For many years, any discussion of reparations to compensate the descendants of African slaves for 246 years of bondage and another century of legalized discrimination was dismissed. Many whites and blacks alike scoffed at the idea, reasoning that slavery is part of the past that would only unleash new demons if it were resurrected.
Opponents contend that the fledgling reparations movement overlooks many important facts. First, they assert, reparations usually are paid to direct victims, as was the case when the U. S. government apologized and paid compensation to Japanese-Americans interned during World War II. Similarly, Holocaust (;k2,V~-~,) survivors have received payments from the Germans. In addition, not all blacks were slaves, and an estimated 3,000 were slave owners.
Also, many immigrants not only came to the United States after slavery ended, but they also faced discrimination. Should they pay reparations, too Or should they receive them
And regardless of how much slave labor contributed to the United States’ wealth, opponents contend, blacks benefit from that wealth today. As a group, African-Americans are the best educated, wealthiest blacks on the planet.
But that attitude is slowly changing. At least 10 cities, including Chicago, Detroit and Washington, have passed resolutions in the past two years urging federal hearings into the impact of slavery. Mainstream civil rights groups such as National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the National Urban League and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference regularly raise the issue.
The surging interest in reparations parallels a heightened sensitivity to the horrors of slavery, in which as many as 6 million Africans perished in the journey to the Americas alone. There also is growing attention being paid to the huge economic bounty that slavery created for private companies and the country as a whole.
Earlier this year, Aetna Inc. apologized for selling insurance policies that compensated slave owners for financial losses when their slaves died. Last summer, the Hartford Courant in Connecticut printed a front-page apology for the profits it made from running ads for the sale of slaves and the capture of runaways. Next month, a new California law will require insurance companies to disclose any slave insurance policies they may have issued. The state also is requiring University of California officials to assemble a team of scholars to research the history of slavery and report how current California businesses benefited.
Proponents of reparations argue that, even for nearly a century after emancipation in 1865, blacks legally were still excluded from the opportunities that became the cornerstones for the white middle-class.
"Immigrants" in Paragraph 3 refers to ______.

A:African-Americans B:non-white immigrants C:Japanese-Americans D:Holocaust survivors

The survivors from the shipwreck______together under the rock to keep warm.

A:quavered B:grappled C:stumbled D:huddled

They gave up their efforts to look for survivors(幸存者) after determining that all people in the sunken ship had died.

当他们判定沉船上所有的人都已遇难

Rise in Number of Cancer Survivors 　　Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States,after heart disease.In the (51),it was often considered a death sentence.But many patients now live longer(52)of improvements in discovery and treatment. 　　Researchers say death(53)in the United States from all cancers combined have fallen for thirty years.Survival rates have increased for most of the top fifteen cancers in both men and women,and for cancers in(54). 　　The National Cancer Institute and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention studied the number of cancer survivors.A cancer survivor is defined(55)anyone who has been found to have cancer.This would include current patients. 　　The study covered the period(56)1971 to 2001.The researchers found there are three(57)as many cancer survivors today as there were thirty years ago.In 1971,the United States had about three-million cancer(58).Today there are about ten-million. 　　The study also found that 64% of adults with cancer can expect to still be(59)in five years.Thirty years ago,the five-year survival rate was 50%.The government wants to (60)the five-year survival rate to 70% by 2010. 　　The risk of cancer increases with age.The report says the majority of survivors are 65 years and (61). 　　But it says medical improvements have also helped children with cancer live(62)longer.Researchers say 80% of children with cancer will survive at least five years after the discovery.About 75% will survive at (63)ten years. 　　In the 1970s,the five-year survival rate for children was about 50%.In the 1960s,most children did not survive cancer.Researchers say they(64)more improvements in cancer treatment in the future.In fact,they say traditional cancer-prevention programs are not enough anymore.They say public health programs should also aim to support the (65)numbers of cancer survivors and their families.

A:past B:present C:future D:old

Rise in Number of Cancer Survivors 　　Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States,after heart disease.In the (51),it was often considered a death sentence.But many patients now live longer(52)of improvements in discovery and treatment. 　　Researchers say death(53)in the United States from all cancers combined have fallen for thirty years.Survival rates have increased for most of the top fifteen cancers in both men and women,and for cancers in(54). 　　The National Cancer Institute and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention studied the number of cancer survivors.A cancer survivor is defined(55)anyone who has been found to have cancer.This would include current patients. 　　The study covered the period(56)1971 to 2001.The researchers found there are three(57)as many cancer survivors today as there were thirty years ago.In 1971,the United States had about three-million cancer(58).Today there are about ten-million. 　　The study also found that 64% of adults with cancer can expect to still be(59)in five years.Thirty years ago,the five-year survival rate was 50%.The government wants to (60)the five-year survival rate to 70% by 2010. 　　The risk of cancer increases with age.The report says the majority of survivors are 65 years and (61). 　　But it says medical improvements have also helped children with cancer live(62)longer.Researchers say 80% of children with cancer will survive at least five years after the discovery.About 75% will survive at (63)ten years. 　　In the 1970s,the five-year survival rate for children was about 50%.In the 1960s,most children did not survive cancer.Researchers say they(64)more improvements in cancer treatment in the future.In fact,they say traditional cancer-prevention programs are not enough anymore.They say public health programs should also aim to support the (65)numbers of cancer survivors and their families.

A:due B:because C:despite D:regardless

Rise in Number of Cancer Survivors 　　Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States,after heart disease.In the (51),it was often considered a death sentence.But many patients now live longer(52)of improvements in discovery and treatment. 　　Researchers say death(53)in the United States from all cancers combined have fallen for thirty years.Survival rates have increased for most of the top fifteen cancers in both men and women,and for cancers in(54). 　　The National Cancer Institute and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention studied the number of cancer survivors.A cancer survivor is defined(55)anyone who has been found to have cancer.This would include current patients. 　　The study covered the period(56)1971 to 2001.The researchers found there are three(57)as many cancer survivors today as there were thirty years ago.In 1971,the United States had about three-million cancer(58).Today there are about ten-million. 　　The study also found that 64% of adults with cancer can expect to still be(59)in five years.Thirty years ago,the five-year survival rate was 50%.The government wants to (60)the five-year survival rate to 70% by 2010. 　　The risk of cancer increases with age.The report says the majority of survivors are 65 years and (61). 　　But it says medical improvements have also helped children with cancer live(62)longer.Researchers say 80% of children with cancer will survive at least five years after the discovery.About 75% will survive at (63)ten years. 　　In the 1970s,the five-year survival rate for children was about 50%.In the 1960s,most children did not survive cancer.Researchers say they(64)more improvements in cancer treatment in the future.In fact,they say traditional cancer-prevention programs are not enough anymore.They say public health programs should also aim to support the (65)numbers of cancer survivors and their families.

A:chances B:results C:orders D:rates