视听说Passage2
Unit1
In a perfect world, we would all avoid too much credit card debt and would never have to deal with the trouble of being unable to meet our credit card payment obligations. But this is not a perfect world, and unfortunately, these 1) distressing situations are the norm for many people. 
If you find yourself in this position, or heading there, you should cut your spending now. Don't wait until your situation is so 2) desperate that you have few options available to you.
Facing the factors that give you the 3) urge to spend money carelessly can be uncomfortable, but if you don't face them, how will you control your debt and 4) acquire the things you truly want? 
One negative aspect of using credit cards instead of cash is that you 5) are totally unaware of the fact that you're spending real money. The pleasant feelings you experience when you
purchase the item 6) are isolated from the unpleasant feelings of making the payment when you get the credit card statement. 
Studies 7) affirm that most people are much less likely to buy when paying with cash as opposed to credit cards. So, try leaving your credit cards at home, and pay with cash or check. 
To really control your spending and your credit card debt, you need to examine what money means to you. Make an effort to notice how you 8) interact with money and what beliefs and attitudes you have about money. Studies also show that people with low self-esteem engage themselves in more 9) impulse spending and buying things they don't need. 
Remind yourself daily that your worth as a person has nothing to do with how much money you have. Once you 10) are convinced of this, you will break the psychological barriers that were keeping you from handling your money wisely.
Unit2
Of all the threats to human society, including war, disease and natural disaster, one outranks all others. It is the aging of the human population. The 1) proportion of people aged 60-plus around the world is 2) estimated to more than double in 2050.  By 2047, for the first time in human history, the number of old people is projected to exceed that of children on the planet. 
This change will 3) have profound impacts on human society. One problem concerns the ratio of the number of people of working age to the number of older people, which is known as the "4) potential support ratio".  This index has fallen from 12 in 1950 to 8 in 2013 and is expected to drop to 4 in 2050. Its decline means that the burden on the young, 5) economically and socially, will rise accordingly. This is because older people rely on the young, not only for care and support but also for the economic productivity that ensures 6) pensions can be paid and health and social costs met. 
unableA variety of issues in other areas such as family composition, the transfer of property, taxation and housing may 7) originate from the population "age-quake", too.  For instance,
family ties have been weakened by increased mobility and rising divorce, and hence the demand for 8) residential and nursing homes will increase since more older people will need to live in an institution or elder care center.
No matter what the future reality will be, the aging of the human population certainly 9) poses a challenge to policy makers, economists and health care specialists around the world.  This suggests that the human society will need to 10) be transformed into a structure that has the ability and resources to address the diverse needs of older people.
Unit3
A solution may be at hand for holidaymakers who are struggling to find quiet, out-of-the-way places to go.  For those who really want to get away from the crowded and much-traveled 1) resorts, they now find it possible because a new holiday destination has 2) sprung up – Antarctica. However, this new hotspot, or freezing zone, might only be for those who are fabulously rich if a new policy gets under way.  Tourism on Antarctica has been increasing 3) dramatically, from a few thousand people in 1985 to more than 40,000
in 2007. The growing numbers are 4) having an adverse effect on the untouched environment of the South Pole.  To 5) combat this, researchers from Holland's Maastricht University have come up with a sensible solution: Limit the number of tourists allowed to visit and hawk the vacations to those who are determined to go and are willing to offer higher amounts of money than others for the trip. 
Many environmental protection agencies agree that there is a need to protect the frozen 6) wilderness from the damage created by modern tourism. Antarctica is the last 7) unspoiled place on earth. It has a very delicate ecosystem that could be easily upset by 8) streams of tourists landing in airplanes and using skimobiles.  A difficulty exists because Antarctica is not a country and therefore has no government to pass laws or 9) guidelines to control the number of visitors.  The Maastricht University team's proposal to 10) auction off a fixed number of tourist places seems a workable solution. It would limit the number of visitors and therefore contain the amount of environmental damage, and the money would be used to protect Antarctica's future.
Unit4
In recent years, doctors have focused on the growing rate of diabetes among children and young people. But the most common kind of diabetes, type II, is more 1) prevalent as people grow older and gain more weight.  Before you know it, there is more fat around the waist and hips than you remembered. The statistics are 2) scary enough to make you want to stop eating immediately.

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