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[1] Scientists have known for decades that poverty translates into higher rates of illness and mortality1. But an explosion of research is demonstrating that social class—as measured not just by income but also by education and other markers of relative status—is one of the most powerful predictors of health, more powerful than genetics, exposure to carcinogens, even smoking2.

[2] What matters is not simply whether a person is rich or poor, college educated or not1. Rather, risk for a wide variety of illnesses, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, arthritis, infant mortality, many infectious diseases and some types of cancer, varies with relative wealth or poverty: the higher the rung on the socioeconomic ladder, the lower the risk2. And this relationship holds even at the upper reaches of society, where it might seem that an abundance of resources would even things out3.

[3] Social class is an uncomfortable subject for many Americans1. “I think there has been a resistance to thinking about social stratification in our society,” said Dr. Nancy Adler, professor of medical psychology at the University of California at San Francisco and director of the John T. and Catherine D. MacArthur Foundation Research Network on Socioeconomic Status and Health2. Instead, researchers traditionally have focused on health differences between rich and poor, or blacks and whites (unaware, in many cases, that race often served as a proxy for socio-economic status, since blacks are disproportionately represented in lower income brackets) 3.

[4] But the notion that a mid-level executive with a three-bedroom, split-level in Scarsdale might somehow be more vulnerable to illness than his boss in the five-bedroom colonial a few blocks away seems to have finally captured scientists’ attention1.

[from For Good Health, It Helps to Be Rich and Important, Erica Goode, New York Times, June 1, 1999]

1

According to the author, it has been scientifically proven that being poor is significantly linked to sickness and death.
A)True
B)False
2

Social class and income are the same thing.
A)True
B)False
3

Many Americans don’t like to talk about social class.
A)True
B)False
4

All rich people are sick less often than poor people.
A)True
B)False
5

In American society, according to the author, which of the following would be a factor in determining social class?
A)health
B)education
C)height
D)eye color
6

Which of the following people, according to the research described in paragraph 2, would be most likely to enjoy the best health?
A)a waitress earning $23,000/year
B)a farmer earning $60,000/yr
C)the manager of a fast-food outlet earning $35,000/yr
D)a psychiatrist earning $250,000/yr
7

Why does the author quote Dr. Nancy Adler in paragraph 3?
A)because she is an important cancer researcher
B)because her title sounds impressive
C)because she does research on the precise topic of the article
D)because she believes that class should not be discussed in the context of medical research
8

Which of the following best describes the author of the passage?
A)medical researcher
B)sociologist
C)scientist
D)journalist





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