Before, whenever we had wealth, we started discussing poverty. Why not now? Why is the current politics of wealth and poverty seemingly about wealth alone? Eight years ago, when Bill Clinton first ran for president, the Dow Jones average was under 3,500, yearly federal budget deficits were projected at hundreds of billions of dollars forever and beyond, and no one talked about the “permanent boom“ or the “new economy. “ Yet in that more straitened time, Clinton made much of the importance of “ not leaving a single person behind. “ It is possible that similar “compassionate“ rhetoric might yet play a role in the general election. But it is striking how much less talk there is about the poor than there was eight years ago, when the country was economically uncertain, or in previous eras, when the country felt flush. Even last summer, when Clinton spent several days on a remarkable, Bobby Kennedy-like pilgrimage through impoverished areas from Indian reservations in South Dakota to ghetto neighborhoods in East St. Louis, the administration decided to refer to the effort not as a poverty tour but as a “new market initiative. “ What is happening is partly a logical, policy-driven reaction. Poverty really is lower than it has been in decades, especially for minority groups. The most attractive solution to it — a growing economy — is being applied. The people who have been totally left out of this boom often have medical, mental or other problems for which no one has an immediate solution. “The economy has sucked in anyone who has any preparation, any ability to cope with modern life,“ says Franklin D. Raines, the former director of the Office of Management and Budget who is now head of Fannie Mae. When he and other people who specialize in the issue talk about solutions, they talk analytically and on a long-term basis: education, development of work skills, shifts in the labor market, adjustments in welfare reform. But I think there is another force that has made this a rich era with barely visible poor people. It is the unusual social and imaginative separation between prosperous America and those still left, out... It’s simple invisibility, because of increasing geographic, occupational, and social barriers that block one group from the others’ view.

The main idea of the passage is that______.

A．The country is enjoying economic growth

B．The poor are benefiting from today’s good economy

C．We were more aware of the poor than we are today

D．There were many more poor people than there are today

Which statement from the passage is an opinion?

A．Another force has made this a rich era with barely visible poor people.

B．Clinton’s tour was called a “new market initiative/“

C．Poverty really is lower than it has been in decades.

D．Eight years ago, the Dow Jones average was under 3,500, and yearly federal budget deficits were projected at hundreds of billions of dollars.

After reading this passage, you can conclude that______.

A．the relationship between the rich and the poor has changed

B．the good economy will soon end

C．poverty will be obliterated as a result of increased wealth

D．all people benefit from good economic conditions

The author states that one important reason that we do not talk much about poverty is that______.

A．no one knows what to do about it

B．poverty really is lower than in the past

C．no one has been left out of the current boom

D．the president is not concerned about the poor

The phrase “suck in“ underlined in Paragraph 3 means______.

A．draw into the mouth

B．please somebody by flattering

C．pull somebody or something down or under with great force of water or air

D．cheat or take in

In the last paragraph, the author mentions that the poor people______.

A．are seldom visited

B．can barely be visited

C．are rarely noticed and paid attention to

D．are drawing the attention of other groups

Missing the last bus, we had no choice but______a taxi home. to take take taking taken

As a judge, he is supposed to be fair and tries to make______decisions. partial impartial mutual equivalent

While Maggie, a white-collar worker, was at home after work, she______doing something to doing nothing. liked favored tended preferred

I was told______e-mail the hotel for reservations. either to call or to that I should call or to to either call or to I ought either to call or

It describes a unique joint-venture in distance education and demonstrates the viable opportunities of global tele-education techniques in an exciting new market. practicable military difficult comprehensive

The socio-economic benefits of education are many; most nations require mandatory schooling. documentary commentary factory obligatory

It will outline the technologies, markets, customers, financial requirements, risks, returns and commercial strategies adopted by entrants into this new industry. composers competitors inventors creators

Convergence of satellite and terrestrial telephony is certain to deepen as the technical hurdles of multi-standard handset development and infrastructure integration fall. initiatives obstacles warnings orders

Such legal entities provide the means for international cooperation and support of macroprojects related to the moon and mars that encourage global private sector participation. existences vitalities persistences complicities

Innovative approaches to manufacturing, coupled with the tremendous size of the domestic market, led to the emergence of the United States as an industrial giant. followed by deriving from combined with mixed with

When the Erie Canal was built in the 1820s, it was the engineering marvel of its time. wonder dispute frustration model

The dense Belgian fogs is caused by the cooling of humid surface air to a relatively low temperature. must cause will be caused are caused has been caused

Sir Jonas Hanway was credited for introducing the umbrella into England, but the English were slow to adopt it. with in as at

Don’t be late. I hate to be waiting for a long time. being keeping be kept to be kept be keeping

He didn’t to return earlier than 3 o’clock. was not expected did not expect was expected not was not expecting

The children should say “thank you“ to you when you gave them gifts. had said be saying have said saying

All mammals have hair, but not always evident. but it is not but it is but they are not but they are

The first recorded use of natural gas to light street lamps it was in the town of Frederick, New York, in 1825. was is it is were

Big Ben has been______the quarter hours now for more than a century. striking out chiming giving out hitting

One impact that the burning of______fuels has had on the earth’s environment has been the increase of carbon dioxide in the earth’s atmosphere. vehicle oil gas fossil

In this passage, the word “straitened“ underlined in Paragraph 1 means______.

In this passage, the word “ flush“ underlined in Paragraph 2 means______.