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 list since 1994．
In the past four years, welfare list 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 US Census data （户口普查资料） nationwide found that between 1995 and 1996, a greater percentage of single, female-headed families were earning money on their own, but that average income for these families 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 poisonous substance 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 （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．
【小题1】．From the passage, it can be seen that the author __   __．

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 two years took jobs that paid less than $6 an hour．T'he 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 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, 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．
【小题1】Why don't people enjoy their better lives when they get jobs?

Once again, I was in a new school. So was a girl in my class named Phoebe. That’s   36  the similaritiesended.

I was tall and she was small. I was one of the oldest in the class while she was the youngest. I was   37 and shy. She wasn’t. I couldn’t   38  her, considering her my enemy. But she wanted to be friends.

One day, she invited me over and I said yes — I was too   39  to say no. Actually no one has invited me over to play before. But this girl, who wore the latest fashion, wanted to see me.

She lived on the fourth floor in a two-room place with her mother, her stepfather, her two brothers and her sister. When we got to the room she shared with her sister, she took out a big case of Barbies（芭比娃娃）- which was my next   40 . I would have thought she’d outgrown them. I had never played with them. But we sat on the floor of a walk-in cupboard laughing as we made up crazy stories about the Barbies. That’s   41  we found out that we both wanted to be writers when we were older. We both had wild   42 .

We had a great day that afternoon. Our jaws ached from   43  so much. She showed me her outfits, which had mostly come from a designer clothing store down the block. The woman who owned it used her   44  a model sometimes for her newspaper ads and gave her clothes in exchange.

Phoebe had the whole neighborhood   45 . The bookstore owners lent her fashion magazines, the movie theater gave her free passes and the pizza place let her have free slices. Soon I was included in her magic world. We slept over at each other's houses and spent every free moment together. My dark hair grew out and I learned to love being   46 .

Phoebe, my first real friend since childhood, helped me get through the through teenage years and taught me an amazing and very surprising thing about making friends: your “worst enemy” can   47  to be your best friend.

1.                A．how           B．why            C．that  D．where

2.                A．beautiful        B．awkward        C．brave    D．clever

3.                A．like            B．hate           C．stand D．help

4.                A．shocked        B．worried         C．shamed   D．happy

5.                A．surprise        B．puzzle          C．issue D．question

6.                A．where         B．how           C．when D．why

7.                A．profile         B．imagination      C．image    D．thinking

8.                A．crying          B．shouting        C．smiling   D．doing

9.                A．for            B．from           C．of   D．as

10.               A．confused       B．charmed        C．addicted   D．annoyed

11.               A．short          B．high           C．funny D．tall

12.               A．turn out        B．look out        C．watch out  D．work out

Before India gained independence (独立), a few young men from the villages wanted to free India from the foreign rule; they wanted the British to quit India. They needed material wealth to  36  the British out of India, so they started collecting  37  in the Indian villages.

One day, they got encouraged to collect  38  things as well. They went from door to door carrying a huge bag, which gradually was  39  with money and gifts. As they went, a one-legged beggar kept  40  them. The young men did not mind.

At the  41  of the day, they entered a house to see  42  they had collected. The beggar also wanted to enter, but since he was not a member of the group, they did not  43  him in. The beggar said to them: “I walked such a  44  distance right behind you. You want freedom; I also want freedom. India is not only your motherland. It is also my motherland.”

 45 , the young men got mad and told the beggar to go away. Then one of the men felt  46  for him, so they decided to  47  him the things they had collected.  48  the beggar was looking at the gifts in their bag, most of them were showing no  49  for him. Then suddenly the beggar opened up the bag that he had been carrying. It  50  a few coins and some rice. He threw all the contents into their bag at once.

At the  51  of this, immediately all the members of the revolutionary group started dropping  52  of gratitude (感激), because he had  53  all that he had to their cause. On that day, they had gone to visit so many rich families, who had given them next to  54 ; but this beggar had given them everything that he had! They were deeply  55  by the beggar’s contribution.

1.                A．drive          B．grow           C．help D．pick

2.                A．food           B．money         C．papers   D．seeds

3.                A．military         B．material        C．mysterious    D．cultural

4.                A．tired           B．satisfied        C．filled D．covered

5.                A．following       B．cheating        C．calling    D．beating

6.                A．beginning       B．end            C．front D．middle

7.                A．how           B．what           C．where    D．when

8.                A．stop           B．drop           C．allow D．promise

9.                A．short          B．near           C．long D．little

10.               A．At last          B．At first         C．At a time  D．In that case

11.               A．necessary       B．patient         C．thankful   D．sorry

12.               A．trouble         B．serve          C．show D．excite

13.               A．Since          B．While          C．If D．Although

14.               A．interest        B．courage        C．respect   D．disappointment

15.               A．included        B．consisted       C．held  D．contained

16.               A．thought        B．sight           C．sound D．moment

17.               A．laughter        B．difference      C．truth D．tears

18.               A．taken          B．given          C．wasted    D．lost

19.               A．something      B．nothing         C．everything D．anything

20.               A．moved         B．removed       C．excited    D．surprised

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 list since 1994．

In the past four years, welfare list 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 US Census data （户口普查资料） nationwide found that between 1995 and 1996, a greater percentage of single, female-headed families were earning money on their own, but that average income for these families 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 poisonous substance 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 （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 not interested in 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 end their marriage．

    B．Because government aid is now rare．

    C．Because their wages are still low．

    D．Because the cost of living is rising．

3.．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

4.According to the passage,____ before the welfare reform was carried out．

    A．the poverty rate was lower   

    B．average living standards were higher

    C．the average worker was paid higher-wages  

    D．the poor used to rely on government aid