单选题Factories and companies are pleased that so many people “gamble” because ______.A they can make them richB they need more people to work for themC they need their money to do businessD some people win and some lose

根据下面资料，回答
Today, people all over the world are moving out of small villages in the country to go and live in big, noisy cities. They are moving from the peaceful hills, mountains, fields, rivers and streams of the countryside to the busy world of streets, buildings, traffic and crowds. This movement from rural areas to urban areas has been going on for over two hundred years.
In many countries, the main reason why people come to live in towns and cities is work. After one or two large factories have been built in or near a town, people come to find work, and soon an industrial area begins to grow. There is usually a residential area nearby, where the factory workers can live. The families of these workers need schools, hospitals and shops, so more people come to live in the area to provide these services and a city grows.
In every major city in the world, there is a business district where the big companies have their main offices. In the United States, this area is usually in the city centre. It is here that you can see the huge skyscraper office blocks. The people who work here often travel a long way to work each day. Many of them live in the suburbs of the city, far away from the industrial area and the city centre. Some suburbs are very pleasant, with nice houses and big gardens. There are usually parks for children to play in and large department stores where you can buy all you need.
But what is the future of the big cities? Will they continue to get bigger? Perhaps not. Some major cities have actually become smaller in the last ten years, and it is quite possible that one day we will see people moving out of the major cities and back into smaller towns and villages.
Why do people move to live in cities or towns?

A.Because they can live more comfortably there.
B.Because they prefer a noisy life to a peaceful life.
C.Because they want to find work.
D.Because they are sure of having a better life there.

共用题干
Prolonging Human Life
Prolonging human life has increased the size of the human population. Many people alive
today would have died of childhood diseases if they had been born 100 years ago.Because
more people live longer,there are more people around at any given time. In fact,it is a decrease in death rates,not an increase in birthrates,that has led to the population explosion.
Prolonging human life has also increased the dependency load. In all societies,people who are disabled or too young or too old to work are dependent on the rest of society to provide for them. In hunting and gathering cultures,old people who could not keep up might be left behind to die. In times of famine,infants might be allowed to die because they could not survive if their parents starved,whereas if the parents survived they could have another child. In most contemporary societies,people feel a moral obligation to keep people alive whether they can work or not. We have a great many people today who live past the age at which they want to work or are able to work;we also have rules which require people to retire at a certain age. Unless these people were able to save money for their retirement,some-body else must support them. In the United States many retired people live on social security checks which are so little that they must live in near poverty. Older people have more illness than young or middle-aged people;unless they have wealth or private or government insur-ance,they must often“go on welfare” if they have a serious illness.
When older people become senile or too weak and ill to care for themselves,they create grave problems for their families. In the past and in some traditional cultures,they would be cared for at home until they died. Today,with most members of a household working or in school,there is often no one at home who can care for a sick or weak person. To meet this need,a great many nursing homes and convalescent hospitals have been built.These are of-ten profit-making organizations,although some are sponsored by religious and other nonprofit groups.While a few of these institutions are good,most of them are simply“dumping grounds”for the dying in which“care”is given by poorly paid,overworked,and under-skilled personnel.

According to the passage,which of the following statements about retired people in the United States is true?
A: Many of them have a very hard life.
B: They cannot live a decent life without enough bank savings.
C: They rely mainly on their children for financial support.
D: Most of them live with their children and therefore are well looked after.

资料： The poverty line is the minimum income that people need for an acceptable standard of living. People with incomes below the poverty line are considered poor. Economists study the causes of poverty in order to find solutions to the problem.
As the general standard of living in the country rises, the poverty line does, too. Therefore, even with today’s relatively high standard of living, about 10 percent of the people in the United States are below the poverty line. However, if these people had stable jobs, they could have an acceptable standard of living. Economists suggest several reasons why poor people do not have jobs.
For one thing, more than half of the poor people in the United States are not qualified to work. Over 40 percent of the poor. People are children. By law, children less than 16 years old cannot work in many industries. A large number of poor people are Old. Many companies do not hire people over 65 years old, the normal retirement age.
Some poor adults do not look for jobs for a variety of personal reasons: they are sick, they do not have any motivation, they have family problems, or they do not believe that they can find a job.
Other poor people look for a job but cannot find one. Many poor adults never went to high school. Therefore, when they look for jobs, they have few skills that they can offer.
At the present time, the government thinks it can reduce poverty in the country in the following ways. First, if the national economy grows, businesses and industries hire more workers. Some of the poor who are qualified to look for jobs may find employment. Then they will no longer be below the poverty line. Second, if society invests in the poor, the poor will become more productive. If the government spends money on social programs, education, and training for poor people, the poor will have the skills to offer. Then it is more likely that they can find jobs.
Finally, if the government distributes society's income differently, it raises some poor people above the poverty line. The government collects taxes from the non－poor and gives money to the poor. These payments to the poor are called welfare. In 1975 over 18 million people in the United States received welfare.
Some economists are looking for better solutions to the poverty problem. However, at the present time, many people depend on welfare for a minimally acceptable standard of living.

what’s the meaning of the word “motivation” in paragraph 4?

A.Confidence
B.Ability
C.Diligence
D.Willpowe

资料： The poverty line is the minimum income that people need for an acceptable standard of living. People with incomes below the poverty line are considered poor. Economists study the causes of poverty in order to find solutions to the problem.
As the general standard of living in the country rises, the poverty line does, too. Therefore, even with today’s relatively high standard of living, about 10 percent of the people in the United States are below the poverty line. However, if these people had stable jobs, they could have an acceptable standard of living. Economists suggest several reasons why poor people do not have jobs.
For one thing, more than half of the poor people in the United States are not qualified to work. Over 40 percent of the poor. People are children. By law, children less than 16 years old cannot work in many industries. A large number of poor people are Old. Many companies do not hire people over 65 years old, the normal retirement age.
Some poor adults do not look for jobs for a variety of personal reasons: they are sick, they do not have any motivation, they have family problems, or they do not believe that they can find a job.
Other poor people look for a job but cannot find one. Many poor adults never went to high school. Therefore, when they look for jobs, they have few skills that they can offer.
At the present time, the government thinks it can reduce poverty in the country in the following ways. First, if the national economy grows, businesses and industries hire more workers. Some of the poor who are qualified to look for jobs may find employment. Then they will no longer be below the poverty line. Second, if society invests in the poor, the poor will become more productive. If the government spends money on social programs, education, and training for poor people, the poor will have the skills to offer. Then it is more likely that they can find jobs.
Finally, if the government distributes society's income differently, it raises some poor people above the poverty line. The government collects taxes from the non－poor and gives money to the poor. These payments to the poor are called welfare. In 1975 over 18 million people in the United States received welfare.
Some economists are looking for better solutions to the poverty problem. However, at the present time, many people depend on welfare for a minimally acceptable standard of living.

According to the passage, which of the following is NOT the reason of unemployment?

A.some people are too young to work in many industries
B.some people are satisfied with the government welfare
C.some people don’t have motion to work
D.some people are not qualified to work

共用题干
Are You a Successful Leader?

1 Almost nothing we do in this world is done in isolation.At work or at play,you'll find yourself in
groups,working with other people:your team at work,a meeting with colleagues,your family,a holiday with
friends,a group of students working together,a day out walking in the mountains,a group of neighbours want-
ing to make changes.It is now recognized that being able to work successfully with other people is one of the
major keys to success,partly because we need to do it so often.
2 In almost every situation where you're in a group,you will need a skilled leader. All groups need
leaders and all successful groups have good leaders.Groups without leaders or with weak leaders almost
always break down. Members of a leaderless group often begin to feel dissatisfied and frustrated.Time is wasted
and the tasks are not achieved.There are often arguments and tensions between people as there is nobody to
keep the goals clear. Some personalities dominate and others disappear. Often group members begin not to
come to meetings in order to avoid more disharmony.
3 Some people are natural leaders.The celebrity chef,Antonio Carluccio says,"True leaders are born
and you can spot them in kitchens."They're people who combine toughness,fairness and humour. Although
a lot of people agree that there are some natural-born leaders,most people now recognize that leadership can
also be taught.Our professional and experienced staff can train almost anyone how to be a successful leader.
Good leaders don't make people do things in a bossy,controlling way.You can learn how to involve everyone,
encouraging the whole group to work towards a common goal.
4 Our training courses use activities and techniques to develop a range of qualities which are necessary
to be a good leader. Seff-confidence is vital and being able to overcome your own fears about being a leader.
Successful leaders also need to be calm and intelligent.They need to be able to work out good strategies and
make sound judgements under pressure.Lastly,and probably most importantly,good leaders need to be sensi-
tive,sociable and be able to get on with a wide range of people.Good leadership is essentially the ability to
influence others and good leaders allow all members of the group to contribute.

Good leaders always avoid__________.
A:the ability to work with others
B:encouraging group members
C:lack of good leaders
D:bossing people around
E:working out good strategies
F: overcoming fears about being a leader

共用题干
Are You a Successful Leader?

1 Almost nothing we do in this world is done in isolation.At work or at play,you'll find yourself in
groups,working with other people:your team at work,a meeting with colleagues,your family,a holiday with
friends,a group of students working together,a day out walking in the mountains,a group of neighbours want-
ing to make changes.It is now recognized that being able to work successfully with other people is one of the
major keys to success,partly because we need to do it so often.
2 In almost every situation where you're in a group,you will need a skilled leader. All groups need
leaders and all successful groups have good leaders.Groups without leaders or with weak leaders almost
always break down. Members of a leaderless group often begin to feel dissatisfied and frustrated.Time is wasted
and the tasks are not achieved.There are often arguments and tensions between people as there is nobody to
keep the goals clear. Some personalities dominate and others disappear. Often group members begin not to
come to meetings in order to avoid more disharmony.
3 Some people are natural leaders.The celebrity chef,Antonio Carluccio says,"True leaders are born
and you can spot them in kitchens."They're people who combine toughness,fairness and humour. Although
a lot of people agree that there are some natural-born leaders,most people now recognize that leadership can
also be taught.Our professional and experienced staff can train almost anyone how to be a successful leader.
Good leaders don't make people do things in a bossy,controlling way.You can learn how to involve everyone,
encouraging the whole group to work towards a common goal.
4 Our training courses use activities and techniques to develop a range of qualities which are necessary
to be a good leader. Seff-confidence is vital and being able to overcome your own fears about being a leader.
Successful leaders also need to be calm and intelligent.They need to be able to work out good strategies and
make sound judgements under pressure.Lastly,and probably most importantly,good leaders need to be sensi-
tive,sociable and be able to get on with a wide range of people.Good leadership is essentially the ability to
influence others and good leaders allow all members of the group to contribute.

Paragraph 1_________
A:A Good Leader Needs a Variety of Qualities
B:These Techniques are Used to Train Leaden
C:Training can Make Good Leaders
D:Most of Good Leaders are Natural-born
E:It's Important to Have a Good Leader
F:People are in Groups

共用题干
Personality and Career

1.When you select your career,there's a whole lot more to it than assessing your skills and matching them with a particular position.If you ignore your personality,it will hurt you long-term regardless of your skills or the job's pay.There are several areas of your personality that you need to consider to help you find a good job.
2. There are isolating（使孤立）jobs that will drive an outgoing person crazy and also interactive jobs that will make a shy person uneasy.Most people are not extremes in either direction but do have a tendency that they prefer. There are also positions that are sometimes a combination of the two, which may be best for someone in the middle who adapts easily to either situation.
3.Most jobs these days have some elements of change to them,but some are more than others. If you need stability in your life,you may need a job where the changes don't happen so often.Other people would be bored of the same daily routine.
4.There are people who are happy to spend more than 40 hours a week on a computer,while there are others who need a lot of human interaction throughout the day.Again,these are extremes and you'll likely find a lot of positions somewhere in the middle as well.
5.Some people prefer a smaller setting where you'll get to know almost all the people there fairly quickly to being in a large building with a lot of people you won't know immediately.
6.Anyway,these are a great starting point for you.I've seen it over and over again with people that they make more money over time when they do something they love.It may take you a little longer,but making a move to do what you have a passion for can change the course of your life for the better.

If you are easily bored of daily routine,you'd better_________.
A:find a job with many elements of change
B:try different areas and fields
C:consider your skills and personality
D:prefer a smaller setting
E:feel uneasy with a job involving too much time on computers
F: make you uncomfortable

共用题干
Prolonging Human Life
Prolonging human life has increased the size of the human population.Many people alive today would have died of childhood diseases if they had been born 100 years ago.Because more people live longer,there are more people around at any given time.In fact,it is a decrease in death rates,not an increase in birthrates,that has led to the population explosion.
Prolonging human life has also increased the dependency load.In all societies,people who are disabled or too young or too old to work are dependent on the rest of society to provide for them.In hunting and gathering cultures, old people who could not keep up might be left behind to die.In times of famine,infants might be allowed to die because they could not survive if their parents starved,whereas if the parents survived they could have another child.In most contemporary societies,people feel a moral obligation to keep people alive whether they can work or not.We have a great many people today who live past the age at which they want to work or are able to work;we also have rules which require people to retire at a certain age.Unless these people were able to save money for their retirement,somebody else must support them.In the United States many retired people live on social security checks which are so little that they must live in near poverty.Older people have more illness than young or middle-aged people;unless they have wealth or private or government insurance,they must often"go on welfare"if they have a serious illness.
When older people become senile or too weak and ill to care for themselves,they create grave problems for their families.In the past and in some traditional cultures,they would be cared for at home until they died.Today,with most members of a household working or in school,there is often no one at home who can care for a sick or weak person.To meet this need,a great many nursing homes and convalescent hospitals have been built.These are often profit-making organizations,although some are sponsored by religious and other nonprofit groups.While a few of these institutions are good,most of them are simply"dumping grounds"for the dying in which"care"is given by poorly paid,overworked,and underskilled personnel.

According to the passage,which of the following statements about retired people in the United States is true?
A:Many of them have a very hard life.
B:They cannot live a decent life without enough bank savings.
C:They rely mainly on their children for financial support.
D:Most of them live with their children and therefore are well looked after.

共用题干
Are You a Successful Leader?

1 Almost nothing we do in this world is done in isolation.At work or at play,you'll find yourself in
groups,working with other people:your team at work,a meeting with colleagues,your family,a holiday with
friends,a group of students working together,a day out walking in the mountains,a group of neighbours want-
ing to make changes.It is now recognized that being able to work successfully with other people is one of the
major keys to success,partly because we need to do it so often.
2 In almost every situation where you're in a group,you will need a skilled leader. All groups need
leaders and all successful groups have good leaders.Groups without leaders or with weak leaders almost
always break down.Members of a leaderless group often begin to feel dissatisfied and frustrated.Time is
wasted and the tasks are not achieved.There are often arguments and tensions between people as there is
nobody to keep the goals clear. Some personalities dominate and others disappear. Often group members begin
not to come to meetings in order to avoid more disharmony.
3 Some people are natural leaders.The celebrity chef,Antonio Carluccio says,"True leaders are born
and you can spot them in kitchens."They're people who combine toughness,fairness and humour. Although
a lot of people agree that there are somne natural-born leaders,most people now recognize that leadership can
also be taught.Our professional and experienced staff can train almost anyone how to be a successful leader.
Good leaders don't make people do things in a bossy,controlling way.You can learn how to involve everyone,
encouraging the whole group to work towards a comnmon goal.
4 Our training courses use activities and techniques to develop a range of qualities which are necessary
to be a good leader. Self-confidence is vital and being able to overcome your own fears about being a leader.
Successful leaders also need to be calm and intelligent.They need to be able to work out good strategies and
make sound judgements under pressure.Lastly,and probably most importantly,good leaders need to be sensi-
tive,sociable and be able to get on with a wide range of people.Good leadership is essentially the ability to
influence others and good leaders allow all members of the group to contribute.

Paragraph 1____________
A:Most of Good Leaders are Natural-born
B:It's Important to Have a Good Leader
C:People are in Groups
D:These Techniques are Used to Train Leaders
E:Training can Make Good Leaders
F:A Good Leader Needs a Variety of Qualities

共用题干
Are You a Successful Leader?

1 Almost nothing we do in this world is done in isolation.At work or at play,you'll find yourself in
groups,working with other people:your team at work,a meeting with colleagues,your family,a holiday with
friends,a group of students working together,a day out walking in the mountains,a group of neighbours want-
ing to make changes.It is now recognized that being able to work successfully with other people is one of the
major keys to success,partly because we need to do it so often.
2 In almost every situation where you're in a group,you will need a skilled leader. All groups need
leaders and all successful groups have good leaders.Groups without leaders or with weak leaders almost
always break down.Members of a leaderless group often begin to feel dissatisfied and frustrated.Time is
wasted and the tasks are not achieved.There are often arguments and tensions between people as there is
nobody to keep the goals clear. Some personalities dominate and others disappear. Often group members begin
not to come to meetings in order to avoid more disharmony.
3 Some people are natural leaders.The celebrity chef,Antonio Carluccio says,"True leaders are born
and you can spot them in kitchens."They're people who combine toughness,fairness and humour. Although
a lot of people agree that there are somne natural-born leaders,most people now recognize that leadership can
also be taught.Our professional and experienced staff can train almost anyone how to be a successful leader.
Good leaders don't make people do things in a bossy,controlling way.You can learn how to involve everyone,
encouraging the whole group to work towards a comnmon goal.
4 Our training courses use activities and techniques to develop a range of qualities which are necessary
to be a good leader. Self-confidence is vital and being able to overcome your own fears about being a leader.
Successful leaders also need to be calm and intelligent.They need to be able to work out good strategies and
make sound judgements under pressure.Lastly,and probably most importantly,good leaders need to be sensi-
tive,sociable and be able to get on with a wide range of people.Good leadership is essentially the ability to
influence others and good leaders allow all members of the group to contribute.

Groups often break down because of_________.
A:the ability to work with others
B:encouraging group members
C:lack of good leaders
D:overcoming fears about being a leader
E:bossing people around
F:working out good strategies

根据下面资料，回答
Today, people all over the world are moving out of small villages in the country to go and live in big, noisy cities. They are moving from the peaceful hills, mountains, fields, rivers and streams of the countryside to the busy world of streets, buildings, traffic and crowds. This movement from rural areas to urban areas has been going on for over two hundred years.
In many countries, the main reason why people come to live in towns and cities is work. After one or two large factories have been built in or near a town, people come to find work, and soon an industrial area begins to grow. There is usually a residential area nearby, where the factory workers can live. The families of these workers need schools, hospitals and shops, so more people come to live in the area to provide these services and a city grows.
In every major city in the world, there is a business district where the big companies have their main offices. In the United States, this area is usually in the city centre. It is here that you can see the huge skyscraper office blocks. The people who work here often travel a long way to work each day. Many of them live in the suburbs of the city, far away from the industrial area and the city centre. Some suburbs are very pleasant, with nice houses and big gardens. There are usually parks for children to play in and large department stores where you can buy all you need.
But what is the future of the big cities? Will they continue to get bigger? Perhaps not. Some major cities have actually become smaller in the last ten years, and it is quite possible that one day we will see people moving out of the major cities and back into smaller towns and villages.
In a residential area, you can see ____________.

A.rows of houses, schools and shops
B.many offices and factories
C.a lot of factories and farms
D.many houses with offices and factories

共用题干
Prolonging Human Life
Prolonging human life has increased the size of the human population. Many people alive
today would have died of childhood diseases if they had been born 100 years ago.Because
more people live longer,there are more people around at any given time. In fact,it is a decrease in death rates,not an increase in birthrates,that has led to the population explosion.
Prolonging human life has also increased the dependency load. In all societies,people who are disabled or too young or too old to work are dependent on the rest of society to provide for them. In hunting and gathering cultures,old people who could not keep up might be left behind to die. In times of famine,infants might be allowed to die because they could not survive if their parents starved,whereas if the parents survived they could have another child. In most contemporary societies,people feel a moral obligation to keep people alive whether they can work or not. We have a great many people today who live past the age at which they want to work or are able to work;we also have rules which require people to retire at a certain age. Unless these people were able to save money for their retirement,some-body else must support them. In the United States many retired people live on social security checks which are so little that they must live in near poverty. Older people have more illness than young or middle-aged people;unless they have wealth or private or government insur-ance,they must often“go on welfare” if they have a serious illness.
When older people become senile or too weak and ill to care for themselves,they create grave problems for their families. In the past and in some traditional cultures,they would be cared for at home until they died. Today,with most members of a household working or in school,there is often no one at home who can care for a sick or weak person. To meet this need,a great many nursing homes and convalescent hospitals have been built.These are of-ten profit-making organizations,although some are sponsored by religious and other nonprofit groups.While a few of these institutions are good,most of them are simply“dumping grounds”for the dying in which“care”is given by poorly paid,overworked,and under-skilled personnel.

In Paragraph 3,the phrase“this need” refers to______.
A: the need to prolong the lives of old people
B: the need to enrich the life of the retired people
C: the need to build profit-making nursing homes
D: the need to take care of a sick and weak person

资料： The poverty line is the minimum income that people need for an acceptable standard of living. People with incomes below the poverty line are considered poor. Economists study the causes of poverty in order to find solutions to the problem.
As the general standard of living in the country rises, the poverty line does, too. Therefore, even with today’s relatively high standard of living, about 10 percent of the people in the United States are below the poverty line. However, if these people had stable jobs, they could have an acceptable standard of living. Economists suggest several reasons why poor people do not have jobs.
For one thing, more than half of the poor people in the United States are not qualified to work. Over 40 percent of the poor. People are children. By law, children less than 16 years old cannot work in many industries. A large number of poor people are Old. Many companies do not hire people over 65 years old, the normal retirement age.
Some poor adults do not look for jobs for a variety of personal reasons: they are sick, they do not have any motivation, they have family problems, or they do not believe that they can find a job.
Other poor people look for a job but cannot find one. Many poor adults never went to high school. Therefore, when they look for jobs, they have few skills that they can offer.
At the present time, the government thinks it can reduce poverty in the country in the following ways. First, if the national economy grows, businesses and industries hire more workers. Some of the poor who are qualified to look for jobs may find employment. Then they will no longer be below the poverty line. Second, if society invests in the poor, the poor will become more productive. If the government spends money on social programs, education, and training for poor people, the poor will have the skills to offer. Then it is more likely that they can find jobs.
Finally, if the government distributes society's income differently, it raises some poor people above the poverty line. The government collects taxes from the non－poor and gives money to the poor. These payments to the poor are called welfare. In 1975 over 18 million people in the United States received welfare.
Some economists are looking for better solutions to the poverty problem. However, at the present time, many people depend on welfare for a minimally acceptable standard of living.

We may conclude from the passage that _______

A.poor people are bound to go out of the poverty line if they have chances to do business
B.welfare will enable people to be rich
C.employment is the best solution to the poverty problem
D.better solutions to the poverty problem are not found yet

资料： The poverty line is the minimum income that people need for an acceptable standard of living. People with incomes below the poverty line are considered poor. Economists study the causes of poverty in order to find solutions to the problem.
As the general standard of living in the country rises, the poverty line does, too. Therefore, even with today’s relatively high standard of living, about 10 percent of the people in the United States are below the poverty line. However, if these people had stable jobs, they could have an acceptable standard of living. Economists suggest several reasons why poor people do not have jobs.
For one thing, more than half of the poor people in the United States are not qualified to work. Over 40 percent of the poor. People are children. By law, children less than 16 years old cannot work in many industries. A large number of poor people are Old. Many companies do not hire people over 65 years old, the normal retirement age.
Some poor adults do not look for jobs for a variety of personal reasons: they are sick, they do not have any motivation, they have family problems, or they do not believe that they can find a job.
Other poor people look for a job but cannot find one. Many poor adults never went to high school. Therefore, when they look for jobs, they have few skills that they can offer.
At the present time, the government thinks it can reduce poverty in the country in the following ways. First, if the national economy grows, businesses and industries hire more workers. Some of the poor who are qualified to look for jobs may find employment. Then they will no longer be below the poverty line. Second, if society invests in the poor, the poor will become more productive. If the government spends money on social programs, education, and training for poor people, the poor will have the skills to offer. Then it is more likely that they can find jobs.
Finally, if the government distributes society's income differently, it raises some poor people above the poverty line. The government collects taxes from the non－poor and gives money to the poor. These payments to the poor are called welfare. In 1975 over 18 million people in the United States received welfare.
Some economists are looking for better solutions to the poverty problem. However, at the present time, many people depend on welfare for a minimally acceptable standard of living.

The author’s main purpose to write this article is_____

A.to give several possible solutions to the problem of poverty
B.to explain why some people in the United States are below the poverty line
C.to show sympathy for those poor people
D.to give the definition of “poverty line”

资料： The poverty line is the minimum income that people need for an acceptable standard of living. People with incomes below the poverty line are considered poor. Economists study the causes of poverty in order to find solutions to the problem.
As the general standard of living in the country rises, the poverty line does, too. Therefore, even with today’s relatively high standard of living, about 10 percent of the people in the United States are below the poverty line. However, if these people had stable jobs, they could have an acceptable standard of living. Economists suggest several reasons why poor people do not have jobs.
For one thing, more than half of the poor people in the United States are not qualified to work. Over 40 percent of the poor. People are children. By law, children less than 16 years old cannot work in many industries. A large number of poor people are Old. Many companies do not hire people over 65 years old, the normal retirement age.
Some poor adults do not look for jobs for a variety of personal reasons: they are sick, they do not have any motivation, they have family problems, or they do not believe that they can find a job.
Other poor people look for a job but cannot find one. Many poor adults never went to high school. Therefore, when they look for jobs, they have few skills that they can offer.
At the present time, the government thinks it can reduce poverty in the country in the following ways. First, if the national economy grows, businesses and industries hire more workers. Some of the poor who are qualified to look for jobs may find employment. Then they will no longer be below the poverty line. Second, if society invests in the poor, the poor will become more productive. If the government spends money on social programs, education, and training for poor people, the poor will have the skills to offer. Then it is more likely that they can find jobs.
Finally, if the government distributes society's income differently, it raises some poor people above the poverty line. The government collects taxes from the non－poor and gives money to the poor. These payments to the poor are called welfare. In 1975 over 18 million people in the United States received welfare.
Some economists are looking for better solutions to the poverty problem. However, at the present time, many people depend on welfare for a minimally acceptable standard of living.

For the time being, what is the last solution to guarantee the basic standard of living?

A.The growing national economy
B.The tax collections from the non-poor classes
C.More choices of selectable job vacancies
D.Goverrnment’s investments on the poor to improve their working skills

共用题干
Are You a Successful Leader?

1 Almost nothing we do in this world is done in isolation.At work or at play,you'll find yourself in
groups,working with other people:your team at work,a meeting with colleagues,your family,a holiday with
friends,a group of students working together,a day out walking in the mountains,a group of neighbours want-
ing to make changes.It is now recognized that being able to work successfully with other people is one of the
major keys to success,partly because we need to do it so often.
2 In almost every situation where you're in a group,you will need a skilled leader. All groups need
leaders and all successful groups have good leaders.Groups without leaders or with weak leaders almost
always break down. Members of a leaderless group often begin to feel dissatisfied and frustrated.Time is wasted
and the tasks are not achieved.There are often arguments and tensions between people as there is nobody to
keep the goals clear. Some personalities dominate and others disappear. Often group members begin not to
come to meetings in order to avoid more disharmony.
3 Some people are natural leaders.The celebrity chef,Antonio Carluccio says,"True leaders are born
and you can spot them in kitchens."They're people who combine toughness,fairness and humour. Although
a lot of people agree that there are some natural-born leaders,most people now recognize that leadership can
also be taught.Our professional and experienced staff can train almost anyone how to be a successful leader.
Good leaders don't make people do things in a bossy,controlling way.You can learn how to involve everyone,
encouraging the whole group to work towards a common goal.
4 Our training courses use activities and techniques to develop a range of qualities which are necessary
to be a good leader. Seff-confidence is vital and being able to overcome your own fears about being a leader.
Successful leaders also need to be calm and intelligent.They need to be able to work out good strategies and
make sound judgements under pressure.Lastly,and probably most importantly,good leaders need to be sensi-
tive,sociable and be able to get on with a wide range of people.Good leadership is essentially the ability to
influence others and good leaders allow all members of the group to contribute.

Groups often break down because of__________.
A:the ability to work with others
B:encouraging group members
C:lack of good leaders
D:bossing people around
E:working out good strategies
F: overcoming fears about being a leader

共用题干
Prolonging Human Life
Prolonging human life has increased the size of the human population.Many people alive today would have died of childhood diseases if they had been born 100 years ago.Because more people live longer,there are more people around at any given time.In fact,it is a decrease in death rates,not an increase in birthrates,that has led to the population explosion.
Prolonging human life has also increased the dependency load.In all societies,people who are disabled or too young or too old to work are dependent on the rest of society to provide for them.In hunting and gathering cultures, old people who could not keep up might be left behind to die.In times of famine,infants might be allowed to die because they could not survive if their parents starved,whereas if the parents survived they could have another child.In most contemporary societies,people feel a moral obligation to keep people alive whether they can work or not.We have a great many people today who live past the age at which they want to work or are able to work;we also have rules which require people to retire at a certain age.Unless these people were able to save money for their retirement,somebody else must support them.In the United States many retired people live on social security checks which are so little that they must live in near poverty.Older people have more illness than young or middle-aged people;unless they have wealth or private or government insurance,they must often"go on welfare"if they have a serious illness.
When older people become senile or too weak and ill to care for themselves,they create grave problems for their families.In the past and in some traditional cultures,they would be cared for at home until they died.Today,with most members of a household working or in school,there is often no one at home who can care for a sick or weak person.To meet this need,a great many nursing homes and convalescent hospitals have been built.These are often profit-making organizations,although some are sponsored by religious and other nonprofit groups.While a few of these institutions are good,most of them are simply"dumping grounds"for the dying in which"care"is given by poorly paid,overworked,and underskilled personnel.

In Paragraph 3,the phrase"this need"refers to______.
A:the need to prolong the lives of old people
B:the need to enrich the life of the retired people
C:the need to build profit-making nursing homes
D:the need to take care of a sick and weak person

共用题干
Personality and Career

1.When you select your career,there's a whole lot more to it than assessing your skills and matching them with a particular position.If you ignore your personality,it will hurt you long-term regardless of your skills or the job's pay.There are several areas of your personality that you need to consider to help you find a good job.
2. There are isolating（使孤立）jobs that will drive an outgoing person crazy and also interactive jobs that will make a shy person uneasy.Most people are not extremes in either direction but do have a tendency that they prefer. There are also positions that are sometimes a combination of the two, which may be best for someone in the middle who adapts easily to either situation.
3.Most jobs these days have some elements of change to them,but some are more than others. If you need stability in your life,you may need a job where the changes don't happen so often.Other people would be bored of the same daily routine.
4.There are people who are happy to spend more than 40 hours a week on a computer,while there are others who need a lot of human interaction throughout the day.Again,these are extremes and you'll likely find a lot of positions somewhere in the middle as well.
5.Some people prefer a smaller setting where you'll get to know almost all the people there fairly quickly to being in a large building with a lot of people you won't know immediately.
6.Anyway,these are a great starting point for you.I've seen it over and over again with people that they make more money over time when they do something they love.It may take you a little longer,but making a move to do what you have a passion for can change the course of your life for the better.

Paragraph 2_________
A:Do you enjoy working with computers?
B:How do you like to get paid?
C:Do you prefer working alone or with other people?
D:Do you prefer indoor jobs or outdoor jobs?
E:How do you handle change?
F: What type of work environment do you enjoy?

共用题干
Prolonging Human Life
Prolonging human life has increased the size of the human population.Many people alive today would have died of childhood diseases if they had been born 100 years ago.Because more people live longer,there are more people around at any given time.In fact,it is a decrease in death rates,not an increase in birthrates,that has led to the population explosion.
Prolonging human life has also increased the dependency load.In all societies,people who are disabled or too young or too old to work are dependent on the rest of society to provide for them.In hunting and gathering cultures, old people who could not keep up might be left behind to die.In times of famine,infants might be allowed to die because they could not survive if their parents starved,whereas if the parents survived they could have another child.In most contemporary societies,people feel a moral obligation to keep people alive whether they can work or not.We have a great many people today who live past the age at which they want to work or are able to work;we also have rules which require people to retire at a certain age.Unless these people were able to save money for their retirement,somebody else must support them.In the United States many retired people live on social security checks which are so little that they must live in near poverty.Older people have more illness than young or middle-aged people;unless they have wealth or private or government insurance,they must often"go on welfare"if they have a serious illness.
When older people become senile or too weak and ill to care for themselves,they create grave problems for their families.In the past and in some traditional cultures,they would be cared for at home until they died.Today,with most members of a household working or in school,there is often no one at home who can care for a sick or weak person.To meet this need,a great many nursing homes and convalescent hospitals have been built.These are often profit-making organizations,although some are sponsored by religious and other nonprofit groups.While a few of these institutions are good,most of them are simply"dumping grounds"for the dying in which"care"is given by poorly paid,overworked,and underskilled personnel.

The writer believes that the population explosion results from______.
A:an increase in birthrates
B:the industrial development
C:a decrease in death rates
D:cultural advances

共用题干
Are You a Successful Leader?

1 Almost nothing we do in this world is done in isolation.At work or at play,you'll find yourself in
groups,working with other people:your team at work,a meeting with colleagues,your family,a holiday with
friends,a group of students working together,a day out walking in the mountains,a group of neighbours want-
ing to make changes.It is now recognized that being able to work successfully with other people is one of the
major keys to success,partly because we need to do it so often.
2 In almost every situation where you're in a group,you will need a skilled leader. All groups need
leaders and all successful groups have good leaders.Groups without leaders or with weak leaders almost
always break down.Members of a leaderless group often begin to feel dissatisfied and frustrated.Time is
wasted and the tasks are not achieved.There are often arguments and tensions between people as there is
nobody to keep the goals clear. Some personalities dominate and others disappear. Often group members begin
not to come to meetings in order to avoid more disharmony.
3 Some people are natural leaders.The celebrity chef,Antonio Carluccio says,"True leaders are born
and you can spot them in kitchens."They're people who combine toughness,fairness and humour. Although
a lot of people agree that there are somne natural-born leaders,most people now recognize that leadership can
also be taught.Our professional and experienced staff can train almost anyone how to be a successful leader.
Good leaders don't make people do things in a bossy,controlling way.You can learn how to involve everyone,
encouraging the whole group to work towards a comnmon goal.
4 Our training courses use activities and techniques to develop a range of qualities which are necessary
to be a good leader. Self-confidence is vital and being able to overcome your own fears about being a leader.
Successful leaders also need to be calm and intelligent.They need to be able to work out good strategies and
make sound judgements under pressure.Lastly,and probably most importantly,good leaders need to be sensi-
tive,sociable and be able to get on with a wide range of people.Good leadership is essentially the ability to
influence others and good leaders allow all members of the group to contribute.

Good leaders always avoid_________.
A:the ability to work with others
B:encouraging group members
C:lack of good leaders
D:overcoming fears about being a leader
E:bossing people around
F:working out good strategies