Some people talk about immigration in terms of politics, some in terms of history. But the core of the matter is numbers. The Labor Department says that immigrants make up about 15 percent of the work force. It’s estimated that a third of those are undocumented workers. The Pew Hispanic Center estimates that one in four farmhands in the United States is an undocumented immigrant, and that they make up a significant portion of the people who build our houses, clean our office buildings and prepare our food.
America has become a nation dependent on the presence of newcomers, both those with green cards and those without. Business leaders say agriculture, construction, meatpacking and other industries would collapse without them.
Sure, it would be great if everyone were here legally, if the immigration service weren’t such a disaster that getting a green card is a life’s work. It would be great if other nations had economies robust enough to support their citizens so leaving home wasn’t the only answer. But at a certain point public policy means dealing not only with how things ought to be but with how they are. Here’s how they are: these people work the jobs we don’t want, sometimes two and three jobs at a time. They do it on the cheap, which is tough, so that their children won’t have to, which is good. They use services like hospitals and schools, which is a drain on public coffers, and they pay taxes, which contribute to them.
Immigration is never about today, always about tomorrow, an exercise in that thing some native-born Americans seem to have lost the knack for: deferred gratification. It’s the educated man who arrived in the Washington D. C., area and took a job doing landscaping, then found work as a painter, then was hired to fix up an entire apartment complex by someone who liked his work ethic. He started his own business and wound up employing others. Does it matter that he arrived in this country with no work visa if he is now supporting the nation’s economy
If any towns, whose aging populations were on the wane before the immigrants arrived, succeed in driving newcomers away, those who remain will find themselves surrounded by empty storefronts, deserted restaurants and houses that will not sell. It’s the civic equivalent of starving to death because you don’t care for the food. But at least everyone involved can tell themselves their town wasted away while they were speaking English.
It is estimated that ______ of US workforce is made up of undocumented immigrants.
A:15 percent B:one third C:4.5 percent D:one in four
Some people talk about immigration in terms of politics, some in terms of history. But the core of the matter is numbers. The Labor Department says that immigrants make up about 15 percent of the work force. It’s estimated that a third of those are undocumented workers. The Pew Hispanic Center estimates that one in four farmhands in the United States is an undocumented immigrant, and that they make up a significant portion of the people who build our houses, clean our office buildings and prepare our food.
America has become a nation dependent on the presence of newcomers, both those with green cards and those without. Business leaders say agriculture, construction, meatpacking and other industries would collapse without them.
Sure, it would be great if everyone were here legally, if the immigration service weren’t such a disaster that getting a green card is a life’s work. It would be great if other nations had economies robust enough to support their citizens so leaving home wasn’t the only answer. But at a certain point public policy means dealing not only with how things ought to be but with how they are. Here’s how they are: these people work the jobs we don’t want, sometimes two and three jobs at a time. They do it on the cheap, which is tough, so that their children won’t have to, which is good. They use services like hospitals and schools, which is a drain on public coffers, and they pay taxes, which contribute to them.
Immigration is never about today, always about tomorrow, an exercise in that thing some native-born Americans seem to have lost the knack for: deferred gratification. It’s the educated man who arrived in the Washington D. C., area and took a job doing landscaping, then found work as a painter, then was hired to fix up an entire apartment complex by someone who liked his work ethic. He started his own business and wound up employing others. Does it matter that he arrived in this country with no work visa if he is now supporting the nation’s economy
If any towns, whose aging populations were on the wane before the immigrants arrived, succeed in driving newcomers away, those who remain will find themselves surrounded by empty storefronts, deserted restaurants and houses that will not sell. It’s the civic equivalent of starving to death because you don’t care for the food. But at least everyone involved can tell themselves their town wasted away while they were speaking English.
A:15 percent B:one third C:4.5 percent D:one in four
Passage Three 3
An old Indian story says that the game of chess (国际象棋) was invented by Sissa Ben, Prime Minister of King Shirham. As soon as the invention was finished he gave it to the king, who was glad and asked him what he would like to have in return. To the king’s surprise, what Sissa wanted seemed very little. "Your Majesty, "said the minister, kneeling before the king. "I want nothing but some wheat. Please put a grain of wheat on the first square of the chessboard (棋盘), two on the second, four on the third, eight on the fourth.., and so on, doubling the number for each following square. Give me enough grains to cover the 64 squares of the chessboard."
"You don’t ask for much, my honest servant. You might have asked for gold or money," said the king and then ordered a bag of wheat brought to the palace.
But when the counting began, with one grain for the first square, two for the second, four for the third, and so on, the bag was emptied before the 20th square. More bags were brought, but the number of grain needed for the following squares increased so rapidly that the king was not able to keep his promise even with all the crops in the whole India! In fact, he would have needed 8 466 744 073 709 511 615 grains, which would be as much as that they would produce in about 2000 years!
Now tile king found himself deep in debt to his minister. He had either to face the terrible trouble all his life or to cut off Sissa’s head, the litter of which, it is said was what he finally chose.
A:19 squares B:one third of the squares C:the first 19 squares D:20 squares
Passage Three
An old Indian story says that the game of chess (国际象棋) was invented by Sissa Ben, Prime Minister of King Shirham. As soon as the invention was finished he gave it to the king, who was glad and asked him what he would like to have in return. To the king’s surprise, what Sissa wanted seemed very little. "Your Majesty, "said the minister, kneeling before the king. "I want nothing but some wheat. Please put a grain of wheat on the first square of the chessboard (棋盘), two on the second, four on the third, eight on the fourth.., and so on, doubling the number for each following square. Give me enough grains to cover the 64 squares of the chessboard."
"You don’t ask for much, my honest servant. You might have asked for gold or money," said the king and then ordered a bag of wheat brought to the palace.
But when the counting began, with one grain for the first square, two for the second, four for the third, and so on, the bag was emptied before the 20th square. More bags were brought, but the number of grain needed for the following squares increased so rapidly that the king was not able to keep his promise even with all the crops in the whole India! In fact, he would have needed 8 466 744 073 709 511 615 grains, which would be as much as that they would produce in about 2000 years!
Now tile king found himself deep in debt to his minister. He had either to face the terrible trouble all his life or to cut off Sissa’s head, the litter of which, it is said was what he finally chose.
A:19 squares B:one third of the squares C:the first 19 squares D:20 squares
Passage Three 3
An old Indian story says that the game of chess (国际象棋) was invented by Sissa Ben, Prime Minister of King Shirham. As soon as the invention was finished he gave it to the king, who was glad and asked him what he would like to have in return. To the king’s surprise, what Sissa wanted seemed very little. "Your Majesty, "said the minister, kneeling before the king. "I want nothing but some wheat. Please put a grain of wheat on the first square of the chessboard (棋盘), two on the second, four on the third, eight on the fourth.., and so on, doubling the number for each following square. Give me enough grains to cover the 64 squares of the chessboard."
"You don’t ask for much, my honest servant. You might have asked for gold or money," said the king and then ordered a bag of wheat brought to the palace.
But when the counting began, with one grain for the first square, two for the second, four for the third, and so on, the bag was emptied before the 20th square. More bags were brought, but the number of grain needed for the following squares increased so rapidly that the king was not able to keep his promise even with all the crops in the whole India! In fact, he would have needed 8 466 744 073 709 511 615 grains, which would be as much as that they would produce in about 2000 years!
Now tile king found himself deep in debt to his minister. He had either to face the terrible trouble all his life or to cut off Sissa’s head, the litter of which, it is said was what he finally chose.
A:19 squares B:one third of the squares C:the first 19 squares D:20 squares
Passage Three An old Indian story says that the game of chess (国际象棋) was invented by Sissa Ben, Prime Minister of King Shirham. As soon as the invention was finished he gave it to the king, who was glad and asked him what he would like to have in return. To the king’s surprise, what Sissa wanted seemed very little. "Your Majesty, "said the minister, kneeling before the king. "I want nothing but some wheat. Please put a grain of wheat on the first square of the chessboard (棋盘), two on the second, four on the third, eight on the fourth.., and so on, doubling the number for each following square. Give me enough grains to cover the 64 squares of the chessboard." "You don’t ask for much, my honest servant. You might have asked for gold or money," said the king and then ordered a bag of wheat brought to the palace. But when the counting began, with one grain for the first square, two for the second, four for the third, and so on, the bag was emptied before the 20th square. More bags were brought, but the number of grain needed for the following squares increased so rapidly that the king was not able to keep his promise even with all the crops in the whole India! In fact, he would have needed 8 466 744 073 709 511 615 grains, which would be as much as that they would produce in about 2000 years! Now tile king found himself deep in debt to his minister. He had either to face the terrible trouble all his life or to cut off Sissa’s head, the litter of which, it is said was what he finally chose.
A bag of wheat was enough for ()A:19 squares B:one third of the squares C:the first 19 squares D:20 squares
Passage Three 3 An old Indian story says that the game of chess (国际象棋) was invented by Sissa Ben, Prime Minister of King Shirham. As soon as the invention was finished he gave it to the king, who was glad and asked him what he would like to have in return. To the king’s surprise, what Sissa wanted seemed very little. "Your Majesty, "said the minister, kneeling before the king. "I want nothing but some wheat. Please put a grain of wheat on the first square of the chessboard (棋盘), two on the second, four on the third, eight on the fourth.., and so on, doubling the number for each following square. Give me enough grains to cover the 64 squares of the chessboard." "You don’t ask for much, my honest servant. You might have asked for gold or money," said the king and then ordered a bag of wheat brought to the palace. But when the counting began, with one grain for the first square, two for the second, four for the third, and so on, the bag was emptied before the 20th square. More bags were brought, but the number of grain needed for the following squares increased so rapidly that the king was not able to keep his promise even with all the crops in the whole India! In fact, he would have needed 8 466 744 073 709 511 615 grains, which would be as much as that they would produce in about 2000 years! Now tile king found himself deep in debt to his minister. He had either to face the terrible trouble all his life or to cut off Sissa’s head, the litter of which, it is said was what he finally chose.
A bag of wheat was enough for ()A:19 squares B:one third of the squares C:the first 19 squares D:20 squares