Question

Chance at new start

Mike Miles hadn't had a stable job in years． He bounced around from agency to agency， never sure when his last day would be． Sometimes， he lost a job with less than a day's notice． This was not due to a poor work ethic （职业道德）﹣from arriving early to staying late， Miles says he did everything he could to leave good impressions on employers in Lancaster， Pennsylvania， in the US． But because Miles had a criminal record， he was always cut loose when it came time to let staff go．

"It was like walking on eggshells． You just never knew when you'd be gone，" he said．

After his release from prison in 2007， Miles struggled to find stability （稳定）﹣both mentally and financially． During this time， he lived in his mother's house and she helped him raise his daughter． When his mom passed away two years later， Miles says he became more determined than ever to create a healthy environment for his family．

"I'm all she has， and she's all I have，" he said． "I had to build a whole new relationship with my daughter， while building a whole new life for myself．"

It wasn't until October 2015， nearly a decade after he got out of prison， that a cousin told Miles about a food company that hires people who have difficulty finding jobs．

Hoping this would clear up what felt like a thick cloud of uncertainty over his future， Miles submitted an application． He got an interview and soon after that， began his new job． His work involves everything from food production to maintenance （保存）， not to mention it pays a livable wage of $15 an hour． He says it's the best job he's ever had．

Miles' story is rare in Lancaster， where the poverty rate is around 30 percent﹣about double the national average． This figure annoyed Charlie Crystle， the co﹣founder and CEO of the company that gave Miles his job．

Crystle says he wants to inspire other companies and entrepreneurs （企业家） to rethink their current practices and ignite （引发） conversations about minimum wage and employment opportunities for everyone， including ex﹣offenders （前罪犯）．

Beyond providing employment and livable wages， the company also helps employees deal with the many challenges of reentry into society． This means anything from helping them find housing and health benefits to changing their schedules so they can make court dates．

Miles is now saving for a house．"It doesn't have to be a big house，" he said． "I just want to be stable．"

1.Why did Miles change his occupation frequently？

A. He liked to try new things．

B. He could not find a job he likes all the time．

C. He was an unstable person who didn't have persistence．

D. He was never asked to stay at jobs long as he had been in jail．

2.What encouraged Miles to find a stable job？

A. He wanted to move into a better house．

B. He faced heavy social pressure from other people．

C. He wanted to make living conditions better for his family．

D. He couldn't stand living with his mother at such an old age．

3.From the article，we can learn that Crystal ________．

A. criticizes other companies for their low wages

B. longs to be famous and gain more respect

C. encourage other companies to think their current practices again

D. pushes other companies to help ex﹣offenders with reentry into society

4.What can we infer from the last three paragraphs？

A. Miles is content with his current situation．

B. Miles is going to buy a big house in the future．

C. The local government will help everyone find jobs．

D. The minimum wage level will surely increase in Lancaster．

Answer

1. D

2. C

3. C

4. A

【解析】

本文是一篇记叙文。迈尔斯是一个有犯罪前科的刑满释放人员，因为有前科，他不得不经常换工作。2015年他在Crystle的公司里找到了稳定的工作，因为这个食品公司雇佣像迈尔斯这样有犯罪前科的人，并且帮助员工应对重返社会的许多挑战。

1.细节理解题。根据第一段最后一句“But because Miles had a criminal record， he was always cut loose when it came time to let staff go”可知，但是因为迈尔斯有犯罪记录，所以当公司要裁员的时候，他总是被要求离开。也就是他在任何一家公司的工作时间都没有他希望的那么长，通常都是因为有犯罪前科而被裁掉。故选D项。

2.细节理解题。根据第三段最后一句“When his mom passed away two years later， Miles says he became more determined than ever to create a healthy environment for his family．”可知，他想为他的家人创造一个好的生活环境，也就是改善生活条件，这种想法鼓励着迈尔斯去找到一份稳定的工作。故选C。

3.细节理解题。根据文章倒数第三段“Crystle says he wants to inspire other companies and entrepreneurs to rethink their current practices and ignite （引发） conversations about minimum wage and employment opportunities for everyone， including ex﹣offenders．”可知，Crystal激励其他公司再次考虑他们目前的做法。故选C。

4.推理判断题。根据后三段内容，尤其是Miles is now saving for a house． "It doesn't have to be a big house，" he said． "I just want to be stable．"可以看出，迈尔斯正在存钱买房子，要买的新房子不必太大，说明满足于他目前的工作状况，也有新的奋斗目标。故选A。