8 'WE HAVE TO SACRIFICE'

States offer to pick up the tab for unpaid^{1 leave}

When Gina Garro and Brian Duplisea adopted 4-month-old Andres from Colombia last month, they were determined^{2 to take time off from work to care for him. Six years ago, after their daughter, Melina, was born, the family scraped by on Duplisea's $36,000 salary as a construction worker so Garro, a special-education teacher, could stay home. Now, since Garro's job furnishes the family health insurance, she'll head back to work this fall while Duplisea juggles3 diapers and baby bottles. His boss agreed to the time off--but he will have to forgo4 his $18-an-hour pay. It won't be easy. Though Garro's $40,000 salary will cover their mortgage, the couple will have to freeze their retirement5 accounts, scale back on Melina's after-school activities--and pray that nothing goes wrong with the car. It takes away from your cushion and your security, says Garro. Things will be tight.}

The 1993 Family and Medical Leave Act was supposed to help families like Garro's, offering a safety net to employees who want to take time off to nurture^{6 newborns, tend to their own major illnesses or care for sick relatives. But while the law guarantees that workers won't lose their jobs, it doesn't cover their paychecks. One survey last year showed that while 24 million Americans had taken leaves since 1999, 2.7 million more wanted to, but couldn't afford it. That may change soon. In response to increasing demands from voters, at least 25 states are now exploring new ways to offer paid leave. One possibility: tapping state disability funds. A handful of states--New York, New Jersey7, California, Rhode Island and Hawaii--already dip into disability money to offer partial pay for women on maternity8 leave. But that doesn't help dads or people caring for elderly parents. New Jersey and New York may soon expand disability programs to cover leave for fathers and other caretakers. Thirteen states, including Arizona, Illinois and Florida, have proposed using unemployment funds to pay for leave.}

Massachusetts has been especially creative. When the state's acting^{9 governor, Jane Swift, gave birth to twin daughters in May, she drew attention to the issue with her own working maternity leave: she telecommuted part-time but earned her usual full-time10 salary. Even before Swift returned to work last week, the state Senate unanimously passed a pilot plan that would use surplus funds from a health-insurance program for the unemployed11 to give new parents 12 weeks off at half pay. Another plan, proposed in the House, would require employers to kick in $20 per worker to set up a New Families Trust Fund. Businesses would get tax credits in return. This week Swift is expected to announce her own paid-leave plan for lower-income mothers and fathers. Polls show widespread public support--another reason Swift and other politicians across the country have embraced the issue.}

Still, not everyone's wild about the idea. People without children question why new parents--the first group to get paid leave under many of the proposed plans--should get more government perks^{12 than they do. Business groups are resistant13 to proposals that would raid unemployment funds; several have already filed suit to block them. As the economy slows, many companies say they can't afford to contribute to proposed new benefit funds either. Business lobbyists say too many employees already abuse existing federal family-leave laws by taking time off for dubious14 reasons or in tiny time increments15. The proposed laws, they say, would only make matters worse.}

For Garro and Duplisea, though, the new laws could make all the difference. As Melina fixes a peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich, Duplisea hugs a snoozing Andres against his T shirt. We're trying to do the right thing by two kids, and we have to sacrifice, Duplisea says. In Massachusetts and plenty of other states, help may be on the way.

Newsweek; 8/27/2001, Vol. 138 Issue 9, p46, 1p, 1c

注 本文選自Newsweek；8/27/2001, Vol. 138 Issue 9, p46, 1p, 1c

注 本文習題命題模仿對象是1997年考試真題text 1，第4題模仿1997年考試真題text 3 的第2題。

1.From the first paragraph, we learn that __________________.

[A] Garro and Duplisea used to live a comfortable and easy life.

[B] Dupliseas boss is so considerate as to allow him to keep his job

[C] Garro can earn more money so she should go back to work.

[D] The couple have made a lot of sacrifices to take care of their children.

2.When Garro says It takes away from your cushion and your security, she means _____________________.

[A] it exhausts her family savings¹⁶

[B] it plunges^{17 her family into financial trouble}

[C] it deprives her children of health insurance

[D] it makes her feel insecure

3.If Garro lives in Massachusetts, she will ___________________.

[A] have 12 weeks off at half pay

[B] telecommute part-time but earn full-time salary

[C] leave her job without pay to take care of her kids

[D] get $20 from her employer for her leave

4.The word perk most probably means _______________.

[A] grant

[B] policy

[C] encouragement

[D] reward

5.The authors attitude towards paid leave seems to be that of _________________.

[A] opposition¹⁸

[B] suspicion

[C] approval

[D] indifference¹⁹

答案：DBAAC

篇章分析

本文為說明文，主要介紹帶薪請假政策的起因，擬定和推行狀況，與所面臨的問題和反對建議。文章第一以加羅一家的歷程說明停薪請假的人所面臨的經濟困難。然后在第二，第三段介紹了一下各州針對這一問題的解決方法。第四段介紹了反對者的態度和怎么看，最后一段第三以加羅一家的狀況來講明帶薪請假政策可能帶來的積極變化，并且呼應了文章開頭部分，以此作為結尾，使得全文層次分明，結構完整。

詞語注解

scrape [skreIp]v. 勉強保持生計；勉強通過

furnish[5f\:nIF]v. 提供, 提供

juggle[5dVQ^l]v. 耍，弄

diaper[`daIEpE]n. 尿布

forgo[fC:5^EJ]v. 拋棄；舍棄

cushion[5kJFn] n. 緩沖，減輕或緩和不利后果的東西：

tap [tAp]v. 開發；借助

maternity[mE5t\:nItI]adj. 母性的，初為人母的孕婦的；合適于孕婦的，生孩子或成為媽媽的第一個月的

telecommute[9telIkE`mjU:t ]v. 遠距離工作

pilot plan 試點策略

kick in 參與提供資金和其他幫助的活動中去

tax credit 稅金免除

perk[p\:k]n. 額外津貼

raid[reId]v. 侵吞

lobbyist[5lRbIIst]n. 院外活動集團成員；說客

increment[5InkrImEnt]n. 增加, 增量

難句突破：

1.The 1993 Family and Medical Leave Act was supposed to help families like Garro's, offering a safety net to employees who want to take time off to nurture newborns, tend to their own major illnesses or care for sick relatives.

主體句式：The 1993 Family and Medical Leave Act was supposed to help

結構剖析：本句是一個復雜句，既包含從句，也包含分詞結構。be supposed to do something 表示應該做某事，一般強調義務，責任等。safety net 原義是預防墜落受傷的安全網，在此引申為安全保障。

句子譯文：1993年頒布的《家庭醫療休假法》本來應該幫助像加羅如此的家庭，為那些請假照顧新生兒，治療重病或者照顧患病親人的職員提供一個安全保障。

題目剖析：

1. 答案為D,屬事實細節題。見第一段。為了照顧兩個孩子，這一對夫婦兩個做出了很多選擇。這類選擇大都意味著做出肯定犧牲，譬如請假在家照顧孩子，收入降低，凍結養老金帳戶，降低孩子課外活動開支等。

2. 答案為B，屬判斷推理題。 從第一段列舉的事實來看，加羅夫婦不能不凍結養老金帳號，降低梅麗娜的課后活動開支---還要禱告汽車別出問題。可見請假照顧孩子給他們帶來了緊急的經濟問題。答案B正確。

3. 答案為A，屬事實細節題。內容涉及馬薩諸塞州近期通過的一項議案。原文參照第三段第五行。

4. 答案為A，屬猜詞題。從第二，第三段的內容來看，各州政府試圖動用各種基金對請假照料新生嬰兒的爸爸媽媽進行經濟上的幫忙，因此A項在乎義上最符合。

5. 答案是C，屬推理判斷題。本文重點說明了停薪請假人所面臨的經濟困難，與各州的解決方法。并在最后一段說明帶薪請假政策可能帶來的積極變化。從材料的選擇來看，作者對于帶薪請假政策持積極的態度，所以答案C正確。

參考譯文：

大家不能不做出犧牲

州政府想為停薪請假的人報銷帳單

上個月，吉納加羅和布萊恩杜普里希從哥倫比亞收留四個月大的安德烈時，這對夫婦決定請假照顧他。六年前，他們的女兒梅麗娜出生后，這家人靠著杜普里希作建筑工人每年36,000USD的薪水勉強度日，如此，從事特殊教育教學的加羅就能呆在家照顧孩子。現在，由于加羅的工作可以為家庭提供醫療健康保險，她將在今年秋天回去工作，而讓杜普里希擺弄那些尿片和嬰兒奶瓶。他的老板贊同他請假---但他需要為此舍棄十八USD一小時的報酬。這可有的讓這個家庭犯難。雖然加羅40,000USD的年薪可以支付他們的抵押貸款，但夫婦兩個卻不能不凍結他們的退休帳戶，降低梅麗娜的課后活動開支---還要禱告汽車別出問題。大家不再后顧無憂，加羅說道：生活會變得非常拮據。

1993年頒布的《家庭醫療休假法》本來應該幫助像加羅如此的家庭，為那些請假照顧新生兒，治療重病或者照顧患病親人的職員提供一個安全保障。可是，法律雖然能保證這類職員不至于扔掉工作，卻不可以支付他們的薪水。去年的一項調查顯示，雖然從1999年以來有4000萬美國人請假，但還有270萬想要請假，卻承受不起請假帶來的損失。要不了多長時間這樣的情況就會改變。現在至少有25個州正在探索提供帶薪休假的新渠道，以回話選民日益增加的需要。一種可能就是借助州傷病基金。一些州---紐約州，新澤西，加利福尼亞，羅德島和夏威夷---已經動用傷病基金為請孕產假的婦女提供部分薪資。但這種舉措并不可以幫助那些做爸爸的人和照料年邁爸爸媽媽的人。新澤西州和紐約州或許不久就會擴大傷病基金計劃的覆蓋面，讓那些請假照料孩子的爸爸們和其他照料傷病親屬的人都能從中受益。包含亞利桑那州，伊利諾伊州和佛羅里達州在內的十三個州已經建議動用失業基金來支付請假薪資。

馬薩諸塞州的舉措尤具創意。當該州的代理州長，簡斯威夫特5月生下一對雙胞胎女兒的時候，她以自己請產假的方法引起大家對這一問題的關注。她在家通過電腦終端遠程工作，做的是兼職工作，拿的卻是全職的薪水。在她上周重返工作職位之前，州參議院就一致通過了一項試點策略，允許動用失業職員醫保計劃的剩余基金，讓剛生了孩子的爸爸媽媽可以拿一半薪資，請假12周。眾議院建議的另外一項計劃則需要雇主為每一個職員增加20USD薪資，以便設立一個新家庭信托基金。作為回報，商業企業可以獲得稅金免除。這一周，預計斯威夫特將宣布她本人針對低收入媽媽和爸爸提出的帶薪請假計劃。民意測驗顯示了廣泛的公眾支持---這是斯威夫特和其他國內政治家樂意解決這一問題的另外一個緣由。

不過，并非所有人都熱衷這種想法。一些沒子女的人質疑為何剛生了孩子的爸爸媽媽---他們是很多提案當中第一批獲得帶薪請假待遇的人---得到的政府補貼比他們的多。商業機構抵制動用失業基金的提案；一些機構甚至已經提起訴訟以阻止這類提案獲得通過。伴隨經濟進步的減速，很多公司也說他們無力為建議中的福利基金提供資金。商業企業的院外游說成員說有太多的職員已經濫用現有些聯邦家庭醫療休假法，以很多可疑的借口請假，或者拖延一點請假時間。他們覺得該法律提案只能使狀況變得更糟。

不過，對于加羅和杜普里希來講，新的法律會使他們的境況大為不同。梅麗娜籌備一塊花生-黃油-果凍三明治的時候，杜普里希把懷中打盹的安德烈抱在胸前。大家正在努力為兩個孩子創造好的條件，所以不能不做出犧牲，杜普里希說。在馬塞諸塞州和其他很多州，或許非常快大家就會得到如此的幫忙。