单选题 In some countries, societal and familial treatment of the elderly usually reflects a great degree of independence and individualism. Their financial support is often provided by social security or welfare systems which decrease dependence on their family. Additionally, older people may seek their own friends rather than become too emotionally dependent on their children. Senior citizens centers provide a means for peer-group association within one's own age groups. There are problems, however, with growing old, in the United States. Glorification of youth and indifference to the aged have left many older people alienated and alone.
Some families send their older relatives to nursing homes rather than integrate them into the homes of the children or grandchildren. This separation of the elderly from the young has contributed to the isolation of an increasingly large segment of society. On the other hand, there are many older people who choose to live in retirement communities where they have the companionship of other older people and convenience of many recreational and social activities close home.
The treatment of the elderly can be further understood by distinguishing between nuclear and extended family structures. In the United States the nuclear family, which consists of the father, the mother, and the children, is considered "the family". The extended family, common in other cultures, includes grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, nephews, nieces, and children in law. The distinction between the nuclear and extended family is important because it suggests the extent of family ties and obligations. In extended families the children and parents have strong ties and obligations to relatives. It is common in these families to support older family members, to have intensive contact with relatives, and to establish communal housing.
The American nuclear family usually has its own separate residence and is economically independent of other family members. Relatives are still considered "family" but are often outside the basic obligations that people have to their immediate families. When couples many, they are expected to live independently of their parents and become "heads of households" when they have children. It is not unusual in times of financial need for nuclear family members to borrow money from a bank rather than from relatives. Grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins, then, are not directly involved in the same way as they would be in an extended family structure.

单选题 The word "peer-group" (Line 4, Para. 1 ) most probably means a group in which

【正确答案】 D

【答案解析】[题眼] 首段设题
[解析] 语义理解题。从第一段的第二、三句来看，因为有了社会保障与福利体系，老年人要去seek their own friends。而老年中心为这些老年人提供了一种获得peer group association within one's own age groups的机会。由此可见，peer-group指的正是[D]。同时第二段的最后一句说，很多老年人愿意意居住在退休者社区，因为在那里他们能够有其他老年人相伴，更说明上述推断的正确性。居住在一个社区内的老年人相互陪伴，但是否有共同的兴趣，文章未提及，故[A]不正确。选项[B]不正确，因为第一段最后一句指出，尽管老年人和其他老年人一起居住，他们仍然很孤独；文章第一段指出，老人们主要依靠社会保障体系给予的经济支持，因此[C]不正确。

单选题 According to the text, many elderly people in the United States

单选题 The reason why many elderly people choose to live in retirement communities is that

【正确答案】 A

【答案解析】[题眼] 段尾复杂句处设题
[解析] 事实细节题。从文章第二段段尾处可知，很多老年人之所以愿意居住在退休者社区，是因为在那里他们能够有the companionship of other older people，故[A]符合题意。文章第一段指出，很多老年人之所以能够不跟家庭其他成员居住在一起，是因为他们有social security or welfare systems给予经济上的支持，而不是因为他们非常富裕，故[B]错误；[C]在文中未提及；第一段的最后一句指出，美国社会的一个很大问题就是，人们推崇年轻人，淡忘老年人，这使得老年人非常的alienated and alone，故[D]错误。

单选题 An nuclear family usually

【正确答案】 B

【答案解析】[题眼] 复杂句处设题；段首句设题
[解析] 事实细节题。文章第三段指出，区分核心家庭与数代同堂的大家庭非常重要，因为这意味着the extent of family ties and obligations。在大家庭中，父母和孩子同其他亲戚之间have strong ties and obligations。暗含其与核心家庭的比较。题于是关于核心家庭，故[B]符合题意。同时第四段首句又提到核心家庭的独立，更验证了选项[B]的正确。而[C]与此相反，故错误；[A]、[D]文中未提及。