单选题
Unemployment (失业) rose from 7.5% in June, 1996 to 7.8% in July, 1996, the highest rate since January of that year , the Labor Department reported. The main mason was a large increase—nearly 700,000 in the labor force (劳动力), with a record 61.9% of the population over sixteen years of age working or actively looking for work. That growth was caused mainly by an increase in the number, of women in the labor force, an increase partly because of a continuation (持续) of long-term and economic trends (经济趋势) and partly a reflection (反映) of pressure (压力) on families to increase their incomes.
单选题
According to the announcement (报道), which of the following statements is correct? A. Unemployment in July was higher than it had been since January. B. Unemployment rose at a steady (持续的) rate from January to July. C. Unemployment rose by about 7% from June to July.
【正确答案】
A
【答案解析】[解析] 原文第一段的第一行与第二行有明显表示：“Unemployment (失业)rose from 7.5% in June，1996 to 7.8% in July，1996，the his hest rate since January of that year”，即失业率从1996年6月的7.5%上升到7月的7.8%，为本年度自1月起的最高值。
单选题
Why did unemployment increase during the period discussed in the passage? A. There are fewer jobs in summer. B. Many companies had dismissed workers. C. The labor force had grown.
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】[解析] 原文第一段的后三行有明显的表述：“The main reason was a large increase—nearly 700，000 in the labor force，with a record 61.9% of the population over sixteen years of age working or actively looking for work．”所以主要原因是十六岁以上的人群中有61.9%的人在工作或在积极地寻找工作，劳动力大幅度增长。
单选题
Which of the following is said to be the main reason why more people are looking for work? A. Young people start working younger. B. Recent graduates have entered the labor market. C. More women have entered the job market.
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】[解析] 原文第二段表明“越来越多的女性出来找工作，壮大了择业者的群体。”
单选题
It can be inferred that the labor force described in the passage is made up of ______. A. those who account for over 60% of the total population of the whole country B. persons who work at both permanent (永久) and full-time jobs C. those over 16 years of age who are looking for work
【正确答案】
A
【答案解析】[解析] 原文中第一段的最后一行有明显的表述：“with a record 61.9% of the population over sixteen years of age working or actively looking for work．”
单选题
More and more women go out for work partly because of ______. A. being chocked (窒息) by staying at home all day B. being troubled by family chaos C. family economic pressures on them