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  3. In much of the rich world 65 still marks the beginning of old age. Jobs end, subsidized bus travel begins and people start to be

In much of the rich world 65 still marks the beginning of old age. Jobs end, subsidized bus travel begins and people start to be

admin2020-11-04  11
问题    In much of the rich world 65 still marks the beginning of old age. Jobs end, subsidized bus travel begins and people start to be seen as a financial burden rather than an asset to the state. The larger the "65-plus" group becomes, compared with the population of working age, the more policymakers worry about the costs of their health care and pensions. By the end of the century the "old-age dependency ratio" , which tracks this relationship, will triple. Pessimists predict a " silver tsunami" that will bankrupt us all. But does it still make sense to call 65-year-olds " old" ?
   The Oxford English dictionary defines "old" as "having lived for a long time". It illustrates the sense with an accompanying phrase, "the old man lay propped up on cushions" : the old person as one who has made all the useful contributions he can possibly make to society and is now at rest. When pensions were first introduced in Prussia, in the 1880s, this was probably a fair characterisation for anyone over 65. Not many people lived beyond this age; those who did were rarely in good health. But today many 65-year-olds are healthy and active. Donald Trump (71) may be many things, but old he is not, nor for that matter is Vladimir Putin (64) , who qualifies for his bus pass in October. Yet governments and employers still treat 65 as a cliffs edge beyond which people can be regarded as "old" : inactive, and an economic burden.
   This is wrong, for three reasons. First, what "old" means is relative. Today the average 65-year-old German can expect to live another 20 years. So can most people in other rich countries, meaning old age now arguably kicks in later than before. Second, the term carries an underlying implication about health, or at least fitness. But healthy-life expectancy has grown roughly in tandem with life expectancy; for many, 70 really is the new 60. Third, surveys show that the majority of younger over-65-year-olds increasingly want to stay actively involved in their communities and economies. Few want to retire in the literal sense of the word, which implies withdrawing from society as a whole. Many want to continue working but on different terms than before, asking for more flexibility and fewer hours.
How do employers think of 65-year-olds?
选项 A、They may have mobility difficulties in their daily life.
B、They may be unable to express their own ideas very well.
C、They may drag down the enterprises.
D、They may be very experienced in their work.
答案C
解析 推理判断题。定位句提到，政府和雇主仍然将65岁视作悬崖边缘，超过这个界线的人就被视为“老”：无所作为，成为经济负担。由此判断，雇主们认为65岁以上的员工可能会拖企业后腿，故答案为C)。A)“他们在日常生活中可能会行动不便”曲解了inactive的含义，故排除；B)“他们可能不能很好地表达自己的观点”和D)“他们可能在工作中很有经验”文中均未提及，故排除。
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