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  3. During the past generation, the American middle-class family that once could count on hard work and fair play to keep itself fin

During the past generation, the American middle-class family that once could count on hard work and fair play to keep itself fin

admin2012-06-18  51
问题     During the past generation, the American middle-class family that once could count on hard work and fair play to keep itself financially secure has been transformed by economic risk and new realities. Now a pink slip, a bad diagnosis or a disappearing spouse can reduce a family from solidly middle class to newly poor in a few months.
    In just one generation, millions of mothers have gone to work, transforming basic family economics. Scholars, policymakers, and critics of all stripes have debated the social implications of these changes, but few have looked at the side effect family risk has risen as well. Today’s families have budgeted to the limits of their new two-paycheck status. As a result, they have lost the parachute they once had in times of financial setback—a back-up earner (usually Mom) who could go into the workforce if the primary earner got laid off or fell sick. This "added-worker effect" could support the safety net offered by unemployment insurance or disability insurance to help families weather bad times. But today, a disruption to family fortunes can not longer be made up with extra income from an otherwise-stay-at-home partner.
    During the same period, families have been asked to absorb much more risk in their retirement income. Steelworkers, airline employees, and now those in the auto industry are joining millions of families who must worry about interest rates, stock market fluctuation, and the harsh reality that they may outlive their retirement money. For much of the past year, President Bush campaigned to move Social Security to a savings-account model, with retirees trading much or all of their guaranteed payments for payments depending on investment returns. For younger families, the picture is not any better. Both the absolute cost of healthcare and the share of it borne by families have risen—and newly fashionable health-savings plans are spreading from legislative halls to Wal-Mart workers, with much higher deductibles and a large new does of investment risk for families’ future healthcare. Even demographics are working against the middle class family, as the odds of having a weak elderly parent— and all the attendants need for physical and financial assistance have jumped eightfold in just one generation.
    From the middle-class family perspective, much of this, understandably, looks far less like an opportunity to exercise more financial responsibility, and a good deal more like a frightening acceleration of the wholesale shift of financial risk onto their already overburdened shoulders. The financial fallout has begun, and the political fallout may not be far behind.
As a result of President Bush’s reform, retired people may have_____.
选项 A、a higher sense of security
B、less secured payments
C、less chance to invest
D、a guaranteed future
答案B
解析 此题为细节题。对应原文的第三段的第三句话的“all of their guaranteed payments for paymentsdepending on investment returns．”也就是说所有担保支付额由投资的回报率决定，这样担保的支付额是变化的，与选项B担保支付额变少是一个意思，而且guaranteed payments与secured payments同一个意思。都可翻译成担保支付额。A、D选项与文章中的意思相反，可以直接排除；文中虽然提及投资，但是并没有讨论投资机会的多少，所以可排除C选项。
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