Passage D
Opportunities for rewarding work become fewer for both men and women as they grow older. After age 40, job hunting becomes even more difficult. Many workers stay at jobs they are too old for rather than face possible rejection. Our youth-oriented, throw-away culture sees little value in older people. In writer Lilian Heilman’s words, they have “the wisdom that comes with age that we can’t make use of.”
Unemployment and economic need for work is higher among older women, especially minorities, than among younger white women. A national council reports these findings: Though unemployed longer when seeking work, older women job-hunt harder, hold a job longer with less absenteeism, perform as well or better, are more reliable, and are more willing to learn than men or younger women. Yet many older women earn poor pay and face a future of poverty in their retirement years. When “sexism meets ageism, poverty is no longer on the doorstep; it moves in,” according to Tish Sommers, director of a special study on older women for the National Organization for Women.
Yet a 1981 report on the White House Conference on Aging shows that as a group, older Americans are the “wealthiest, best fed, best housed, healthiest, most self-reliant older population in our history.” This statement is small comfort to those living below the poverty line, but it does explode some of the old traditional beliefs and fears. Opportunities for moving in and up in a large company may shrink but many older people begin successful small businesses, volunteer in satisfying activities, and stay active for many years. They have few role models because in previous generations the life span was much shorter and expectations of life were fewer. They are ploughing new ground.
Employers are beginning to recognize that the mature person can bring a great deal of stability and responsibility to a position. One doesn’t lose ability and experience on the eve of one’s 65th or 70th birthday any more than one grows up instantly at age.
After the age of 40, ________.
根据第一段第二、三句“After age 40, job hunting becomes even more difficult. Many workers stay at jobs they are too old for rather than face possible rejection.”可知，很多人在四十岁之后依然选择守着自己已经不适 合的工作，而不愿去面对可能遭拒的危险换工作。因此答案选B。
From Heilman’s remark, we can see that ________.
根据第一段最后一句In writer Lilian Hellman’s words, they have “the wisdom that comes with age that we can’t make use of.”可知，长者因为自己的人生经验丰富而积累了很多智慧，因此答案选C。
Tish Sommers argues that ________.
根据第二段最后一句When “sexism meets ageism, poverty is no longer on the doorstep—it moves in,” according to Tish Sommers, director of a special study on older women for the National Organization for Women. 可知，当性别歧视和年龄歧视并存时，老年女性面临贫困的风险将会很大，因此答案选A。
According to the third paragraph, it can be seen that older Americans ________.
根据第三段第三句“Opportunities for moving in and up in a large company may shrink but many older people begin successful small businesses, volunteer in satisfying activities, and stay active for many years.”可知， 美国年龄大的人加入大公司并升职的机会可能减少，但是他们中很多人做起了成功的小生意，参加志愿者 活动等，能继续保持活跃好多年。因此答案选C。
It can be concluded from the passage that the writer ________.
全文主旨题。本文分析了老人的智慧和价值及其在社会中发挥着积极作用，最后又说到越来越多的雇 主认识到长者的价值，作者相信长者一定会受到人们的肯定。因此答案选B。