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 2 million people have left the rolls since 1994.
In the past four years, welfare rolls in Athens Country have been cut in half. But 70 percent of the people who left in the past tow years took jobs that paid less than $6 an hour. The result: The Athens Country 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, 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 in changing the moral climate in low-income 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.
1. 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
2. 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.
3. 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
4. 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
5. According to the passage before the welfare reform was carried out, _______.
A) the poverty rate was lover
B) average living standards were higher
C) the average worker was paid higher wages
D) the poor used to rely on government aid
答案及解析
DCABD
这是一篇关于福利制度改革的论说文。短文论述了福利制度改革成功的标志是让尽可能多的人不依靠政府福利生活。短文于第一段提出主题后分两个层次论述：二至五段是一种衬托性阐述，通过二、四、五段中三个 “but”,阐述了福利制度改革中许多人虽然离开了福利资助，但生活和收入水平反而有所下降现实;第二层次(六至八段)通过But 转入正面论述改革的成功和意义，即改革让人打破依赖的习惯，重建了工作道德观。
1. (D)主题归纳。由短文第一段和第二层次(第六段)阐述，能清楚归纳出作者的论点。
2. (C)要点定位理解。由题干问句定位至短文第一层次，第二、四、五段都提及not enjoy better lives 这一结果，但只有第二段第二句中的took jobs that paid less than $6 an hour 回答了原因。
3. (A)要点定位理解。由题干之Athens County 定位至短文第二、三段。选项B是Athens Country 事例的内容，A是该事例引出的思考，即第三段中的 “that’s an indication much more needs to be done”。
4. (B)主题归纳。由短文第二层次三个段落的论述①穷人自食其力本身是一大胜利;②改革改变低收和主阶层的moral climate 并开始重建work ethic;③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。
5. (D)要点推断。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，可知是更多的人不工作，被动依赖政府福利资助。
责任编辑：sealion1986
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