Question

Read the passage carefully．Then answer the questions or complete the statements in the fewest possible words.
Most people look forward to retirement as a time when they can finally take up activities that they never had the time or energy to pursue before．But some recent studies on people in their golden years are disturbing: they suggest that retirees are more likely to suffer from depression and possibly higher rates of other diseases such as heart disease and high blood pressure．That’s why a new study of French workers is welcome news.
Led by Hugo Westland, a professor of psychology at Stockholm University, the study of more than 14,000 workers found lower rates of depression and fatigue (疲劳) in people after they got tired while they were still employed.
The scientists followed the employees of the French national gas and electric company for 14 years．They found in the year immediately after retirement, the volunteers reported 40% fewer depressive symptoms than they had in the year before their retirement．The researchers also found an 81% drop in reports of both mental and physical fatigue over the same time period.
Clearly, said Westerlund, much of these decrease in physical and mental fatigue can be traced back to relief from the stresses of work．The decline in depressive symptoms suggests that retirement may be having a positive mental effect, too, which may have a lot to do with the generous pensions (养老金) that French workers enjoy．Most retirees in that country still benefit from about 80% of their yearly salaries.
“The economic or financial situation in retirement is very important,” Westerlund says．“We don’t know if the decrease in fatigue and depressive symptoms is because of the removal of something bad while in work or the addition of something good while in retirement．But no matter the reason, if life in retirement is not comfortable, then we won’t see the improvements we did.”
However, in European nations like France, governments are considering changes to pension plans, which may affect retirees’ health after they leave their jobs－with less of a financial safety net, workers may no longer seem so mentally and physically happy to be out of work．   
(Note: Answer the questions or complete the statements in NO MORE THAN EIGHT WORDS.)
小题1:According to some recent studies, retired people may have depression and higher rates of other diseases like __________.
小题2:Westerlund’s group found that in the year just after the retirement most retired French workers felt much less tired both __________.
小题3:What does the word “improvements” in paragraph 5 refer to?
小题4:Retirement may make people happier with __________.

Answer 1

小题1:heart disease and high blood pressure
小题2:mentally and physically
小题3:The decrease in fatigue and depressive symptoms.
小题4:more of a financial safety net

1. 根据they suggest that retirees are more likely to suffer from depression and possibly higher rates of other diseases such as heart disease and high blood pressure可得出答案，such as就相当于ike比如，故为heart disease and high blood pressure（心脏病和高血压）。
2. 根据The researchers also found an 81% drop in reports of both mental and physical fatigue over the same time period可知法国人在精神和身体的疲劳上都有很大的下降，故用副词形式mentally and physically。
3. improvement原来指的是提高改善，此题要结合上文来答。根据We don’t know if the decrease in fatigue and depressive symptoms is because of ….可知此处指的就是上文提到的疲劳和抑郁症状的减少，故为：The decrease in fatigue and depressive symptoms。
4. 根据文章最后一段可知，如果一些像法国那样的欧洲国家政府决定改变养老金计划，削减退休人员的养老金的话，就会造成以下后果：with less of a financial safety net, workers may no longer seem so mentally and physically happy to be out of work. 即退休工人在减少财政安全感的情况下，可能在退休没有工作后再也不会身心愉悦了。也就意味着，只有带着more of a financial safety net，退休才可能让人更加幸福。本题答题的关键在于读懂最后一段，并进行逆向思维，将原文中的less改成more。