that more than 2 million people have left the rolls since 1994.
In the past four years, welfare rolls in Athens County have been out in half. But 70 percent of the people who left in the past two years took jobs that paid less than $6 an hour. The result: The Athens County poverty rate still remains at more than 30 percent——twice the national average.
For advocates (代言人)for the poor, that's an indication much more needs to be done.
"More people are getting jobs, but it's not making their lives any better," says Kathy Lairn，a policy analyst at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities in Washington.
A center analysis of US Census data nationwide found that between 1995 and 1996,
a greater percentage of single, femalea2headed households were earning money on their own, but that average income for these households actually went down.
but for many, the fact that poor people are able to support themselves almost as
well without government aid as they did with it is in itself a huge victory.
"Welfare was a poison. It was a toxin (毒素) that was poisoning the family," says Robert Rector, a welfarea2reform policy analyst. "The reform is changing the moral climate in lowa2income communities. It's beginning to rebuild the work ethic (道德观)，which is much more important."
Mr. Rector and others argued that once "the habit of dependency is cracked," then the country can make other policy changes aimed at improving living standards.
56. From the passage, it can be seen that the author _______.
A) believes the reform has reduced the government's burden
B) insists that welfare reform is doing little good for the poor
C) is overenthusiastic about the success of welfare reform
D) considers welfare reform to be fundamentally successful
57. Why aren't people enjoying better lives when they have jobs?
A) Because many families are divorced.
B) Because government aid is now rare.
C) Because their wages are low.
D) Because the cost of living is rising.
58. What is worth noting from the example of Athens County is that _______.
A) greater efforts should be made to improve people's living standards
B) 70 percent of the people there have been employed for two years
C) 50 percent of the population no longer relies on welfare
D) the living standards of most people are going down
59. From the passage we know that welfare reform aims at _______.
A) saving welfare funds
B) rebuilding the work ethic
C) providing more jobs
D) cutting government expenses
60. According to the passage, before the welfare reform was carried out, _______.
A) the poverty rate was lower
B) average living standards were higher
C) the average worker was paid higher wages
D) the poor used to rely on government aid
Passage Three
Questions 61 to 65 are based on the following passage:
Americans are proud of their variety and individuality, yet they love and respect few things more than a uniform, whether it is the uniform of an elevator operator or the uniform of a five-star general. Why are uniforms so popular in the United States?
Among the arguments for uniforms, one of the first is that in the eyes of most people they look more professional than civilian (百姓的) Clothes. People have be come conditioned to expect superior quality from a man who wears a uniform. The television repairman who wears a uniform tends to inspire more trust than one who appears in civilian clothes. Faith in the skill of a garage mechanic is increased by a uniform. What easier way is there for a nurse, a policeman, a barber, or a waiter to lose professional identity(身份) than to step out of uniform?
Uniforms also have many practical benefits. They save on other clothes. They save on laundry bills. They are tax-deductible(可减税的). They are often more comfortable and more durable than civilian clothes.
Primary among the arguments against uniforms is their lack of variety and the consequent loss of individuality experienced by people who must wear them. Though there are many types of uniforms, the wearer of any particular type is generally stuck with it, without change, until retirement. When people look alike, they tend to think, speak, and act similarly, on the job at least.
Uniforms also give rise to some practical problems. Though they are long-lasting, often their initial expense is greater than the cost of civilian clothes. Some uniforms are also expensive to maintain, requiring professional dry cleaning rather than the home laundering possible with many types of civilian clothes.
61. It is surprising that Americans who wors
上一页 [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] 下一页