The plight of the homeless remains a problem. Indeed, some observers argue that the Welfare Reform Act of 1996 has increased the numbers of homeless people. There are no hard statistics on the homeless, but estimates of the number of people without a home on any given night in the United States range from a low of 230,000 to as many as 750,000 people. It is difficult to estimate how many people
are homeless because the number depends on how the homeless are defined. There are street people—those who sleep in bus stations, parks, and other areas. Many of these people are youthful runaways. There are the so-called sheltered homeless—those who sleep in government-supported or privately funded shelters. Many of these individuals used to live with their families or friends. While street people are almost always single, the sheltered homeless include numerous families with children. Homeless families are the fastestgrowing subgroup of the homeless population. As a policy issue, how to handle the homeless problem pits liberals against conservatives. Conservatives argue that there are not really that many homeless and that most of them are alcoholics, drug users, or mentally ill. Conservatives argue that these individuals should be dealt with either by the mental-health system or the criminal justice system. In contrast, many liberals argue that homelessness is caused by a reduction in welfare benefits and by excessively priced housing. They want more shelters to be built for the homeless. In the past decade, cities have attempted to "criminalize" homelessness. Many municipalities have outlawed sleeping on park benches and sidewalks, as well as panhandling and leaving personal property on public property. In some cities, police sweeps remove the homeless, who then become part of the criminal justice system. Because there is so much disagreement about the number of homeless persons, the reasons for homelessness, and the possible cures for the problem, there has been no consistent government policy. Whatever policies have been adopted usually have been attacked by one group or another. The author's tone in this passage is
a. reticent.
b. pessimistic. c. optimistic. d. apathetic.
B
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La langue française est en pleine expansion dans le monde. Selon une étude de l'OIF (Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie) datant de 2010, on comptera environ 715 millions de francophones dans le monde en 2050 contre un peu plus de 220 millions aujourd’hui. Une des raisons principales de cette croissance est l'explosion démographique en Afrique. En effet, ce continent comptera pour 85% des francophones en 2050. Si ces prévisions (forecasts) se confirment, le français deviendra l'une des premières langues parlées dans le monde avec d’autres langues comme l'espagnol ou le mandarin. Grâce à une étude intitulée «La francophonie, une opportunité de marché majeure», le gouvernement français a identifié ces opportunités économiques et a attribué (assigned) à Jacques Attali la rédaction d'un rapport sur «La dimension économique de la francophonie», dont on attend avec impatience les résultats cette année. Ainsi, plusieurs initiatives ont été prises, notamment dans les domaines de l'audiovisuel et de la culture. En effet, les enjeux (challenges) sont énormes pour le cinéma et la musique ainsi que pour la télévision et la radio. Pour la filière (sector) française du cinéma, l'Afrique est devenue une priorité. La filière souhaite renouveler et développer sa présence sur ce continent où, pour l’instant, les salles de cinéma sont quasi inexistantes dans la majorité des pays. Mais les distributeurs ont de l’espoir pour l’avenir: «Tout semble se mettre en place: émergence d'une classe moyenne, implantations de multiplexes, équipements structurels de haut débit pour diffuser vidéo et télévision», rapporte le groupe de travail d'UniFrance, l'association chargée de la promotion du cinéma français à l'international. Quelle est une des principales raisons de cette croissance? a. la croissance économique de l’Afrique b. la croissance démographique de l’Afrique
Write a sentence of your own for each of the following possessive pronouns.
1. my 2. his 3. hers 4. their 5. yours
After reading, the best way to reinforce what you have read is to
a. read, explain, and make a checklist. b. recall, react, and reflect. c. use mnemonics, reread, and pronounce unfamiliar vocabulary words.
What is your favorite line or lines from the ode? The choice is, of course,personal, but give your reasons, if possible, for your choice
What will be an ideal response?