2012年3月高级口译上半场阅读理解第三篇原文.doc.doc

2012年3月高级口译上半场阅读理解第三篇原文TheTruthAboutthePovertyCItsofficial:TherearenowmorepoorpeopleinAmericathanatanyothertimeinthe52yearsrecordshavebeenkept.Weknewthatthe2010povertynumbers,releasedbytheCensusBureauonSept.13,werentgoingtobegood.Theyturnedouttobe,inthewordsofBrookingsseniorfellowRonHaskins,extraordinarilybad.Morethan15%ofAmericanslivebelowthepovertyline.Thetotalroseforthefourthconsecutiveyear.Forafamilyoffour,povertymeansscrapingbyonroughly$22,000ayear.Thenewpovertycrisishasemergedinpartoutoftheothereconomiccrisiswearefacing:unemployment.Thefastestwaytopovertyisjobloss,and6.5millionjobswerelostintherecession.Today,afulltwoyearsintotherecovery,morethan9%ofAmericansarestilloutofwork.Butafactthatmaybeburiedinthecopiouscoverageofthesenewfiguresisthatthepovertyproblemdidntstartwiththefinancialcrisisandthesubsequentdownturn.Itsrootsgomuchdeeper,possiblytotherecessionof2000,afterwhichpovertylevelsdidntdropbacktotheirprerecessionnumbersastheytypicallydoafterarecovery.Thoughitsdifficulttoteaseoutstatistically,thatturningpointisundoubtedlyalegacyoftheprevioustwodecadesofhyperglobalization,whentensofmillionsofmiddle-incomejobswerelosttooutsourcingorreplacedbytechnologyandsalariesbecamemoreandmorecompressed.Theaveragerealweeklyearningsofatypicalbluecollarworkerarelowertodaythanin1964.ButthepovertyproblemisalsoaboutthefracturingoftheAmericanDream,specificallythedreamofupwardmobility.ItsbecomeincreasinglyhardforAmericanstoriseabovethesocioeconomicstatusoftheirbirth,particularlycomparedwiththeirpeersinotherrichnations.Povertyisinmanywaysaboutalackofsocialmobility,saysErinCurrier,whostudiesthesetopicsatthePewCharitableTrusts.Andresearchshowsthatevenbeforethecurrentcrisis,AmericanshadmuchlessmobilitythanpeopleinmanyEuropeannations.Wehaveabeliefsystemandanideaaboutourselvesthatdontalwaysalignwellwiththefacts,notesIsabelSawhill,aco-director,withHaskins,oftheCenteronChildrenandFamiliesatBrookings.Now,inaworldofhighunemployment,lowerwagesandgrowingpoverty,thefictionisbecomingevermoredifficulttosustain.Thisdownturnmarksthefirstperiodin20yearsinwhichemploymentasapercentageofpopulationintheU.S.hasfallenbelowtherateincountriesliketheU.K.,GermanyandtheNetherlands.Indeed,downwardmobilityissomuchapartofyouthculturetodaythattheCensusBureauhascomeupwithawholenewlexiconforit,includingthetermdoublingup,whichdescribeshouseholdsinwhichadultchildrenwhocantaffordlifeontheirownreturntolivewiththeirparents.Anadditional3millionofthemwouldbebelowthepovertylineiftheycouldntcrashwithMomandDad.Thatsunlikelytochangesoon.MostU.S.jobgrowthsincethe1990shasbeeninsectorslikeeducationandgovernment,whicharefacingbigcuts.Meanwhile,9outof10ofthebiggestoccupationsinAmericaofferlessthanthemeanhourlywage.(Thinksalesclerksandhomehealthaides.)Indeed,theBoomerangGenerationislikelytobecomeasdemographicallydefininginthenextfewdecadesasthebabyboomershavebeen.Thetwogroupsmayverywellendupinapoliticalwarfordwindlinggovernmentbenefits,astheelderlyfighttokeepentitlementslikeSocialSecuritythatwardoffpovertyandyoungerpeoplepushforspendingoneducationandretrainingtoavoidfallingintoit.Whiletheresnodoubtthatinvestmentineducation,whichcreatesjobsandimprovesworkercompetitiveness,isalong-runsolution,thekeyshort-termweaponinthefightagainstpovertyistaxpolicy.Povertynumberswouldbefarhigherwithouttaxbreaksforthepoor.TheObamaAdministrationshouldkeepfightingtoextendinitiativesliketheearned-incometaxcredit,thelargestandmosteffectiveantipovertyprogram.(RonaldReaganusedittotakemillionsoutofpoverty.)PresidentObamashouldalsocontinuethepressureontherichestAmericanstocarryalargershareoftheload.Despitecongressionalresistance,manywealthypeopleseeitsintheirinteresttofosteralessdivisivesociety.WhileAmericanshis