Americans’ pride and faith of their economic system,【C1】_____that it provides opportunities for all citizens to have good lives, are【C2】__by the【C3】_____that poverty persists in many parts of the country.

Government anti-poverty efforts have made some progress but have not eradicated the problem.【C4】_____. periods of strong economic growth, which bring more jobs and higher wages, have【C5】__poverty but have not【C6】_____it entirely.

The federal government【C7】_____poverty line as a minimum【C8】__of income【C9】__for basic maintenance of a family of four. This amount may fluctuate【C10】__the cost of living and the location of the family. In 1998, a family of four with an annual income below $16,530 was classified【C11】_____living in poverty.

The percentage of people living below poverty line dropped from 22.4 percent in 1959 to 11.4 percent in 1978. But【C12】________it has fluctuated in a fairly narrow range. In 1998, it stood at 12.7 percent.

【C13】_____the overall figures mask much more severe pockets of poverty. In 1998, more than one-quarter of all African-Americans lived in poverty; though【C14】_____high, that figure did represent an improvement from 1979 when 31 percent of blacks were officially classified as poor.

There are【C15】_____estimations on the accuracy of official poverty figures. Some analysts have suggested that the official poverty figures【C16】__the real【C17】__of poverty because they measure only cash income and exclude certain government assistance programs such as Food Stamps. Others point out, however, that these programs 【C18】__cover all of a family’s food or health care needs.【C19】__others point out that people at the poverty line sometimes receive cash income from【C20】_____work and in the underground sector of economy which is never recorded in official statistics.

【C9】