Question

It may not come as a surprise but the world as a whole is getting richer. Some people have more disposable(可支配的) income to spend on luxuries such as holidays, cars, TVs and smartphones. Recent data has shown that the number of people living in extreme poverty(贫穷) has halved in recent decades. So should we celebrate the fact that more of us now have a better standard of living?

Maybe not. Whilst the gap between rich and poor in some countries is narrowing, there is still a lot of inequality in other places-some people have a lot of money and opportunities and others don't. A recent report by Oxfam and Credit Suisse revealed how divided many of us are when it comes to wealth. A lot of the money in the world is in the hands of very few people. In fact, 48% of global wealth is owned by the richest 1% of the population.

But some countries are attempting to reduce this inequality and make the poor, less poor. According to David Bryer from Oxfam, Brazil has been taking "some really sensible measures-measures around having more progressive(逐步发展的) tax, around investing in a higher minimum wage and investing in central public services." Having a higher minimum wage, can help people eat better and seek a better education. And more people with more money buy more things-and factories can produce more. In turn, a factory which produces more will need more workers. So, more jobs are created.

Other wealthy individuals are doing their bit to help reduce inequality. Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft, earned a lot of money from his company but when he retired, he and his wife Melinda, created a foundation to help the poor. He thinks that rich people should, of course, pay their taxes but he also advises that they should all "look at taking their wealth and being philanthropic, both in their own country and to help the global poorest."

Bill Gates feels that giving money to help poor people is "fulfilling". But if other super-rich people don't want to experience this fulfilment then, according to Oxfam, very soon the wealthiest 1% will soon own more money than the rest of the world's population.

1.According to a recent report by Oxfam and Credit Suisse,     .

A. the gap between the rich and the poor is widening gradually

B. increased wealth helps people to reduce the inequality

C. people should be happy about the world’s getting richer

D. a small number of people possesses the major wealth

2.What the author’s attitude towards Brazil’s measures?

A. Cautious    B. Approving

C. Doubtful    D. Critical

3.What is the meaning of the underlines word “philanthropic”?

A. Merciful    B. Responsible

C. Realistic    D. Broadminded

4.The author develops the article mainly by     .

A. comparing opinions from different fields

B. listing detailed numbers and analyzing them

C. presenting a trend and analyzing its cause and effect

D. presenting research findings and giving some examples

Answer

1.D

2.B

3.A

4.D

【解析】这篇文章主要讲了近年来，虽然人们的生活水平有了很明显的提高，但是报告显示大多数的财富仍然掌握在少数人手里，许多国家致力于减少贫富差距，并且许多富人也在尽力帮助穷人，例如比尔盖茨。

1.细节理解题。由A recent report by Oxfam and Credit Suisse revealed how divided many of us are when it comes to wealth. A lot of the money in the world is in the hands of very few people. In fact, 48% of global wealth is owned by the richest 1% of the population.可知Oxfam和 Credit Suisse的报告显示大多数的财富掌握在少数人手里，故选D。

2.推理判断题。由Having a higher minimum wage, can help people eat better and seek a better education. And more people with more money buy more things-and factories can produce more. In turn, a factory which produces more will need more workers. So, more jobs are created. 可判断出作者对巴西的这种措施持赞成态度。Cautious 谨慎的， Approving赞成的，Doubtful 可疑的， Critical批评的，所以选B。

3.词义猜测题。找到“philanthropic”所在的句子He thinks that rich people should, of course, pay their taxes but he also advises that they should all "look at taking their wealth and being philanthropic, both in their own country and to help the global poorest."可知“philanthropic”的意思是仁慈的。Merciful 仁慈的，Responsible负责的，Realistic 现实的， Broadminded宽宏大量的，故选A。

4.推理判断题。文中谈到了Oxfam和Credit Suisse的最新研究报告，例举了比尔盖茨帮助穷人的事迹，所以这篇文章是以呈现研究报告和举例说明的方式发展的，故选D。