Question

Very old people do raise moral problems for almost everyone who comes into touch with them.

Their values this can’t be repeated too often are not necessarily our values. Physical comfort, cleanness and order are not necessarily the most important for them. The social services from time to time find themselves faced with a flat with going bad food covered with dust on the table, and an old person lying alone on bed, taking no notice of anything. Is it doing harm to personal freedom to insist that they go to live with some of their relatives so that they might be taken better care of? Some social workers are the ones who clean up the dust, thinking we are in danger of carrying this idea of personal freedom to the point where serious risks are being taken with the health and safety of the old.

Indeed, the old can be easily hurt or harmed. The body is like a car; it needs more care as it gets older. You can carry this comparison right through to the provision of spare parts. Never forget that such operations are painful experiences, however good the results. At what point should you stop treating the old body? Is it right to try to push off death by using drugs to excite the forgetful old mind and to activate the old body, knowing that there is little hope? You cannot ask doctors or scientists to decide, because so long as they can see the technical opportunities, they will feel sure to have a try on the belief that while there’s life, there’s hope.

When you talk to the old people, however, you are forced to the conclusion that whether age is happy or unpleasant depends less on money or on health than it does on your ability to have fun.

 

41. Some social workers think that ____________.

    A. one should not take risks of dealing with old people

    B. old people should have the idea of cleaning their rooms

    C. personal freedom is more important than health and safety

    D. health and safety are more important than personal freedom

42. The word “it” in the last paragraph refers to ___________.

    A. whether age is happy or unpleasant             B. the conclusion you have come to    

    C. one’s money or one’s health                       D. your talk to the old people

43. The author thinks that __________.

    A. the opinion that we should try every means possible to save old people is doubtful

    B. medical decisions for the old people should be left to the doctors

    C. old people can enjoy a happy life only if they are very rich

    D. it is always right to treat old people and push off death

Answer 1

41-43 DAA