The age distribution of the population has several important effects on the economy. If the population is aging and there is an increase in the number of people retiring without a corresponding increase in the number entering the workforce, this raises the problem of the ability of the economy to provide a reasonable level of social services to the retired group. If the aged are to be cared for in special homes or hotels, finances must be available for that purpose. If the size of the workforce is small relative to the total population, then the government tax receipts are relatively low and either the government has less money available to it or the workforce members have to be taxed more heavily.

41．Workforce is composed of        .

A．both the employed and the self-employed

B．people employed to work for others

C．both employers and employees

D．people available to work and earn incomes

42．The factor that does not influence the size of the workforce is        .

A．the size of the total population

B．the age distribution of a population

C．the national economy

D．the natural population growth

43．It can be concluded from Paragraph 2 that        .

A．a population growth leads to a greater proportion of workforce

B．a large population does not necessarily mean a high proportion of workforce

C．the size of the aged determines the proportion of workforce

D．the proportion of the very young determines the size of workforce

44．The size of the workforce declines when        .

A．many people reach the retiring age

B．the birth rate falls rapidly

C．the number of retirees exceeds that of new workers

D．the death rate increases

45．The last paragraph focuses on        .

A．the factors that influence the workforce structure

B．the importance of workforce distribution to the economy

C．the relationship between age distribution and economy

D．the influence of population growth on the national economy

Passage Four

Honesty is the best policy, as the English saying goes. Unfortunately, honesty often deserts us when no one is watching, British psychologists reported last week.

Researchers at UK’s Newcastle University set up an experiment in their psychology department’s coffee room. They set a kettle, with tea, coffee and milk on the counter and hung up a sign listing the prices for drinks. People helping themselves to a cup of drink were supposed to put a few cents in the box nearby. The scientists hung a poster above the money box, and it changed each week between images of gazing eyes and pictures of flowers. The researchers found that staff paid 2.76 times more for their drinks when the image of the eyes was hung. “Frankly we were shocked by the size of the effect,” said Gilbert Roberts, one of the researchers.

Eyes are known to be a powerful perceptual (感官的) signal for humans. “Even though the eyes were not real, they still seemed to make people behave more honestly,” said Melissa Bateson, a behavioral biologist and leader of the study.