时间:2019-01-14 作者:英语课 分类:VOA标准英语2013年(四月)


英语课

 


New Budget Cuts Cost of Living Adjustments for US Retirement 1 Fund



About 58 million Americans receive social security benefits. Many live day-to-day on fixed 2 incomes.


"Everything is going up. It's rising and there is not much you can do about it," Dennison said.


Kay Dennison works part time at a retirement center in Maryland. She worries she could lose everything if her monthly checks don't keep up with inflation.


"Probably my home, because everything is so tight and so high, and the mortgage rates. We've been in our home 40 years and we still owe," Dennison said.


The proposed changes to annual cost-of-living adjustments would save the government an estimated $130 billion over ten years. But AARP, a seniors' advocacy group, says under the new formula the average retiree would get $220 less a year after five years and $862 less annually 3 after 20 years.


Economist 4 Monique Morrissey at the Economic Policy Institute says reducing already meager 5 benefits on average about $1,200 dollars a month, unfairly targets the most vulnerable Americans.


"Poverty rates for the oldest, old are higher, incomes are lower, they've often used up other resources, they have more out of pocket expenses for healthcare. They're the last group you would ever want to target to take the brunt of these cuts," Morrissey said.


With the U.S. population aging, social security now takes in less revenue than it spends. Conservative economists 6 say more cuts may be necessary to keep the program solvent 7.


Charles Konigsberg at the Federal Budget Group says Americans have a choice: increase their contributions or face reduced benefits. 


"The good news is that these problems can be solved if they're addressed now. The longer we wait, the more difficult it is to fix the problem because the growth in spending accumulates over time," Konigsberg said.


Retired 8 educator Virginia Levy 9 is more fortunate. Her monthly social security checks help supplement her teacher's pension.


"I'm worried more about future generations, what it's going to do to them. My children are 40 and what's going to happen to them when they are retiring? Their social security is going to be a fraction of what ours is," Levy said.


Indeed, Monique Morrissey says the proposed changes will affect all Americans.


"People think social security is for old people, they don't realize that the benefits that are being cut are really for young people who will be old at that point. This one form of cut, by cutting the COLA, doing it immediately, affects both young and old people," Morrissey said.


The president's proposed budget includes additional cuts to Medicare, and eliminates loopholes for wealthier Americans. But with a mid-term election next year, analysts 10 say it's unlikely Congress will approve the budget without making changes. 




n.退休,退职
  • She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
  • I have to put everything away for my retirement.我必须把一切都积蓄起来以便退休后用。
adj.固定的,不变的,准备好的;(计算机)固定的
  • Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗?
  • Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定,我们就不应该随意改变。
adv.一年一次,每年
  • Many migratory birds visit this lake annually.许多候鸟每年到这个湖上作短期逗留。
  • They celebrate their wedding anniversary annually.他们每年庆祝一番结婚纪念日。
n.经济学家,经济专家,节俭的人
  • He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
  • He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家,自以为什么都懂。
adj.缺乏的,不足的,瘦的
  • He could not support his family on his meager salary.他靠微薄的工资无法养家。
  • The two men and the woman grouped about the fire and began their meager meal.两个男人同一个女人围着火,开始吃起少得可怜的午饭。
n.经济学家,经济专家( economist的名词复数 )
  • The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
  • Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》
n.溶剂;adj.有偿付能力的
  • Gasoline is a solvent liquid which removes grease spots.汽油是一种能去掉油污的有溶解力的液体。
  • A bankrupt company is not solvent.一个破产的公司是没有偿还债务的能力的。
adj.隐退的,退休的,退役的
  • The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
  • Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。
n.征收税或其他款项,征收额
  • They levy a tax on him.他们向他征税。
  • A direct food levy was imposed by the local government.地方政府征收了食品税。
分析家,化验员( analyst的名词复数 )
  • City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
  • I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。
学英语单词
acrylonitrile butadiene rubber
affinity of aggregation
amortization of bond discount
arrest on final process
bathyderm
beam centring
bulbous hull
cann't
cantharidism
cardiochalasia
caryophyllaceaes
chiu shao chih wu chui chaot'u
chronic cadmium poisoning
commanche
compete for
cubby-hole
Dacon
deck water system
Defense Secretary
degrees
deriving from
digital licensing indemnities
disguised
effective horsepower
entalaco
fitted linear regression line
framing error
gayby boom
graphite blacking
hemopheresis
Hieflau
homoplastic graft
horocycle flow
hycodan
hydrazine-air alkaline fuel cell
in full gear
internal operation ratio
invertuate
keyed up
landing on
least common multiples
Madreggi
maidenliness
manual capacity regulator
Manuelita
markswomanship
MEBU
milk rock
modification of instruction
monopoly power requirement
movable joints
nightschool
nonlinear control valve
nordness
official receivers
olfactory modalities
orthofunctions
Otju
overriding solenoid
P-5-P
pardalis
particle traps
permanent green
polypodium scouleris
polyurias
presenting public prosecution
Prábis
punch-matrix
pykno-epilepsy
quinolizidines
religious right
riskest
rock-drill dust exhauster
shagling
shamable
shielding distance
shift supervisor station
side outlet ell
smell of oil
soft mission
spirit stoves
STD ATM (standard atmosphere)
steam turbine of feed water pump
Stock index swap
Strom Glacier
stuck up
sudolorrhea
suicide attacks
teachresses
testimonios
There are more ways than to kill a cat.
top-heavness
topographic old age
tuberized
turn sb off
two-plate mould
ur-cultures
urinary sand
vertical fillet weld
Washtenaw County
with a light heart
xiv-xv