首页
外语
计算机
考研
公务员
职业资格
财经
工程
司法
医学
专升本
自考
实用职业技能
登录
考研
Who’s poor in America? That’s a question hard to answer. Hard because there’s no conclusive definition of poverty. Low income ma
Who’s poor in America? That’s a question hard to answer. Hard because there’s no conclusive definition of poverty. Low income ma
admin
2017-07-09
76
问题
Who’s poor in America? That’s a question hard to answer. Hard because there’s no conclusive definition of poverty. Low income matters, though how low is unclear. Poverty is also a state of mind that fosters self-defeating behavior—bad work habits, family breakdowns, and addictions. Finally, poverty results from bad luck: accidents, job losses, disability.
Despite poverty’s messiness, we’ve measured progress against it by a single statistic; the federal poverty line. By this measure, we haven’t made much progress. But the apparent lack of progress is misleading for two reasons.
First, it ignores immigration. Many immigrants are poor and low-skilled. They add to the poor. From 1989 to 2007, about three quarters of the increase in the poverty population occurred among Hispanics(西班牙裔美国人) —mostly immigrants and their children.
Second, the poor’s material well-being has improved. The official poverty measure obscures this by counting only pre-tax cash income and ignoring other sources of support, including food stamps and housing subsidies. Although many poor live from hand to mouth, they’ve participated in rising living standards. In 2005, 91% had microwaves, 79% air-conditioning, and 48% cell phones.
The existing poverty line could be improved by adding some income sources and subtracting some expenses. Unfortunately, the administration’s proposal for a "supplemental poverty measure" in 2011 goes beyond that. The new poverty number would compound public confusion. It also raises questions about whether the statistic is tailored to favor a political agenda.
The "supplemental measure" ties the poverty threshold to what the poorest third of Americans spend on food, housing, clothing, and utilities. The actual threshold will probably be higher than today’s poverty line. Many Americans would find this curious; people get richer, but "poverty" stays stuck.
What produces this outcome is a different view of poverty. The present concept is an absolute one; the poverty threshold reflects the amount estimated to meet basic needs. By contrast, the new measure embraces a relative notion of poverty; people are automatically poor if they’re a given distance from the top, even if their incomes are increasing.
The new indicator is a "propaganda device" to promote income redistribution by showing that poverty is stubborn or increasing. The Census Bureau has estimated statistics similar to the administration’s proposal. In 2008, the traditional poverty rate was 13.2% ; estimates of the new statistic range up to 17%. The new poverty statistic exceeds the old, and the gap grows larger over time.
As senator Daniel Moynihan said, the administration is defining poverty up. It’s reasonable to debate how much we should aid the poor or reduce economic inequality. But the debate should not be swayed by misleading statistics that few Americans could possibly understand. Government statistics should strive for political neutrality. This one fails.
What does the author want to say by quoting Daniel Moynihan?
选项
A、Economic equality is but an empty dream.
B、Political neutrality can never be achieved.
C、The administration’s statistics are biased.
D、The debate over poverty will get nowhere.
答案
C
解析
引证题。根据题干关键词Daniel Moynihan定位到文章末段。作者在文章末段借Daniel Moynihan的观点指出,政府数据应该具有政治中立性,而新标准中的数据不具有中立性,也就是说,新标准中的政府数据存在偏见。所以,C项为正确答案。
转载请注明原文地址:https://kaotiyun.com/show/98bZ777K
0
考研英语一
相关试题推荐
Additionalsocialstressesmayalsooccurbecauseofthepopulationexplosionorproblemsarisingfrommassmigrationmovements—
【F1】Americansnolongerexpectpublicfigures,whetherinspeechorinwriting,tocommandtheEnglishlanguagewithskillandg
【F1】Mostpeopleknowthatawkwardfeelingwhenyoushuffleintoanelevatorwithotherpeopleandtrynottomakeeyecontact.【
Peoplewhoaredepressedareliterallysiekatheart:theyhaveasignificantlyincreasedriskforcardiovasculardisease,andn
Whatshapesmoralemotionsinthefirstplace?Theanswerhaslongbeenevolution,hutinrecentyearsthere’sanincreasingapp
Emotionsarethegiftsofourancestors.Wehavethem,andsodootheranimals.Wemustneverforgetthis.Wheredoeshistor
【F1】Whenpeopletellmethattheyloveanimalsbecausethey’refeelingbeingsandthengoontoabusethem,ItellthemthatI’m
Undeniably,manyEuropeansarcsuffering.LevelsofunemploymentarethehighestsincerecordsbeganinFrance(3.2million)and
ThenumbersinthejobsreportforFebruarywerebad,butthetrendswereworse.MorethanhalfOfthe4.4millionjobslostsin
FortheaverageAmericanlivingintheUnitedStatesislikehavingmorethanhalfamilliondollarsinwealth.Sosaysanewst
随机试题
对于登记离婚后,因为当事人不履行离婚协议中的财产给付、子女抚养等有关义务而发生的纠纷()
某人的无效腔容量为125ml,肺通气量为7500ml/min,呼吸频率为每分钟20次,其心输出量为5000ml时的通气/血流比值应为
A.原发性腹膜炎B.继发性腹膜炎C.两者都有D.两者都无腹腔穿刺抽得的液体为无臭混浊液体常见于
某公司的分公司以自己的名义对外签订一份买卖合同,在履行过程中因其违约发生纠纷,对方当事人诉至法院。对该合同的效力应认定()。
从一般意义上说,超过一定程度或合理限度的通货紧缩对经济发展是不利的。这种不利影响主要表现在()等方面。
一般纳税人发生的下列各项支出,应于发生时计入当期损益的有()。
劳动法律关系的()是指劳动法律关系主体依法享有的权利和承担的义务。
下列诗句与其作者对应正确的是()。
IndependentWritingDirectionsForthistask,youwillwriteanessayinresponsetoaquestionthatasksyoutostate,expl
A、Doubtful.B、Positive.C、Critical.D、Indifferent.B推断题。短文开头就说Toluker监狱与世界上其他监狱不同,并明确指出该监狱有很多不同凡响的特点(manyremarkablethings),rem
最新回复
(
0
)