泸州市高2019级第一次教学质量诊断性考试

英   语

本试卷分为试题卷和答题卡两部分，其中试题卷由第I卷(选择题)和第II卷(非选择题)组成，共10页；答题卡共2页。满分150分，考试时间120分钟。

注意事项：

1.答题前，考生务必在答题卡上将自己的学校、班级、姓名用0.5毫米黑色签字笔填写清楚，同时用2B 铅笔将考号准确填涂在“考号”栏目内。

2.选择题使用2B铅笔填涂在答题卡对应题目标号的位置上，如需改动，用橡皮擦擦干净后再选涂其它答案；非选择题用0.5毫米黑色签字笔书写在答题卡的对应框内，超出答题区域书写的答案无效；在草稿纸、试题卷上答题无效。

3.考试结束后将答题卡收回。

第I卷 (选择题，共100分)

第一部分 听力(共两节，满分30分)

做题时，先将答案标在试卷上。录音内容结束后，你将有两分钟的时间将试题上的答案转涂到答题卡上。

第一节(共5小题；每小题1.5分，满分7.5分)

听下面5段对话。每段对话后有一个小题，从题中所给的A、B、C三个选项中选出最佳选项。听完每段对话后，你都有10秒钟的时间来回答有关小题和阅读下一小题。每段对话仅读一遍。

1. Who usually makes the woman’s coffee？

A. Jane.    B. Paul.C. Rachel.

2. What will the woman do next？

A. Board a train.B. Write a letter.C. Make a phone call.

3. When will the speakers return for the product presentation？

A. At 10:00 am.B. At 10:30 am.C. At 12:15 pm.

4. What does the woman advise the man to do？  

A. Walk through the park.    B. Walk over the bridge.    C. Take the path.

5. Where are the speakers？

A. In the woman’s office.B. On a badminton court.C. At a hospital.

第二节(共15小题；每小题1.5分，满分22.5分)

听下面5段对话或独白。每段对话或独白后有几个小题，从题中所给的A、B、C三个选项中选出最佳选项。听每段对话或独白前，你将有时间阅读各个小题，每小题5秒钟；听完后，各小题将给出5秒钟的作答时间。每段对话或独白读两遍。

听第6段材料，回答第6、7题。

6. What is the probable relationship between the speakers？

A. Family members.   B. Co-workers.   C. Bus driver and passenger.

7. What are the speakers mainly discussing？

A. Ways to travel.B. Transport development.C. Environmental pollution.

听第7段材料，回答第8至10题。

8. What did the speakers plan to do at first？

A. Go skiing at the hill.

B. Eat at an Italian restaurant.

C. Try the hot spring at a holiday village.

9. How was the woman’s work this week？

A. Easy.B. Terrible.C. Busy.

10. What will the man probably do next？

A. Drive back home.B. Make an appointment.   C. Pack his stuff.

听第8段材料，回答第11至13题。

11. What does the man do？

A. An artist.B. A host.C. A tour guide.

12. How many languages does the woman speak？

A. One.B. Two.C. Three.

13. What made the woman decide to do the job？

A. Her love for paintings.

B. The paintings in a gallery.

   C. A stranger’s question about a painting.

听第9段材料，回答第14至16题。

14. How did the man find the beginning of the book？

A. Exciting.    B. Difficult.           C. Strange.

15. What does the woman suggest the man do？

A. Check the Internet.B. Read the book again.C. Ask a teacher for help.

16. What kind of books does the woman prefer？

A. Detective stories.B. Non-fiction.C. Historical novels.

听第10段材料，回答第17至20题。

17. What does the speaker think of caring for elderly people？

A. It’s simple.       B. It’s worthy.         C. It’s boring.

18. Who is the speaker probably talking to？

A. Senior citizens.      B. Poor families.    C. Community members.

19. What does the speaker suggest the listeners do for elderly people？

A. Carry their groceries.B. Repair their houses.    C. Plant some flowers.

20. Which word can best describe most people at care homes？

A. Happy.        B. Lonely.               C. Curious.
第二部分   阅读理解 (共两节，满分40分)

第一节(共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分)

阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D) 中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

A

Travel Peru

Amazon Rainforest Tour

A short flight from Cusco takes you from the Andes into the Amazon rainforest. From there, you’ll spend one day travelling by boat to your accommodation in the middle of the forest. You can then spend three days exploring the rainforest with a local guide and enjoying the plants and animals unique to the rainforest.

Machu Picchu Tour

This four-day walking tour will take you on amazing paths through the Andes Mountains on the way to the city of Machu Picchu. After reaching your destination, you will have a day to explore and be amazed by this ancient city. Especially amazing is the Incas’ dry stone method of building Inca builders cut stones to exact sizes so that nothing was needed to hold walls together other than the perfect fit of the stones.

Cusco Tour

Spend four days enjoying the unique Spanish and local Indian culture high in the Andes at Cusco, the capital of the Inca Empire from the 13th until the 16th century. Stay in a local hotel, visit the museums, admire the architecture, enjoy the excellent local food, and go shopping at the local markets.

Lake Titicaca Tour

Enjoy the beautiful countryside as you spend a day driving along the new highway connecting Cusco to Lake Titicaca. There, a boat will take you to stay with a local Uros family on an island for three days. Both the island and the Uros homes are made of water plants from the lake.

21. What is scheduled on Machu Picchu Tour？

A. Cutting dry stones.            B. Fixing stone walls.

C. Exploring the ancient city.            D. Enjoying unique animals.

22. What seems to make the Uros homes special？

A. Water plants.                       B. Lake Titicaca.  

C. The local island.                    D. The beautiful sight.   

23. What do the four tours have in common？

A. They are in the rainforest.            B. They are on foot.

C. They have a local guide.D. They last four days each.

B

I was scared when a loud noise in my apartment woke me in the middle of the night. I rushed to turn on my bedroom light and discovered it was a cat.

    Here’s the thing — I do not have a cat. And this was not the first time this particular cat had demanded my attention.

    I immediately calmed down and realized my error — I had left a window open. I approached to entertain my houseguest by giving her some treats and scratches under her collar (颈圈).

Like so many others, I shifted from working in an office to working from home. Living alone can be isolating (孤立的) at the best of times. It was around the one-month mark of the lockdown when I heard a meow (猫叫声) outside my window. Sitting outside on the grass was a long-haired, golden-colored cat. I opened the window, and this beautiful cat jumped into my home. Her short visit brightened my day.

    A few days later, I heard a familiar meow. I saw a name tag on her collar: Mika. On this second visit, I also noticed Mika was cross-eyed, which only made her more lovely.

    Over the next few weeks, Mika would stop by occasionally. Sometimes, she only stayed for a few minutes; other times, she would wander around my apartment much longer. Each visit brightened me. Mika even helped me connect with some new neighbors, who asked if Mika was my cat. Apparently, Mika visited them as well.

    While the lockdown has been awful, I suspect I might not have ever met Mika if it had not happened. But perhaps she came by at this time because she sensed a need for connection on my part.

    While dogs are said to be man’s best friend, a good cat can be everyone’s best friend.

24. What do we know about the cat from the first three paragraphs？

A. She used to go out at night.    B. She entered by the window.

C. She annoyed the neighbors badly.D. She liked the author’s treats particularly.

25. How did the author probably feel during the lockdown？

A. Out of place.   B. Out of work.

C. Heart-broken.D. Absent-minded.

26. What does the underlined word “it” in Paragraph 7 refer to？

A. The open window.B. The lockdown.

C. A need for connection.           D. A stay with new neighbors.

27. What does the author want to express with the text？

A. He lives an unusual life.            B. He longs for a harmonious society.

C. Keeping cats is rewarding.D. Befriending nice cats is worthwhile.

C

If you’re someone who looks in the mirror every day and concentrates only on any little flaws (瑕疵) , you’re not alone. For many people, struggling with body image issues is a continuous battle.

How hostile (恶意的) the world is to unattractive girls became a trending topic on Sina Weibo in March. The topic resonated with many girls who shared their personal experiences. One internet user talked about how her friends would often cut her image out of group pictures because they thought she was too fat.

“My nose is not high enough, my chin is short and flat, and my eyes are small,” Tang Yuqi, a college student, told China Youth Daily. She doesn’t even answer the door without putting on makeup first. “I just can’t accept myself if I’m not wearing it,” Tang added.

    What promotes this anxiety among young people？

    As the country’s economy has developed rapidly, people are more likely to be affected by   what others think of them. Greater time spent online also means greater exposure to advertisements promoting “paper-thin waists” or “chopstick legs”. Such unrealistic ideals only further young people’s anxiety and lead to an unhealthy mindset of perfectionism.

    The anxiety over appearance and shape has pushed some people into physical and mental illness. According to Beat, the UK’s leading eating disorder charity, the idealization of thinness is a key factor in worsening the illness and preventing recovery. Some people even go through surgery (手术) just to achieve what they believe society considers “beautiful”.

    But beauty doesn’t come from a makeup brush or a thinner waist. Growing taller and having perfect skin isn’t the solution to insecurity. The fact that every person is different is something to be celebrated.

28. What does the underlined part “resonated with” in Paragraph 2 probably mean？

   A. Hurt.                B. Shocked.

   C. Was understood by.              D. Was changed by.

29. What’s the main cause of young people’s anxiety according to the text？

   A. Beauty contests.                B. Unrealistic perfectionism.

   C. Economic development plans.         D. Health product advertisements.

30. What do some people seem to desire most according to Beat？

   A. Thinness.        B. Health.

   C. Plastic surgery.                     D. Social opinions.

31. What does the author think the real beauty is based on？

A. Growing up safely.                  B. Accepting a difference.

C. A light makeup.   D. A perfect appearance.

D

Priors Court is a school in Berkshire, southern England for children with autism (自闭症). It cares for around 95 young people with more severe signs of autism. Some cannot speak or communicate their needs. The school set up a project aimed at finding a new use for virtual (虚拟的) reality (VR) headsets, to help those autistic children become familiar with alien places and feel safe there. The workers involved in the project at the school are also using high technology to learn more about individual students.

People with autism may find it hard to deal with places and situations they have not experienced before. VR headsets make the wearer feel like they are in a different place. For example, someone wearing a VR headset can have a 360-degree view of a place as they turn around. With video, they can even hear the sounds of the place.

Nuno Guerreiro is a computing teacher at Prior’s Court School. He said: “Our young people, they have difficulties with sensory issues (感知问题) so they can find it overpowering going to very busy places.” Guerreiro added that children with autism find it hard to be in a new place. “They like what is familiar, they like their routine.” The school officials hope the VR experiences will help children feel better about changes from their routine. The charity is also hoping data can help. They are trying a new data collection system. The system, called Prior Insight, puts together information about each young person’s day: what they have eaten, how much sleep and exercise they have had and all their activities.

Project leader Elaine Hudgell said the school hopes to share what it has learned.“We’re hoping to not only increase our knowledge and awareness of the world of young people with autism at Priors Court, but also to be able to, in time, share that with the wider autism world.”

32. What do we know about the children in Priors Court？

A. They dislike talking in public.          B. They feel unsafe at school.

C. They suffer language barriers more or less.   D. They are very strange to VR headsets.

33. What can VR headsets do for autistic children？

   A. Play videos.                                   B. Recreate a new sound.

C. Provide more virtual scenes.                D. Present familiar situations.

34. How does Prior Insight work？

A. By adjusting people’s senses.              B. By changing people’s routine.

C. By arranging various activities.           D. By collecting daily behavior data.

35. Which of the following can be the best title for the project？

   A. Care for Children with Autism

   B. Make Good Use of High Technology

   C. VR Headsets Are Popular with Schools

   D. VR Takes Autistic Children to New Places

第二节(共5小题；每小题2分，满分10分)

根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。

If someone kindly introduces you to someone in their network or connects you with someone they think you should know by email, here are the steps to politely and effectively send your email response.

Respond immediately

Since you are the one being introduced by a colleague, probably because you requested an introduction, then you will be the one to respond first and as soon as possible.   36   . You are letting the sender know you appreciate the introduction, and that you want to set up a meeting with the person you’ve been introduced to.

  37  

If you haven’t already researched the person you are being introduced to, now is the time to do it. It’s also good to see if they’ve posted any updates on social media that may provide insight (洞察力) into what projects they are working on or what they are talking about on social media.   38   .

Say thanks for the introduction

Definitely show your gratitude to the person for their introduction.   39   . The proper manner is to put the sender’s name in the blind carbon copy (bcc) and reply all with your message. Putting their name in the bcc line ensures they receive your response but not future messages from the other person.

Pay attention to your request

When gathering information from the person you’ve been introduced to, be very clear about the information you are looking for. Don’t say you are looking to “pick their brain” or “learn about their career path.”   40   . Instead, specifically state one or two questions you would like the person to answer during your brief meeting with them, not through email.

A. Research before you respond

B. So you can refer to that in your reply

C. Send your response timely with two goals

D. There are many ways to ask your questions

E. These are too broad and may scare the person off

F. It’s polite to express appreciation to senders in person

G. It’s a big deal to take the time to make an introduction for you

第三部分   语言知识运用   (共两节，满分45分)

第一节(共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分)

阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的A、B、C和D四个选项中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。

Passion, like life, is about the journey, not the destination. Kimberly and I have been planning a    

trip to Europe for a year. This was a   41   of ours.

The most exciting part of the journey started with a   42   ride that had some curveballs (不顺利). When we were   43   to get on a train from Zurich to Croatia, we had gotten the departure time wrong and had to rush around the station to   44   the ship. We had a tough time   45   a

taxi to make it.

Once we got onto the ship we   46   it was not like a large hotel with great service. It was tight quarters. The   47   was very small. The shower was a spout (喷头)   48   to the bathroom sink. You turned it on and sprayed (喷洒) yourself,   49   the rest of the room.

    The week-long ship ride was full of   50   . There were people from different   51   speaking different languages. We stopped on islands of all sizes for fun. Then there were high winds — so high that the buses couldn’t run because they might   52   . So we took an expensive taxi, and headed

back to   53   our flight home.

While we loved the more   54   parts of the trip, our real passion was in the unexpected —

the missed rides, the   55   ship, the mixture of cultures, and even the   56   .

Sometimes people are so   57   that it scares them to do something different. Yet when they

do   58   their comfort zone, the different experiences that they once thought were   59   are

what stand out. Mixing things up, trying new things, seeing something through another person’s

eyes, being open to adventure — this is how you create   60   .

41. A. topicB. goalC. game    D. tip

42. A. busB. shipC. trainD. taxi

43. A. returningB. stoppingC. tryingD. agreeing

44. A. catch        B. searchC. avoidD. equip

45. A. approaching    B. finding C. choosingD. offering

46. A. promisedB. explainedC. realized D. remembered

47. A. hotelB. bathroomC. spoutD. sink

48. A. pointingB. flowingC. suitedD. connected

49. A. along with      B. next to            C. apart from         D. but for

50. A. complaintsB. chancesC. conflicts   D. adventures

51. A. nationalities     B. guidesC. careers            D. aspects

52. A. blow overB. float upC. slow downD. break up

53. A. makeB. informC. delay    D. cancel

54. A. adventurous B. challengingC. beneficialD. predictable

55. A. modernB. largeC. crowdedD. empty

56. A. flightsB. islandsC. languagesD. winds

57. A. relaxedB. comfortable   C. disappointedD. negative

58. A. take control ofB. get close toC. get out of D. come up with

59. A. meaningfulB. commonC. simpleD. scary

60. A. powerB. passionC. effect       D. possibility

第三部分   语言知识运用   (共两节, 满分45分)

第二节(共10小题；每小题1.5分，满分15分)

阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

The ancient town of Fenghuang is a place with beautiful village life in rural China. Having travelled   61   (direct) from the busy city, I regard Fenghuang as a better   62   (choose) to have a breath of the fresh air.

  63   I paid a visit to Fenghuang, it was July. My friend and I excitedly explored, walking along the ancient wall and crossing the beautiful, old bridges. People there were very relaxed. They were neither troubled by the hot weather   64   by the tourists, walking, eating and playing outdoors. On the first evening we brought spicy, cold   65   (noodle) and ate on the river bank as we watched the sunset.

We stayed in   66   small hotel which was similar to many of the traditional buildings in the village. Our room   67   (build) on high stilts (桩子) over the banks of the river. From our window we could hear the rush of the water and the sounds of excited tourists travelling on small boats downstream. We saw people at work busy   68   (catch) fish and young children playing in shallow waters.

Although there   69   (be) many visitors to Fenghuang, we did not see any other foreigner during our stay. After several days, I was still unwilling   70   (leave).

第四部分 写作 (共两节,满分35分)

第一节 短文改错 (共10小题；每小题1分，满分10分)

假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。

增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号(∧)，并在其下面写出该加的词。

删除：把多余的词用斜线(\)划掉。

修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。

注意：

1.每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；

2.只允许修改10处，多者(从第11处起)不计分。

Nowadays most students are addicted to sharing with pictures in WeChat circle. They even

shared all sorts of photos in their daily life. WeChat does make it more conveniently for us to

understand and communicate. Therefore, there exists some potential trouble if we overshare.

One serious problem is letting out our privacy (隐私), that may cause a lot of trouble. Besides, others may feel uncomfortable, thought we are showing off. In my opinion, we’d better not post their

personal information, or blindly adding strangers to a list of friends. It’s much wiser to set aside some time accompany parents or do something more meaningful, such as reading books or taking exercises.

第二节 书面表达 (满分25分)

假如你是李华，你的网友Tom发邮件想了解你校的学生社团活动开展情况。请你给他回复邮件，内容包括：

1.简述社团活动开展情况;

2.你参加的社团;

3.你的感受。

参考词汇：社团club

注意：

1.词数100左右;

2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。

泸州市高2019级第一次教学质量诊断性考试英语参考答案

第一部分 听力（满分30分，每小题1.5分）

1-5 AABCC   6-10 BAACB   11-15 BCCAC   16-20 BBCAB

第二部分 阅读（满分40分，每小题2分）

21-25 CADBA26-30 BDCBA   31-35 BCCDD   36-40 CABGE

第三部分 语言知识运用（满分45分）

第一节 完形（满分30分，每小题1.5分）

41-45 BCCAB   46-50 CBDAD   51-55 AAADC   56-60 DBCDB

第二节 填空（满分15分，每小题1.5分）

61. directly     62. choice    63. When    64. nor     65. noodles  

66. a          67. was built   68. catching   69. were    70. to leave

评分要求：

1.书写清楚、拼写正确、大小写和标示规范（不影响识别）。

2.不按相应要求一律不给分，即见错制。

第四部分 写作（满分35分）

第一节 改错（满分10分，每小题1分）

Nowadays most students are addicted to sharing with pictures in WeChat circle. They even shared all sorts of

share

photos in their daily life. WeChat does make it more conveniently for us tounderstand and communicate. Therefore,

                                             convenient                                 However

there exists some potential trouble if we overshare. One serious problem is letting out our privacy (隐私), that may

which

cause a lot of trouble. Besides, others may feel uncomfortable, thought we are showing off. In my opinion, we’d better

thinking

not post their personal information, or blindly adding strangers to a list of friends. It’s much wiser to set aside some

our                            add

time ∧accompany parents or do something more meaningful, such as reading books or taking exercises.

to                                                                      exercise

评分要求：

1.按规定的删除、添加、改正的标示符号呈现答题。

2.书写清楚、拼写正确、大小写和标示规范（不影响识别）。

3.不按相应要求一律不给分，即见错制。

第二节 书面表达参考范文（满分25分）   

Dear Tom,

Glad to receive your email. Knowing you are interested in our student clubs, I’ll tell you something about them.

This term, our school opens about ten student clubs to meet the various interests of us students, like the basketball club, the science club and so on, and we are active to take part in them. I am in the English poetry club, where we learn, write and share poems. Not only have I learned some nice poems that can’t be learned from books, but also I have learned how to write English poems. It is really amazing! I would like to post some to share with you later.

How about the student clubs in your school? I’m looking forward to your reply.

Yours,

Li Hua

评分参考

附听力原文：

Text 1

W: Where is Jane? She always does the best coffee for me.

M: She phoned the boss to say she’s ill. Paul and Rachel haven’t turned up either.

Text 2

W: OK, I’ll have to get on the train. It is about to set off. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.

M: Make sure you write to us.

W: Use your phone. No one writes letters these days. Bye.

Text 3

M: Ah, here’s a list of today’s events. It says 10:00am, speech by the chairman; 10:30 am, product presentation; 12:15 pm, detailed discussion.

W: Let’s come back when the product presentation starts. I don’t want to listen to the boring speech.

M: Well, all right.

Text 4

W: You’ll need to set off earlier to school this morning. The park is closed for repairs, so you can’t walk through there.

M: Oh, maybe I could walk over the bridge.

W: That would take too long. Taking the path might be quicker.

Text 5

M: The bone has gradually recovered, but you still need to rest your leg for a week. That means no work.

W: And no playing badminton, I suppose?

M: Definitely no badminton. Doctor’s orders.

Text 6

M: I didn’t expect to see you catching a bus, Catherine.

W: I could say the same for you. I thought you drove to our office every day. Has your car broken down?

M: No, nothing like that. I’ve decided to do my bit for the environment and leave the car at home.

W: Well, good for you. That’s what I’m doing as well. What made you decide to do so?

M: My daughter is always telling me that we all need to do more to help the planet. Not just governments —but everyone.

W: She’s right. Using public transport is a more efficient way of travelling, causing less pollution.

Text 7

W: The weather is terrible. Maybe we should go skiing another day?

M: Perhaps let’s check out the hill first? I mean, we already packed all of our stuff and are halfway there. Even if we can’t go out, there are tons of other fun things to do at the holiday village. I’ve always wanted to try their hot spring. Their Italian restaurant is amazing too.

W: OK, I would not mind going to the hot spring. It would be nice right now, since work has been crazy this week — I never left the office before 8:00 p.m.

M: All right, I’ll give them a call. Are you sure, though? We can always turn around if you have things to do and come back tomorrow.

W: No, this sounds like a plan. And we can also eat at the restaurant.

Text 8

M: Jennifer, welcome to the show. I believe you have an unusual job. Tell me about it.

W: Well, I work in London and I’m a tour guide — with a difference.

M: What’s the difference?

W: I only take people around art galleries.

M: You studied art, didn’t you? In fact, I believe you once considered becoming an artist.

W: I did, but the more I learned about art, the more I realised that people visiting galleries often don’t understand what they’re seeing.

M: Surely that is what audio guides(语音讲解器) are for?

W: Yes, but you can’t ask questions to an audio guide. I give visitors an individual explanation of what they see.

M: And you can do it in their own language, can’t you?

W: Well, I speak French, Spanish and Italian.

M: How did you get into this line of work?

W: Two years ago, when I was in a gallery, a stranger asked me a question about a painting. He was impressed by my answer, so that day I decided it would be my job.

Text 9

W: What are you reading?

M: It’s a book by Charles Dickens, a very famous British author. I got it from the library. I’ve actually just finished it.

W: Did you enjoy it?

M: Yes, it was very exciting to start with, but it got slower in the middle and I didn’t know what the ending was all about.

W: What did you have difficulty with?

M: Maybe it’s the old-fashioned language. I’m not used to historical stuff. I’m more used to reading modern detective stories. I might see if I can find an explanation on the Internet.

W: You know, Mr. Arnold is an expert on that sort of thing. I’ve heard him talk in class about Charles Dickens. You should ask him.

M: Would he mind?

W: Oh, he wouldn’t mind at all. He’s a really nice guy — one of my favourite teachers.

M: Maybe I will. It annoys me when I don’t understand things.

W: Mr. Arnold will probably make it clear for you. After all, teaching is his job.

M: Are you reading anything yourself at the moment?

W: Oh yes, I’m always reading something. I’m reading a non-fiction book at the moment. That’s my type.

M: What’s it about?

W: It’s about the French Revolution — the events leading up to it and the events before and after. It’s really interesting.

M: I bet it is.

Text 10

Caring for an elderly loved one is a full-time job. It’s tough but rewarding. Carers bring happiness and love to the lives of old people and feel rewarded for the good work they do. However, there are many old people who aren’t lucky enough to have carers. As the lengths of our lives continue to rise, many of us can look forward to living well into our 80s, but that can also lead to new problems. What happens to an old person who doesn’t have children to take care of them? Or perhaps their husband or wife who carried out most of the day-to-day housework suddenly passes away? That’s why it’s important for us community members not to forget the senior citizens who might need a little help, kindness and support. Do you see an elderly person struggling to get their groceries to the door? Offer to help. Is there someone in your building who may be glad about a short visit? Spend some time with them. Offer to clean their house or water their plants. You could even spend some time at a care home. People there often have very few visitors. In fact, recent research suggests that about 60 percent of residents may have no visitors at all.