Older people must be given more chances to learn if they are to contribute to society rather than be a financial burden, according to a new study on population published recently.

The current approach which   21   on younger people and on skills for employment is not    22   to meet the challenge of demographic (人口結(jié)構(gòu)的) change, it says. Only 1% of the education budget is currently spent on the oldest of the population.

The    23   include the fact that most people can expect to spend a third of their lives in    24   , that there are now more people over 59 than under 16 and 11.3 million people are over state pension age.“   25   needs to continue throughout life. Our historic concentration of policy attention and resources on young people cannot meet the new   26   ” says the report’s author, Professor Stephen.

The major portion of our education budget is spent on people below the age of 25. When people are changing their jobs, home , partners and lifestyles more often than ever , they need opportunities to learn at every age.      27    , some people are starting new careers in their 50s and later.

People need opportunities to make a “midlife review”to     28     to the later stage of employed life and to plan for the transition (過渡) to retirement, which may now happen   29    at any point from 50 to over 90, says McNair.

And there should be more money   30   to support people in establishing a sense of identity and finding constructive roles for the “ third age”, the 20 or more years they will spend in healthy retired life.

21. A) operates       B) focuses      C) counts     D) depends

22. A) superior       B) regular      C) essential    D) adequate

23. A)regulations     B) obstacles     C) challenges  D) guidelines

24. A)enjoyment     B) retirement     C) stability    D) inability

25. A) Identifying    B) Learning      C) Instructing   D) Practicing

26. A) desires       B) aims                 C) needs       D) intentions

27. A) For example   B) By contras    C) In particular     D) On average

28. A) transform     B) yield          C) adjust      D) suit

29 .A) unfairly      B) unpredictably    C) instantly   D) indirectly

30. A) reliable      B) considerable     C) available   D) feasible