题目内容
While reading a story on 20-somethings complaining about how the economy was ruiningg their life plans, I couldn’t help but think the 20-somethings sounded like a bunch of spoiled who grew up expecting everything to be easy for them. As a 20-something myself, certainly share their disappointment : my husband and I probably won’t be able to buy a house until we’re in our 40s, and we two are burdened by student loans(贷款). But why should it be any different? Being young persons in America, shouldn’t they take up all of the challenges and opportunities that this country offers?
Consider some of these views shared in the story: Jennifer, 29, owner of a two-bedroom apartment with her husband, worries that she won’t be able to have children for at least a decade because they can’t afford to buy a house yet.
I read that, and I thought what planet she is living on where you need to own a house in order to have kids? Has she ever visited a developing country, or even downtown areas in this one? Home ownership is a luxury(奢华), not a fertility requirement.
A 26-year-old in the story is disappointed that he can’t afford to get a Ph. D in literature. Well, that sounds a bit like expressing disappointment that no one will pay you to write poetry on the beach in Thailand for five years.
Yes, it’s sad that these young people feel so lost. But I think the problem is their extremely high expectations, not economic reality. Beth Kobliner, author of Personal Finance in Your Twenties and Thirties, says that she thinks people’s expectations grew up at a time when everyone’s wealth appeared to be increasing, Their parents probably saw their home values rise along with their investments. “So you have people who have grown up in an environment where people had great expectations of what living well means,” says Kobliner.
This recession(经济衰退) will certainly play a role in forcing those expectations into more realistic group. In the meantime, it seems a lot better for our mental health to focus on being grateful---for our one-bedroom apartments, for living in modern cities, or perhaps just for being able to eat three meals a day---than on longing for some kind of luxury life.
1.. What makes the author think the 20-somethings sound like a bunch of spoiled children?
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A．They expect everything to be easy for them. |
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B．They complain that the economy is spoiling their life plans. |
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C．They are unwilling to face all of the challenges. |
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D．They are burdened by student loans. |
2.. The underlined word “fertility” in paragraph 3 probably means“_____”.
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A．baby production |
B．pleasant |
C．baby comfort |
D．comfortable |
3.. Which of the following is NOT mentioned about the complaints of the 20-somethings?
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A．They can’t have children for at least a decade a decade to buy a house. |
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B．They have only a one-bedroom apartment to live in. |
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C．They can’t buy a house until 40 and are burdened by student loans. |
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D．They despair at not being able to afford a PH. D in literature. |
4.. What’s the Kobliner’s attitude towards the 20-somethings with high expectations?
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A．Unbearable |
B．Opposite |
C．Doubtful |
D．Understanding |
5.What is the best title for this passage?
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A．Young people afford to continue their study |
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B．Young people can’t afford to buy a house |
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C．Young people’s high hopes create despair |
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D．The 20-somethings’ high expectations |
1.B
2.A
3.B
4.D
5.C
【解析】
试题分析：
1.B 根据第一段的While reading a story on 20-somethings complaining about how the economy was ruiningg their life plans, I couldn’t help but think the 20-somethings sounded like a bunch of spoiled 可知B正确。
2.A 根据第三段 I thought what planet she is living on where you need to own a house in order to have kids和Has she ever visited a developing country, or even downtown areas in this one? Home ownership is a luxury(奢华)可知，作者认为拥有房子是很奢侈的事情，并不是生孩子的必要需求。
3.B 根据第二段的Consider some of these views shared in the story: Jennifer, 29, owner of a two-bedroom apartment with her husband可孩子，B项是错误的
4..D 根据第五段Beth Kobliner, author of Personal Finance in Your Twenties and Thirties, says that she thinks people’s expectations grew up at a time when everyone’s wealth appeared to be increasing, Their parents probably saw their home values rise along with their investments. “So you have people who have grown up in an environment where people had great expectations of what living well means,” says Kobliner可知，Beth Kobliner认为这些年轻人过高的期望是有环境因素的，因此抱有理解的态度。
5.C 文章主要讲述的是年轻人过高的期望的原因和产生的后果，因此选择C
考点：考查人生百态类短文阅读
点评：文章主要讲述的是年轻人过高的期望的原因和产生的后果。以推理题的考查为主，在解答这类问题时要求学生抓住题干文字信息，采用针对性方法进行阅读，根据词义关系推断具体细节，结合上下文提供的语境和信息进行概括和判断。?
When you practice reading with passages shorter than book length, do not try to take in each word separately, one after the other. It is much more difficult to grasp the broad theme of the passage this way, and you will also get the stuck on individual words which may not be absolutely essential to a general understanding of the passage. It is a good idea to skim through the passage very quickly first to get the general idea of each paragraph. Titles, paragraph headings and emphasized word can be a great help in getting this skeleton outline of the passage. It is surprising how many people do not read titles, introductions or paragraph headings. Can you, without looking back, remember the title of this passage and the heading of this paragraph?
Most paragraphs of a passage or chapter have a 'topic sentence' which expresses the central idea. The remaining sentence expand or support that idea. It has been estimated that between 60% and 90% of all expositive（说明的）paragraphs in English have the topic sentence first. Always pay special attention to the first sentence of a paragraph; it is most likely to give you the main idea.
Sometimes , though , the first sentence in the paragraph does not have the feel of 'main idea' sentence. It does not seem to give us enough new information to justify a paragraph. The next most likely place to look for the topic sentence is the last sentence of the paragraph.
Remember that the opening and closing paragraphs of a passage or chapter are particularly important . The opening paragraph suggests the general direction and content of the piece, while the closing paragraph often summarizes the very essence （精髓）.
【小题1】It is a good idea to skim through a passage quickly first ________.
| A．at about 350 w. P.m.(words per minute) |
| B．to get the general idea of each paragraph |
| C．so that you can take in each word separately |
| D．to make sure you get to the end at least once |
| A．usually comes in the middle |
| B．is most likely to be found at the end |
| C．is most often at the beginning |
| D．is usually left out in expository writing |
| A．in about 40% of cases | B．in about 80% of cases |
| C．in about 20% cases | D．very rarely |
| A．it does not seem to give us enough new information |
| B．it is not long enough |
| C．it does not come at the beginning |
| D．it does not make complete sentence |
I am a mother of three children and have recently completed my college degree. The last class I had to take was social study. The last project of the term was called “Smile”. The last class was asked to go out and smile at three people and document their reactions.
Soon after we were given the project, my husband, my youngest son, and I went out to McDonald’s one cold March morning. It was just our way of sharing special playtime with our son.
We were standing in line, waiting to be served, when all of a sudden everyone around us began to back way. I turned around and found there standing behind me were two poor homeless men with a horrible “dirty body” smell. The short gentleman, close to me, was “smiling”. His beautiful sky blue eyes were full of light as he searched for acceptance. The second man played with his hands uneasily as he stood behind his friend. I realized the second man was mentally challenged and the blue-eyed gentleman was his salvation (救赎). The short man just asked for a coffee because that was all they could afford.
I smiled and asked the young lady behind the counter to give me two more breakfast meals on a separate tray. I then walked around the corner to the men’s table. I put the tray on the table and laid my hand on the blue-eyed gentleman’s cold hand. He looked up at me with tears in his eyes and said “Thank you”.
I started to cry as I walked away to join my husband and son. When I sat down my husband smiled at me and said, “That’s why God gave you to me, Honey. To give me hope.”
On the last evening of class, I turned in “my project” and the instructor read it. Then she looked up at me and said, “Can I share this?” I slowly nodded as she got the attention of the class. She began to read and we all knew that we need to heal people and to be healed.
I graduated with one of the biggest lessons I would ever learn: UNCONDITIONAL ACCEPTANCE. “LOVE PEOPLE AND USE THINGS---NOT LOVE THINGS AND USE PEOPLE.”
【小题1】 Why did the people around the author back away?
| A．Because both men were poorly dressed and mentally ill. |
| B．Because the short gentleman was smiling to everyone around. |
| C．Because two homeless men were also waiting in line, with a bad smell. |
| D．Because the second man stood playing with his hands. |
| A．talked with them for a while. | B．went back to her husband and son |
| C．turned in her project | D．regretted and cried |
| A．Over-curious | B．Caring | C．Mature | D．Lovely |
| A．Giving is a gesture of love, which people will understand and appreciate. |
| B．If you need help from others, you’d better present them with gifts. |
| C．If you want to get something from somebody, you should please him with gifts. |
| D．Don’t be greedy with money or ask people to do things for you. |
| A．The author’s husband was very proud of her. |
| B．What the author did to the men touched many people. |
| C．Poor as the homeless men were, they had their dignity. |
| D．The author felt we should know how to heal people. |
Are you stuck in a rut（车辙）and looking for a change? Fed up of seeing hungry, poor faces on your TV screen and want to do something to help? Perhaps you’ve considered volunteering overseas but ruled it out because you thought you were too old, couldn’t commit enough time, or have a family. If so, think again.
“Over the past five years it has become far safer --- and more professionally acceptable --- to take up a job volunteering overseas,” says David Stitt, managing director of Gap Year for Grown Ups, a company catering for volunteers in their late 20s and upwards. “While 10 years ago intrepid souls took financial and personal risks in volunteering abroad, now several organizations exist to make the experience safe and well-organized.
Nowadays, universities and business encourage overseas volunteering among students and employees. Entire families can volunteer abroad, and agencies are employing more disabled and retired people. A prosperous “humanitarian tourism” industry has sprung up; thousands of UK citizens will do some form of overseas volunteering this year.
“Some volunteering jobs are easier to find than others,” explains Kevin Cusack, from a volunteer advice agency. “If you can speak English, it’s not too hard to land a job teaching English, even without a qualification, and those who enjoy working with children should be able to find child care work.” zxxk
Whether your interest is rainforests or women’s rights, you can find a volunteer position to suit you. But be warned: unless you have relevant skills or existing overseas development experience, it’s going to cost. Just how much depends on the location and length of the position, but you should budget for somewhere between £1,500 and £6,000.
“Having to pay to volunteer may sound paradoxical (矛盾的), but it’s the best way to ensure you get a position that benefits the local community while matching your interests and skills,” explains Cusack. “You can also discuss the time you want to commit to a project --- many positions can fit into a holiday or even a weekend.”
【小题1】The underlined words “intrepid souls” in Paragraph 2 most probably refers to ___________.
| A．companies | B．volunteers | C．fighters | D．students |
| A．must be incredible and unrealistic |
| B．can help volunteers learn more about another culture |
| C．may benefit both volunteers and the community they work in |
| D．needs confidence, courage and determination |
| A．Disabled people can also take up a job volunteering overseas. |
| B．In the past no one could take up a job volunteering overseas. |
| C．“Humanitarian tourism” industry is in its beginning stage. |
| D．Taking up a job volunteering overseas needs at least £1,500. |
| A．In a job guidebook. |
| B．In a celebrity biography. |
| C．In a guidebook to work overseas. |
| D．In a report on volunteer work. |
| A．Critical. | B．Unfavorable. | C．Supportive. | D．Disagreeable. |
根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。
Why do some people have many friends while others do not? 【小题1】 However, it is not so. Let’s look at two psychological experiments which will give you the key to happy interpersonal relations.
The first experiment is called the “Hawthorne effect” after Hawthorne, Illinois, where the experiment took place. A group of psychologists examined the work patterns of two groups of workers in the Western Electric Company. 【小题2】 The psychologists changed the working conditions for one group twice but left the other group alone. They were surprised to find that productivity increased on both occasions and in both groups. They concluded that the increase in productivity came from the attention given to the workers by the management. It had increased their motivation and so they had worked harder. In other words, if you take an interest in others, they will want to please you and you will have good relations with them.
【小题3】 After Martin Luther King, Jr was killed in 1960s, a teacher, Jane Elliott, living in an all-white town decided to help her class of young children understand why the Civil Rights Movement had been necessary in America.
She divided the class into two groups: one with blue eyes and other with brown eyes. Other eye colors such as hazel or green were excluded from his exercise. Then she told the class that brown-eyed people were cleverer than blue-eyed ones because of an agent for brown color found in their blood. Blue-eyed people were stupid, lazy and not to be trusted. Jane Elliott did not need to say any more. The brown-eyed students quickly got used to their new role as the leaders of the class. The blue-eyed students became quiet and withdrawn. Then she discovered something very interesting. Four poor brown-eyed readers began to read fluently in a way they had never done before. 【小题4】 So if you want to be successful and happy, take an interest in others whether they are your classmates or workmates. Congratulate them on their success and sympathize with them in their troubles. 【小题5】
| A．Before the experiment the management talked to both groups of workers and explained that they wanted to find the best working environment for them. |
| B．Remember that the way you treat others will decide their attitude and behavior to you. |
| C．The second experiment shows what happens to personal relations if you are rude to or ignore others. |
| D．The ones who have more friends usually are those who care about others. |
F. You may even imagine that this ability was something they were born with because it seems so effortless to them.
G. The second experiment tells us what teachers said had a great effect on the students.