Cities with high levels of homeownership—in the range of 75%, like Detroit and S
题型：不详难度：来源：
Cities with high levels of homeownership—in the range of 75%, like Detroit and St. Louis—had on average considerably lower levels of economic activity and much lower wages and incomes. Far too many people in financial problems are trapped in homes they can’t sell, unable to move on to new centers of opportunity.
The cities and regions with the lowest levels of homeownership—in the range of 55% to 60% like Los Angeles and New York—had healthier economies and higher incomes. They also had higher levels of happiness and well-being.
I was shocked to read these interesting points that Richard Florida made in his recent article. Let me try to understand. The people in Detroit and St. Louis are less happy than the people in New York, and Los Angeles. And, the reason is because of homeownership rates?
First, to compare them to New York City (the economic capital of the world), Los Angeles (the entertainment capital of the world) seems unfair. Most people in almost any other city in the world might be less happy!
Next, let’s try a different way of determining whether renters are happier than homeowners. Why don’t we ask them? Fannie Mae’s National Housing Survey 2010 reported:
75% of current renters believe owning a home makes more sense.
67% plan to buy a home at some point in the future.
When they asked current renters for the major reason to buy a house, these were their answers (they could pick several answers):
78% said it was a good place to raise children.
75% said because they would feel safe.
70% said because you have control of your own space.
If you believe renters are happier, you would also have to believe the majority enjoy living in a less safe environment, which wouldn’t be a good place to raise children and would be a place where they have less control of their space.
小题1:Which of the following is a fact?
A．People in Los Angeles earn high incomes because of its low homeownership rate.
| B．New York’s low homeownership rate increases people’s happiness levels.
| C．Detroit’s high level of homeownership causes its economic problems.
| D．St. Louis has a higher level of homeownership than Los Angeles.
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小题2:In his article, Richard Florida tried to express that _________.
A．people in Los Angeles are happier than those in St. Louis
| B．renting a house is better than owning a house
| C．Detroit’s economy is healthier than New York’s economy
| D．New York and Los Angeles are happiest cities
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小题3:The writer believes that New York City and Los Angeles _________.
A．pay employees highest wages in America
| B．benefit from low levels of homeownership
| C．are leading cities across the globe
| D．are best American cities to live in
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小题4:From Fannie Mae’s survey report, we can know that _________.
A．paying rent makes more sense
| B．most homeowners plan to sell their houses
| C．most renters prefer to become homeowners
| D．parents need to buy a house for their children
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答案
小题1:D
小题2:B
小题3:C
小题4:C |
解析
试题分析：文章先是引用Richard Florida 文章里面的话，说明租房子的人比拥有房子的人快乐，但是作者通过Fannie Mae的报告对其进行反驳，说明人们还是愿意自己拥有房子的。
小题1:细节题：从第一段的句子：Cities with high levels of homeownership—in the range of 75%, like Detroit and St. Louis 和第二段的句子：The cities and regions with the lowest levels of homeownership—in the range of 55% to 60% like Los Angeles 可知在圣路易斯比洛杉矶私房屋主多，选D
小题2:推理题：从第三段的句子：The people in Detroit and St. Louis are less happy than the people in New York, and Los Angeles. And, the reason is because of homeownership rates? 可知Richard Florida 在他的文章中想表达的是租房子的人比拥有房子的人更快乐，选B
小题3:细节题：从第四段的句子：First, to compare them to New York City (the economic capital of the world), Los Angeles (the entertainment capital of the world) seems unfair. Most people in almost any other city in the world might be less happy!可知作者认为纽约和洛杉矶是两个主要的城市，选C。
小题4:细节题：从第五段下面的调查结果：75% of current renters believe owning a home makes more sense. 67% plan to buy a home at some point in the future.可知大部分租房子的人还是愿意自己拥有房子的，选C。 |
举一反三
We are already familiar with computers—computers work for us at home, in offices and in factories. But it is also true that many children today are using computers at schools before they can write. What does this mean for the future? Are these children lucky or not?
Many people who do not know about computers think of them as machines that children play with. They worry that children do not learn from experience but just from pressing a button and that this is not good for them. They think that children are growing not knowing about the real world.
But people who understand more about computers say that computers can be very good for children. A computer can help them to learn about the real world more quickly, to learn what they want to learn and think for themselves. And for the future, don’t we need people who can think clearly, who know how to get information quickly and use it well? What do you think?
小题1:“To be familiar with” means to ______.| A．know nothing | B．know about | C．dislike | D．like |
小题2:Does everyone think computers are good for children?| A．Yes, they do. | B．No, not everyone thinks so. | | C．They don’t know. | D．They are not sure. |
小题3:What can computers help children to do?| A．To think clearly, to do homework and to write. | | B．To play games, to do math and to copy. | | C．To think clearly, to get information and to use it well. | | D．To count, to clean the house and to get information. |
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There is no question that fewer teenagers are on the roads in the US.
In 1978, 50% of 16-year-olds had got their first driving licence. In 2008, according to the US Transportation Department, it was just 30%. The number of those aged 19 and under with driving licences has also been declining since 1978, when 11, 989, 000 had licence. In 2010, it was 9, 932, 441, or 4.1% of American drivers.
In the UK, 683, 273 teenagers have driving licences- just 1.85% of total licence holders, according to Department of Transport figures from September 2010.
But the decline in the US may have more to do with tougher tests and the introduction of the new rule in many states, which force drivers aged under 16 to be with licensed drivers of 21 years and older when driving.
In recent years, the annual number of journeys being made by American drivers of all ages has declined clearly for the first time ever. Car use began falling in 2007, when average petrol prices almost doubled to $4.12 a gallon, and the economy became worse.
But there are signs that it is getting back to normal and American remains a country on wheels. It has a higher number of cars per head of population than any other country in the world.
“Cars will always be a popular means of transportation in America. You have to take into consideration some places don’t have access to public transportation. Cars are the only way some people can get around,” says Kristin Nevels. This makes driving necessary in some rural states, where about twice as many teenagers are on the road than in big cities.
小题1:The underlined word “declining” in the second paragraph most probably means “__________”.| A．rising | B．dropping | C．improving | D．holding |
小题2:In recent years cars are used less than before mainly because of __________.| A．traffic jams | B．harder tests | C．expensive petrol | D．worst economy |
小题3:We can learn from the last paragraph that Kristin Nevels __________. | A．doubts the popularity of the car use in the future. | | B．thinks American people can not live without cars. | | C．holds confident attitude to the cars’ future in America. | | D．believes America should build up its public transportation. |
小题4:What can be inferred from the text? | A．The UK has more teenager drivers than the US. | | B．A 15-year-old boy cannot drive alone in the US. | | C．The US has very developed bus transportation system. | | D．Big cities have more teenager drivers than rural areas in the US. |
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Many Chinese kids, known as "left-behind" children, hardly ever see their parents, because their parents are migrant workers.
Li Ling, 11, is a left-behind child. Her parents have been working in Zhejiang for 10 years, while she lives with her grandparents in Guangdong. She was reunited with her parents last Spring Festival. As the number of migrant workers in China increases, the number of left-behind children is rising fast. Li is one of the 61. 02 million left-behind children under 17. They account for 37. 7 percent of rural children and 21. 88 percent of all Chinese children
The large number of left-behind children has already become a social issue. If left unsolved, it will cause serious problems, Wang Zhenyao, director of the China Philanthropy Research Institute, told China Daily. The education level of adults supervising（监管） these children is generally not that high. They can only take care of the children"s personal safety and daily living, being unable to care for their educational and spiritual needs. Meanwhile, the absence of parental support will make some left-behind children lack self-confidence. They may be slower in physical and emotional growth than their peers. Others may even become "problem youths".
To solve this problem, the government is taking action. For instance, 30 provinces and cities have allowed certain children to attend school and take the college entrance exam in the city where their parents are. However, Wang suggested that the country do more, such as making policies encouraging migrant workers to work in their hometowns. He also said that a well-balanced child welfare system is needed. "These children are the future of the nation, so they deserve our loving care and protection," Wang said.
小题1:Left-behind kids hardly see their parents because _______.| A．they are poor and in rural areas | | B．they are brought up by their grandparents | | C．their parents are making a living in other cities | | D．their parents don"t go back home on Spring Festival |
小题2:Which of the following is true according to the passage?| A．Li Ling hasn"t seen her parents for about 10 years. | | B．Left-behind children have become problem youths. | | C．There are 61. 02 million left-behind children in China. | | D．Much remains to be done to settle the left-behind kids issue. |
小题3:The purpose of the passage is _______.| A．to criticize the migrant workers who leave their children at home | | B．to focus on the present situation of the left-behind children | | C．to worry about the present situation of left-behind children | | D．to call on the government to educate the migrant workers |
小题4:In which column of a newspaper can we most probably find this passage?| A．Education. | B．Society. | C．Entertainment. | D．Employment. |
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In countries around the world, food has been used to celebrate at our holidays, our rituals and our family gatherings. The food eaten at holiday time has made the deepest impact on our culture and memories. Different holidays bring different types of food. Much of the food we eat during the holidays comes from old traditions handed down for hundreds of years.
New Year"s Eve always brings parties and get-togethers, but where you live in the world may determine what food graces your table. In the southern US, partiers eat black eyed peas, which are thought to bring good luck and prosperity(繁荣). The Japanese also eat food for good luck on New Year"s, but their choice is red snapper, the color red being considered good luck in Japan. The Jewish celebrate New Year by eating apples dipped in honey and in Madrid, Spain the last minutes of the New Year are counted down with the popping of grapes into the mouth. A pet is a cake prepared by the Greek with a coin baked into it. The person who gets the slice of cake with the coin in it should have good luck in the upcoming year.
In the United States, a typical Christmas feast can contain a variety of foods ranging from turkey to chicken, from ham to goose, but other countries celebrate this holiday differently. Perhaps these choices have been taken from the traditions of our heritage(遗产). In Denmark, a traditional Christmas meal is roast goose, Greece, leg of lamb. Traditionally, Italians keep their Christmas Eve meal meatless. The traditional Christmas dinner in New Zealand is a picnic eaten on the beach.
Though holidays around the world are celebrated in different ways, it is food, feast and family that bring us together.
小题1:According to the passage, in different holidays people usually ______.| A．have different kinds of food to eat | | B．recall the interesting life when they were young | | C．have a wide variety of parties. | | D．get together to play games. |
小题2:All the following can bring people good luck except_____.| A．a cake with a coin | | B．red snapper | | C．black eyed peas | | D．apples dipped in honey. |
小题3:We can know from the third paragraph that ______.| A．roast goose is American’s favorite food during Christmas | | B．people in Denmark and Greece share the same food during Christmas | | C．Italians don’t have meat during Christmas | | D．people in New Zealand like playing games on the beach |
小题4:Which of the following can be the main idea of the passage?| A．Holiday foods vary from culture to culture. | | B．Different countries have different cultures. | | C．People have a good appetite during holiday. | | D．Different foods are served during Christmas. |
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“I pity the empress. Poor empress.” “Do you think Zhen Huan really loves the emperor?” From campuses to offices, from shopping malls to the streets, talk about Legend of Zhen Huan is everywhere.
Unlike other long TV series, Legend of Zhen Huan, the 76-episode Qing dynasty drama series, has kept attracting new audiences along the way. It has enjoyed widespread popularity on the Chinese mainland over the past months.
The story is seemingly the same as those dramas which look into the lives of women in the imperial palace. It focuses on plots and intrigues(阴谋) within the Inner Palace during Emperor Yongzheng’s reign.
The heroine, Zhen Huan, initially a kind and innocent young lady, enters the emperor’s harem(后宫) of concubines. Discovering that the palace is a cruel and harsh place, Zhen learns how to survive on her own.
However, Legend of Zhen Huan seems to arouse more discussion than any drama series. Why? Some experts say it’s because it’s a well-made series from inside out.
Niu Hanting, deputy editor-in-chief of Art Panorama magazine, told Xinhua News Agency that the sets, props and costumes are carefully chosen. And the screenplay and dialogue are well-written. “The series takes care of every detail a good period drama should have,” Niu said. “From that aspect, it’s no coincidence that Zhen Huan could be big.” More importantly, Niu added, the TV series strikes a chord among audiences in different ways. “For example, as a woman, Zhen is hurt by the man she once loved. And as a newcomer to the palace, she finds herself caught in the fierce infighting and she has to survive,” Niu said, “Everyone may find themselves in Zhen’s position at a certain point.”
Then it’s not hard to understand why the story of Zhen Huan is even seen as a survival guide for newcomers in the workplace. Its director, Zheng Xiaolong, once admitted that in terms of society today, the “promotion” of Zhen Huan reflects a person’s career path in some way. “Whether the principles can be applied in today’s society, or not, I want to make the story as real as possible,” Zheng told Sina.com. “There are many fairytale-like series that make audiences ignore or avoid reality, and the complexity of humanity.” “But Legend of Zhen Huan, is a series that makes you think.”
小题1:What’s the main idea of the first paragraph?| A．People have pity on the empress. | | B．Zhen Huan really loves the emperor. | | C．Legend of Zhen Huan is very popular. | | D．Legend of Zhen Huan is shown everywhere. |
小题2: What does the underlined word “it” in paragraph 3 most probably refer to?| A．The imperial palace. | | B．The life of women. | | C．Emperor Yongzheng’s reign. | | D．The story of Zhen Huan. |
小题3:When Legend of Zhen Huan finds the palace is a cruel one, she ______.| A．learns to survive on her own | | B．asks others for advice | | C．feels down and disappointed | | D．becomes an innocent young lady |
小题4:We can learn from Niu Hanting that she ______.| A．thinks Zhen has had effects on newcomers | | B．makes little of Legend of Zhen Huan | | C．speaks highly of Legend of Zhen Huan | | D．wants newcomer to follow Zhen’s example |
小题5: This text is most probably taken from a(n) _________. | A．textbook | B．newspaper | | C．advertisement | D．story book |
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