题目内容
As I was reading a recent story in Slate on 20-somethings complaining about how the economy was ruining their life plans, I couldn’t help but think the 20-somethings sounded like a bunch of spoiled children who grew up expecting everything to be easy for them. As a 20-something myself, I 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 too 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 Slate 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 is she 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 despairs(绝望) 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 Get a Financial Life: Personal Finance in Your Twenties and Thirties, says that she thinks people’s expectations are slowly adjusting, but today’s 20-somethings grew up at a time when everyone’s wealth appeared to be expanding. 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(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.
67．What makes the author think the 20-somethings sound like a bunch of spoiled children?
A．They expect everything to be easy for them.
B．They complain that the economy is spoiling their life plans.
C．They are reluctant to face all of the challenges.
D．They are burdened by student loans.
68．The underlined word “fertility” in Paragraph 3 probably means .
A．baby production B．pleasant
C．baby comfort D．essential
69．Which of the following is not one of the complaints of the 20-somethings?
A．They can’t have children for at least a decade to buy a house.
B．They have only one-bedroom apartment to live in.
C．They can’t buy a house until 40 because of student loans.
D．They despair at not being able to afford a Ph.D. in literature.
70．What is the author’s purpose of writing this passage?
A．To tell us what the author’s attitude towards the 20 – somethings.
B．To explain why young people can’t afford to buy a house.
C．To suggest what we should do when young people’s high hopes create despair.
D．To explain what the 20 – something’s high expectations are.
67-70 BABC
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cause of global warming, there are more and more natural d___________.| 完形填空 | ||||
| When I began planning to move to Auckland to study, my mother was worried about a lack of jobs and cultural differences.Ignoring these __1__, I got there in July 2010.__2__I arrived, I realized the importance of getting a job __3__ my living expenses.Determined to do this__4__, I spent several weeks going doortodoor for a job, but found __5__ response(回应). One afternoon, I walked into a building to ask __6__there were any job opportunities(机会). The people there advised me not to continue my job search in that__7__.As I was about to __8__, a man who had been listening approached me and asked me to wait outside __9__.Nearly ten minutes later, he__10__.He asked me about my plans and encouraged me to stay __11__.Then he offered to take me to Royal Oak to __12__a job. I was a little surprised, but had a__13__ feeling about him.Along the way, I realized that I had __14__ r?sum?s (简历). Seeing this, the man __15__ at his business partner's office to make me fifteen __16__copies.He also gave me some__17__on dressing and speaking.I handed out my r ?sum ?s and went home feeling very __18__.The following day, I received a__19__from a store in Royal Oak offering me a job. It seems that the world always __20__ to you when you need it.And this time, it was a complete stranger who turned out to be a real blessing. | ||||
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