王强口语 第二册 Read Text 016

　　口语部分
文化篇
Read the text carefully and be prepared to answer the question:
Old Age Crisis¹
Old people nowadays don't live with their adult children if they can afford some other option.  Those who do live with other family members are usually poor or recent immigrants² who still have old world ideas.
The "problem of old age in America" is a big concern these days.  The sheer³ number of old people in the country, and the way this number will mushroom in the next twenty years, is one part of the problem.  Another part is that, with people living longer in general, you wind up with seniors in their 60's taking care of their even older parents who are in their 80's.  Modern medicine can prolong⁴ people's lives, but there is no guarantee that those lives will be healthy or active.  The majority of medical resources in this country are spent on people who are in their last years of life.  Most Americans die in hospitals under the care of doctors and nurses who spare no expense trying to keep them alive.

1 crisis   

n.危机，危急关头，决定性时刻，关键阶段

参考例句：

• He had proved that he could be relied on in a crisis.他已表明，在紧要关头他是可以信赖的。
• The topic today centers about the crisis in the Middle East.今天课题的中心是中东危机。

2 immigrants   

n.移民( immigrant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Illegal immigrants were given the opportunity to regularize their position. 非法移民得到了使其身份合法化的机会。
• Immigrants from all over the world populate this city. 这个城市里生活着来自世界各地的移民。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 sheer   

adj.绝对的，全然的，峻峭的；v.躲开，躲避，使...避开； adv.完全，全然，峻峭

参考例句：

• He achieved his aim by sheer strength of will.他纯粹靠意志力达到了目的。
• I guess It'sheer waste of time arguing about it.看来争论这件事纯粹是浪费时间。

4 prolong   

vt.延长，拉长，拖延

参考例句：

• He has decided to prolong his visit through the weekend.他已决定把他的访问延长到过完周末。
• People have all along been seeking to prolong life.人们一直在寻求长寿之道。