1 . 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(名单) since 1994.
In the past four years, welfare rolls 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 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 nationwide found that last year, 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 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, 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. Why don’t people enjoy their lives better when they get jobs?| A．Because they are used to relying on welfare to make livings. |
| B．Because the cost of living is higher than before. |
| C．Because many families are not satisfied with their income. |
| D．Because their wages are very low. |
| A．government aids | B．work ethic |
| C．welfare funds | D．moral awareness |
| A．To improve their living standards. | B．To help them be employed. |
| C．To get them off welfare. | D．To increase their wage. |
| A．He is completely certain about the success of welfare reform. |
| B．He thinks that welfare reform has done little good for the poor. |
| C．He considers welfare reform successful in general. |
| D．He insists welfare reform has increased the government’s burden. |
2 . Families should reduce exposure to synthetic chemicals found in food colorings, preservatives and packaging materials as a growing body of research shows they may harm children's health, according to a policy statement and technical report from the American Academy of Pediatrics released online.
The statement also suggests improvements to the food additives regulatory system, including updating the scientific foundation of the U. S. Food and Drug Administration safety assessment program and retesting all previously approved chemicals.
Q&A with the lead author
We asked Leonardo Trasande, Council on Environmental Health member and lead author of the policy statement, to tell us more about these concerns.
Q: What are the growing number of studies showing us?
A: Over the past two decades, an accumulating body of science suggests some food additives can interfere with a child's hormones, growth and development.
Potentially harmful effects of food additives are of special concern for children because they are more sensitive to chemical exposures because they eat and drink more, relative to body weight, than adults do and are still growing and developing. An early injury to their organ systems can have lifelong and permanent consequences.
Q: What additives does the statement highlight?
A: The additives of most concern, based on rising research evidence cited in the report, include: Bisphenols, such as BPA, used to harden plastic containers and line metal cans, can act like estrogen in the body which may potentially change the timing of puberty, decrease, fertility, increase body fat and affect the nervous and immune systems. BPA is now banned in baby bottles.
Phthalates, which make plastic and vinyl tubes used in industrial food production flexible, may affect male genital development, increase childhood obesity and contribute to cardiovascular disease. In 2017, the Consumer Product Safety Commission banned the use or some phthalates in child-care products such as teething rings.
1. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics' report, people should _______to cope with the problem of food additives.| A．reduce the usage of food additives and establish new food protection system |
| B．update the food safety assessment program and check the approved chemicals again |
| C．improve the food additives regulatory system and retest all approved chemicals |
| D．try to avoid food additives in daily life and revise relevant rules on food additives |
| A．children are more sensitive to what they eat and drink than adults |
| B．children usually eat and drink more unhealthy food than adults |
| C．children are just too young and weak to protect themselves |
| D．children's organs are easier to be damaged and hard to recover |
| A．2. | B．7. | C．8. | D．1. |
1.
| A．Seeing a movie. | B．The best study spot. |
| C．A coffee shop. | D．A school library. |
| A．Books in the library make him anxious. |
| B．Hardworking students are his favorite scenery. |
| C．The silence of library helps him concentrate. |
| D．He feels the anxiety of studying at the library. |
| A．A coffee shop helps her relax. | B．Too much coffee makes her feel sick. |
| C．Drinking coffee fails to keep her alert. | D．A bit of background noise affects her. |
| A．To give up their noise-canceling headphones. |
| B．To drink coffee while they study together. |
| C．To be equipped with comfortable chairs. |
| D．To exchange their places for the better one. |
| A．Every action leads to a result. | B．Making a big decision quietly. |
| C．Asking peers for helpful advice. | D．Sharing your confidence proudly. |
| A．To define the problem you’re scared of. | B．To brainstorm others’ comments. |
| C．To decide what is right for you. | D．To postpone taking action. |
| A．What factors involved in making a bad decision. |
| B．How to make good decisions and avoid bad ones. |
| C．Why people usually hesitate to make decisions. |
| D．How many steps to be taken before making decisions. |
1.
| A．To start off as a listener. | B．To speak right away. |
| C．To learn and listen quietly. | D．To talk about their lives. |
| A．They can hear and appreciate interesting videos. |
| B．They can drop their worries and problems. |
| C．It can help people make more online friends. |
| D．They can enjoy the safe space for expression. |
| A．To enable the users to enjoy more freedom to say anything. |
| B．To find a way to track discussions and protect users. |
| C．To provide a space for hateful speeches and false statements. |
| D．To tell whether the impact of the app is helpful or harmful. |
| A．Children should play sports at least once a week. |
| B．The woman’s kids can play football with his son. |
| C．Many children feel bored when left alone. |
| D．The woman’s sons might enjoy team sports. |
| A．The man and the woman are working on a joint project. |
| B．The woman is going to make her topic more focused. |
| C．It took a lot of time to get the man on the right track. |
| D．One should choose a broad topic for a research paper. |
| A．He was fifteen when he took over the company. |
| B．He is making plans to expand his operation. |
| C．He is a very successful businessman. |
| D．He has changed his business strategy. |
| A．Jane wore the overcoat last week. | B．Jane’s sister is in the same class as the man. |
| C．Jane missed her class last week. | D．Jane’s overcoat is as fashionable as her sister’s. |
| A．Get a new bus schedule. | B．Read the notice on the window. |
| C．Go and ask the ticket seller. | D．Board the bus to Cleveland. |
