2020年12月全国大学英语四级口语考试真题及原文

2020年12月全国大学英语四级口语考试真题及原文[A]Younggraduatesareindebt,outofworkandontheirparents'couches.Peopleintheir30sand40scan'taffordtobuyhomesorhavechildren.Retireesareearningnear-zerointerestontheirsavings.[B]Inthecurrentlistless(缺乏活力的)economy,everygenerationhasaclaimtohavingbeenmostinjured.ButtheLaborDepartment'slatestjobssnapshotandotherrecentdatareportspresentastrongcaseforcrowningbabyboomers(二战后生育高峰期出生的人)asthegreatestvictimsoftherecessionanditsdreadfulconsequences.[C]TheseAmericansintheir50sandearly60s—thosenearretirementagewhodonotyethaveaccesstoMedicareandSocialSecurity—havelostthemostearningspowerofanyagegroup,withtheirhouseholdincomes10percentbelowwhattheymadewhentherecoverybeganthreeyearsago,accordingtoSentierResearch,adataanalysiscompany.Theirretirementsavingsandhomevaluesfellsharplyattheworstpossibletime：justbeforetheyneededtocashout.Theyaresupportingbothagedparentsandunemployedyoung-adultchildren,earningthemtheunluckynickname"GenerationSqueeze."[D]Newresearchsuggeststhattheymaydiesooner,becausetheirhealth,incomesecurityandmentalwell-beingwerebattered(重创)byrecessionatacrucialtimeintheirlives.ArecentstudybyeconomistsatWellesleyCollegefoundthatpeoplewholosttheirjobsinthefewyearsbeforebecomingqualifiedforSocialSecuritylostuptothreeyearsfromtheirlifeexpectancy(预期寿命),largelybecausetheynolongerhadaccesstoaffordablehealthcare.[E]UnemploymentratesforAmericansnearingretirementarefarlowerthanthoseforyoungpeople,whoarerecentlyoutofschool,withfewerskillsandashorterworkhistory.Butonceoutofajob,olderworkershaveamuchhardertimefindinganotherone.Overthelastyear,theaveragedurationofunemploymentforolderpeoplewas53weeks,comparedwith19weeksforteenagers,accordingtotheLaborDepartment'sjobsreportreleasedonFriday.[F]Thelengthyprocessispartlybecauseolderworkersaremorelikelytohavebeenlaidofffromindustriesthataredownsizing,likemanufacturing.Comparedwiththerestofthepopulation,olderpeoplearealsomorelikelytoowntheirownhomesandbelessmobilethanrenters,whocanmovetonewjobmarkets.[G]Olderworkersaremorelikelytohaveadisabilityofsomesort,perhapslimitingtherangeofjobsthatofferrealisticchoices.Theymayalsobelessinclined,atleastinitially,totakejobsthatpayfarlessthantheiroldpositions.[H]Displacedboomersalsobelievetheyarevictimsofagediscrimination,becauseemployerscaneasilyfindayoung,energeticworkerwhowillacceptlowerpayandwhocanpotentiallystickaroundfordecadesratherthanafewyears.[I]Inasurveybythecenterofolderworkerswhowerelaidoffduringtherecession,justoneinsixhadfoundanotherjob,andhalfofthatgrouphadacceptedpaycuts.Fourteenpercentofthere-employedsaidthepayintheirnewjobwaslessthanhalfwhattheyearnedintheirpreviousjob."Ijustsaytomyself：'Whyme?WhathaveIdonetodeservethis?'"saidJohnAgati,56,ofNorwalk,Conn.,whoselastfull-timejob,asamerchandisebuyerandproductdeveloper,endedfouryearsagowhenhisemployerwentoutofbusiness.Thatpositionpaid$90,000,andhisrsumlistsstintsatcompanieslikeAmericanExpress,DisneyandUSANetworks.Sincebeinglaidoff,though,hehasworkedaseriesofpart-time,low-wage,temporarypositions,includingsellingshoesatLord&Taylorandmakingsalescallsforalimocompany.[J]Thelastfewyearshavetakenatollnotonlyonhisfamily'sfinances,butalsoonhisfeelingsofself-worth."Youjustgetsad,"Mr.Agatisaid."Iseepeoplegettingupinthemorning,goingouttotheircareersandgoinghome.IjustwishIwasdoingthat.Somepeopledon'tliketheirjobs,ortheyhaveproblemswiththeirjobs,butatleastthey'reworking.IjustwishIwasintheirshoes."Hesaidhecannotaffordtogobacktoschool,asmanyyoungerpeoplewithoutjobshavedone.Evenifhecouldaffordit,economistssayitisunclearwhetherolderworkerslikehimbenefitmuchfrommoreeducation.[K]"Itjustdoesn'tmakesensetoofferretrainingforpeople55andolder,"saidDanielHamermesh,aneconomicsprofessorattheUniversityofTexasinAustin."Discriminationbyage,long-termunemployment,thefactthatthey'renowattheendofthehiringqueue,thelackoftimehorizonjustdoesnotmakeitsensibletoinvestinthem."[L]Manydisplacedolderworkersaretakingthismessagetoheartandleavingthelaborforceentirely.TheshareofolderpeopleapplyingforSocialSecurityearlyspikedduringtherecessionaspeoplesoughtwhateverincometheycouldfind.Thepenaltytheywillpayispermanent,asretireeswhotakebenefitsatage62willreceive30percentlessineachmonth'scheckfortherestoftheirlivesthantheywouldiftheyhadwaiteduntilfullretirementage(66forthosebornafter1942).ThosenotyeteligibleforSocialSecurityareincreasinglyapplyingforanother,comparablekindofincomesupportthatoftengoestopeoplewhoexpectnevertoworkagain：disabilitybenefits.Morethanoneineightpeopleintheirlate50sisnowonsomeformoffederaldisabilityinsuranceprogram,accordingtoMarkDuggan,chairmanofthedepartmentofbusinesseconomicsandpublicpolicyattheUniversityofPennsylvania'sWhartonSchool.TheveryoldestAmericans,ofcourse,werebatteredbysomeoft