四、閱讀測驗【請依照段落上下文意,選出最適當的答案】
第一篇: Poverty has long been a part of history, and, as a result, there have been various efforts to combat poverty
in America. During the Great Depression, soup kitchens were established to help folks who couldn’t afford
meals. In the years that followed, more structured forms of government assistance have been implemented. As
a result, this has required officials to define a poverty line based on income levels. So, how have government
agencies gone about establishing a federal poverty level — and how has it changed over time?
As one can see in the federal government’s official poverty level resources, there are three sets of
guidelines. One set pertains to the 48 contiguous states (or continental) states; one applies to Alaska; and the
third covers Hawaii. Both Alaska and Hawaii have separate guidelines because the cost of living in those states
is so different. For example, it’s more expensive to ship food and “common goods” to those states. However, Puerto Rico and U.S. territories, such as the Virgin Islands, Guam, and Micronesia, do not have
separate poverty guidelines. If a government agency that regularly uses poverty guidelines is operating in those
territories, the agency has the authority to set specific guidelines for those territories on a project-by-project
basis.
As of 2021, a household of one person who makes $12,000-$16,000 annually is considered impoverished.
Moreover, a family of four that earns $26,000-$33,000 per year is currently considered to be living at the
poverty level. While the guidelines stop at households of eight, additional people are counted by adding
$4,500-$5,700 each to the allowable household annual income. 【題組】45. How much does a family of five in the most expensive state probably have to make to be excluded from
the poverty level?
(A) $16,000
(B) $26,000
(C) $37,000
(D) $38,700