In the United States during 1992, any family of four with an annual cash income of less than $ 14, 335 (before taxes) was considered poor. The dollar amount was called the poverty line, an economic measuring rod devised in 1964. The line was set at three times the amount needed to provide the cheapest nutritionally balanced diet. The poverty line is adjusted annually for inflation.

While the poverty line in the United States was more than $ 14, 000, the average annual per-person income in Bangladesh was $ 200, in Ethiopia $ 130, in Haiti $340, and In Mali 4 265. Anyone in those nations with an income of $ 14, 000 would be considered wealthy. During the Great Depression in the United States, when half the population was considered poor, a family with an income at the 1992 poverty line could afford to buy a house, a car, clothing and food.

The reality of poverty varies with location and social and political conditions. Poverty basically means a lack of, or an insufficient amount of, the three primary physical needs--- food, clothing, and shelter. But for poverty to be recognized, it must exist alongside prosperity. Before the discovery of the New World, the American Indians would not have considered themselves poor, though they lived with only the bare necessities and a few handmade artifacts(人工制品).

The severity of poverty varies, depending on the economic vitality of the nation in which it occurs. In the modern industrialized societies of Western Europe, North America, and Japan, there are many government services provided to ease poverty --- including free medical care and subsidized housing. The homeless of New York City and Los Angeles can usually find some shelter and a mission offering free meals.

46. You would be considered poor in America if ____.

A.You are out of a job.
B.You earn less than three times the amount needed to provide the cheapest diet.
C.You earn less than $ 14, 335 (before taxes) per year.
D. The amount of money you earn is below the current poverty line.

47. The average annual cash income per person before taxes in the USA in 1992 was ____.

A. more than $ 14, 000
B. $200
C.$14,335
D. about $3,580

48. The purpose of the example of the American Indians given in the 3rd paragraph is to show that poverty is ____.

A. absolute
B. non-existent
C.relative
D. never recognized

49. Free medical care and subsidized housing most probably exist in ___ to relieve the poor and the needy.

A. Bangladesh
B. Haiti
C.Canada
D. India

50. Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?

A. From 1929 to 1933, 50% of the American population lived in poverty.
B. Where there is prosperity, there is poverty.
C.Poverty basically refers to a lack of clothing, housing and food.
D. Anyone with an annual income around the 1992 American poverty line would be considered wealthy.

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