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A serious problem for today's society is who should be responsible for our elderly and how to
improve their lives. It is not only a financial problem but also a question of the system we want for
our society. I would like to suggest several possible solutions to this problem.
First, employers should take the responsibility for their retired employees. To make this possible,
a percentage of profits should be set aside for this purpose. But when a company must take life-long
responsibility for its employees, it may suffer from a commercial disadvantage due to higher employee
costs.
Another way of solving the problem is to return the responsibility to the individual. This means each
person must save during his working years to pay for his years of retirement. This does not seem a very
fair model since some people have enough trouble paying for their daily life without trying to earn extra
to cover their retirement years. This means the government might have to step in to care for the poor.
In addition, the government could take responsibility for the care of the elderly. This could be
financed through government taxes to increase the level of pensions(养老金). Furthermore, some
in-situations should be created for senior citizens, which can help provide a comfortable life for them.
Unfortunately, as the present situation in our country shows, this is not a trulyviableanswer. The
government can seldom afford to care for the elderly, particularly when it is busy trying to care for the
young.
One further solution is that the government or social organizations establish some working places
especially for the elderly where they are independent.
To sum up, all these options(选择) have advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, it is reasonable
to expect that some combination of these options may be needed to provide the care we hope to give
to our elderly generations.

1. According to the passage, how can the government help to improve the lives of retired people?

A. Set aside some profits to help people with problems after they retire.
B. Increase savings levels of people during their working years.
C. Increase the discounts for food and transport for the old.
D. Increase the level of pensions.

2. The underlined word "viable" in the fourth paragraph most probably means "______".

A. impossible
B. practical
C. perfect
D. obvious

3. What is the writer's main purpose in writing this article?

A. To point out the need for government support for old people.
B. To make general readers aware of the problems of retired people.
C. To discuss some possible solutions to an important social problem.
D. To instruct retired people on how they can have a happier life.

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