单选题 While still in its early stages, welfare reform has already been judged a great success in many states—at least in getting people off welfare. It"s estimated that more than two million people have left the rolls since 1994. In the past four years, welfare rolls in Athens County have been cut 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 that 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 U.S. Census data nationwide found that between 1995 and 1996, a greater percentage of single, female-headed 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 welfare-reform policy analyst. "The reform is changing the moral climate in low-income communities. It"s beginning to rebuild the work ethic (工作道德), 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. (286 words)
单选题 From the passage, it can be seen that the author______.
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】解析:本题属于综合推断题。从文中第一段里我们可看出福利制度改革在很多州至少在让人们摆脱福利的制度方面是一个巨大成功。然后在第六段作者又说贫穷的人在没有政府资助下能够自食其力本身就是个了不起的胜利,最后在第七段作者又谈到福利制度改革对改善人们道德观的影响更是不可小看。
单选题 Why aren"t people enjoying better lives when they have jobs?
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】解析:本题属于细节判断题。文中第二、三、四、五段较集中地谈论改革的一些不尽如人意之处。从第五段我们可知:很多以母亲为主的单亲家庭靠自身维持生活,家庭的平均收入实际上是下降了。由此,我们可以推断C是正确的。
单选题 What is worth noting from the example of Athens County is that______.
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】解析:本题属于细节判断题。从Athens县的例子我们可以看出,享受福利待遇的人在过去的四年中已减了一半。但近两年才没享受福利待遇的人中,70%的人所挣的工钱一小时不到六美元。结果Athens县的贫困率仍高达30%以上,是全国贫困线的两倍。因此D“大多数大生活水平下降”是正确答案。
单选题 From the passage we know that welfare reform aims at______.
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】解析:本题属于综合推断题。由短文第二层次三个段落的论述(穷人自食其力本身是一大胜利;改革改变低收入阶层的道德观并开始重建工作道德;打破依赖习惯)可知,福利改革的根本目的是帮助穷人自食其力,改掉依赖习惯,重建工作道德。因此B应为正确答案。
单选题 According to the passage, before the welfare reform was carried out, ______.
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】解析:本题属于推断题。由福利改革的成功(getting people off welfare)、改革的结果(more people take jobs)和改革的目的(rebuild work ethic,crack the habit of dependency),推测改革前的情况是更多的人不工作,被动依赖政府福利资助。