1 . Mount Hood is the highest mountain in Oregon, a state in the western United States. At 3, 400 meters it is attractive to many people, some of whom, of course, run into trouble. Each year 25 to 50 people have accidents or get lost on Mount Hood and need rescue（营救）. Although most of these are understandable accidents, a few result from careless risk-taking.
In one recent case, three experienced climbers went hiking in the middle of a snowstorm in December. Most hikers climb Mount Hood in May or June when the weather conditions are good. But in December, the mountain is covered in snow and ice. Winds up to 135 kilometers per hour blow the snow around, making it difficult to see. Temperatures can drop below freezing. As one rescue worker put it, "What were they thinking? They were just asking for it. "
During a rescue a few years ago, a helicopter full of rescue workers crashed and the rescue workers were almost killed. Linda Carle, who lives in the Mount Hood area, asks, If someone made a muddled decision, why should rescue teams have to risk their lives to save them? Why do people take unnecessary risks and do things that aren't right if they know that they can get into trouble? "
Most of the Mount Hood rescue workers are either volunteers or part of the local police department There is no charge for these rescues. It is the taxpayers who pay the bill. Linda Carle suggests that people who take careless risks and need rescue should ay for the rescue. She fees it is only fir that costs for things like damaged helicopters and medical care for rescuers should be paid for by the people who take the risks. What would you do if you were the local police officer at Mount Hood?
1. What can we learn about Mount Hood?| A．It lies in the west of the United States. |
| B．It is the highest mountain in the United States. |
| C．The best time to climb the mountain is from May to July. |
| D．Hundreds of people get lot in the mountain every year. |
| A．poor | B．important | C．wise | D．clear |
| A．Taxpayers | B．Risk takers | C．Government | D．Police |
| A．Advice on stopping people from climbing Mount Hood. |
| B．Other serious accidents in Mount Hood. |
| C．The requirements of becoming a volunteer. |
| D．Some possible ways to solve the problem of rescue costs. |
2 . While retiring ahead of time may be easier on the body, a new set of research has found that it may not be so beneficial to the mind. The study, carried out at Binghamton University, finds that an early retirement can speed up the usual rate of cognitive (认知的)decrease among the elderly.
The research team studied China's new rural pension (退休金)system, as well as China's most recent Retirement Longitudinal Survey ( CHARLS), in order to look into the effects of early retirement and pension benefits on individual cognition among adults over the age of 60. After going over all of the data, the research team noted a clear direction: people receiving pension benefits were experiencing much more rapid mental decline (智力下降)than those still on the workforce. Surprisingly, women seemed to experience even sharper mental decline after retiring early. Overall, the results support the view that decreased mental activity speeds up cognitive decline.
Nikolov, the lead researcher, had actually carried out former studies that found retirement led to a number of physical health benefits for retirees, such as improved sleep patterns, less stress, and reduced alcohol consumption. However, retirement also usually goes with a decline in social activities and less communication with people, which has also been linked to cognitive decline.
“For cognition among the elderly, it looks like the bad effect on social connection is more than the good effect of the program on fitness and sleep,” Nikolov says. “ Or social connection may simply be the single most powerful factor for cognitive performance in old age.”
The research team are hopeful that their findings will be considered by older adults when thinking about retirement, but perhaps more importantly, they hope that policy makers in developing countries take note while drawing up new pension plans. They suggest building social get-togethers and work shops for recent retirees to help cut down the decline in social communication and creative thinking that often comes along with retirement.
1. Which of the following best describes retiring ahead of time for the mind?| A．Useless. | B．Beneficial. | C．Damaging. | D．Improving. |
| A．Men retiring on former plan. | B．Women over the age of 60. |
| C．Men retiring ahead of time. | D．Women retiring early. |
| A．Shorter sleep time. | B．Fewer social activities. |
| C．More financial stress. | D．Less time with family members. |
| A．The government should make new policy. |
| B．People should build more shops for the elderly. |
| C．The retirement in developing countries should be common. |
| D．The newly retired people should communicate more. |
