Until the 1980s, the American homeless population comprised mainly older males. Today, homelessness strikes much younger part of society. In fact, a 25-city survey by the U. S. Conference of Mayors in 1987 found that families with children make up the fastest growing part of the homeless population. Many homeless children gather in inner cities; this transient(變化無(wú)常的) and frequently frightened student population creates additional problems — both legal and educational — for already overburdened urban school administrators and teachers.
Estimates of the number of homeless Americans range from 350,000 to three million. Likewise, estimates of the number of homeless school children vary radically. A U.S. Department of Education report, based on state estimates, states that there are 220,000 homeless school-age children, about a third of whom do not attend school on a regular basis, But the National Coalition for the Homeless estimates that there are at least two times as many homeless children, and that less than half of them attend school regularly.　　　　
One part of the homeless population that is particularly difficult to count consists of the “throwaway” youths who have been cast of their homes. The Elementary School Center in New York City estimates that there are 1.5 million of them, many of whom are not counted as children because they do not stay in family shelters and tend to live by themselves on the streets.
Federal law, the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act of 1987, includes a section that addresses the educational needs of homeless children. The educational provisions of the McKinney Act are based on the belief that all homeless children have the right to a free, appropriate education.
60. It is implied in the first paragraph that ____.
A) the writer himself is homeless, even in his eighties
B) many older homeless residents are going on strike in 25 cities
C) there is a serious shortage of academic facilities
D) homeless children are denied the opportunity of receiving free education
61. The National Coalition for the homeless believes that the number of homeless children is _____.
A) 350,000
B) 1,500,000
C) 440,000
D) 110,000
62. One part of the homeless population is difficult to estimate. The reason might well be ____.
A) the homeless children are too young to be counted as children
B) the homeless population is growing rapidly
C) the homeless children usually stay outside school
D) some homeless children are deserted by their families
63. The passage mainly deals with ____.
A) the legal problems of the homeless children
B) the educational problems of homeless children
C) the social status of older males
D) estimates on the homeless population

THIS was the year the Earth struck back.
Earthquakes, heat waves, floods, volcanoes, super typhoons, snow storms, landslides and droughts killed at least a quarter of a million people in 2010 – the deadliest year in more than a generation. More people were killed worldwide by natural disasters this year than have been killed in terrorism attacks in the past 40 years combined.
"It just seemed like it was back-to-back and it came in waves," said Craig Fugate, who heads the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency. It handled a record number of disasters in 2010.
And we have ourselves to blame most of the time, scientists and disaster experts say.
Even though many catastrophes have the ring of random chance, the hand of man made this a particularly deadly, costly, extreme and weird（古怪的） year for everything from wild weather to earthquakes.
Poor construction and development practices conspire to make earthquakes more deadly than they need be. More people live in poverty in vulnerable（脆弱的） buildings in crowded cities. That means that when the ground shakes, the river breaches, or the tropical cyclone hits, more people die.
Disasters from the Earth, such as earthquakes and volcanoes "are pretty much constant," said Andreas Schraft, vice president of catastrophic perils for the Geneva-based insurance giant Swiss Re. "All the change that's made is man-made."
The January earthquake that killed well more than 220,000 people in Haiti is a perfect example. Port-au-Prince has nearly three times as many people - many of them living in poverty - and more poorly built shanties than it did 25 years ago. So had the same quake hit in 1985 instead of 2010, total deaths would have probably been in the 80,000 range, said Richard Olson, director of disaster risk reduction at Florida International University.
In February, an earthquake that was more than 500 times stronger than the one that struck Haiti hit an area of Chile that was less populated, better constructed, and not as poor. Chile's bigger quake caused fewer than 1,000 deaths.
Climate scientists say Earth's climate also is changing, bringing extreme weather, such as heat waves and flooding.
In the summer, one weather system caused oppressive heat in Russia, while farther south it caused flooding in Pakistan that inundated 161,200 square kilometers, about the size of Wisconsin. That single heat-and-storm system killed almost 17,000 people, more people than all the worldwide airplane crashes in the past 15 years.
Scientists have calculated that the killer Russian heat wave—setting a national record of 43.9℃—would happen once every 100,000 years without global warming.
【小題1】What is responsible for the most human deaths in 2010?

Until the 1980s, the American homeless population comprised (組成) mainly older males. Today, homelessness strikes much younger part of society. In fact, a 25-city survey by the U. S. Conference of Mayors in 1987 found that families with children make up the fastest growing part of the homeless population. Many homeless children gather in inner cities; this transient(變化無(wú)常的) and frequently frightened student population creates additional problems — both legal and educational — for already overburdened（負(fù)擔(dān)過(guò)重的）urban school administrators and teachers.

Estimates of the number of homeless Americans range from 350,000 to three million. Likewise, estimates of the number of homeless school children vary radically. A U.S. Department of Education report, based on state estimates, states that there are 220,000 homeless school-age children, about a third of whom do not attend school on a regular basis, But the National Coalition for the Homeless estimates that there are at least two times as many homeless children, and that less than half of them attend school regularly.

One part of the homeless population that is particularly difficult to count consists of the “throwaway” youths who have been cast of their homes. The Elementary School Center in New York City estimates that there are 1.5 million of them, many of whom are not counted as children because they do not stay in family shelters and tend to live by themselves on the streets.

Federal law, the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act of 1987, includes a section that addresses the educational needs of homeless children. The educational provisions of the McKinney Act are based on the belief that all homeless children have the right to a free, appropriate education.

1. It is implied in the first paragraph that ____.

A. the writer himself is homeless, even in his eighties

B. many older homeless residents are going on strike in 25 cities

C. there is a serious shortage of academic facilities (設(shè)施).

D. homeless children are denied the opportunity of receiving free education

2. The National Coalition for the homeless believes that the number of homeless children is _____.

A. 350,000

B. 1,500,000

C. 440,000

D. 110,000

3.  One part of the homeless population is difficult to estimate. The reason might well be ____.

A. the homeless children are too young to be counted as children

B. the homeless population is growing rapidly

C. the homeless children usually stay outside school

D. some homeless children are deserted by their families

4. The McKinney Act is mentioned in this passage in order to show that ___.

A. the educational problems of homeless children are being recognized

B. the estimates on homeless children are hard to determine

C. the address of grade-school children should be located

D. all homeless people are entitled（有權(quán)利的） to free education

5. The passage mainly deals with ____.

A. the legal problems of the homeless children

B. the educational problems of homeless children

C. the social status of older males

D. estimates on the homeless population

Until the 1980s, the American homeless population comprised mainly older males. Today, homelessness strikes much younger part of society. In fact, a 25-city survey by the U. S. Conference of Mayors in 1987 found that families with children make up the fastest growing part of the homeless population. Many homeless children gather in inner cities; this transient(變化無(wú)常的) and frequently frightened student population creates additional problems — both legal and educational — for already overburdened urban school administrators and teachers.

Estimates of the number of homeless Americans range from 350,000 to three million. Likewise, estimates of the number of homeless school children vary radically. A U.S. Department of Education report, based on state estimates, states that there are 220,000 homeless school-age children, about a third of whom do not attend school on a regular basis, But the National Coalition for the Homeless estimates that there are at least two times as many homeless children, and that less than half of them attend school regularly.　　　　

One part of the homeless population that is particularly difficult to count consists of the “throwaway” youths who have been cast of their homes. The Elementary School Center in New York City estimates that there are 1.5 million of them, many of whom are not counted as children because they do not stay in family shelters and tend to live by themselves on the streets.

Federal law, the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act of 1987, includes a section that addresses the educational needs of homeless children. The educational provisions of the McKinney Act are based on the belief that all homeless children have the right to a free, appropriate education.

60. It is implied in the first paragraph that ____.

A) the writer himself is homeless, even in his eighties

B) many older homeless residents are going on strike in 25 cities

C) there is a serious shortage of academic facilities

D) homeless children are denied the opportunity of receiving free education

61. The National Coalition for the homeless believes that the number of homeless children is _____.

A) 350,000

B) 1,500,000

C) 440,000

D) 110,000

62. One part of the homeless population is difficult to estimate. The reason might well be ____.

A) the homeless children are too young to be counted as children

B) the homeless population is growing rapidly

C) the homeless children usually stay outside school

D) some homeless children are deserted by their families

63. The passage mainly deals with ____.

A) the legal problems of the homeless children

B) the educational problems of homeless children

C) the social status of older males

D) estimates on the homeless population

Until the 1980s, the American homeless population is mainly made up of older males. Today, homelessness strikes much younger part of society. In fact, a 25-city survey by the U. S. Conference of Mayors in 1987 found that families with children make up the fastest growing part of the homeless population. Many homeless children gather in inner cities; this transient(變化無(wú)常的) and frequently frightened student population creates additional problems — both legal and educational — for already overburdened urban school administrators and teachers.

??? Estimates of the number of homeless Americans range from 350,000 to three million. Likewise, estimates of the number of homeless school children vary radically. A U.S. Department of Education report, based on state estimates, states that there are 220,000 homeless school-age children, about a third of whom do not attend school on a regular basis. But the National Coalition for the Homeless estimates that there are at least two times as many homeless children, and that less than half of them attend school regularly.

??? One part of the homeless population that is particularly difficult to count consists of the “throwaway” youths who have been cast of their homes. The Elementary School Center in New York City estimates that there are 1.5 million of them, many of whom are not treated as children because they do not stay in family shelters and tend to live by themselves on the streets.

??? Federal law, the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act of 1987, includes a section that addresses the educational needs of homeless children. The educational provisions（規(guī)定） of the McKinney Act are based on the belief that all homeless children have the right to a free, appropriate education.

1.It is implied in the first paragraph that ____.

A. the writer himself is homeless, even in his eighties

B. many older homeless residents are going on strike in 25 cities

C. there is a serious shortage of academic facilities

D. homeless children are denied the opportunity of receiving free education

2.The National Coalition for the homeless believes that the number of homeless children is _____.

A. 350,000??? B. 1,500,000?????? C. 440,000????? D. 110,000

3.One part of the homeless population is difficult to estimate. The reason might well be ____.

A. the homeless children are too young to be treated as children

B. the homeless population is growing rapidly

C. the homeless children usually stay outside school

D. some homeless children are deserted by their families

4.The McKinney Act is mentioned in this passage in order to show that ___.

A. the educational problems of homeless children are being recognized

B. the estimates on homeless children are hard to determine

C. the address of grade-school children should be located

D. all homeless people should have free education