单选题
It is often observed that the aged spend much time thinking and talking about their past lives, (1) about the future. These reminiscences are not simply random or trivial memories, (2) is their purpose merely to make conversation. The old person's recollections of the past help to (3) an identity that is becoming increasingly fragile: (4) any role that brings respect or any goal that might provide (5) to the future, the individual mentions their past as a reminder to listeners, that here was a life (6) living. (7) , the memories form part of a continuing life (8) , in which the old person (9) the events and experiences of the years gone by and (10) on the overall meaning of his or her own almost completed life. As the life cycle (11) to its close, the aged must also learn to accept the reality of their own impending death. (12) this task is made difficult by the fact that death is almost a (13) subject in the United States. The mere discussion of death is often regarded as (14) As adults many of us find the topic frightening and are (15) to think about it—and certainly not to talk about it (16) the presence of someone who is dying. Death has achieved this taboo (17) only in the modern industrial societies. There seems to be an important reason for our reluctance to (18) the idea of death. It is the very fact that death remains (19) our control; it is almost the only one of the natural processes (20) is so.
单选题
[A] better than [B] rather than [C] less than [D] other than
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】此题属于语法题。rather than为并列连词，可以连接形容词、动词、名词、副词、不定式等，其意为“不是这样而是那样”。例如：(1)China's industrialization needs a lot of scientists rather than a few． (2)I prefer to work rather than remain idle．文中此句意思为：老年人愿花时间谈论过去，而不太愿谈及将来，故选项[B]rather than正确。选项[A]better than表示“比…好”；选项[C]less than表示“比…少”；选项[D]other than表示“不同于…，除了…”，例如：(1)The truth is quite other than what you think．(2)We missed the last bus so there was no choice other than to walk home． 全句可译为：人们经常可以看到老年人花大量的时间思考和谈论他们过去的生活，而不是他们的将来。
单选题
[A] so [B] even [C] nor [D] hardly
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】此题属于语法题。本句中前半部分为否定句，选项[C]nor引导否定句且句子倒装。选项[A]so引导肯定句，例如：“I've got an enormous amount of work to do．”“So have I．”；选项[B]even为副词，表示“即使，甚至可以说”，例如：He looked content，even happy．选项[D]hardly表示“几乎不”，例如：He could hardly(Hardly could he)wait to hear the news． 全句可译为：这些回忆不只是随意的或细小的往事追忆，其目的也不仅仅是为了谈话。
【答案解析】此题属于语意搭配题。preserve表示“保留，收藏”，强调使之完好无损或质量不变，例如：We want to preserve the character of the town while improving the facilities．选项[B]conserve表示“保存，保藏，保重”，强调珍惜、节约使用，一般与energy、health、resources等连用，例如：(1)Conserve natural resources． (2)He is conserving his energy for the last twenty-meter dash．选项[C]resume表示“停顿后又重新开始”，例如：He stopped to take a sip of water and then resumed speaking．选项[D]assume表示“假设，夺取”，例如：(1)We can't assume the suspects to be guilty simply because they've decided to remain silent．(2)The terrorists assumed control of the plane and forced it to land in the desert．
单选题
[A] performing [B] playing [C] undertaking [D] lacking
【正确答案】
D
【答案解析】此题属于语意搭配题。从上下文逻辑来看，此处应选lacking(缺乏)与role搭配，意为“缺乏这种角色”。选项[A]performing a role和选项[B]playing a role表示“起作用，承担角色”；选项[C]undertaking表示“承担，担任”，如：undertaking responsibility/a task。
【答案解析】此题属于语意搭配题。orientation表示“方向”，常与介词to/towards搭配，此处需要一个名词与to the future连用，选项[A]orientation正确。选项[B]implication表示“含意，暗示”，例如：The implication of your statement is that I was wrong．选项[C]succession表示“连续，接替”，如：the succession of seasons；选项[D]presentation表示“赠送，递交，提出”，例如：the presentation of the case(关于案情的陈述)。
【答案解析】此题属于语法题。be worth+名词/doing表示“值得”，此处的名词往往是钱数或相当于代价的比喻性名词，例如：It's worth the time and effort we devoted to it.另外，worth后面的动名词总是用主动形式表达被动意义，例如：It is worth considering．选项[B]worth与living连用，符合题意。选项[A] worthy表示“值得”，be worthy of+名词/to do，例如：This novel is worthy to be ranked among the masterpieces of Chinese Literature．/It is worthy of the name．选项[C]worthless表示“无价值的”，与句意不符；选项[D]worthwhile表示“值得的”，作表语或定语，例如：It was a worthwhile attempt even though it failed to achieve its aim． 全句可译为：老年人对过去的回忆有助于延缓他们日趋衰弱的状况：他们不再充当受人尊敬的角色，也再不能给未来确定生活的方向。老年人通过谈论他们的过去来提醒别人——他们的一生没有虚度。
单选题
[A] In a word [B] In brief [C] In addition [D] In particular
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】此题属于语篇连接题。根据上下文意思，此处需填表示递进的短语in addition(另外)。文章前一句讲回忆有助于老年人保留住他们的身份，后一句讲回忆成了老年人生活的一部分，故答案[C]In addition正确。选项[A]In a word表示“总而言之，一句话”，属于总结陈词；选项[B]In brief表示“简言之”；选项[D]In particular表示“特别”，尤其表示“更进一步”，与文章内容不符。
【答案解析】此题属于语意搭配题。life review表示“生活回顾”，符合句意。选项[A]prospect表示“展望，前景”’指事情发生的可能性，例如：With not much prospect of settling the dispute，the talks were halted．(解决争端的可能性不大，会谈暂时中止了)。从文章的上下文来看，前面讲的是回忆，因此不可能回忆“前景”，故选项[A]prospect不符合题意；选项[B]impetus表示“动力，推动力”，例如：the primary impetus behind the economic recovery(促进经济恢复的主要动力)；选项[C]impression表示“印象”，例如： What are your impressions of Hangzhou?
单选题
[A] integrates [B] incorporates [C] includes [D] interacts
【正确答案】
A
【答案解析】此题属于语意搭配题。integrate表示“把…集成，使…完整；综合”，常与介词with、into连用，例如： The aim，said the minister，was to integrate Britain both politically and economically into the European Community．[首相说，(其)目的就是让英国从政治上和经济上融人欧共体。]又如：to integrate theory with practice。根据原文，老年人的生活回顾是指把过去发生的事件和他们的经历综合起来，故选项 [A]integrates正确。选项[B]incorporates表示“合并，结合(成一体)”，例如：(1)This aircraft incorporates several new safety features in addition to the standard ones．(2)Suggestions from the survey have been incorporated into/in the final design．选项[C]includes表示“包含(作为其中的一部分)”，例如： The bid includes tax and service．选项[D]interacts表示“与…交往/沟通”，例如：Modern architects are designing buildings for the future which will Interact with the user．
【答案解析】此题属于语意搭配题。reflect on/upon表示“反省，反思”，例如：The old man reflected on the changes that had taken place since his youth．此处需要一个动词与下文的meaning搭配，因此只有“思考生命的意义”符合逻辑，故选项[C]reflects正确。选项[A]reckons(on)表示“指望，盼望”，例如：I'm reckoning on your continued support．另外，reckon in(把…计算在内)；reckon up(结算，估计)；reckon with (处理，考虑到)，如：reckon with the possibility；选项[B]counts(on)表示“指望”；选项[D]conceives表示“构想出，认为”，相当于imagine或invent，例如：He conceives of society as a jungle where only the fittest survive．本句的宾语是“老年人快结束的一生的意义”，因此不可能是“想像”的，故选项[D]不符合题意。 全句可译为：除此之外，这些记忆形成了持续不断的人生回顾的一部分。在回忆中，老年人把过去韵事件及经历结合在一起，并且反思他(她)即将结束的一生的全部意义。
单选题
[A] keeps [B] draws [C] inclines [D] tends
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】此题属于词语搭配题。draw to a close表示“接近结束”，符合句意，其他选项虽均可搭配to，但语意不符。选项[A]keeps(to)表示“遵守诺言，坚持”，例如：For heaven's sake，let's keep to the point or we'll never reach any decisions．选项[C]inclines(to sth．/to do)表示“倾向于”，例如：I incline to disagree with you on that point．选项[D]tends(to sth．/to do)表示“照料，倾向于”，例如：Plants tend to die in hot weather if you don't water them． 全句可译为：随着生命周期临近结束，老年人必须学会接受他们自己即将面临死亡的现实。
单选题
[A] Therefore [B] And [C] Yet [D] Otherwise
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】此题属于语篇衔接题。从下文看，此句表示语气转折。前一句讲面对即将死亡的现实，下一句讲接受这一现实(面对死亡)并不容易做到，因此选项[C]Yet正确。选项[A]Therefore(因此)，表因果关系；选项[B]And表并列关系；选项[D]Otherwise表示“否则，不然”，与句意不符，例如：Write his new address down，otherwise you will forget it．
【答案解析】此题属于语意搭配题。taboo表示“禁忌，忌讳”，符合句子意思：死亡在美国是一个忌讳的话题。选项 [B]dispute(争端)；选项[C]contempt表示“蔑视”，例如：She made no attempt to conceal her contempt for anyone who was of lower social status．(2)He said that criticism didn't worry him as he held most of his critics in contempt anyway．选项[D]neglect表示“疏忽，不留心”，例如：I'd neglected to tell him that I wouldn't be home that night． 全句可译为：不过，这很难做到。因为在美国，死亡几乎是一个忌讳的话题。
【答案解析】此题属于语意搭配题。indecent表示“不成体统的，不体面的”。根据上下文，上句说死亡是忌讳的话题，因此，谈论死亡会被看作是不成体统的，故选项[B]indecent正确。选项[A]notorious表示“臭名昭著的，声名狼藉的”，例如：The company is notorious for paying its bill late．选项[C]obscure表示“晦涩的；偏僻的，模糊的”，例如：an obscure style of writing/an obscure island。又如：Official policy has changed，for reasons that remain obscure．选项[D]desperate表示“绝望的，拼命的，极度的”，例如：make a desperate attempt(孤注一掷)。 全句句译为：仅仅谈论死亡这个话题就会被认为是不成体统的。
【答案解析】此题属于语意搭配题。reluctant表示“勉强的，不情愿的”，此处句意为：死亡是个令人恐怖的话题，当然人们都不情愿去想它，故选项[D]reluctant正确。其他三选项虽然都可与to do连用，但不符合句意：选项[A]ready(乐意的)；选项[B]willing(愿意的)；选项[C]liable(有…倾向的)，例如：We are all liable to make mistakes．
单选题
[A] at [B] on [C] with [D] in
【正确答案】
D
【答案解析】此题属于词语搭配题。in the presence of表示“当…的面，在…在场的情况下”，例如：She ordered the car in the presence of the sales manager．又如：He is usually quite polite in my presence(when I am there)．选项[A]at，[B]on和选项[C]with均无此意，with great presence意指“气度轩昂”。 全句可译为：作为成年人，我们当中许多人觉得死亡这个话题令人感到恐怖，并且不愿意去想它——当然更不要在垂死的人面前谈论它。
单选题
[A] status [B] circumstance [C] environment [D] priority
【正确答案】
A
【答案解析】此题属于语意搭配题。status表示“地位”，可与前面的动词achieve连用，说明在现代工业社会里，谈论死亡处于人们忌讳的境况。其他选项：选项[B]circumstance指某事，件或动作发生时的“情况”，一般用复数，例如：Under/In such circumstances，we had better send him to hospital immediately．选项[C] environment表示“环境(总称)”，强调环绕着某一特定的人或物，同时往往着重对该人/物的影响，例如：He grew up in an environment of poverty．选项[D]priority表示“优先权”，例如：They insist that the right to live should take priority over all other considerations．(他们坚持认为生存权利应放在其他一切考虑因素之上。) 全句可译为：只有在现代工业社会里，死亡才成为人们忌讳的话题。
【答案解析】此题属于语意搭配题。confront表示“面对困境/人”，例如：When he returned to his office he was confronted by/with a great pile of work．此处指面对死亡，故选项[B]confront正确。选项[A]encounter表示“邂逅，遭遇(危险、麻烦、反对等)”，例如：The army is reported to be encountering considerable resistance in some remote rural areas．(据报道，这支军队在偏远山区遇到了相当激烈的反抗。)选项[C] tolerate表示“容忍”，例如：It seems these ants can tolerate temperatures which would kill other species．选项[D]expose表示“暴露”，常与to连用，例如：It is feared that people living near the power station may have been exposed to radiation．
单选题
[A] under [B] above [C] beyond [D] within
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】此题属于词语搭配题。beyond表示“(指空间)在…那一边”，在借喻中有“超出”之意，偏重于客观事物非本身能力所能达到或完成，例如：The failure arose from circumstances beyond our control．其他类似说法还有beyond one's power/endurance/comprehension，故选项[C]beyond正确。选项[A]under (control)表示“情况正常，处于控制之下”，例如：bring inflation under control选项[B]above强调本身凌驾于一般标准之上，例如：Do you consider yourself above criticism/reproach?(难道你认为谁都不能批评你吗?/你是无可指摘的吗?)选项[D]within通常不与control连用。