Even leaders pay tax

As the president of the US, Barack Obama earns a salary(薪水) of around $400,000 a year. But his income(收入) for 2008 was far more than that, according to the White House.

The White House recently published the tax returns of Obama and vice-president Joe Biden. Tax returns are reports of tax a person has to pay. They often include income information used to calculate（計算）the tax. In the US, people whose incomes are over a certain amount have to file (申請) tax returns every year. The tax returns of government officials are open to the public. This transparency (透明) helps to prevent corruption (腐敗).

From Obama's tax returns, we can see that the president and first lady Michelle made about $2.66 million in 2008.

Most of the money came from the sales of the president's two books Dreams From My Father, and The Audacity of Hope (《無畏的夢想》). The two books, published in 1995 and 2006, are very popular and have been on the bestseller (暢銷書) list for a long time.

The Obamas' income is down from 2007, when they made $4.2 million. However, that is still far more than former US president George W. Bush earned, who reported a total of $719,274 for his final year. The Obamas' income also greatly exceeded (超過) that of Biden, who reported a family income of $269,256. That's about a tenth of what the Obamas earned. As vice-president, Biden earns a salary of $220,000. US families earn an average income of about $50,000.

The Obamas' tax returns also show that together, the president and his wife paid about $933,000 in taxes. They gave $172,050 -- nearly 6.5 percent of their earnings – to different charity groups. In the US, if a person gives his money to churches and non-profit (非盈利的) organizations, the law reduces his or her taxes. This is one reason rich people in the US like to give to charity.

44. What are tax returns?

　 A. They are reports published by the White House.

　 B. They are reports made by the president.

　 C. They are reports of tax a person has to pay.

　 D. They are reports of people's incomes.

45. How much did Obama and his wife earn in 2008?

　 A. $400,000 　 　　　 　　　 B. $2,660,000 　　 　　　 C. $4,200,000　　 D. $7,191,274

46. In the US, which people have to file tax returns?

　 A. Everybody.　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. Wealthy people. 　　

　 C. Government officials.　　　　　D. People whose incomes are over a certain amount.

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