Question

　　WASHINGTON--Almost 13 per cent of Americans still live in poverty in spite of a slight decrease in their number last year and a rise in average household income, the Census Bureau（统计局）reported last week.

　　Last year, the poverty rate dropped to 12.7 per cent of the population from 13.3 per cent the year before, and the common household income rose for the fourth year running.

　　According to the US government, poverty is described exactly as people who earn US $13,003 a year for a family of three, and US $ 16,600 a year for a family of four.

　　The number of those living in poverty fell from 35.6 million in 1997 to 34. 5 million in 1998--but that number is still high in the light of（考虑……的因素）the growing economy, which has seen the largest peacetime growing in history since US President Bill Clinton took office over six years ago.

　　One reason for the continued high poverty rate is immigration, according to Steve Camarota with the Centre for Immigration Studies.

　　His figures show the total number of immigrants living in poverty has tripled over the last 19 years from 2.5 million to 7.5 million in 1998.

　　Clinton took the chance to declare the country's strong financial health, saying it has “helped lift millions of hardworking families out of poverty.”

　　“The best news is that these gains finally are being shared with all groups in America, from the wealthiest to the poorest,” he told reporters at the White House.

　　But the Census report showed that while white households saw their incomes rise 3 per cent from 1997--1998 to a record US $424,000, African-American families held steady at an average US $ 254,000 annually.

　　Hispanic households had a 4.8 per cent increase to US $ 28,300 a year for the period.

(1) From the first paragraph, we get to know that in the last few years ________.

[　　]

A．American families have become richer

B．American families have become poorer

C．most American families have enjoyed a better life

D．most American families have suffered a lot

(2) In America, poor families ________.

[　　]

A．have more people than others

B．live in the countryside with more children

C．live in big cities with more children

D．get money below a certain specified（规定）“amount”

(3) The word “tripled” in the sixth paragraph means “________”.

[　　]

A．become three times

B．made up of three parts

C．fallen down greatly

D．grown up greatly

(4) What Clinton said means that ________.

[　　]

A．he would support the poor over the world

B．he would be president forever

C．he had done well as a president

D．he would make the poor richer

Answer 1

答案：C;D;A;C
解析：

(1) 属细节题。根据第一段右知，在过去的一年中，美国家庭收入所提高，故C为正确答案。 (2) 属细节题。根据经三段可知，美国家庭贫困与否，政府有具体的标准，凡家庭总收入在政府规定数额以下者为贫困家庭，故D为正确答案。 (3) 属词义猜测题。根据第六段中所提供信息，在过去19年中生活在贫困之中的移民总数由250万增加到750万，故“tripled”的含义应为三倍。 (4) 属推断题。克林顿声称美国政府帮助数以万计贫困家庭脱贫困，美国所有家庭收入都有所增长，言外之意就是他作为总统是称职的。