The rise of the so-called “boomerang generation” is revealed in official figures showing that almost one in five graduates in their late 20s now live with their parents.

By contrast, only one in eight university graduates had failed to fly the nest by the same age 20 years ago. It also found that grown-up sons are twice as likely as their sisters to still be living with their parents in their late 20s. With nearly a quarter of men approaching 30 still living at home, the findings are bound to lead to claims of a “generation of mummy’s boys”.

Young professionals in their late 20s or early 30s have been nicknamed the “boomerang generation” because of the trend toward returning to the family home having initially left to study. Recent research has suggested that young people in Britain are twice as likely to choose to live with their parents in their late 20s than their counterparts elsewhere in Europe.

Rising property prices, mounting student debts and the effects of recession on the job market have forced a wave of young people to move back into the family home at an age when they would normally be moving out. But commentators warned that the phenomenon may have more to do with young people facing “dire” prospects than simply a desire to save money.

While the proportion of those of university or college age moving out from the family home has continued to rise in the last 20 years, among those in their mid and late 20s the trend has been reversed. Overall 1.7 million people aged from 22 to 29 now share a roof with their parents, including more than 760,000 in their late 20s. In 1988, 22.7 per cent of men aged 25 to 29 were still living with their parents but last year the proportion was 24.5 per cent.

What is the main idea of the passage?

  A. The economic crisis has shown its effect on the young generation.

  B. More young professionals are returning home to live.

  C. British parents are suffering more loads from their grown-up children.

  D. Britain is suffering more than any other country in Europe.

Which of the following statements is TRUE?

  A. Male children seem to more independent than females.

  B. Eighty percent of university graduates were able to live independently two decades ago.

  C. The grown-up children choose to live with their parents only to save money.

  D. More and more children are moving out at university age.

What does the underlined word “dire” probably mean?

  A. promising.     B. inconvenient.   C. very bad.    D. hopeful

The following factors may account for the phenomenon except _____.

  A. that living prices have risen a lot.

  B. that it’s difficult to land a job.

  C. that education has already cost them a lot

  D. that parents can help them more

第二部分:阅读理解(共25小题。第一节每小题2分,第二节每小题2分;满分45分)

第一节阅读下面短文,从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C、D)中,选出最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。                

One night when my wife was preparing dinner, our little son took a piece of paper to her which read:

For washing the car ………………………………………………………………$5.00

For making my own bed this week ……………………………………………… $1.00

Going to the provision shop ………………………………………………………$0.50

Playing with little sister……………………………………………………………$0.25

Taking out the rubbish…………………………………………………………… $1.00

Getting a good report card……………………………………………………… ..$5.00

And for sweeping the common corridor…………………………………………..$2.00

Total……………………………………………………………………………… $14.75

His mother looked at him standing there expecting payment. I could see a thousand memories flashed through her mind. So she picked up the pen and turning the paper over, this is what she wrote :

For nine months I carried you, growing inside me …………………………… No Charge

For the nights I sat up with you, doctored and prayed for you…………………No Charge

For the toys, food and clothes and wiping your nose ………………………….No Charge

When you add it all up, the full cost of my love………………………………..No Charge

Well, when he finished reading, he had big tears in his eyes. He looked at his mother and said, “Mummy, I love you.” Then he took the pen and in great big letters wrote on the “bill” “All paid.”

41. What’s the best title for this passage?

A. Part-time Job                         B. Mother’s Love, No Charge

C. Payment for House Work               D. Greedy Mother

42. The write wrote the passage in order to ___.

A. show that children should be paid for their housework

B. show that children should not be paid for their housework

C. show a clever way of teaching children

D. tell children how to spend their spare time

43. How do you think of the mother in the passage?

A. Clever                     B. Greedy                    C. Cold – hearted         D. Selfish

44. From the last passage we know that____

A. the boy got all the money he wanted

B. the mother was unwilling to give the money to the boy

C. the boy realized that it was not right to ask for money for the housework

D. the mother was angry with what the boy said

 

第三部分:阅读理解(共20小题;每小题2分,满分40分)

Put yourself in these tourists’ position. You are walking an icy mountain path in the Alps in Europe. Suddenly you spot a body on the ground, face downward and stuck to the ice. You think someone may have been murdered or in a fatal accident. So you rush back and call the police. The police, however, quickly realize that this body is different from others they’ve found on the mountain. For one thing, it is mostly undamaged. For another, its skin is dried out, like a mummy’s(木乃伊). And there is an old small stone knife beside the body.

The body turned out be much older than the tourists could have guessed. When specialists(专家)had a chance to examine it, they discovered it had been there for about five thousand years!

How could a body stay preserved for all this time? Two things probably helped. First, the place where the man died was somewhat sheltered, so animals couldn’t get at it. Then he was quickly covered by falling snow. Wind blowing through the snow probably “freeze-dried” his body, removing all moisture(水分) from it.

Objects found with the body told something about the Iceman’s life. He wore a well-made fur jacket and trousers. He clearly had been hunting, because he carried arrows, and animal bones were nearby. He also had a grass cushion for sitting or sleeping on. Perhaps he was tired when he lay down for the last time.

The body was found in 1991, when some of the ice on the mountain melted. Searching for the cause of the Iceman’s death, scientists put the body back into cold conditions---and hoped.

1. What does the underlined word “spot” in the first paragraph probably mean?

A. lay       B. dig          C. find         D. carry

2. Which of the following is NOT the reason that the police realize that the body is different from others?

A. The body’s skin is like a mummy’s.    B. Beside the body is an old small stone knife.

C. The body is much older than others.   D. The body is mostly undamaged.

3. At what time of a year was the Iceman probably died?

A. Early fall.   B. Late spring.    C. Summer.    D. Winter.

4. This passage is mainly to _____________

A. tell us what life was like 5, 000 years ago.

B. warn us not to go to the Alps.

C. introduce a mysterious Iceman to us.

D. explain the mystery of the Alps.

 

违法和不良信息举报电话:027-86699610 举报邮箱:58377363@163.com

精英家教网