56. We learn from the first paragraph that _______.

　　A ) offering senior citizens discounts has become routine commercial practice

　　B ) senior citizen discounts have enabled many old people to live a decent life

　　C ) giving senior citizens discounts has boosted the market for the elderly

　　D ) senior citizens have to show their birth certificates to get a discount

　　57. What assumption lies behind the practice of senior citizen discounts?

　　A ) Businesses, having made a lot of profits, should do something for society in return.

　　B ) Old people are entitled to special treatment for the contribution they made to society.

　　C ) The elderly, being financially underprivileged, need humane help from society.

　　D ) Senior citizen discounts can make up for the inadequacy of the Social Security system.

　　58. According to some politicians and scholars, senior citizen discounts will _____.

　　A ) make old people even more dependent on society

　　B ) intensify conflicts between the young and the old

　　C ) have adverse financial impact on business companies

　　D ) bring a marked increase in the companies’ revenues

　　59. How does the author view the Social Security system?

　　A ) It encourages elderly people to retire in time.

　　B ) It opens up broad career prospects for young people.

　　C ) It benefits the old at the expense of the young.

　　D ) It should be reinforced by laws and court decisions.

　　60. Which of the following best summarizes the author’s main argument?

　　A ) Senior citizens should fight hard against age discrimination.

　　B ) The elderly are selfish and taking senior discounts for granted.

　　C ) Priority should be given to the economic needs of senior citizens.

　　D ) Senior citizen discounts may well be a type of age discrimination.