Today people often look forward to their middle age as a time when they will be
able to take things easier. After their children are grown, they expect to enjoy
the life they have worked hard to create. However, the reality is often very
different. In middle age, many people discover that they have two ongoing
responsibilities: one is to look after their aging parents, and the other is to
help their young adult children deal with the pressures of life. Around the
world, there are millions of people who are "sandwiched" in between the older
and the younger generations. Sometimes there may be two or three generations
living in the same household—a situation that is common in many Asian countries
and in some parts of Europe. In other cases, a couple may be taking care of
parents and children, but they do not live with them. There are
two important reasons for the rise of the sandwich generation. First, people are
living longer than they used to. In the early nineteenth century, the average
life expectancy for adults in the United States, for example, was about 40,
whereas today people live to an average age of 75. Therefore, children are
taking care of their parents over a longer period of time. The second reason is
that these days, young adults often live with their parents for a longer time
than they did in the past. This is often for financial reasons. It's also more
common for today's young adults to return home during or after college if they
need financial or emotional support. Young adults feel
sandwiched between their financial responsibilities and their desire to enjoy
life. They may have to cover expenses that their parents cannot. They may have
to manage their parents' financial and legal affairs. They may have to prepare
for their parents' future needs, such as special medical care or a move to a
nursing home. This can be a traumatic (长期困扰的) experience for everyone.
Caring for adult children presents challenges as well, and caregivers
have to resolve important questions: How can financial responsibilities be
shared among members of the household? How can household chores be shared? What
is the best way to ensure everyone's privacy? Successfully coping with these
issues can avoid a lot of stress for the whole family. The
financial and emotional pressures on the sandwich generation can be
overwhelming. However, this time in life also has its rewards. It can be a time
to rediscover the special qualities of one's parents or children. It can also
provide a valuable opportunity to spend more time with them. However, in order
to survive this difficult period in their lives, the members of the sandwich
generation must remember that they also need to pay attention to their own needs
and look after the quality of their own lives. They can't be totally
selfless.
单选题
According to the first paragraph, many people in middle age ______.
A. can't enjoy their life as they have expected
B. are able to take things easier when their children are grown
C. can't enjoy their life because they haven't worked hard enough
单选题
The sandwich generation face the following challenges EXCEPT ______.
A. sharing household chores
B. determining who is the caregiver of the family
C. ensuring everyone's privacy
D. shouldering the financial responsibilities of the household
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】[解析] 根据第四段中的“caregivers have to resolve important questions：How can financial responsibilities be shared among members of the household? How can household chores be shared? What is the best way to ensure everyone's privacy?”可知，只有B(决定谁来照料家庭)不是三明治一代要考虑的问题。
单选题
To survive the difficult period in their lives, the sandwich generation
need to ______.
A. be totally selfless
B. rediscover the merits of their children
C. value the time spent with their parents
D. consider their own well-being
【正确答案】
D
【答案解析】[解析] 最后一段最后两句中的“they also need to pay attention to their own needs and look after the quality of their own lives．They can't be totally selfless．”表明，三明治一代也需要考虑自己的需求和自身的生活质量，不能完全地无私。由此可知，要度过这个艰难的人生阶段，三明治一代需要考虑自身的幸福。