Directions: There are 20 blanks in the following passage. For each blank there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. You should choose the ONE that best fits into the passage.



Americans are making more money than ever, but they are also working harder than ever to achieve their financial goals. 1 an era of record corporate profits, the American middle class is becoming increasingly 2 about their economic security.

In the Depression years, the song was: "Brother, can you spare me a dime?" Now, the song would 3 : “Brother, can you spare me some health insurance” or “Brother, can you spare me 4 outsourcing?”

According to a recent poll only 18 percent of Americans 5 they have achieved the coveted(梦寐以求的) “American Dream”.

The “American Dream” is firmly 6 in work. It is tied to a job. Americans define the “American Dream” 7 basic economic security. The cornerstones were wages that 8 a family, affordable quality healthcare, opportunities for your children, respect 9 the work you do, and retirement security.

10 , 31 percent of working Americans say they have incurred(招致) debt to pay for essential necessities. 11 , American corporate profits are soaring. The average CEO of America’s 500 top companies earned 262 times the pay of the average worker.

12 U.S. wealth has increased over the past decade. But the middle class is not 13 its slice of the American economic pie. The household incomes have risen, 14 . Americans are working harder than ever in order to achieve those gains. And many families 15 unpredictable futures.

Major income losses are increasingly 16 , as more Americans lose their jobs to outsourcing(外包) or company downsizing(裁员). 17 , health care costs are rising dramatically, leaving a(n) 18 46 million Americans without health insurance.

Many believe the only way to help American workers 19 for success in the new global economy is to make high quality education more affordable 20 all Americans.