Question

Poverty today is a major global issue. Although there are all kinds of definitions used to explain it, in simple words, it means the inability of a person to even get his basic needs of food, shelter, clothing, safe drinking water, health and education. Poverty can be found in each and every corner of the world, although the causes may differ from country to country. Given below are the main causes of poverty in the world today.

Overpopulation is one of the main causes behind the threatening of poverty on an individual level as well as a social level. This is simple math. If there are more mouths to feed and less income, definitely much will remain poor.

Another theory which is used as an explanation for poverty is lack of education. If you look at any of the underdeveloped countries, you will find that the level of education there is very low. Lack of education means lack of employment opportunities, thus leading to unemployment coupled with poverty in the future.

Moving away from one’s own homeland to another city or country in search of employment leads to poverty too. It may take these people a lot of time to find jobs. Meanwhile they live in bad conditions. The cost of living in the city or country is most of the time too high for them.

There may be other causes of poverty like the change in business. For example, in America, a couple of decades ago, heavy industry flourished, which employed a lot of African-American people. But now, the focus is more on information technology and health care, both of which employ only skilled and trained people. This has led to unemployment among African-Americans.

Poverty has many ill effects on society. That’s why steps should be taken to get rid of it!

1.What’s the meaning of the underlined word “flourished” in Paragraph 5?

(No more than 5 words)

2.Why is overpopulation a cause of poverty today?  (No more than12 words)

3.What’s the situation of education in underdeveloped countries?  (No more than 8 words)

4.What does the passage mainly talk about?   (No more than 10 words)

5.In your opinion, what’s the most significant cause of poverty today? Please give your reason.  (No more than 25 words)

 

Answer 1

【答案】

1.developed（quickly）（ 形式及时态错不给分）

2. Because there’re more mouths to feed and less income.

3. The level of education is very low.

4.Main causes of poverty in the world today.

5.Lack of education. People without good education can’t adapt to society, so they’re much likely to suffer from poverty. （答案可不同）

【解析】

试题分析：文章主要分析了贫穷的原因：人口太多，教育太低等都是贫穷的原因。

1.developed（quickly）（ 形式及时态错不给分）

推理题。根据本句For example, in America, a couple of decades ago, heavy industry flourished, which employed a lot of African-American people. 可知很多年前，美国的重工业发展很快，雇佣了很多的工人。故该词是指迅速发展。

2.Because there’re more mouths to feed and less income.

细节题。根据第二段最后一句If there are more mouths to feed and less income, definitely much will remain poor.

3.The level of education is very low.

细节题。根据第三段第2句If you look at any of the underdeveloped countries, you will find that the level of education there is very low.

4.Main causes of poverty in the world today.

主旨大意题。文章主要分析了贫穷的原因：人口太多，教育太低等都是贫穷的原因。

5.Lack of education. People without good education can’t adapt to society, so they’re much likely to suffer from poverty. （答案可不同）

本题要求考生给出自己认为的贫穷的原因，不同的人观点不同。建议把教育水平低当成贫穷的主要原因。

考点：考查社会现象类短文阅读

点评：文章主要分析了贫穷的原因：人口太多，教育太低等都是贫穷的原因。文考查细节题为主，细节题可以在文章中直接找到与答案有关的信息?或是其变体。搜查信息在阅读中非常重要它包括理解作者在叙述某事时使用的具体事实、数据、图表等细节信息。在一篇短文里大部分篇幅都属于这类围绕主体展开的细节。