The United States economy has dipped into economic recession (經(jīng)濟(jì)衰退). This caused discomfort and hardship in every level of society; but for many of the nation’s poor, discomfort and hardship turned into misery (苦難).
An increase in homelessness is probably the worst result of a nation’s financial disaster. About 3 million Americans were homeless because of a lack of affordable housing. Experts suggest that a family should spend no more than 30 percent of its income on housing. In fact, in some families housing costs make up 50 percent or more. An unexpected event, such as losing work or illness, can quickly push a family into homelessness.
An article in Time magazine tells a story of one such family. A young couple and their three children rented a two-bedroom apartment for about $350 a month. They could hardly go on with the husband’s $920-a-month take-home pay; so when their rent was raised to $500 a month, they could no longer make ends meet.
Another woman was found dead on a street in Washington D.C., the capital, and she died at a bus-stop across the street from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development.
People become homeless for different reasons. Some may not be able to pay for housing, because they have lost their job and cannot find another place they can afford. Others have mental diseases, or are addicted to drugs or alcohol, many of whom do not live with their family. And what’s more, there are not enough centers for shelter as the government doesn’t pay enough attention to this social problem. 
People are making efforts to solve the problem. However, it will not be easy, because it is a personal and economical problem as well as a social problem.
【小題1】The passage is mainly about __________ in the US.

A．ways of solving economic problems
B．homeless people being taken good care of
C．different reasons for economic recession
D．economic recession leading to social problems
【小題2】In the passage the author supported his view by __________.
A．presenting specific figuresB．giving examples
C．explaining in detailsD．discussing different opinions
【小題3】 One main result that economic recession has led to is __________
A．a(chǎn)n increase of living costsB．more and more deaths
C．a(chǎn)n increase of homeless peopleD．less centers for poor people
【小題4】How many reasons why people become homeless are listed in the passage?
A．2.B．3.C．4.D．5.


【小題1】D
【小題2】B
【小題3】C
【小題4】B

解析試題分析：經(jīng)濟(jì)衰退造成社會各階層的不適和苦難。很多人因此無家可歸失業(yè)和疾病使一個家庭很快就沒了家。政府有沒有足夠的避難所容納那些人。解決這個問題并非易事。
【小題1】段落大意題。根據(jù)文章的第一二行可知，美國的經(jīng)濟(jì)衰退造成社會各階層的不適和苦難。故選D。
【小題2】文章結(jié)構(gòu)題。第二、三段舉例說明人們無家可歸的原因和慘狀。選B（舉例說明）。
【小題3】細(xì)節(jié)理解題。根據(jù)An increase in homelessness is probably the worst result of a nation’s financial disaster.可知。無家可歸的數(shù)量的增加可能是一個國家經(jīng)濟(jì)災(zāi)難最糟糕的結(jié)果。與經(jīng)濟(jì)衰退造成的最主要的結(jié)果導(dǎo)致了無家可歸的人數(shù)的增加意思一致。所以選C。
【小題4】細(xì)節(jié)理解題。根據(jù)文章最后一句話可知，無家可歸的原因有三：個人原因、經(jīng)濟(jì)原因、還有社會問題。選B。
考點(diǎn)：生活百味類閱讀。

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I live in Hollywood. You may think people in such an attractive, fun-filled place are happier than others. If so, you have some mistaken ideas about the nature of happiness.
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Then an old man came by. “What bad luck!” the man said. “Just a moment ago I gave a woman the last of the treasure I was guarding.”
“Are you sure there is nothing left?” the old man asked.
The man took him into the cave, where they found a chest with jewels and some bags of gold. The man was shocked, and the old man explained to him, “At last! At last! At last someone has broken the spell of this cave. This is the Cave of Treasure, and you’re the first to have passed its great test. Many have dedicated their lives to this cave, only to end up realizing there was nothing here …”
“And why does this happen?” the man asked.
“This magic cave has only as many riches as your own heart. When someone discovers it, the cave fills with the treasure they bring with them, but later, when they have devoted themselves to guarding the treasure, their hearts become empty, as does the cave. The only way to fill it is by filling your heart with all that is good, as you did by giving the woman that last jewel.”
From that day on, the man understood that it was better to share than to keep. Thanks to the cave and the old man, he became noble and generous.
【小題1】Why did the man give up his job, home and friends?

A．Because he possessed a variety of treasure.
B．Because he devoted himself to a great test.
C．Because he had to guard the treasure cave.
D．Because he wanted to find the treasure cave.
【小題2】 What did the man find when he showed his cave to the old man?
A．All kinds of treasure. B．A chest with jewels and gold.
C．A small emerald. D．A handful of jewels.
【小題3】What do we learn about the people who dedicated their lives to the cave before?
A．They all found the cave empty at last.
B．The old man freed them from its spell.
C．They all filled the cave with the treasure they had.
D．They thought it was better to share than to enjoy the treasure alone.
【小題4】What can we learn from the text?
A．Different people have different views.
B．Treasure only belongs to those who possess it.
C．Some people never learn what is really valuable.
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