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.
1. According to Hudson Institute researcher, the effect of the early retirement of qualified workers in the U.S. economy is ________.
2. The old experienced workers in America tend to retire early because their prolonged service may ________.
3. The second paragraph is written chiefly to show that ________.
4. When mentioning “the ongoing stock market on Wall Street” the writer ________.
5. Towards the issue, what the writer is most concerned about will be ________.
问题1选项
A.constructive
B.significant
C.inconclusive
D.disadvantageous
问题2选项
A.do harm to younger generations
B.end up with few or no benefits
C.give play to their potentials
D.shed light on social trends
问题3选项
A.there will be an acute labor shortage in the near futures
B.baby-boomers contribute much to the US economic
C.government policies concerning older people are out-dated
D.older workers are enthusiastic about collecting social benefits
问题4选项
A.is calling attention to the privileges to which baby-boomers are entitled
B.is calling for the government to take countermeasures against labor shortage
C.is refuting a notion about experienced workers’ early retirement
D.is justifying the ineffectiveness of federal tax and benefit policies
问题5选项
A.to advocate radically reforming government policies
B.to take into account the benefits upon retirement
C.to put in practice what Hudson researchers believe in
D.to prolong the practicability of older experienced employees
第1题:D
第2题:B
第3题:A
第4题:C
第5题:D
1.【试题答案】D
【试题解析】推理判断题。根据第一段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.(公共政策研究机构哈德逊研究所的一份新报告显示,有经验的工人提前退休正严重损害美国经济。),可知有经验的工人提前退休具有弊端,D选项“不利的”正确。A选项“建设性的”,B选项“意义重大的”和C选项“无定论的”属于无中生有。因此D选项正确。
2.【试题答案】B
【试题解析】推理判断题。根据第三段第一句Retirement at age 62 is an economically rational decision today.(在今天,62岁退休在经济上是一个理性的决定。)和最后一句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.(尽管收入通常会随着工作年限的增加而增加,但35年之后的任何工资增长都会导致社会保障税的增加,而福利只会小幅增加。),可知许多人希望尽早退休的原因是好处不够,B选项“最终得到很少的好处或得不到好处”正确。A选项“对年轻一代有害”和C选项“发挥他们的潜力”:文中没有提到,属于无中生有。D选项“阐明社会趋势”:根据第一段最后一句if that trend continues, there will be a labor shortage that will hinder the economic growth in the twenty-first century.(如果这种趋势继续下去,劳动力短缺将会阻碍21世纪的经济增长。),社会趋势指的是许多有经验的老工人很早就退休了,但这不是他们退休的原因,属于出处错位。因此B选项正确。
3.【试题答案】A
【试题解析】推理判断题。第二段第一句指出人口老龄化会加剧,第二句指出年轻人群的增长很少,第三句建议让年长的技术工人继续就业以维持劳动力数量,如果不改革,劳动力缺乏的情况会更严重,综合可知,A选项“在不久的将来,将会严重劳动力短缺”正确。B选项“婴儿潮一代对美国经济贡献很大”:根据第二段最后一句but without significant policy reforms, massive early retirement among baby boomers seems more likely.(但如果不进行重大政策改革,婴儿潮一代大规模提前退休的可能性似乎更大。),这里没有讲婴儿潮一代对美国经济贡献很大,属于曲解原文。C选项“政府有关老年人的政策已经过时了”:文中没有提到关于老年人的政策,属于无中生有。D选项“年长的工人热衷于将社会福利收入囊中”:文中没有提到,属于无中生有。因此A选项正确。
4.【试题答案】C
【试题解析】推理判断题。文章在第四段第一句提出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(哈德逊研究所的研究人员认为,联邦税收和福利政策是错误的,改革迫在眉睫,但他们不同意一项广受欢迎的提议,即美国老年人必须工作。),可知作者赞同美国老年人必须工作的观点,随后在第四段最后一句提出According to…the ongoing stock market on Wall Street…there is evidence that baby boomers will reach age 65 with greater financial assets than previous generations.(根据华尔街股市的持续上涨……有证据表明,婴儿潮一代将工作到65岁,比前几代人拥有更多的金融资产。),可知华尔街股市持续上涨的例子是为了支持上面美国老年人必须工作的观点,C选项“反驳有经验的工人提前退休的观点”正确。A选项“正在呼吁人们关注婴儿潮一代所享有的特权”:文中没有提到,属于无中生有。B选项“要求政府采取对策解决劳动力短缺问题”:这里没有提到解决劳动力短缺的问题,属于出处错位。D选项“为联邦税收和福利政策的无效辩护”:作者和哈德逊研究所一样认为联邦税收和福利政策是错误,不符合文章内容,属于反向干扰。因此C选项正确。
5.【试题答案】D
【试题解析】推理判断题。文章第一段提出有经验的工人提前退休具有危害,第二段提出需要用政策使他们延长就业,第三段指出他们为什么会提前退休,第四段强调老员工必须工作,第五段阐述了哈德逊研究所对有经验的老员工提前退休的建议后总结必须延长有经验的老员工的工作时间。文章在各个方面阐述为什么需要延长有经验的老员工的工作时间,也给出了建议,D选项“给有经验的老员工延长工作时间的可行性”正确。A选项“主张彻底改革政府政策”:文章只涉及到老员工提前退休的政策,没有提出让政府彻底改革,属于偷换概念。B选项“考虑退休后的福利”:这只是文章的部分内容,属于以偏概全。C选项“将哈德逊研究人员所相信的付诸实践”:作者引用哈德逊研究人员的研究内容只是为了佐证自己的观点,不是想表达的重点,属于曲解原文。因此D选项正确。