The whole morning we just checked our own things. We were looking for items to give away. We thought of blankets, food and clothing. Our aim was not to find things we no longer wanted, but things we use every day and would be useful to others.
We made up boxes with the things and added some small toys. Inside the boxes a simple letter was placed, reading:
“Please take these items and know that your life is important. Times are difficult but they will pass. We share what we have, believing it will matter. Use the blanket to stay warm. Be safe and know that the human spirit can overcome（战胜） anything. Don’t hold your head down. Someday please do the same when you can. How you do it and when, your heart will tell you.
This kind act was not because the phone rang or for any reason. It was simply because it was the right time to do. We have often seen homeless people at the park where we left the belongings. The city would say that it isn’t a problem but I see the lives walking to and from it.
I noticed that my wife had put her favorite green coat into one of the boxes. I asked if she was sure about it and she simply replied that it had a hood (风帽). She liked the coat but knew the hood could shelter (遮挡)someone from the rain.
We don’t know where these gifts of compassion（同情）will go. We never go back and see what happens. It’s unimportant. The right things will find the right people and that is all that counts. On the way my wife started to cry. When I asked why, she said because some things felt so right.
【小题1】 What can we learn from the first paragraph about the couple？

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 since 1994．
In the past four years, welfare rolls in Athens Country 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．T'he result: The Athens County poverty rate still remains at more than 30 percent—twice the national average,
For advocates（代言人） for the poor, that's an indication 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 between 1995 and 1996, 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（毒素） that was poisoning the family," says Robert Rector, a welfare-reform policy analyst．"The reform in 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．
【小题1】Why don't people enjoy their better lives when they get jobs?

E
Brazil has become one of the developing world’s great successes at reducing population growth－but more by accident than design. While countries such as India have made joint efforts to reduce birth rates, Brazil has had better result without really trying, says George Martine at Harvard.
Brazil’s population growth rate has dropped from 2.99% a year between 1951 and 1960 to 1.93% a year between 1981 and 1990, and Brazilian women now have only 2.7 children on average. Martine says this figure may have fallen still further since 1990, an achievement that makes it the envy of many other Third World countries.
Martine puts it down to, among other things, soap operas (通俗电视连续剧) and installment (分期付款) plans introduced in the 1970s. both played an important, although indirect, role in lowering, the birth rate. Brazil is one of the world’s biggest producers of soap operas. Globo, Brazil’s most popular television network, shows three hours of soaps six nights a week, while three others show at least one hour a night. Most soaps are based on wealthy characters living the high life in big cities.
“Although they have never really tried to work in a message towards the problems of reproduction, they describe middle and upper class values － not many children, different attitudes towards sex, women working,” says Martine. “They sent this image to all parts of Brazil and made people conscious of other patterns of behavior and other values, which were put into a very attractive package.”
Meanwhile, the installment plans tried to encourage the poor to become consumers (消费者). “This led to an enormous change in consumption (消耗、消费) patterns and consumption was incompatible (不相容的) with unlimited reproduction.” Says Martine.
57. According to the passage, Brazil has cut back its population growth ____.
A. by educating its citizens 　　　　　　　　B. by careful family planning
C. by developing TV programs 　　　　　　　D. by chance
58. According to the passage, many Third World countries ______.
A. haven’t attacked much importance to birth control
B. would soon join Brazil in controlling their birth rate
C. haven’t yet found an effective measure to control their population
D. neglected the role of TV plays in family planning
59. Soap operas have helped in lowering Brazil’s birth rate because ____.
A. they keep people sitting long hours watching TV
B. they have gradually changed people’s way of life
C. people are drawn to their attractive package
D. they popularize birth control measures
60. What is Martine’s conclusion about Brazil’s population growth?
A. The increase in birth rate will increase consumption.
B. The desire for consumption helps to reduce birth rate.
C. Consumption patterns and reproduction patterns are contradictory (互相矛盾的)
D. A country’s production is limited by its population growth.

The whole morning we just checked our own things. We were looking for items to give away. We thought of blankets, food and clothing. Our aim was not to find things we no longer wanted, but things we use every day and would be useful to others.

We made up boxes with the things and added some small toys. Inside the boxes a simple letter was placed, reading:

“Please take these items and know that your life is important. Times are difficult but they will pass. We share what we have, believing it will matter. Use the blanket to stay warm. Be safe and know that the human spirit can overcome（战胜） anything. Don’t hold your head down. Someday please do the same when you can. How you do it and when, your heart will tell you.

This kind act was not because the phone rang or for any reason. It was simply because it was the right time to do. We have often seen homeless people at the park where we left the belongings. The city would say that it isn’t a problem but I see the lives walking to and from it.

  I noticed that my wife had put her favorite green coat into one of the boxes. I asked if she was sure about it and she simply replied that it had a hood (风帽). She liked the coat but knew the hood could shelter (遮挡)someone from the rain.

We don’t know where these gifts of compassion（同情）will go. We never go back and see what happens. It’s unimportant. The right things will find the right people and that is all that counts. On the way my wife started to cry. When I asked why, she said because some things felt so right.

1. What can we learn from the first paragraph about the couple？

   A. They had deep feelings of their work

B. They often threw the useless daily items away

C. They liked helping others by sharing their things

D. They often gave away the daily items they didn’t use

2.

 The couple placed the letter inside the box mainly to_______________.

A. help the poor go through the difficulties

B. let the poor know who gave away the things

C. tell the poor how to use the items correctly

D. tell the poor to pass on the spirit to others

3. Why did the author ask his wife if she was sure about giving away her green coat?  _________.

   A. Because he thought the coat was very valuable

   B. Because he thought the coat was of a very high price

   C. Because he thought he liked the coat very much himself

   D. Because he thought she liked the coat very much herself

4. The couple liked this kind act because _______.

A. they thought it was the right thing to do

B. they had a good habit of saving things

C. they often received telephone calls for help

D. they hated being troubled by homeless people

5. What’s the best title for this passage?

A. Boxes filled with compassion        B. Good behavior leading to happiness

C. The most important thing in our life   D. Happiness coming from sharing things

  The whole morning we just checked our own things. We were looking for items to give away. We thought of blankets, food and clothing. Our aim was not to find things we no longer wanted, but things we use every day and would be useful to others.
We made up boxes with the things and added some small toys. Inside the boxes a simple letter was placed, reading:
“Please take these items and know that your life is important. Times are difficult but they will pass. We share what we have, believing it will matter. Use the blanket to stay warm. Be safe and know that the human spirit can overcome anything. Don’t hold your head down. Someday please do the same when you can. How you do it and when, your heart will tell you.
This kind act was not because the phone rang or for any reason. It was simply because it was the right time to do. We have often seen homeless people at the park where we left the belongings. The city would say that it isn’t a problem but I see the lives walking to and from it.
I noticed that my wife had put her favorite green coat into one of the boxes. I asked if she was sure about it and she simply replied that it had a hood (风帽). She liked the coat but knew the hood could shelter (遮挡)someone from the rain.
We don’t know where these gifts of compassion（同情）will go. We never go back and see what happens. It’s unimportant. The right things will find the right people and that is all that counts. On the way my wife started to cry. When I asked why, she said because some things felt so right.
【小题1】What can we learn from the first paragraph about the couple？