19. This passage is mainly about 　　　　　　　.　

　　 A. workaholics are usually successful people, but their lives are in a mess

　　 B. workaholism can lead to serious problems but it can also create a joyful life

　　 C. people who are absorbed in their work may enjoy movies, sports and other kinds of entertainment

　　 D. those who work even under difficult conditions. may be very happy

18. One of the reasons that some people are not willing to quit their jobs even in their eighties and nineties is that _____.

A. they are in the need of financial security

B. they would rather work than be disturbed by domestic affairs

C. they long for a sense of identity and being accomplished

D. they may have health problems from sheer boredom(极端厌倦)

17. The passage indicates that workaholics 　　　　　　　.　

A. just know work but nothing else

B. are willing to work hard for long hours without pay

C. find their work provide them more satisfaction and self-confidence than how much they are paid

D. has the work with more responsibility than others

16. From the passage we know that welfare reform aims at　　　　　　 　.

　　 A. saving welfare funds　 B. rebuilding the work ethics (观念)

　　 C. providing more jobs　　 D. cutting government expenses

E

In some urban centers, workaholism is so common that people do not consider it unusual: they accept the lifestyle as normal. Government workers in Washington D. C. , for example, frequently work sixty to seventy hours a week. They don't do this because they have to；they do it because they want to.

Workaholism can be a serious problem.　 Because true workaholics(工作狂) would rather work than do anything else, they probably don't know how to relax.

Is workaholism always dangerous? Perhaps not. There are, certainly,　 people who work well under stress. Some studies show that many workaholics have great energy and interest in life. Their work is so pleasurable that they are actually very happy.　 For most workaholics, work and entertainment keep them busy and creative.

Why do workaholics enjoy their jobs so much? There are several advantages to work. Of course, it provides people with paychecks, and this is important. But it offers more than financial security. It provides people with self-confidence; they have a feeling of satisfaction when they've produced a challenging piece of work and are able to say, "I made that." .Psychologists claim that work gives people an identity(认同) through participation in work, they get a sense of self and individualism. In addition, most jobs provide people with a socially acceptable way to meet others. Perhaps some people are compulsive about their work, but their addiction seems to be a safe--even an advantageous-one:

15. What is worth noting from the example of Athens County is that　 　　　　　.

　　 A. greater efforts should be made to improve people's living standards

　　 B. 70 percent of the people there have been employed for two years

　　 C. 50 percent of the population no longer relies on welfare

　　 D. the living standards of most people are going down

14. Why aren't people enjoying better lives when they have jobs?

A. Because many families are divorced.　 B. Because government aid is now rare.

C. Because their wages are low.　　 D. Because the cost of living .is rising.

13. From the passage, it can he seen that the author　　　　　　 　.

　　 A. believes the reform has reduced the government's burden

　　 B. insists that welfare reform is doing little good to the poor

　　 C. is over-enthusiastic about the success of welfare reform

　　 D. considers welfare reform to be fundamentally successful

12. We can conclude from the passage that　 　　　　　　　　　 .

A. while pushing asteroids off course nuclear weapons would destroy the world

B. asteroids racing across the night sky are likely to hit Earth in the near future

C. the worry about asteroids can be left to future generations since it is unlikely to happen in our lifetime

D. workable solutions still have to be found to prevent a collision of asteroids with Earth

D

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 ro[|s in Athens County 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. The 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 that 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 percent-age 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 is changing the moral climate in low-income communities. It's beginning to rebuild the work ethic (道德观),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.

11. What do people think of the suggestion of using nuclear weapons to alter the course of asteroids?

A. It sounds practical but it may not solve the problem.

B. It may create more problems than it might solve.

C. It is a waste of money because a collision of asteroids with Earth is very unlikely.

D. Further research should be done before it is proved applicable.