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 not (2) to meet the challenges of demographic 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] 考查动词短语辨析。operate on意为“给……做手术，产生作用”：focus on意为“集中于，聚焦在”；count on意为“依靠；对……有信心”；depend on意为“依靠，依赖”。上文提到，一项新的研究指出，应该为老年人提供更多的学习机会，为社会奉献余热。这里接着指出目前的做法是什么。由语境可判断，现行的做法是与新研究冲突的，即目前的教育体系聚焦于年轻人而非老年人，故本题选B．focuses。此处的。focus与第四段our historic concentration of policy中的concentration构成同义复现。
单选题
A. superior B. regular C. essential D. adequate
【正确答案】
D
【答案解析】[解析] 考查形容词辨析。由空后的to meet the challenges...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，选项中的D．adequate意为“足够的，满足需求的”，符合句意，故为答案。superior意为“优越的”，regular意为“有规律的”，essential意为“基本的”，都与句意不符。
单选题
A. currently B. barely C. anxiously D. heavily
【正确答案】
A
【答案解析】[解析] 考查副词辨析。此句意为“只有1%的教育预算花在最老的那三分之一人口身上”，这一句是接着上句讲the current approach的，结合选项可知，本题选A．currently与上句的current属于同义复现。barely意为“贫乏地”，anxiously意为“优虑地，渴望地”，heavily意为“沉重地，吃力地”，均不符合题意。
单选题
A. regulations B. obstacles C. challenges D. guidelines
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】[解析] 考查名词辨析。此段只有一句话，包含3个由that引导的并列的同位语从句，进一步阐述上一段提到的the challenges of demographic change，即老年人比年轻人多的情况。regulation意为“规则，规章”，obstacle意为“障碍”，challenge意为“挑战”，guideline意为“方针”。结合选项可知，此处选C．challenges，属于原词复现。
单选题
A. enjoyment B. retirement C. stability D. inability
【答案解析】[解析] 考查短语搭配。由空后的state pension age(国家规定的领取养老金的年龄)可知本句大意为“有1130万老年人已经______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．over，表示这些老年人已经超龄。其他几项均不符合题意。
单选题
A. Identifying B. Learning C. Instructing D. Practicing
【答案解析】[解析] 考查词语搭配。原句的主语是Our historic concentration，后面的of policy attention and resources是其定语。即“以往集中于年轻人的政策关注和资源分配”，选项中能与concentration构成搭配的只有on，故选D．on。
单选题
A. desires B. realms C. needs D. intentions
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】[解析] 考查名词辨析。此句意为“以前集中于年轻人的政策关注和资源无法满足新的______”，选项中的needs与learning needs to continue throughout life中的needs构成了原词复现，词性不同，词义一样。desire意为“愿望，希望”，realm意为“领域”，intention意为“意图，目的”。原句陈述的是客观需求，并不是主观意愿，所以排除desire和。intention，realm不符合题意，故正确答案为C．needs。
单选题
A. measure B. ratio C. area D. portion
【正确答案】
D
【答案解析】[解析] 考查名词辨析。该句接着上段陈述目前教育预算主要花在年龄在25岁以下的人群身上。此空需填一个含有“份额”之意的名词，the major portion意为“主要份额”，故选D．portion。measure意为“量度，量”，ratio意为“比率，比值”，area意为“区域，领域，面积”，均不符合题意。
单选题
A. When B. Until C. Whether D. Before
【正确答案】
A
【答案解析】[解析] 考查逻辑关系。纵观本句结构，结合选项不难发现本空所在的前半部分是一个状语从句，全句的主句是they need opportunities to learn at every age，对比从句和主句可知二者有因果关系。选项中只有A．When“当……时”可以表示一种条件，与句意相符，故为答案。其他三项均不对。
单选题
A. sense B. conscience C. project D. definition
【正确答案】
A
【答案解析】[解析] 考查固定搭配。sense of identity为固定搭配，意为“自我定位和认同”。空格所在的短语finding constructive ______ for the "third age"(为“第三年龄”找到建设性的______)与之前的establishing a sense of identity(建立认同感)并列，同作介词in的宾语。四个选项中只有“角色”与“认同感”同属一个意群，故选A．sense。