More than half of the parents in the United States are helping, or have helped, support their adult children who have been hit by high unemployment and poor wages(工资), according to a new survey. It showed that present economic conditions are discouraging young adults from leaving home and forcing those who have already gone, so-called boomerang kids, to return.
“Parents are continuing their financial involvement longer than we expected,” said Ted Beck, president of National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE).
About 60 percent of parents questioned in the survey said they’re helping their adult children who are no longer in school financially. Half are providing housing and nearly half are helping with living expenses.
For an increasing number of adult children, the situation is bad. Two-thirds of adult children, aged 18 to 39, who are not in school said they faced tougher financial pressures than previous generations, according to the survey. And nearly one-third of parents agreed that it was easier for them to find their financial feet than for their children.
Parents are helping their children out of genuine concern because they do not want to see them struggle. But Beck said that parents who make sacrifices(牺牲) to help their adult children should be careful about their own finances.
“If you are taking on extra debt or delaying(推迟) retirement to help your adult child, you could be making a mistake and putting your own financial future in danger,” Beck warned.
Boomerang children can also cause other problems for their parents. Thirty percent of parents said they had given up privacy since their adult children moved back home, while more than a quarter have taken on added debt, and seven percent have delayed retirement. But the survey also showed 42 percent of adult children living at home are helping with the cooking and cleaning.
【小题1】According to the text, boomerang kids refer to ____.

More than three years after moving from Australia to this remote part of England, we are still learning how things are done here.

Not too long after we arrived and unpacked, we were invited for “a drink on Sunday morning” by a retired couple nearby. We got there about noon, to find the living-room crowded — lots of chat and discussions, and in all a very jolly occasion.

Trouble was, there was no food — no self-respecting Australian would regard a tray of crisps as food. In Sydney, when you are invited for a drink any time after midday on a Sunday, you know you will be fed as well as watered and you plan accordingly. Meaning the hardworked little woman makes no plans to cook lunch because you are eating out.

By one-fifteen my stomach was sending up “please explain” to me. Even the crisps had gone. There was nothing we could do except wait, and wonder if the hostess was going to perform some magic and feed us fashionably late. Then, as quickly as if word had spread that there was free beer at the local pub, the room emptied. By one-forty-five there were only a few guests left, so we decided to go home. Tinned soup for lunch that day because the little woman was not really interested in real cooking for us.

A few weeks ago we were invited out for “supper” and the hostess suggested 8:15. Ah, we thought greedily, “this is going to be the real thing.”

We dressed with some care — I putting on a dark suit — and arrived on time. My wife looked pretty good, I thought — a little black dress and so on. But when we walked in I had a terrible feeling we had got the night wrong because the hostess was dressed in a daytime kind of way and the husband was in jeans and an open-neck shirt. But no, we were greeted and shown into the sitting-room.

After a drink I looked around and saw that this was indeed a superior cottage because it had a (more or less) separate dining-room. But there were no signs of a table-setting. Not again! I thought. Were we meant to eat before we came? I decided that in future my wife and I would always carry a chocolate bar. About 9:28 our hostess went out of the room, saying something about food. Ten minutes later she returned and asked us to follow. We were led out to the kitchen. There on the table were country style plates and a huge bowl of soup, rough bread and all the makings of a simple meal. And that is what it was. In other words we had not read the signals right when we were invited for “supper”. If they want you to come to dinner, they say so, and you know that means dark suits and so on. If they mean supper, they say it, and you get fed in the kitchen.

1．When the author and his wife were invited out for “a drink on Sunday morning”, they thought _________.

A. they would be the only people there

B. they would be given lunch as well

C. they would be taken to a restaurant for lunch

D. they would be asked to take some food with them

2．The “party” had been going on for about an hour and three quarters when _________.

A. the hostess decided to feed her guests

B. everyone had tinned soup for lunch

C. most of the guests went to lunch at the pub

D. the author realized he would go home hungry

3．When invited out for “supper” a few weeks later, the writer _________.

A. expected to be served a proper dinner

B. arrived on the wrong evening

C. interpreted the invitation correctly this time

D. realized there was no dining-room in the cottage

4．As the evening wore on, the writer became aware that _________.

A. no one used their dining-rooms in the countryside

B. he should have had a meal before going out

C. “supper” meant a simple, informal meal

D. he should, in future, eat only chocolate in the evening

       More than three years after moving from Australia to this remote part of England, we are still learning how things are done here.

       Not too long after we arrived and unpacked, we were invited for “a drink on Sunday morning” by a retired couple nearby. We got there about noon, to find the living-room crowded — lots of chat and discussions, and in all a very jolly occasion.

       Trouble was, there was no food — no self-respecting Australian would regard a tray of crisps as food. In Sydney, when you are invited for a drink any time after midday on a Sunday, you know you will be fed as well as watered and you plan accordingly. Meaning the hardworked little woman makes no plans to cook lunch because you are eating out.

       By one-fifteen my stomach was sending up “please explain” to me. Even the crisps had gone. There was nothing we could do except wait, and wonder if the hostess was going to perform some magic and feed us fashionably late. Then, as quickly as if word had spread that there was free beer at the local pub, the room emptied. By one-forty-five there were only a few guests left, so we decided to go home. Tinned soup for lunch that day because the little woman was not really interested in real cooking for us.

       A few weeks ago we were invited out for “supper” and the hostess suggested 8:15. Ah, we thought greedily, “this is going to be the real thing.”

       We dressed with some care — I putting on a dark suit — and arrived on time. My wife looked pretty good, I thought — a little black dress and so on. But when we walked in I had a terrible feeling we had got the night wrong because the hostess was dressed in a daytime kind of way and the husband was in jeans and an open-neck shirt. But no, we were greeted and shown into the sitting-room.

       After a drink I looked around and saw that this was indeed a superior cottage because it had a (more or less) separate dining-room. But there were no signs of a table-setting. Not again! I thought. Were we meant to eat before we came? I decided that in future my wife and I would always carry a chocolate bar. About 9:28 our hostess went out of the room, saying something about food. Ten minutes later she returned and asked us to follow. We were led out to the kitchen. There on the table were country style plates and a huge bowl of soup, rough bread and all the makings of a simple meal. And that is what it was. In other words we had not read the signals right when we were invited for “supper”. If they want you to come to dinner, they say so, and you know that means dark suits and so on. If they mean supper, they say it, and you get fed in the kitchen.

1．When the author and his wife were invited out for “a drink on Sunday morning”, they thought _________.

       A. they would be the only people there

B. they would be given lunch as well

C. they would be taken to a restaurant for lunch

D. they would be asked to take some food with them

2．The “party” had been going on for about an hour and three quarters when _________.

       A. the hostess decided to feed her guests

B. everyone had tinned soup for lunch

C. most of the guests went to lunch at the pub

D. the author realized he would go home hungry

3．When invited out for “supper” a few weeks later, the writer _________.

       A. expected to be served a proper dinner

B. arrived on the wrong evening

C. interpreted the invitation correctly this time

D. realized there was no dining-room in the cottage

4．As the evening wore on, the writer became aware that _________.

       A. no one used their dining-rooms in the countryside

B. he should have had a meal before going out

C. “supper” meant a simple, informal meal

D. he should, in future, eat only chocolate in the evening

They will be Slumdogs no more．The two kid actors who broke our hearts in the Academy Award—winning “Slumdog Millionaire” are being moved out of their miserable Mumbai slum（贫民区）  into real homes with roofs and doors and walls．

    Rubina Ali and Azharuddin Ismail，who played the young Versions of the two main characters，won’t have to pay anything—their new digs are free．“These two children have brought honors to the country，” said Gautam Chatterjee．head of Mumbai’s housing authority．So for 10 -year-old Azharuddin，it’s goodbye to the simple tent by a busy road that was his family home．And for 9-year-old Rubina，it’s goodbye to the one room house she shared with her family．

    Details（细节）about when the families will be moved—or if they will have things we take for granted like indoor plumbing（水暖管道）一were not known．Still，there was lots of joy in the actors’ households．“We ale happy that we will have a permanent roof over our heads．”said Rubina’s dad，Rafiq Qureshi，told The Times of India newspaper．

    Casting agents discovered Rubina and Azharuddin in the terrible Garib Nagar slum．There was a worldwide outcry when it was discovered the kids were still living there even as the movie easily made$100 million．

     Director Danny Boyle, who also won a best director Oscar, refused to admit exploiting the child actors. He said they were paid above local wages for 30 days of work, enrolled in school for the first time ever - and had a fund set up to pay for their tuition, health care and “basic living costs.”

     Also, Fox Searchlight Pictures flew the kids and seven of the Indian children who appeared in the movie to Hollywood for the Oscar ceremony. Indian media reported the sudden generosity by Mumbai housing officials has more to do with politics than pride in the kids.

1．Judging from the article, it may be improper to think of Slumdog Millionaire as ______

A．successful                                B．profitable

C．moving                                  D．amusing

2．Rubina.Ali and Azharuddin Ismail ______

A．are both professional actors

B．played different versions of the same character

C．have both been poor in real life

D．enjoyed life as millionaires in the film

3．How have the kids' families reacted to the offer of the housing authorities?

A．They are happy to accept it.

B．They're doubtful about it.

C．They'd rather remain where they live.

D．Only one family is willing to move.

4．What did Director Danny Boyle do to the two kids?

A．He let them live as famous stars.

    B．He provided houses for their families.

    C．He gave them all they deserved.

    D．He gave them less than expected.

5．We can infer from the article that ______

    A．decision on Academy Award winners involves racial discrimination

    B．Indian media was trying to praise Mumbai's housing authority

    C．the writer is afraid the kids' new houses won't be satisfactory

    D．Rubina Ali and Azharuddin Ismail's families do not take pride in them

 A new survey finds that more than eighty percent of Internet users in the United States search for health information online. The survey found that searching online is one of the leading ways that people look for a second opinion though doctors are still the main source of health information.
Forty-four percent of people are actually looking for doctors or other providers when they search for health information online. Another finding of the survey: Two-thirds of Internet users look online for information about a specific disease or medical condition.
The Internet has also become an important source of emotional support for people with health problems. Susannah Fox says one in five Internet users has gone online to find other people who have the same condition. It was more popular among people with more serious health issues—one in four people living with chronic diseases (慢性病). And it was basically off the charts with people living with rare disease. They are so eager to find other people online who share their health concerns.
A disease is considered rare if it affects fewer than two hundred thousand people worldwide. The rise of social networking has made it easier for people with rare diseases to connect with each other and feel less alone. Social networking is also changing the way some doctors and patients communicate with each other. Dr. Jeff Livingston operates a medical center for women in Irving, Texas. His office uses password-protected software to share information with patients.
“We provide the patient full access to their medical care. Anything I can see, the patient can see. All of their notes, all of their doctor visits are right there. All of their lab work is right there.” Dr. Livingston says the software has increased efficiency, reduced costs and improved relations with patients.
【小题1】From the first paragraph, we can know _________.