Six weeks before his birthday, Giuseppe Paternò achieved the dream of a lifetime: He got a university degree.
Mr. Paternò's graduation has inspired news coverage around the world, partly because of his age. But he has mainly drawn attention because his life story speaks of commitment, a theme that has encouraged as millions of schoolchildren in Italy and elsewhere faces extraordinary uncertainty during the coronavirus pandemic.
Born in Palermo in 1923, the first of seven children in a “very poor family,” Mr. Paternò began working soon after finishing elementary school. “The family was large, there was only one paycheck, we were under fascism, and times were tough,” he said.
Eventually, he ended up at a publishing house where an enlightened boss persuaded his father to send him back to school for a three-year vocational degree. Mr. Paternò then worked for an insurance agency while he took private classes to become a telegraph operator. He used skills from the operator job when he was drafted into the navy in World War II. The job also opened doors to the State Railways Company, where he worked for more than four decades.
It was only after he retired, in the mid-1980s, that he returned to his books, taking theology courses through the Archdiocese of Palermo after a chance meeting with a philosophy professor who urged him to follow his love.
Mr. Paterno's son, Ninni Paternò, said that the family had not expected all the attention. “It's unbelievable!” the vounger Paternò said of his father. “He achieved his goal, but he didn't mean to be famous in newspapers around the world.”
University officials are hoping that Mr. Paternò will continue his studies on waster's course. But he isn't so sure. “I have to admit that in this moment, I don't know whether I would do it with the same spirit,” he said on Wednesday. Still, Mr. Paternò said he would probably continue anyway.
1 . What's the main reason for the world to report Mr. Paternò's graduation?
A . His experience shows the spirit of commitment.
B . Mr. Paternò achieved his dream at an old age.
C . His graduation ceremony was during the coronavirus pandemic.
D . His achievement is extraordinary.
2 . What does the underline word “this job” in paragraph 4 refer to?
A . Working for an insurance company.
B . Severing in the navy in World War II.
C . A telegraph operator.
D . The job in the State Railway Company.
3 . What can we learn about Mr. Paternò's son's words?
A . The family had not agreed Mr. Paternò's decision.
B . Mr. Paternò didn't want to gain the world's attention.
C . Mr. Paternò suffered a lot to achieve his goal.
D . Mr. Paternò's achievement is not worth mentioning.
4 . What can we learn from the passage?
A . It's never too late to achieve a dream. B . No pains, no gains.
C . Young at heart. D . Practice makes perfect.
1 . A
2 . C
3 . B
4 . A
【分析】
这是一篇记叙文,这篇文章讲述的是一位意大利爷爷 96 岁大学毕业追寻梦想的故事。
1 .
细节理解题。根据第二段中 “But he has mainly drawn attention because his life story speaks of commitment (但他之所以受到关注,主要是因为他的人生故事讲述了承诺) ” 可知,他的事迹被全世界报道的主要原因是他的人生故事体现了承诺精神,故选 A 项。
2 .
词义猜测题。根据原文第四段中 “Mr. Paternò then worked for an insurance agency while he took private classes to become a telegraph operator. He used skills from the operator job when he was drafted into the navy in World War II. (先生。帕特诺随后在一家保险公司工作,同时参加私人课程,成为一名电报员。第二次世界大战时,他应征加入海军时,运用了操作员的技能。) ” 可知, this job 指代的是 the operator job (电报员工作)。故选 C 项。
3 .
细节理解题。根据原文 “He achieved his goal, but he didn't mean to be famous in newspapers around the world (他实现了自己的目标,但他并不想在世界各地的报纸上出名) ” 可知,他并不想受到全世界的关注,故选 B 项。
4 .
推理判断题。这篇文章讲述的是一位老人在 96 岁高龄时大学毕业追寻梦想的故事,他的经历可以说明追逐梦想永远不会晚,故选 A 项。
请认真阅读下列短文,并根据所读内容在文章后表格中的空格里填入一个最恰当的单词。注意:每个空格只填1个单词。
Feeling extreme loneliness can increase an older person’s risk of premature (过早的)death by 14 percent, according to research by John Cacioppo, professor of psychology at the University of Chicago.
Cacioppo and his colleagues’ work shows that the impact of loneliness on premature death is nearly as strong as the impact of disadvantaged socioeconomic status, which they found increases the chances of dying early by 19 percent. A 2010 meta﹣analysis showed that loneliness has twice as much impact on early death as obesity does, he said.
The researchers looked at dramatic differences in the rate of decline in physical and mental health as people aged. Cacioppo and his colleagues have examined the role of satisfying relationships on older people to develop their resilience ([rɪˈzɪliəns] 快速恢复的能力;适应力), the ability to feel better quickly after something unpleasant, and grow from stresses in life.
The consequences for health are dramatic, as feeling isolated or separated from others can disturb sleep, elevate blood pressure, increase morning rises in the stress hormone cortisol ([‘kɔ:tɪsɒl] 皮质醇), change the gene expression in immune cells, increase depression and lower overall subjective well﹣being, Cacioppo pointed out in a talk, “ Rewarding Social Connections Promote Successful Aging.”
Cacioppo, one of the nation’s leading experts on loneliness, said older people can avoid the consequences of loneliness by staying in touch with former co﹣workers, taking part in family traditions, and sharing good times with family and friends ﹣ all of which give older adults a chance to connect with others about whom they care and who care about them.
”Retiring to Florida to live in a warmer climate among strangers isn’t necessarily a good idea if it means you are disconnected from the people who mean much to you,” said Cacioppo. Population changes make understanding the role of loneliness and health all the more important,he explained. “People have to think about how to protect themselves from depression, low subjective well﹣being and early death. “
Although some people are happy to be alone, most people develop from social situations in which they provide mutual support and establish a strong bond. Evolution encourages people to work together to survive and accordingly most people enjoy companionship compared to be alone.
It is not solitude (独处)or physical isolation itself, but rather the subjective sense of isolation that Cacioppo’s work shows to be so destructive. Older people living alone are not necessarily lonely if they remain actively engaged in social life and enjoy the company of those around them. Some aspects of aging, such as blindness and loss of hearing, however, place people at special risk of becoming isolated and lonely, he said.
Passage outline | Supporting details |
The main idea | Chances are that older people will die early if they feel extremely 51.. |
52. with loneliness | • Like disadvantaged socioeconomic status and obesity, loneliness can 53. old men’s premature death. • When 54. from others, one will find physical health impacted and tend to feel depressive and unhappy. |
Suggestions | • Keep in touch with others and take part in 55. activities. • Choosing to live in a pleasant climate don’t necessarily make sense if the elder are disconnected from people who are 56. to them. • Think about how to57. depression, low subjective well﹣being and early death. • Work together with others to 58., to gain mutual support and establish a strong bond. |
Conclusions | • The sense of isolation, rather than solitude or physical isolation itself, isn’t 59.to elders. • Living alone doesn’t mean loneliness if older people live an 60. social life. |