阅读理解
Despite
earning more than $ 100,000 in household income, many people feel that they are
living month to month and that a loss of employment or sudden medical emergency
could easily move them from the upper middle class to low income earners. This
feeling of being on the "edge" of poverty, despite these levels of
income, seems a bit ridiculous but it really comes down to easy credit,
misunderstanding of their incomes and peer group pressures.
Even
in today's tough economy, for those with six-figure incomes credit is easy to
come by. Credit companies may have cut back offerings to those in lower income
brackets due to the recent credit reforms, but there seems to be little or no
effect on high income earners. Their being able to get credit without difficulty
gives them a false sense of security that makes them spend way more than their
incomes can afford. That's why they accumulate credit card debt faster than
average.
Many
higher income earners feel like they are making lots of money now, and believe
that they will continue to make big money. This may reduce their feeling that
they need to watch their money carefully now. Hand in hand with that, many of
them probably believe that they are making more money than they really are — or
said another way, the money they make will go farther than it really does.
Meanwhile,
many young professionals who are earning good incomes don't come from
particularly privileged backgrounds, and their reference point may be that they
are making twice (or more) than their parents were — so they spend like that as
well. They don't take account of the effect of inflation, which means that the
cost of living is much higher than that in their parents' generation. Further,
the more you earn, the more you pay in tax. Rather than focusing on after-tax
incomes, many high income earners only look at the top line figures. A $
100,000 income before tax is only about $ 70,000 after tax.
(1)
Who is the text centered on?
A . The upper middle class.
B . The lower income group.
C . People living in poverty.
D . People getting into debt.
(2)
What causes some people to spend beyond their income according to the text?
A . Lack of real budget.
B . Easy availability of credit.
C . The good economic climate.
D . Their privileged backgrounds.
(3)
What does the author intend to remind young professionals about in the end?
A . They should focus on their top line figures.
B . They need to look ahead rather than look back.
C . They actually don't earn as much as they think.
D . They should form good personal financial habits.
(4)
Which of the following might be discussed in the next paragraph?
A . Effects of peer group pressures.
B . Ways to keep financial stability.
C . Harm of poor money management.
D . Tips on reducing the risk of poverty.
答案: A
B
C
A