When American soldiers return home from war with disabilities, they often suffer twice -- first from their combat injuries, next from the humiliation of government dependency. Wounded veterans learn they have two basic choices: They can receive almost $3,000 a month in disability benefits along with medical care and access to other various welfare programs, or they can try to find a job. Especially in this economy, it's no wonder that many find that first option hard to turn down. Mark Duggan, an economics professor at Stanford University, reports that enrollment in U.S.veterans' disability programs rose from 2.3 million in 2001 to 3.9 million in 2014. The percentage of veterans receiving benefits doubled, from 8.9% in 2001 to 18% in 2014. Disability services for veterans now consume $59 billion. In the 1980s and 1990s, male veterans were more likely to be in the labor force than nonveterans. But since 2000, that has changed dramatically. Now there is a 4% gap between veteran and nonveteran labor participation, with veteran participation lower. Navy SEAL Eric Greitens, founder of The Mission Continues, explains how soldiers who served their country are transformed into welfare receivers who live off their country. "When veterans come home from war they are going through a tremendous change in identity,"he says."Then the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, and others, encourage them to view themselves as disabled."By the time they come to Greitens' non-profit organization,"We meet a number of veterans who see themselves as charity cases and are not sure anymore what they have to contribute." There are also more practical factors driving the disability boom. One is the expansion of qualification criteria. In 2000, for instance, type 2 diabetes was added as a disability because of evidence linking exposure to Agent Orange with the onset of the disease. Heart disease has also been added to the list. Another possible factor is that younger veterans seem less against welfare than their parents'... In Gade's opinion, the veterans who receive welfare from the government tend to . A) save more trouble for the government B) lead a miserable and unhappy life C) increasingly depend on the government D) suffer the humiliation of their combat injuries
B
In December 2008, Caroline Kennedy -- daughter of the late U.S. President John F. Kennedy--sat down, as a frontrunner for the Senate seat in New York, for a televised interview that helped decide the future of her campaign. The result was a disaster. Her performance wasn't well received, in part because her speech was full of filler words--"ums," "ahs" and "you knows." One listener counted 27 "ums" and 38 "you knows" in the space of five minutes. A few weeks after the interview, Kennedy ended her Senate campaign. Filler words may seem natural in everyday speech, but they can be deadly in formal presentations. "Using excessive fillers is the most annoying speech habit," said Susan Ward, a speech specialist. "They take your listener's attention away often to the point that he doesn't hear anything you say. Your message is entirely lost." Many speakers are afraid of pause. They believe their audience will think they are inarticulate if they pause to think of what to say next, so they use filler words to avoid the silence. However, a pause is actually more impressive than a filler word. Listeners know that the speaker is thinking, trying to find the right word. Sometimes a pause can actually improve a speech, as when an actor uses a dramatic pause to hold the attention of his audience. A speaker shouldn't be afraid to pause occasionally during a speech; it shows self-confidence. It takes some work to cut out filler words. You can begin by taking a few seconds to think about what you want to say the next time you are asked a question. This pause will help you begin powerfully, and it will help you avoid using a filler word. The same public speaking technique applies when you are shifting from one idea to another. While you may be tempted to fill the silence between ideas with a filler word, remember to allow yourself to pause and think about what you want to say next. If you need help overcoming your "um" problem, consider asking a family member or a friend to point out when you use filler words. You also could... Which of the following is NOT suggested as a way to get rid of filler words? A) To have mental training in order to think faster. B) To ask someone else to point out when you use filler words. C) To watch a recording of your own speech. D) To practice thinking for a moment before answering a question.
A
*Question*
It seems that some people go out of their way to get into trouble.That's more or less what happened the night that Nashville Police officer Floyd Hyde was on duty. "I was on the way to a personal-injury accident in West Nashville.As I got onto Highway 40,blue lights and sirens going.I fell in behind a gold Pontiac Firebird that suddenly seemed to take off quickly down the highway.The driver somehow panicked at the sight of me.He was going more than a hundred miles an hour and began passing cars on the shoulder." But Hyde couldn't go after him.Taking care of injured people is always more important than worrying about speeders,so the officer had to stay on his way to the accident.But he did try to keep the Firebird in sight as he drove,hoping another nearby unit would be able to step in and stop the speeding car.As it turned out,keeping the Firebird in sight was not that difficult.Every turn the Pontiac made was the very turn the officer needed to get to the accident scene. Hyde followed the Pontiac all the way to his destination .At that point he found another unit had already arrived at the accident scene.His help wasn't needed.Now he was free to try to stop the driver of the Firebird,who by this time had developed something new to panic about. "Just about that time," Hyde said,"I saw fire coming out from under that car,with blue smoke and oil going everywhere.He'd blown his engine.Now he had to stop." "After I arrested him.I asked him why he was running.He told me he didn't have a driver's license ." That accident cost the driver of the Firebird plenty---a thousand dollars for the new engine---not to mention the charges for driving without a license,attempting to run away,and dangerous driving. Which of the following statements is true? A) Someone else was taking care of the injured person. B) The Pontiac reached its destination at the accident scene. C) Hyde knew where he was going by following the right car. D) The policeman was running after a speeder on Highway 40
**Answer**
A