阅读理解     Homebuyers nationwide are watching housing prices going up, up, and up.

阅读理解     Homebuyers nationwide are watching housing prices going up, up, and up.

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阅读理解
     Homebuyers nationwide are watching housing prices going up, up, and up. "How high can they go?"
Is the question on everyone"s lips. "As long as interest rates stay around 5 percent, nothing might be able
to prevent housing prices going up," said one house seller in Santa Monica, California.
     "It"s crazy," said Tim, who is looking for a house near the beach. "In 1993, I bought my first place,
a two-bedroom flat in Venice, for$70,000. My friends thought then that I was overpaying. Five years
later, I had to move. I sold it for $ 230,000, which was a nice profit. Last year, while visiting friends
here, I saw in the local paper that the exact same flat was for sale for $ 510,000!"
     It is a seller"s market. Homebuyers feel like they have to offer at least 10 percent more than the
asking price. Donna, a new owner of a one-bedroom flat on Venice Beach, said, "That"s what I did.
I told the owner that whatever anyone offers you, I"ll give you $ 20,000 more under the table, so you
don"t have to pay your house seller any of it. I was tired of negotiating with the house sellers."
     Tim says he hopes he doesn"t get that desperate. "Whether you decide to buy or not, you still feel
like you made the wrong decision. If you buy, you feel like you overpaid. If you don"t buy, you want to
kick yourself for passing up a great opportunity."
     Everyone says the bubble(气泡)has to burst sometime, but everyone hopes it will burst the day after
they sell their house. Even government officials have no idea what the future will bring. "All we can say is
that, clearly, these things go in regular cycles," said the state director of housing. "What goes up must
come down. But, as we all know, housing prices always stay up a little higher than they go down
(被接受). So you can"t lose over the long run. Twenty years down the road, your house is always
worth more than you paid for it."1. If Tim had sold his flat last year, he could have earned __________. A. $ 510,000      
B. $ 440,000
C. $ 280,000  
D. $ 160,0002. Donna paid another $ 20,000 to the owner secretly because __________. A. she felt like offering 10% more
B. secret money made low price
C. the owner asked for the money
D. she was bored with bargaining3. We can infer from Tim"s words in Paragraph 4 that __________. A. homebuyers feel hesitate facing rising house prices
B. buying a house is always a great opportunity
C. homebuyers never make the right decision
D. both sellers and buyers become desperate4. Which of the following is TRUE about the housing bubble?A. It is something everyone hates to see.
B. Only experts know when it will burst.
C. It is unavoidable in the regular circles.
D. It usually stays for about twenty years.
答案
1-4: BDAC
举一反三
阅读理解.     Few people would question the value of taking part in sports for young people.With proper training,
supervision, protective equipment and techniques, and a proper emphasis on winning, sports can develop
a healthy body and spirit and a life-long interest in being active and fit.Without such measures, childhood
sports can lead to injuries and even paralysis or death.
     Even in the best conditions, no activity can be risk-free.But most serious hazards are preventable.
Cyclists and football players can reduce their risks by wearing helmets;hockey players by wearing masks ;basketball and tennis players by wearing eye guards;baseball players by wearing batting helmets.
   Besides,risks to individual players can often be found, and thus prevented, through a properly performed
medical exam before a child plays.For accidents that may not be preventable, having an emergency plan
and first-aid equipment,and someone trained to use the equipment, can be lifesaving.
    Still,each year, according to the American College of Sports Medicine, more than 775,000 children
under 14 are treated in emergency rooms for sports injuries, nearly half of them preventable.An estimated
300,000 athletes experience exercise-related head illnesses each year, and almost all of them should have
been avoided.
     Further,from half to three-fourths of sports-related concussions(脑震荡) are never even diagnosed
 ;the injured are often sent back to play too soon and put at risk of another more serious brain-damaging
concussion.To help reduce these risks, the National Center for Sports Safety, with the National Athletic
Trainers"Association, offers a three-hour online safety course for coaches for $ 28 at www.SportsSafety.org.1.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?A.All the accidents can be prevented.
B.All the accidents cannot be prevented.
C.Lives can be saved so long as there is proper equipment.
D.Lives cannot be saved even if there is proper equipment.2.What does the underlined word "hazards"(in Paragraph 2) mean?A.Mistakes.  
B.Diseases.
C.Dangers.  
D.Situations.3.It is implied in the passage that__________.A.prevention of injuries is not paid enough attention to
B.children under 14 are more easily hurt in sports
C.most head illnesses are related with exercise
D.none of the head illnesses should have happened4.What can coaches mainly learn from the online safety course?A.How to cure brain-damaging concussion.
B.How to diagnose brain-damaging concussion.
C.How to predict the possibility of brain damage.
D.How to deal with the injured properly.
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阅读理解.   Every people has their own way of saying things,their own special expressions.Many everyday American
expressions are based on colors.
   Red is a hot color.Americans often use it to express heat.They may say they are red hot about something
unfair.When they are red hot they are very angry about something.The small hot tasting peppers found in
many Mexican foods are called red hots for their color and their fiery(炽热的,暴躁的) taste.Fast loud
music is popular with many people.They may say the music is red hot,especially the kind called Dixieland
jazz.
   Pink is a lighter kind of red.People sometimes say they are in the pink when they are in good health.The
expression was first used in America at the beginning of the twentieth century. It probably comes from the
fact that many babies are born with a nice pink color that shows that they are in good health.
   Blue is a cool color.The traditional blues music in the United States is the opposite of red hot music.Blues
is slow,sad and soulful.Duke Ellington and his orchestra recorded a famous song-Mood Indigo-about the
deep blue color, indigo. In the words of  the song: "You aren"t blue till you"ve  had that  Mood Indigo.
"Someone who is blue is very sad.
   The color green is natural for trees and grass.But it is an unnatural color for humans.A person who has a
sick feeling in stomach may say she feels a little green.A passenger on a boat who is feeling very sick from
high waves may look very green.
   Sometimes a person may be upset because he does not have something as nice as a friend has,like a fast
new car.That person may say he is green with envy.Some people are green with envy because a friend has
more dollars or greenbacks.Dollars are called greenbacks because that is the color of the back side of the
paper money.
   The color black is used often in expressions.People describe a day in which everything goes wrong as a
black day.The date of a major tragedy is remembered as a black day.A blacklist is illegal now.But at one
time, some  businesses  refused  to employ people who were on a blacklist for  belonging to unpopular
organizations.1. If you had your wallet stolen while doing some shopping,you may call it ________.A.a white day      
B.a black day
C.a red day  
D.a green day2. Suppose Mr.Brown says he is very happy because his three children are all in the pink,this means all his
children are ________.A.lucky and wealthy
B.gentle and modest
C.fit and healthy
D.creative and energetic3. When she got home and found nothing had been done by her husband,Jane was really ________.A.red hot  
B.green
C.blue  
D.black4. In the following paragraph,the writer might tell the reader something about  ________.A. unpopular organizations in the world
B.people"s response towards a black day
C.the influence of the traditional blues
D.more words about a color,such as brown
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阅读理解     A new study suggests that the more teenagers watch television,the more likely they are to develop
depression(抑郁) as young adults.But the extent to which TV may be to blame is a question that the
study leaves unanswered.
     The researchers used a national longterm survey of adolescent health to investigate the relationship
between media use and depression.They based their findings on more than 4,000 adolescents who were
not depressed when the survey began in 1995.
     As part of the survey,the young people were asked how many hours of television or videos they
watched daily.They were also asked how often they played computer games and listened to the radio.
Media use totaled an average of 5 and onehalf hours a day.More than 2 hours of that was spent
watching TV.
     7 years later,in 2002,more than 7 percent of the young people had signs of depression.The average
age at that time was 21.
Brian Primack at the University of Pittsburgh Medical School was the lead author of the new study.He
says every extra hour of television meant an 8 percent increase in the chances of developing signs of
depression.
     The researchers say they did not find any such relationship with the use of other media such as movies,
video games or radio.But the study did find that young men were more likely than young women to
develop depression given the same amount of media use.
     Doctor Primack says the study did not explore why watching TV causes depression.But one
possibility,he says,is that it may take time away from activities that could help prevent depression,like
sports and socializing.It might also interfere with sleep,he says,and that could have an influence.
     The study was just published in the Archives of General Psychiatry.
     In December,the journal Social Indicators Research published a study of activities that help lead to
happy lives.Sociologists from the University of Maryland found that people who describe themselves as
happy spend less time watching television than unhappy people.The study found that happy people are
more likely to be socially active,to read,to attend religious services and to vote.

1. According to the first paragraph,what remains unsolved in the new study?
A. Who is more likely to be influenced by TV.
B. How much teenagers are depressed by TV.
C. Whether teenagers are influenced by TV.
D. What should be done to help the teenagers.

2. More than 4,000 adolescents were chosen as the subjects of the study because they ______.
A. were free from depression
B. were keen on using the media
C. attached much importance to their health
D. could afford the time for the long-term survey

3. What can be inferred from the seventh paragraph?
A. Depression is not related to the use of other media than TV.
B. Every extra hour of media use increases the chance of depression.
C. Longer use of media other than TV doesn"t increase the chance of depression.
D. The influence of movies,video games and radio on depression varies respectively.

4. In the last sentence of the eighth paragraph,"It"refers to ______.
A. depression      
B. watching TV
C. lack of activities  
D. the result of the study

5. The study done by the sociologists from the University of Maryland was mainly intended to ______.
A. tell the difference between happy and unhappy people
B. prove the relationship between TV and depression
C. stress the importance of being socially active
D. provide a happy recipe(秘方)for all people
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阅读理解     Being the boss might mean more money and challenging work but it can also cause damage to
physical and mental well-being, according to a Canadian study.
     For years studies have shown people in lower-status jobs generally have higher rates of heart
disease and other illnesses and die earlier than those in higher-status positions while job authority
has shown no relationship with workers" health.
     But University of Toronto researchers, using data from 1,800 US workers, found the health of
people in higher positions is affected by work as they are more likely to report conflicts with co-
workers and say work disturbs their home life.
      However the positive aspects of having a power position at work, such as higher status, more
pay and greater independence, seemed to cancel out the negative aspects when it came to people"s
physical and psychological health.
     These latest findings, reported in the journal Social Science & Medicine, suggest that the advantages
and disadvantages authority positions basically cancel each other out, giving the general impression that
job authority has no health effects.
     For the study, the researchers surveyed participants about various aspects of their work, life and
well-being.Job authority was judged based on whether a person managed other employees and had
power over hiring, firing and pay.
     Physical health complaints included problems like headaches, bodyaches, heartburn and tiredness.
Psychological complaints included sleep problems, difficulty concentrating and feelings of sadness,
worry and anxiety.
     "This isn"t to suggest that having authority is "bad"-in fact, we show it has benefits...but it is important
to identify the negative sides and deal with them." researcher Scott Schieman said.
Schieman said conflicts with co-workers or involvement of work into home life may destroy physical
and mental well-being by creating stress.
     "These are key stressors that can tax individuals" ability to function effectively, " Schieman said.

1. Work will have a negative effect on job authority"s health probably because __________.
A. they are not fit for their work
B. they have power over hiring and pay
C. they are faced with severe competition
D. they don"t get on well with their co-workers

2. Most people don"t see that bosses have health effects because __________.
A. their health problems are not serious enough to see
B. they have enough money to keep themselves healthy
C. their problems are quite different from those of workers
D. the advantages and disadvantages of their status work against each other

3. From the passage we can infer that the study aims to __________.
A. warn people not to be a boss for ever
B. remind the boss to deal with bad effects of their work
C. show that having authority is harmful to one"s health
D. prove that being a boss can benefit a lot

4. The best title for this passage might be __________.
A. Lower-status can affect health
B. Authority can affect health
C. Positive aspects of a power position
D. Disadvantages of being a boss
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阅读理解     Every day,all across the nation,as many as one in four children refuses to go to school.The reasons
are various."School Refusal",formerly known as"School Phobia",is an actual anxietybased disorder.
Many children are vague about their complaints and unable to be sure what is making them anxious,so
it is sometimes regarded as typical childhood will fullness.However,the effects of constant school refusal
can be farreaching for your child"s education.
     So,where"s the line between what"s normal and what"s not?"You need to look at whether it is affecting
the child or family"s normal life,"explains Christopher Kearney,Ph.D.In other words,if a child"s grades are
suffering from frequent absences or a parent"s job is disturbed,it is time to look closely at the issue.
Parents should listen carefully to children who say they can"t go to school because of "untestable things"
such as stomachaches or headaches.While these complaints alone don"t necessarily indicate school
refusal,there may be deeper problems if combined with general complaints about school,talks of threats
at school and so on.
     There are different kinds of behavior in school refusal.Some children are influenced by their friends
who skip school to hang out with their friends,showing a sense of rebellion(叛逆). Some children cling to
their mothers,screaming at the thought of having to enter the school building.
     However,that doesn"t mean that getting a child back into the classroom is impossible.According to
Maryann Roth,a school psychologist and guidance counselor(顾问),parents should attempt to make the
child get back to school,no matter how hard it is.Working closely with school officials and possibly a
specialist to create a plan is a necessary step.

1. The underlined word"vague"(Paragraph 1)is closest in meaning to__________.
A. irregular  
B. unclear
C. curious  
D. unusual

2. According to Paragraph 2,the real reason of "School Refusal" may be that the children__________.
A. are suffering from illness
B. are afraid of endless tests
C. want to stay with their parents
D. feel bored and unsafe at school

3. When facing "School Refusal" of their children,parents should__________.
A. take the problem seriously if their daily life is disturbed
B. discuss the seriousness of the problem with their children
C. take their children to see the doctor immediately
D. keep their children away from their rebellious friends

4. The passage intends to__________.
A. explain that "School Refusal" is a symptom of an illness
B. explain the phenomenon of "School Refusal" and how to treat it
C. remind parents to take good care of their children
D. explain that "School Refusal" is normal and not serious
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