55.貧困與農業生產方式
段落大意：貧困程度取決於人口密度和農業產量，以孟加拉國與荷蘭、比利時等國家為例，說明在這兩個導致貧困的因素中，農業生產方式更為關鍵。
A country’s level of poverty greatly depends on its population density and agricultural productivity. Bangladesh, for example, has one of the world’s highest population densities. A large majority of the people in Bangladesh engage in manual （手工的） farming with low-productivity, which contributes to the country’s extremely high level of poverty. Some of the smaller countries in Western Europe, such as the Netherlands and Belgium, have high population densities as well. These countries practice mechanized （機械化的） farming and are involved in high-tech industries, however, and therefore have high living standards.
56.發展中國家高出生率的原因
段落大意：發展中國家的高出生率導致人口過剩。造成高出生率的原因主要有家庭對勞動力的需求、傳統文化以及政府對家庭規劃的不重視等。
High birth rates contribute to overpopulation in many developing countries. Children are assets （資產） to many poor families because they provide labor, usually for farming. Cultural norms in rural communities commonly sanction （支持） the value of large families. Also, the governments of some developing countries often provide little or no support, financial or political, for family planning. Even people who wish to keep their families small have difficulty doing so. For all these reasons, developing countries tend to have high rates of population growth.
57.資源分配不均與經濟發展
段落大意：殖民主義導致了全球經濟資源分配不均。許多發展中國家因缺乏原材料和相關知識技能、必備的基礎設施等，經濟發展受到了限製。
Many experts agree that the legacy of colonialism （殖民主義） accounts for much of the unequal distribution of resources in the world economy. In many developing countries, the problems of poverty are massive and pervasive. In recent decades most of these countries have tried to develop their economies by supporting industry and technology departments. Some nations have become fairly wealthy. Many developing countries, however, lack essential raw materials and the knowledge and skills which are obtained only by developed countries. They also often lack the necessary infrastructure（基礎設施）, for example, transportation systems and power-generating facilities. Since these things are essential for the development of industry, developing countries generally must rely on trade with developed countries for manufactured goods.
58.當今世界的殖民主義
段落大意：一些社會科學家認為，富裕的發達國家繼續扮演著殖民者的身份。發達國家的財富在很大程度上仍依賴於與發展中國家的優惠貿易，它們從發展中國家低價買進自然資源，利用其廉價的勞動力。這些增加了發展中國家的依賴性，卻沒有提高其國民的生活水平。
Some social scientists argue that wealthier developed countries continue to practice a form of colonialism, known as neocolonialism （新殖民主義）, on developing countries. The affluence （富裕） of these countries is based to a large extent on favorable trade with the developing world. Developed countries have been able to get cheap natural resources from poorer countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, including oil for power, ores （礦石） and minerals （礦物質） for manufacturing. Goods are made in developing countries by low-wage workers in local factories operated by multinational corporations. This practice contributes to the dependency of poorer countries while not raising their standards of living.
59.教育與貧困
段落大意：在發展中國家，文盲和缺乏教育現象很普遍。因為缺乏教育，人們無法找到像樣的工作，加劇了貧困程度。
Illiteracy and lack of education are common in poor countries. Governments of developing countries often cannot provide good public schools, especially in rural areas. While virtually all children in industrialized countries can receive an education, only about 60.percent of children in sub-Saharan （撒哈拉沙漠以南的） Africa attend elementary school. Without education, most people cannot find decent jobs. Poor people also often forego （放棄） schooling in order to struggle a minimal living. In addition, developing countries tend to have fewer employment opportunities than developed ones, especially for women. As a result, people may further downplay （不予重視） schooling.
60.貧困與經濟趨勢
段落大意：在很多發達國家，貧困與經濟趨勢有關。
Poverty in many developed countries can be linked to economic trends. In the 1950s and 1960s, for example, most people in the United States experienced booming （激增的） income growth. Taking inflation into account, average family income almost doubled during this period. However, between the early 1970s and the early 1990s, typical incomes, adjusted for inflation, grew little while the cost of living increased. Periods of economic recession tend to particularly affect young and less-educated people, who may have difficulty finding jobs that pay enough to support themselves.
61.貧困與個人責任
段落大意：一些人認為貧困是社會結構的產物，或源於勞動力市場、學校等社會機構的失敗，與個人無關。而另一些人認為貧困與個人行為相關。
There are differing beliefs about individual responsibility for poverty. Some people believe that poverty is an inevitable proportion （部分） of the whole societal structure. Others feel that poverty results from a failure of social institutions, such as the labor market and schools. These people maintain that poverty is beyond the control of those who experience it, but might be remedied （矯正） if appropriate policies were enacted. Other people feel that the poor behave in certain ways that cause or perpetuate （使持續） their poverty. For instance, if people voluntarily choose to use drugs and thus step into poverty, they are to blame for their situation. However, such an argument cannot completely explain cases in which poverty leads to drug dependence.
62.貧困與社會福利製度
段落大意：很多人認為，發達國家過於優越的福利製度導致貧困問題長期存在，而且還造成結婚率的下降。
Many people in developed countries blame cycles of poverty, or the tendency for the poor to remain poor, on overly generous welfare programs. Supporters of this position, including some politicians, argue against government spending and initiatives （行動） to help the poor. They believe that these programs provide continuous and steady payments and other support for the poor, which creates little incentives （激勵） for them to escape from poverty. This argument also suggests that welfare discourages marriage. In the United States and other developed countries, when a single parent gets married, the welfare support he or she gets is reduced. On the other hand, cash welfare benefits for the typical poor US family with dependent children fell in value by half between the early 1970s and the mid-1990s, taking inflation into account. Such benefits may have been too meager （薄弱的） to motivate people to get married.
63.環境惡化與貧困
段落大意：自然環境的惡化是導致貧困的一大原因。環境惡化導致食物、淨水等生活必需品的缺乏，從而對直接依賴自然資源生存的人造成極大的危害。
In many parts of the world, environmental degradation （退化）, the deterioration （惡化）of the natural environment, including the atmosphere, bodies of water, soil, and forests, is an important cause of poverty. Environmental problems have led to shortages of food, clean water, and other essential resources. As forests, land, air, and water are degraded, people whose lives largely depend on these natural resources suffer most from the effects. People in developed countries, on the other hand, have technologies and conveniences such as air and water filters （過濾器）, refined（提煉的） fuels, and industrially produced and stored foods to buffer（緩衝） themselves from the effects of environmental degradation.
64.勞動力市場的變化與貧困
段落大意：發達國家勞動力市場的變化導致貧困水平的加劇。技術性工作的增加使得沒有機會接受大學水平教育的人難以獲得高收入的工作，從而加劇貧困水平。
Changes in labor markets in developed countries have also contributed to increased poverty level. For instance, the number of relatively highly-paid manufacturing jobs has declined, while the demand for workers in service and technology-related industries has increased. Historically, people have learned the skills required for jobs that involve manual labor, such as those in manufacturing, either on the job or through easily accessible school vocational programs. As these jobs are replaced by service and technology-related jobs which usually require skills taught at the college level, people who cannot afford college education find it increasingly difficult to obtain well-paying jobs.
65.貧困帶來的社會問題
段落大意：貧困會導致廣泛而嚴重的社會問題，如新生兒死亡率上升、平均壽命縮短、傳染病蔓延，以及心理問題等，甚至會導致犯罪。
Poverty has wide-ranging and often devastating （破壞性的） effects. Many of its effects result directly from having too little income or too few resources, such as malnutrition （營養不良） and physical health problems. These effects can further lead to higher infant mortality rates and lower life expectancies （平均壽命） among the poor. Other effects of poverty may include infectious （傳染性的） disease, mental illness, and drug dependence. Poverty can also lead to other problems, though sometimes it is only partially true. In many cases, the primary effects of poverty lead to other problems. Extended hunger and lack of employment, for instance, may lead to depression, which may sometimes contribute to high criminal rate.
66.貧困與犯罪
段落大意：在貧困是否會導致犯罪和暴力行為這一問題上，專家們持有不同的看法。
Some experts believe that poverty leads people to commit acts of violence and crime. Anger, desperation, and the need of money for food, shelter, and other necessities may all contribute to criminal behavior among the poor. Other experts caution that the link of cause and effect （因果關係） between poverty and crime is unclear. In some cases, poverty undoubtedly （毋庸置疑地） motivates people to commit crimes, although it may not be the only factor involved. Other problems associated with poverty are often linked to crime. For example, to obtain money some poor people commit the crime of selling illegal drugs; others may steal to obtain the money to buy drugs on which they are dependent.
67.貧困的長期影響
段落大意：長期陷於貧困狀態會給孩子帶來一些長期的問題，使他們長大後在生活中遇到更多的困難。
People who grow up in poverty may experience lifelong problems. They are at a disadvantage in things such as education owing to limited income and resources. Children also need adequate nutrition and health care for good physical and mental development, and poor children are often malnourished （營養不良的） and sick from the formative （形成階段的） age. Studies have shown that people who grow up in persistently（持續性地） poor households experience more difficulties throughout their lives than those raised in households that are above the poverty level. Overall, they do not do as well in school, have more difficulties in marriage, and more frequently become single parents. In addition, poverty tends to repeat itself. In many cases, those who had poor parents are poor themselves, earning lower-than-average incomes. All of these negative long-term effects are much more likely to occur in those who have experienced prolonged poverty in childhood, because an unfortunate circumstance is more likely to affect the vulnerable （脆弱的） children.
68.對抗貧困
段落大意：在防止貧困上，大部分發展中國家政府的幫助有限，一些國際組織為發展中國家的反貧困項目作出貢獻。
The governments of most developing countries provide limited assistance to prevent some poverty. Most have at least minimal social security programs, which provide benefits during periods of unemployment, illness, disability, or retirement. These programs usually only support people who are employed full-time, which cover a very small percentage of the population in most developing countries. Some countries provide mandatory full support only to government employees. A variety of organizations support antipoverty programs in developing countries. They include international government organizations, such as the UN, aid agencies run by developed countries, nongovernmental （mostly nonprofit） organizations, and private development banks.
69.有關發達國家對發展中國家援助的看法
段落大意：大多數發達國家對發展中國家提供援助。然而，對於這些援助，存在兩種不同看法。
Most developed nations give development aid to developing countries. Some think tanks （智囊團） and NGOs have argued, however, that Western monetary aid often only serves to increase poverty and social inequality, either because it is conditioned with the implementation of harmful economic policies in the recipient （接受方） countries, or because it’s tied with the importing of products from the donor country over cheaper alternatives（替代品）. Foreign aid is seen to be serving the interests of the donor more than the recipient. Critics also argue that some of the foreign aid is stolen by corrupt governments and officials, and that higher aid levels erode （侵蝕） the quality of governance. Policy-makers become much more oriented toward （關注） getting more aid money than meeting the needs of the people. Supporters argue that these problems may be solved with better auditing （審計） of how the aid is used. Aid from NGOs may be more effective than governmental aid. This may be because NGOs are better at reaching the poor and better controlled at the grassroots （草根） level.
70.如何改善發展中國家的貧困狀況
段落大意：改善發展中國家貧困狀況的措施有：資助住房建設、資助教育、實施計劃生育、資助保健、提供就業幫助、鼓勵政治參與、實施公正的財產法、減少稅收和政府花費等。
Numerous methods have been adopted to upgrade the situation of those in poverty, and some are contradictory to each other. Some of these mechanisms （方法） are:
1）subsidized （津貼） housing development;
2）education, especially that directed at assisting the poor to produce food in underdeveloped countries;
3）family planning to allow family incomes to better cover the cost of living;
4）subsidized health care;
5）assistance in finding employment;
6）encouragement of political participation and involvement in organizing community;
7）implementation of fair property rights laws;
8）reduction of regulatory burden and bureaucratic oversight;
9）reduction of taxation on income;
10） reduction of government spending, including a reduction in borrowing and printing money.
71.通過提供必要的信息幫助發展經濟
段落大意：幫助發展中國家脫貧的另一方法是通過商品交易所為窮人們提供必要的信息。
Another method in helping fight poverty is to have commodity exchanges that will supply necessary information about national and perhaps international markets to the poor who would then know what products will bring better profits and where it is sold. For example, in Ethiopia, remote farmers, who do not have this information, produce crops that may not be very profitable. When they sell their products to a local trader, who then sells to another trader, and another, the cost of the food rises before it finally reaches the consumer in large cities. Economist, Gabre-Madhin proposes warehouses （貨棧） where farmers could have constant update of the latest market prices, making the farmer think nationally, not locally. Each warehouse would have an independent neutral party that would test and grade the farmer’s harvest, allowing traders in Addis Ababa, and potentially outside Ethiopia, to place bids（投標） on food, even if it is unseen. Thus, if the farmer gets five cents in one place, he would get three times the price by selling it in another part of the country.