单选题 As America's prison population has exploded, hard-pressed officials have relied on private prisons to house about 5 percent of the nation's 1.7 million prisoners. But a number of recent incidents have strengthened accusations that for-profit prisons do not always measure up on security and reliability. A judge ordered a Youngstown, Ohio, prison for criminals from Washington, D. C. to remove violent prisoners after 13 stabbings(刺伤案), two of them fatal. Colorado closed a center for teen lawbreakers after a suicide and evidence that prisoners had been abused. Tennessee legislators have now put on hold a plan to privatize most of that state's prison system.
Last week, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees issued a report charging that private prisons save taxpayers little money and are full of waste and deception (欺骗). The union accused some firms of persuading public officials for profitable contracts and then running substandard facilities.
Nashville-based Corrections Corp of America, a privatization leader, insists it can cut costs and operate high-quality prisons. A spokeswoman blanked some problems at its Youngstown unit on errors by Washington, D.C. officials and said the new report reflects union fears of "change and a loss of power". A new test is shaping up in the capital: Congress has voted to put 2 000 more local prisoners in private prisons by mid-1999.

单选题 What do the two examples in the first paragraph illustrate?

【正确答案】 C

【答案解析】这是一篇叙述文，讲述美国监狱人满为患的状况，并从几个方面提出了解决问题的办法。
这是一道归纳题，让我们归纳出第一段的两个例子说明了什么问题。此两例均说明了私人监狱内存在着暴力行为和安全问题，故选C项。

单选题 The report in the second paragraph includes all the following EXCEPT ______.

【正确答案】 D

【答案解析】这是一道细节理解题。本文第二段明确说明“该报告指出私人监狱在欺骗大众，他们根本没有节约钱，而是大肆浪费。私人监狱的设施也不像他们对外宣称的那么齐备”。该报告并未涉及D项的内容，故选择D项。