大学英语四级单项选择题
Part III Vocabulary (20 minutes)
Directions: There are 30 incomplete sentences in this part. For each sentence there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Choose the ONE answer that best completes the sentence. Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.
1. The machine looked like a large, ，old-fashioned typewriter.
A) forceful
B) clumsy
C) intense
D) tricky
2. Though she began her by singing in a local pop group,she is now a famous Hollywood movie star.
A) employment
B) career
C) occupation
D) profession
3. Within two weeks of arrival, all foreigners had to with the local police
A) inquire
B) consult
C) register
D) profession
4. Considering your salary, you should be able to at least twenty dollars a week.
A) put forward
B) put up
D) put aside
5. As he has our pratience,we’ll not wait for him any longer.
A) torn
B) wasted
C) exhausted
D) consumed
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6. These teachers try to be objective when they the integrated ability of their students
A) justify
B) evaluate
C) indicate
D) reckon
7. Mrs. Morris's daughter is pretty and ,and many girls envy her.
A) slender
B) light
C) faint
D) minor
8. Tomorrow the mayor is to a group of Canadian businessmen on a tour of the city.
A) coordinate
B) cooperate
C) accompany
D) associate
9. I'm enough to know it is going to be a very difficult situation to compete against three strong teams.
A) realistic
C) register
D) resolve
10. Can you give me even the clue as to where her son might be?
A) simplest
B) slightest
C) least
D) utmost
11. Norman Davis will be remembered by many with not only as a great scholar but also as a most delightful and faithful friend.
A) kindness
B) friendliness
C) warmth
D) affection
12. Salaries for positions seem to be higher than for permanent ones.
A) legal
B) optional
C) voluntary
D) temporary
13. Most people agree that the present role of women has already affected U.S. society.
it has affected the traditional role of men.
A) Above all
B) In all
C) At most
D) At last
14. Science and technology have in important ways to the improvement of agricultural production.
A) attached
B) assisted
C)contributed
D)witnessed
15. As an actor he could communicate a whole of emotions.
A) frame
B) range
C) number
D) scale
16. This is what you should bear in mind: Don't a salary increase before you actually get it.
A) hang on
B) draw on
C) wait on
D) count on
17. The ship's generator broke down, and the pumps had to be operated instead of mechanically.
A) artificially
B) automatically
C) manually
D) synthetically
18. The little girl was so frightened that she just wouldn't her grip on my arm.
A) loosen
B) remove
D) dismiss
19. He never arrives on time and my is that he feels the meetings are useless.
A) preference
B) conference
C) inference
D) reference
20. Mrs. gmithwas so about everything that no servants could please her.
A)speeific
B) speeial
C)precise
D)particular
21. Last night he saw two dark enter the building,and then there was the explosion.
A) features
B) figures
C) sketches
D) images
22. It is obvious that this new rule is applicable to everyone without
A) exception
B) exclusion
C) modification
D) substitution
23. His temper and personalky show that he can become a soldier of the top
A) circle
B) rank
D) grade
24. During the lecture, the speaker occasionally his point by relating his own experiences.
A) illustrated
B) hinted
C) cited
D)displayed
25. Only those who can to lose their money should make high-risk investments.
A) maintain
B) sustairt
C) endure
D)afford
26, He found the media attention intolerable and decided to go abroad.
A) sufficient
B) constant
C) steady
D) plenty
27. There has been a collision a number of cars on the main road to town.
A) composing
B) consisting
C) involving
D) engaging
28. elephants are difthrent from wild elephants in many aspects, including their tem-pers.
A) Cultivated
C) Civil
D) Tame
29. Ten days ago the young man info~ed his boss of his intention to
A) resign
B) reject
C) retreat
D) replace
30. As one of the world's highest paid models, she had her face. for five million dollars
A) deposiled
B) assured
C) measured
D) insured
答案：
Part ⅢVocabulary
1.B) clumsy
2.B) career
3.C) register
4.D) put aside
5.C) exhausted
6.B) evaluate
7.A) slender
8.C) accompany
9.A) realistic
10.B) slightest 41.D) affection 12.D) temporary
13.A) Above all
14.C) contributed
15.B) range
16.D) count on
17.C) manually
18.A) loosen
19.C) inference
20.D) particular
21.B) figures
22.A) exception
23.B) rank
24.A) illustrated
25.D) afford
26.B) constant
27.C) involving
28.D) Tame
29.A) resign
30.D) insured
大学英语四级练习题单项选择题-5 1.His proposal is __A_____ to all of us and you do not need to tell us mor e about it. A.apparent B.appearing C.approaching D.apart 2.This mountain range has many high __A_____ and fertile valleys. A.peaks B.hills C.phases D.pink 3.He gave us a good __C_____ of his experience. A.demonstration B.frequency C.descripton D.instruction 4.You have your choice of three __A_____ of ice cream. A.varieties B.tops C.respects D.decks 5.This sick man was __D_____ in a blanket. A. input B.issued C.ensured D.wrapped 6.This is the military ___B_____. Nobody is allowed to get in without per mission. A.bond B.zone C.butter D.zoo 7.Rock music usually ___B____ the young people in most countries. A.applies to B.appeals to C.amazes D.actress
2017年大学英语四级快速阅读技巧 2017年大学英语四级的3个试题特点 大学英语四级的试题特点1. 题干中的细节信息往往反映文章的主旨和段落主题。通过快速地阅读题干中的若干细节信息，考生可以迅速了解原文的主旨大意。 大学英语四级的试题特点2. 题干提供的细节信息中往往暗含一些说明文或议论文所必需的逻辑关系，考生可以利用这种关系预先对一些表达进行排序，这对于解答信息匹配题有着非常重要的意义。 大学英语四级的试题特点3. 提干提供的信息表达中通常包括如下三类：能够指示开头段的词，如overview, introduction, initiation, main idea, definition 等;能够指示结尾段的词，如future, solution, conclusion, suggestion, summary 等;能够帮助考生回原文定位的特殊词，如rate, ration, proportion, percentage, number, figure, statistical demographics 等。 4.有些试题题干中的细节信息往往会和原文的其他某一题目联系密切，考生可通过先解答原文的其他题目来获得解答题目的线索和提示性信息。 2017年英语四级快速阅读的6个解题技巧 快速阅读的解题技巧(1) 判定词性时可以重点分析动词的时态，即哪几个是一般时，哪几个是过去时又或者是过去分词。 因为根据样题，它对考生不做选项改写要求，所以我们可以根据上下文时态对应的原则，给自己进一步缩小选择范围。
如果选项中出现指代词时，往往该选项不能放在首句，要注意指代成立的条件。 快速阅读的解题技巧(3) 如果选项中出现一组反义词时，往往有一个是干扰选项，它注重考察的是对于文章框架结构的理解，要求考生理解整篇文章的语境色彩。 快速阅读的解题技巧(4) 如果选项中出现一组近义词时，往往也有一个是干扰选项，它注重考察的是词汇的精确理解，要求考生分析清楚其细微的区别。 快速阅读的解题技巧(5) 如果选项为连词时，要关注上下句内在的逻辑关系。常见的逻辑关系有：因果，并列平行，递进，强对比，前后意思一致等。 快速阅读的解题技巧(6) 要有总体观，不必按顺序作题。先把自己最有把握的词选出，然后删除该选项，为吃不准的选项缩小选择范围。 2017年快速判定英语四级文章主题3个技巧 快速判定主题的技巧(1) 读文章时重点关注文章的首段和首末句。按照西方人习惯性的思维方式和写作习惯，他们惯用的是演绎法：即文章一开始先扔出自己的核心观点，然后具体一步步论证。 根据统计，每一段的第一句、第二句和最后一句话为本段的主题句的概率分别为50%、20%、20%，三句话成为主题句的概率超过九成，当然也就成为我们阅读的重中之重。
大学英语四级练习题单项选择题- 5 1.Hisproposalis__A_____toallofusandyoudonotneedtotellusmoreaboutit. A.apparent B.appearing C.approaching D.apart 2.This mountain range has many high __A_____ and fertile valleys. A.peaks B.hills C.phases D.pink 3.He gave us a good __C_____ of his experience. A.demonstration B.frequency C.descripton D.instruction 4.You have your choice of three __A_____ of ice cream. A.varieties B.tops C.respects D.decks 5.This sick man was __D_____ in a blanket. A. input B.issued C.ensured D.wrapped 6.This is the military ___B_____. Nobody is allowed to get in without permission. A.bond B.zone C.butter D.zoo 7.Rock music usually ___B____ the young people in most countries. A.applies to B.appeals to C.amazes D.actress 8.Would he have seen you if you hadn’t __B_____ to him
大学英语四级快速阅读技巧 15分钟做完，先看小标题（现只看2-3个，多了也记不住），再通过1-7 小题的题干的名词、动词找出原句来做， 特别注意： 做题顺序，先看文章标题，直到文章主要内容，然后看第一小题，在小题部分的定位词先圈出来，在回原文找。找到第一小题后，再看第二小题。看一个题，作一个；不要把文章看完再做题，或题看完再读文章。 特别注意：比较容易定位的词是： A. 不能用中心思想词定位，因为整篇文章都说的是它。 B. 时间、数字、地点、大写字母的单词容易定位。 C. 比较长，难的名词容易定位，好找。 D. 定位词找2-3个就行，多了也记不住。最好是位置不同的两个词。 一般判断N0和NG的标准如下: NO题: (l)信息与原文相反 (2)将原文信息张冠李戴 (3)将原文中不确定的或未经证实的内容作为正确的或客观的来表述 (4)改变原文的条件、范围、频率、可能性等 NG题: (l)无中生有 (2)以个别代替整体，即将原文所举例子的特殊现象推广为普遍现象 (3)随意比较原文中提到的两个事物 (4)将原文具体化，即题目中涉及的范围小于原文涉及的范围 (5)原文中作者或某个人物的目标、目的、愿望、誓言等内容，在题目中作为客观事实陈述 Promote Learning and Skills for Young People and Adults This goal places the emphasis on the learning needs of young people and adults in the context of lifelong learning. It calls for fair access to learning programs that are appropriate, and mentions life skills particularly.
大学英语四级阅读理解（1）We find that bright children are rarely held back by mixed-ability teaching. On the contrary, both their knowledge and experience are enriched. We feel that there are many disadvantages in streaming(把......按能力分班) pupils. It does not take into account the fact that children develop at different rates. It can have a bad effect on both the bright and the not-so-bright child. After all, it can be quite discouraging to be at the bottom of the top grade! Besides, it is rather unreal to grade people just according to their intellectual ability. This is only one aspect of their total personality. We are concerned to develop the abilities of all our pupils to the full, not just their academic ability. We also value personal qualities and social skills, and we find that mixed-ability teaching contributes to all these aspects of learning. In our classrooms, we work in various ways. The pupils often work in groups: this gives them the opportunity to learn to co-operate, to share, and to develop leadership skills. They also learn how to cope with personal problems as well as learning how to think, to make decisions, to analyse and evaluate, and to communicate effectively. The pupils learn from each other as well as from the teacher. Sometimes the pupils work in pairs; sometimes they work on individual tasks and assignments, and they can do this at their own speed. They also have some formal class teaching when this is appropriate. We encourage our pupils to use the library, and we teach them the skills they need in order to do this efficiently. An advanced pupil can do advanced work: it does not matter what age the child is. We expect our pupils to do their best, not their least, and we give them every
2010年大学英语四级翻译练习题 1. The finding of this study failed to _________________________ (将人们的睡眠质量考虑在内). 2. The prevention and treatment of AIDS is _____________________________ (我们可以合作的领域). 3. Because of the leg injury, the athlete ___________________________ (决定退出比赛). 4. To make donations or for more information, please _____________________________ (按以下地址和我们联系). 5. Please come here at ten tomorrow morning _______________________________ (如果你方便的话). 1. The finding of this study failed to take people’s sl eep quality into account/consideration (将人们的睡眠质量考虑在内) (本题考查对take …into account/consideration的掌握。take …into account/consideration意为“把…考虑在内”，“人们的睡眠质量”用people’s sleep quality来表达。也可以用the quality of people’s sleep 来表示) 2. The prevention and treatment of AIDS is the field （where）we can cooperate/ the field in which we can cooperate (我们可以合作的领域) （本题考查对定语从句的掌握。“领域”是the field，“我们可以合作的”作the field的定语从句，引导词可以用where/ in which，where可以省略，） 3. Because of the leg injury, the athlete decided to quit the match (决定退出比赛) （本句话是在陈述一件已经发生的事情，应用一般过去时态，因此用decided，“退出比赛”用quit the match来表示） 4. To make donations or for more information, please contact us at the following address (按以下地址和我们联系) （该句的后半部分是由please祈使句，please后面应该跟原形动词。与某人联系一般用contact表达，介词at与其一起构成介宾短语，修饰contact） 5. Please come here at ten tomorrow morning if it is convenient for you/at your convenience (如果你方便的话) （本题主要考查if 引导的条件状语从句，“你方便的话”用it is convenient for you/at your convenience表示 1. Specialists in intercultural studies say that it is not easy to __________________________ （适应不同文化中的的生活). 2. Since my childhood I have found that __________________________ (没有什么比读书对我更有吸引力). 3. The victim ___________________________ (本来会有机会活下来)if he had been taken to hospital in time . 4. Some psychologists claim that people _____________________________ (出门在外时可能会感到孤独).
大学英语四级阅读40篇(1) 2/40 The economy of the United states after 1952 was the econnomy of a well-fed,almost fully employed people. Despit occasional alarms, the country escaped any postwar depression and lived in a state of boom. A n economic survey of the year 1955, a typical year of the 1950’s, may be typical as illustrating the rapid economic growth of the decade. The national output was value at 10 percent above that of 1954 (1955 output was estimated at 392 billion dollars). The production of manufacturers was about 40 percent more than it had averaged in the years immediately following World War 2. The country’s business spent about 30billion dollars for new factories and machinery. National income available for spending was almost a third greater than it had been it had been in 1950. Consumers spent about 256 billion dollars; that is about 700 million dollars a day ,or about twenty-five million dollars every hour , all round the clock. Sixty-five million people held jobs and only a little more than two million wanted jobs but could not find them . Only agriculture
大学英语四级考试中快速阅读的答题技巧 一：测试目的 快速阅读，顾名思义，它的目的在于测试考生单位时间当中的阅读量，其实四级对速度的考查是近几 年一直延续的一种结果。在2002年的时候，我们四级阅读平均每一篇文章阅读量是284个单词，2003年6月，每篇文章阅读量是300个单词。2005年一月份和六月份，平均阅读量是320到333个单词。这说明 一点，四级考试委员会对阅读速度这个能力早就有一个延续性的逐步的提高。同时，在解答题目方面，快 速阅读并不强调一定要像精读文章那样通篇认真研究，相反，快速阅读题目更强调测试考生在实践语言环 境中查询有效信息的能力，这也反映出四六级考试试图提升考生实际应用能力的改革方向。 二：测试形式 快速阅读要求考生在15分钟内完 成一篇1100字左右的文章和后面的10道题。前面7个题是判断正误（包括NOT GIVEN），后3个是填空题填根据阅读的理解，填三到四个单词（答案基本都是原文中出现的原词）。快速阅读的文章一般分为小标题+题目和无小标题+题目两种类型。这反映出四级考试从单纯的模仿托福的形式转向托福和雅思学习的融合。该题型需要通过略读和寻读法，乃至文章逻辑关系、标点符/号等方面的综合运用，实现对随后的题目有效的判断和填写。 三：基本要求 1.快速阅读的文章基本都是专业题材的文章，很多考生可能会觉得很陌生，但是对于CET-4 的快速阅读开始来说，只要求考生对题目所提到的信息在原文中能够找到即可，只是有时需要简 单的同义词替换 2.略读（Skimming）和寻读（Scanning）的能力在大学英语四级考试中显得尤为重要 3.快速阅读要求考生的阅读速度是每分钟110-140词
大学英语四级阅读理解试题及答案.
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3 大学英语四级阅读理解试题及答案（四） 十六 Trees should only be pruned when there is a good and clear reason for doing so and , fortunately,the number of such reasons is small. Pruning involves the cutting away of obergrown and unwanted branches, and the inexperienced gardener can be encouraged by the thought that more damage results from doing it unnecessarily than from leaving the tree to grow in its own way. First, pruning may be done to make sure that trees have a desired shape or size. The object may be to get a tree of the right height, and at the same time to help the growth of small side branches which will thicken its appearance or give it a special shape. Secondly, pruning may be done to make the tree healthier. You may cut diseaed or dead wood, or branches that are rubbing against each other and thus cause wounds. The health of a tree may be encouraged by removing branches that are blocking up the centre and so preventing the free movement of air. One result of pruning is that an open wound is left on the tree and this provides an easy entry for disease, but itis a wound that will heal. Often there is a race between the healing and the desease as to whether the tree will live or die, so that there is a period when the tree is at risk. It should be the aim of every gardener to reduce which has been pruned smooth and clean, for healing will be slowed down by roughness. You should allow the cut surface to dry for a few hurs and then paint it with one of the substances available from garden shops produced especially for this purpose. Pruning is usually without interference from the leaves and also it is very unlikely that the cuts yu make will bleed. If this does happen,it is, of course,impossible to paint them properly. 1.Pruning should be done to ______. a.make the tree grow taller
深度阅读练习题 练习6. 2012年12月第一套 Passage One Questions 57 to 61 are based on the following passage. As you are probably aware, the latest job markets news isn’t good: Unemployment is still more than 9 percent, and new job growth has fallen close to zero. That’s bad for the economy, of course. And it may be especially discouraging if you happen to be looking for a job or hoping to change careers right now. But it actually shouldn’t matter to you nearly as much as you think. That’s because job growth numbers don’t matter to job hunters as much as job turnover (人员更替) data. After all, existing jobs open up every day due to promotions, resignations, terminations(解雇), and retirements. (Yes, people are retiring even in this economy.) In both good times and bad, turnover creates more openings than economic growth does. Even in June of 2007, when the economy was still moving ahead, job growth was only 132,000, while turnover was million! And as it turns out, even today — with job growth near zero — over 4 million job hunters are being hired every month. I don’t mean to imply that overall job growth doesn’t have an impact on one’s ability to land a job. It’s true that if total employment were higher, it would mean more jobs for all of us to choose from (and compete for). An d it’s true that there are currently more people applying for each available job opening, regardless of whether it’s a new one or not.
大学英语四级2017年6月阅读理解汇总 17.6.1 The method for making beer has changed over time. Hops (啤酒花)，for example, which give many a modem beer its bitter flavor, are a (26)_______ recent addition to the beverage. This was first mentioned in reference to brewing in the ninth century. Now, researchers have found a (27)_______ingredient in residue (残留物）from 5,000-year-old beer brewing equipment. While digging two pits at a site in the central plains of China, scientists discovered fragments from pots and vessels. The different shapes of the containers (28)_______ they were used to brew, filter, and store beer. They may be ancient “beer-making tools,”and the earliest (29_______ evidence of beer brewing in China, the researchers reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. To (30)_______ that theory, the team examined the yellowish, dried (31)_______ inside the vessels. The majority of the grains, about 80%, were from cereal crops like barley (大麦),and about 10% were bits of roots, (32)_______lily,which would have made the beer sweeter, the scientists
大学英语四级考试快速阅读技巧 一.测试目的 快速阅读，顾名思义，它的目的在于测试考生单位时间当中的阅 读量，其实四级对速度的考查是近几年一直延续的一种结果。同时， 在解答题目方面，快速阅读并不强调一定要像精读文章那样通篇认真 研究，相反，快速阅读题目更强调测试考生在实践语言环境中查询有 效信息的能力，这也反映出四六级考试试图提升考生实际应用能力的 改革方向。 二.测试形式 快速阅读要求考生在15 分钟内完成一篇1100字左右的文章和后面的 10 道题。前面 7 个题是判断正误（包括NG），后 3 个是填空题填根据阅读的理解，填三到四个单词( 答案基本都是原文中出现的原 词)。快速阅读的文章一般分为小标题+题目和无小标题+题目两种类型。该题型需要通过略读和寻读法，乃至文章逻辑关系、标点符号等方面的综合运用，实现对随后的题目有效的判断和填写。 三.基本要求 1. 快速阅读的文章基本都是专业题材的文章，很多考生可能会觉得 很陌生，但是对于 CET-4 的快速阅读开始来说，只要求考生
对题目所提到的信息在原文中能够找到即可，只是有时需要简 单的同义词替换。 2. 略读（ Skimming）和寻读（ Scanning ）的能力在大学英语四级考试中显得尤为重要。 3. 快速阅读要求考生的阅读速度是每分钟 110-140 词。 四.快速阅读方法 1.推测（prediction） 阅读正文前，就标题（如果有标题的话）来合理推测资料的 大概内容，也可在读了一段之后预测下段内容。这对快速理解和 整体把握文章内容以及推测出生词的词义范围有积极的意义。 2.读关键词句（key words and topic sentences） 在对文章的整体内容有了基本认识的基础上，我们学会抓主 要的词句，找出段落中的主题句，从而正确领会文章的主要内容。3.略读(skimming) 略读又称跳读 (reading and skipping)或浏览(glancing)，是一种专门的，非常实用的快速阅读技能。 所谓略读，是指以尽可能快的速度阅读，如同从飞机上鸟瞰(bird ’s eye view ) 地面上的明显标志一样，迅速获取文章大意或中心思想。换句话说，略读是要求读者有选择地进行阅读，可跳过某些细节，以求抓住文章的大概，从而加快阅读速度。据统计，训练有素的略读者(skimmer) 的阅读速度可以达到每分钟 3000 到 4000 个词。
大学英语四级阅读理解试题 Many people believe the glare from snow causes snowblindnenss. Yet, dark glasses or not , they find themselves suffering from headaches and watering eyes,and even snowblindness,when exposed to several hours of "snow light" . The United States Army has now determined that glare from snow does not cause snowblindness in troops in a snow- covered , a man's eyes frequently find nothing to foucs on in a broad expanse of barren snow-covered terrain. So his gaze continually shifts and jumps back and forth over the entire landscape in search of tsomething to look at. Finding nothing, hour after hour, the eyes never sotp searching and the eyeballs become sore and the eye muscles ache. Nature offsets this irritation by producing more and fluid which covers the eyeball. The fluid coversthe eyeball in increasing quantity until vision blurs, then is obsured,and the result is total, even though temporary,snowblindness. Experiments led the Army to a simple method of overcoming this problem. Scouts ahead of a main body of troops are
Passage 1 When Morn and Dad Grow Old A) The prospect of talking to increasingly fragile parents about their future can be "one of the most difficult challenges adult children will ever face," says Clarissa Green, a Vancouver therapist. "People often tell me they don't want to raise sensitive issues with their parents about bringing in caregivers or moving," she says. "They'll say, 'I don't want to see dad cry.'" But Green usually responds, "What's wrong with that?" Adult children, she says, need to try to join their parents in grieving their decline, acknowledge their living arrangements may no longer work and, if necessary, help them say goodbye to their beloved home. "It's sad. And it's supposed to be. It's about death itself." B) There are almost four million men and women over age 65 in Canada. Nearly two thirds of them manage to patch together enough support from family, friends, private and government services to live independently until virtually the day they die, according to Statistics Canada. C) Of the Canadian seniors who live to 85 and over, almost one in three end up being moved- sometimes kicking- to group living for the last years of their lives. Even in the best-case scenarios (可能出现的情况), such dislocations can bring sorrow. "Often the family feels guilty, and the senior feels abandoned," says Charmaine Spencer, a professor in the gerontology department of Simon Fraser University. Harassed with their own careers and children, adult children may push their parents too fast to make a major transition. D) Val MacDonald, executive director of the B. C. Seniors Services Society, cautions adult children against imposing their views on aging parents. "Many baby boomers can be quite patronizing (高人一等的)," she says. Like many who work with seniors, MacDonald suggests adult children devote many conversations over a long period of time to collaborating on their parents' future, raising feelings, questions and options gently, but frankly. However, many middle-aged adults, according to the specialists, just muddle (应付) through with their aging parents. E) When the parents of Nancy Woods of Mulmur Hills, Ont., were in their mid-80s, they made the decision to downsize from their large family home to an apartment in Toronto. As Woods' parents, George and Bemice, became frailer, she believed they knew she had their best interests at heart. They agreed to her suggestion to have Meals on Wheels start delivering lunches and dinners. However, years later, after a crisis, Woods discovered her parents had taken to throwing out the prepared meals. Her dad had appreciated them, but Bemice had come to believe they were poisoned. "My father was so loyal," says Woods, "he had hid that my mother was overwhelmed by paranoia (偏执狂)." To her horror, Woods discovered her dad and mom were "living on crackers and oatmeal porridge" and were weakening from the impoverished diet. Her dad was also falling apart with the stress of providing for Bemice -- a common problem when one spouse tries to do everything for an ailing partner. "The spouse who's being cared for might be doing well at home," says Spencer, "but often the other spouse is burned out and ends up being hospitalized." F) Fortunately, outside help is often available to people struggling through the often-distressing process of helping their parents explore an important shift. Sons and daughters can bring in brochures or books on seniors' issues, as well as introduce government health-care workers or staff at various agencies, to help raise issues and open up discussions, says Val MacDonald, whose nonprofit organization responds to thousands of calls a year from British Columbians