，故答案为 B。C 项只表达出了 Karl Barth 所描 述的中年的一部分内容，概括的不全面，故排除。A、D 项与原文不符，故排除。
What does the author say about midlife today?
推理题。最后一段最后一句指出， 本来会被视作开始走下坡路的时期，现在成了一个潜在的转折点——在这一转折点，人们已 经做好准备充分利用这一时期。由此可知，作者认为中年是一个人生命中的关键转折点，故 答案为 D。A 项原文未提及，故排除。B 项与原文不符，最后一段第三句指出，寿命的延长 改变了人生本身的叙事结构，并不是改变人们对生活的叙述，故排除。原文未提到中年对于 寿命较长的人更重要，故排除 C 项。