单选题{{B}}Passage 3{{/B}} The early retirement of experienced workers is seriously harming the U. S. economy, according to a new report from the Hudson Institute, a public policy research organization. Currently, many older experienced workers retire at an early age. According to the recently issued statistics, 79 percent of qualified workers begin collecting retirement benefits at age 62; if that trend continues, there will be a labor shortage that will hinder the economic growth in the twenty-first century. Older Americans constitute an increasing proportion of the population, according to the U. S. Census Bureau, and the population of those over age 65 will grow by 60% between 2001 and 2020. During the same period, the group aged 18 to 44 will increase by only 4%. Keeping older skilled workers employed, even part time, would increase U. S. economic output and strengthen the tax base; but without significant policy reforms, massive early retirement among baby boomers seems more likely. Retirement at age 62 is an economically rational decision today. Social Security and Medicaid earnings limits and tax penalties subject our most experienced workers to marginal tax rates as high as 67%. Social Security formulas encourage early retirement. Although incomes usually rise with additional years of work, any pay increases after the 35-year mark result in higher social Security taxes but only small increases in benefits. Hudson Institute researchers believe that federal tax and benefit policies are at fault and reforms are urgently needed, but they disagree with the popular proposal that much older Americans will have to work because Social Security will not support them and that baby boomers are not saving enough for retirement. According to the increase in 401(k) and Keogh retirement plans, the ongoing stock market on Wall Street, and the likelihood of large inheritances, there is evidence that baby boomers will reach age 65 with greater financial assets than previous generations. The Hudson Institute advocates reforming government policies that now discourage work and savings, especially for older workers. Among the report' s recommendations. Tax half of all Social Security benefits, regardless of other income; provide 8% larger benefits for each year beyond 65; and permit workers nearing retirement to negotiate compensation packages that may include a lower salary but with greater healthcare benefits. However, it may take real and fruitful planning to find the right solution to the early retirement of older experienced workers; any measures taken must be allowed to prolong the serviceability of older experienced workers.

单选题What conclusion can be drawn from the essay about the United States during the time of Henry Ford's youth?

单选题She felt a bit ______ in the autumn air so she went in to fetch a coat.

单选题The new Beijing Library is larger than ______ library in China.

单选题Each plant and animal by natural tendency, ______ far more seeds and eggs and seedlings and young, than is necessary to maintain ______ population.

单选题It is no ______ that his car was seen near the bank at the time of the robbery.

单选题In general, lasers operate by creating an intense amount of light and energy which is then converted into heat and used to control bleeding or destroy diseased tissue.

单选题Tile rivers and streams of the Amazon basin teem with life, and the forest canopy resonates with the cries of birds and monkeys and the whines of insects.

单选题His major task is to integrate the work of various bureaus under the ministry.

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单选题The mood of complacency in the European Union (EU) is driven largely by the recovery in France and Germany and the imminent launch of economic and monetary union. But two (51) recent developments challenge the notion (52) the EU can remain immune from the shocks occurring around emerging markets. The first phenomenon is that the financial (53) are occurring simultaneously and in many instances are mutually reinforcing. Contagion is no longer a (54) ; it is a fact of life. The erosion of market confidence (55) with a second phenomenon: the emergence of a political (56) in Moscow, Tokyo, Washington, and Bonn. The EU and (57) 15 member states have contributed generously through IMF packages and technical aids to strengthen domestic banking supervision in Asia. But (58) the highest level, EU leaders have shown themselves driven by domestic political (59) All the difficult negotiations over EU enlargement, (60) , were put off until after the German election in Sept ember.

单选题Parkinson"s disease, first described in the early 1800s by British physician James Parkinson as "shaking palsy", is among the most prevalent neurological disorders. According to the United Nations, at least four million people worldwide have it; in North America, estimates run from 500,000 to one million, with about 50,000 diagnosed every year. These figures are expected to double by 2040 as the world"s elderly population grows; indeed, Parkinson"s and other neurodegenerative illnesses common in the elderly (such as Alzheimer"s and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) are on their way to overtaking cancer as a leading cause of death. But the disease is not entirely one of the aged: 50 percent of patients acquire it after age 60; the other half are affected before then. Furthermore, better diagnosis has made experts increasingly aware that the disorder can attack those younger than 40. So far researchers and clinicians have found no way to slow, stop or prevent Parkinson"s. Although treatments do exist-including drugs and deep-brain stimulation-these therapies alleviate symptoms, not causes. In recent years, however, several promising developments have occurred. In particular, investigators who study the role proteins play have linked miscreant proteins to genetic underpinnings of the disease. Such findings are feeding optimism that fresh angles of attack can be identified. As its 19th-century name suggests--and as many people know from the educational efforts of prominent Parkinson"s sufferers such as Janet Reno, Muhammad Ali and Michael J. Fox--the disease is characterized by movement disorders. Tremor in the hands, arms and elsewhere, limb rigidity, slowness of movement, and impaired balance and coordination are among the disease"s hallmarks. In addition, some patients have trouble walking, talking, sleeping, urinating and performing sexually. These impairments result from neurons dying. Although the victim cells are many and found throughout the brain, those producing the neurotransmitter dopamine in a region called the substantia nigra are particularly hard-hit. These dopaminergic nerve cells are key components of the basal ganglia, a complex circuit deep within the brain that fine-tunes and co-ordinates movement. Initially the brain can function normally as it loses dopaminergic neurons in the supstantia nigra, even though it cannot replace the dead cells. But when half or more of these specialized cells disappear, the brain can no longer cover for them. The deficit then produces the same effect that losing air traffic control does at a major airport. Delays, false starts, cancellations and, ultimately, chaos pervade as parts of the brain involved in motor control--the thalamus, basal ganglia and cerebral cortex--no longer function as an integrated and orchestrated unit.

单选题In buying a suit, a difference of ten cents in price is Unegligible/U.

单选题New data has______that the damage to the ozone layer is not confined to the southern hemisphere.

单选题There is a ______ difference in meaning, between the words surroundings and environment. A. gentle B. subtle C. feeble D. humble

单选题One of the consequences of advanced cognitive ability has been the emergence of cultural life.

单选题As we have seen, propaganda can appeal to us by arousing our emotions or ______, our attention from the real issues at hand.

单选题Countries within the European Community grant certain commercial ______ to each other. A. advantages B. benefits C. privileges D. subsidies

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