19．Micro-Enterprise Credit for Street Youth
Introduction
Although small-scale business training and credit programs have become more common throughout the world，relatively little attention has been paid to the need to direct such opportunities to youth living on the street or in difficult circumstances．Over the past years，Street Kids International （S．K．I．） has been working with partner organizations in Africa，Latin Africa and India to support the economic lives of street children．The purpose of this paper is to share some of the lessons S．K．I．a(chǎn)nd our partner organizations have learned．
Background
Typically，children end up on the streets not due to a single cause，but a combination of factors：the lack of adequately funded schools，the demand for income at home and so on．The street may be attractive to children as a place to find adventurous play and money．However，it is also a place where some children are exposed，with little or no protection，to exploitative employment，and urban crime．
Street Business Partnerships
S．K．I．has worked with partner organizations in Latin America，Africa and India to develop innovative opportunities for street children to earn income．
●The S．K．I Bicycle Courier Service first started in the Sudan．Participants in this enterprise were supplied with bicycles，which they used to deliver parcels and messages，but they were required to pay for it gradually from their wages．
●The Youth Skills Enterprise Initiative in Zambia is a joint program with the Red Cross Society．Street Youths are supported to start their own small business through business training，life skills training and access to credit．
Lessons Learned
The following lessons have emerged from the programs that S．K．I．a(chǎn)nd partner organizations have created．
●It's important for all loans to be linked to training programs that include the development of basic business and life skills．
●Small loans are provided initially for purchasing fixed assets such as bicycles，shoe shining kits．
●All S．K．I．programs have charged interest on the loans，primarily to get the business runners used to the concept of paying interest on borrowing money．Generally the rates have been modest．
Conclusion
There is a need to recognize the importance of access to credit for poor young people seeking to fulfill economic needs．
21．The organization，S．K．I．，aims toA．
A．give business training and loans to street children
B．provide schools and social support for street children
C．share the lessons S．K．I．learned to help street children
D．draw the attention of the government to street children
22．This passage implies that with the help of S．K．I．street children mayB．
A．reject paid employment
B．set up their own business
C．leave their families
D．employ other children
23．Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage？C
A．The link of all loans to training programs is important．
B．Interest is charged for the loans in all S．K．I．programs．
C．The S．K．I Bicycle Courier Service provides the participants with free bicycles．
D．The Youth Skills Enterprise Initiative in Zambia works with another organization．
分析 本文屬于說明文閱讀，作者通過這篇文章主要向我們描述了一個(gè)幫助街道青年創(chuàng)業(yè)的國(guó)際組織--Street Kids International （S．K．I．）．
解答 21．A 細(xì)節(jié)理解題．根據(jù)第一段的Over the past years，Street Kids International （S．K．I．） has been working with partner organizations in Africa，Latin America and India to support the economic lives of street children．可知，S．K．I幫助街頭青年的經(jīng)濟(jì)生活．故選A．
22．B 細(xì)節(jié)理解題．根據(jù)Street Business Partnerships第二點(diǎn)中Street Youths are supported to start their own small business through business training，life skills training and access to credit．可知，S．K．I可以幫助青年人開創(chuàng)自己的事業(yè)．故選B．
23．C 推理判斷題．根據(jù)文章的描述Participants in this enterprise were supplied with bicycles，which they used to deliver parcels and messages，but they were required to pay for it gradually from their wages可知S．K．I是提供資金，并非提供自行車等東西．故C項(xiàng)錯(cuò)誤，選C．
點(diǎn)評(píng) 考察學(xué)生的細(xì)節(jié)理解和推理判斷能力，做細(xì)節(jié)理解題時(shí)一定要找到文章中的原句，和題干進(jìn)行比較，再做出正確的選擇．在做推理判斷題不要以個(gè)人的主觀想象代替文章的事實(shí)，要根據(jù)文章事實(shí)進(jìn)行合乎邏輯的推理判斷．
