UNIT 4. CARING FOR THOSE IN NEEDPART I. PHONETICS

All over the country, young people are entering a world of homelessness and poverty, according to a

recent report by the housing group, Shelter.

Nearly 150,000 young people aged between sixteen and twenty-five will become homeless this year,

says Shelter. Some of the young homeless may sleep out in the open in such places as the "cardboard city” in

London, where people of all ages sleep in the open air in their only homes - cardboard boxes. Others may find

accommodation in shelters run by voluntary organisations or get a place in a hostel, which gives them board

up to ten weeks.

But who are these people? Those who are seeking a roof over their heads are mostly not runaways

but “throwaways" - people who have been thrown out of their homes or forced to leave because of parental

divorce, an unsympathetic step-parent or one of many other reasons.

Take the case of one sixteen-year-old schoolgirl, Alice. She did not come from a poor home and had

just passed her exams with good results. The Shelter team met her in a hostel where she was doing her physics

homework. Her parents had thrown her out of her home for no other reason that she wanted to do Science

Advanced Level Exams - which her parents refused her permission to do, saying that studying sciences was

unladylike!

Shelter says that the government's laws do nothing to help these youngsters. Rising rents, the shortage

of cheap housing and the cut in benefits for young people under the age of twenty-five are causing a national

problem, according to Shelter. The recent changes in the benefit laws mean that someone aged between

sixteen and twenty-five gets less than older people and they can only claim state help if they prove that they

left home for a good reason.

Shelter believes that because of the major cuts in benefits to young people, more and more are being

forced to sleep on the streets. Shelter also points out that if you are homeless, you can't get a job because

employers will not hire someone without a permanent address; and if you can't get a job, you are homeless

because you don't have any money to pay for accommodation. It's an impossible situation.

111. According to a recent report by Shelter, it appears that_______.

A. hostels are too full to offer accommodation to homeless young people

B. more and more young people all over the world are finding themselves homeless

C. nearly 150,000 young people live out in the open

D. young homeless people live in places like "cardboard city”

112. The word “Others” in paragraph 2 refers to_______.

A. people of all ages

B.young people C. the young homelessD. voluntary organisations

113. Most young people become homeless because_______.

A. circumstances make it impossible for them to live at home

B. they do not want to live with a divorced parent C. they have run away from home

D. they have thrown away any chances of living at home by behaving badly

114. Why was Alice turned out of her home?

A. Her parents didn't agree with what she wanted to do.

B. She didn't want to study for her Advanced Level Exams.

C. She had not obtained high marks in her exams.

D. She refused to do her homework in the evening.

115. According to the passage, “benefits" are_______.

A. extra wages for part-time workers

B. gifts of food and clothing

C. laws about distributing money

D. subsidies for those in need

116. The changes in the system of benefits mean that_______.

A. anyone under twenty-five and not living at home will receive help with food and accommodation

B. the under twenty-fives can claim money only if they have left home

C. young people do not receive as much money as those over twenty-five

D. young people cannot claim money unless they are under sixteen or over twenty-five

117. According to Shelter, once young people have been forced onto the streets, _______.

A. their benefits will be severely cut

B. they will find it difficult to find work

C. they will never go back home again D. they will encourage their friends to do the same

118. The word "permanent" in the last paragraph is closest in meaning to_______.

A. flexible

B. obvious

C. stable

D. simple