考研英语阅读真题Text1Inorderto“changelivesforthebetter”andreduce“dependency,”GeorgeOsbome,ChancelloroftheExchequer,introducedthe“upfrontworksearch”scheme.Onlyifthejoblessarriveatthejobcentrewitharegisterforonlinejobsearch,andstartlookingforworkwilltheybeeligibleforbenefit-andthentheyshouldreportweeklyratherthanfortnightly.Whatcouldbemorereasonable?为了“让生活变得更美好”以及减少“依赖”，英国财政大臣乔治•奥斯本引入了“求职预付金”计划。只有当失业者带着简历到就业中心，注册在线求职并开始找工作，才有资格获得补助金——然后他们应该每周而非每两周报告一次。有什么比这更合理呢？Moreapparentreasonablenessfollowed.Therewillnowbeaseven-daywaitforthejobseeker’sallowance.“Thosefirstfewdaysshouldbespentlookingforwork,notlookingtosignon.”heclaimed.“We’redoingthesethingsbecauseweknowtheyhelppeoplesayoffbenefitsandhelpthoseonbenefitsgetintoworkfaster”Help?Really?Onfirsthearing,thiswasthesociallyconcernedchancellor,tryingtochangelivesforthebetter,completewith“reforms”toanobviouslyindulgentsystemthatdemandstoolittleeffortfromthenewlyunemployedtofindwork,andsubsideslaziness.Whatmotivatedhim,weweretounderstand,washiszealfor“fundamentalfairness”-protectingthetaxpayer,controllingspendingandensuringthatonlythemostdeservingclaimantsreceivedtheirbenefits.更加明显的合理性如下。现在领取求职者补贴要等待七天。“这前几天应该用来找工作，而不是办理失业登记（以获得救济金）。”他说，“我们这样做是因为我们知道，这样会帮助人们摆脱补助并让依赖补助的人尽快就业。”帮助？真的吗？乍一听，这是位关心社会的大臣，他努力改善人们的生活，包括对一个明显放纵的体系的“改革”，这个体系不要求新失业者付出多少努力去找工作，为其懒惰埋单。我们将会知道，激励他的是他对“基本的公正”的热诚——保护纳税人，控制花费以及确保只有最值得帮助的申请者才能得到补助金。Losingajobishurting:youdon’tskipdowntothejobcentrewithasonginyourheart,delightedattheprospectofdoublingyourincomefromthegenerousstate.Itisfinanciallyterrifyingpsychologicallyembarrassingandyouknowthatsupportisminimalandextraordinarilyhardtoget.Youarenownotwanted;yousupportisminimalandextraordinarilyhardtoget.Youarenownotwanted;youarenowexcludedfromtheworkenvironmentthatofferspurposeandstructureinyourlife.Worse,thecrucialincometofeedyourselfandyourfamilyandpaythebillshasdisappeared.Askanyonenewlyunemployedwhattheywantandtheanswerisalways:ajob.失业是痛苦的：你不会内心歌唱并跳跃着到就业中心去，为从这个慷慨国度得到加倍收入的前景而欣喜。在经济上它令人生畏，在心理感到难堪，并且你还知道那种扶持的微薄和非常难以得到。现在没人需要你；你现在被排除在工作环境之外，那里会给予你人生的目标和体制。更糟糕的是，失去了用以养家糊口和支付账单的至关重要的收入。问任何新失业者他们想要什么，答案永远是：一份工作。ButinOsborneland,yourfirstinstinctistofallintodependency-permanentdependencyifyoucangetit-supportedbyastateonlytooreadytoindulgeyourfalsehood.Itisasthough20yearsofever-tougherreformsofthejobsearchandbenefitadministrationsystemneverhappened.TheprincipleofBritishwelfareisnolongerthatyoucaninsureyourselfagainsttheriskofunemploymentandreceiveunconditionalpaymentsifthedisasterhappens.Eventheveryphrase‘jobseeker’sallowance’inventedin1996-isaboutredefiningtheunemployedasa“jobseeker”whohadnomandatoryrighttoabenefitheorshehasearnedthroughmakingnationalinsurancecontributions.Instead,theclaimantreceivesatime-limited“allowance,”conditionalonactivelyseekingajob;noentitlementandnoins...
