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.
1. 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.
2. The underlined word “fertility” in Paragraph 3 probably means ________.
A. baby production B. pleasant C. baby comfort D. essential
3. What’s the author’s attitude towards the 20-somthings with high expectation in Paragraph 5?
A. Intolerant. B. Negative. C. Unbelieving. D. Understanding.
4. What is the best title for this passage?
A. How Young People Afford to Continue Their Study
B. Why Young People Can’t Afford to Buy a House
C. When Young People’s High Hopes Create Despair
D. What the 20-somethings’ High Expectations Are
“Birds are not as loyal to their partners as you might think, with divorce, child abandonment and remarriage a common part of birds’ life,” a new book has shown. Author and biology professor Bridge Stutchbury, dispels the love-bird belief that birds pair up for life. “In terms of the top 10 beliefs about birds, the lasting pair bonds that we think about, do occur in some birds, but in most of the little songbirds that we studied, no,” the professor from York University in Toronto said. The divorce rate among greater flamingos is 99 percent.
Stutchbury’s book, The Private Lives of Birds, based on 20 years of research from radio filming and DNA testing shows male Acadian flycatchers fertilize(使受孕) females far away from their home nests, “ The main discovery is that so many birds do divorce for what humans would describe as selfish reasons,” Professor Stutchbury said. She noted that females may seek out males that are more colorful and better singers, or look to “step up in the world” and move to areas that are safer and have more food. “Females are looking for the highest quality male so that their children will be of high quality,” she added.
Professor Stutchbury said shorter summers may drive females to leave their nests before their young are fully grown up so they can quickly find new mates（配偶） and lay more eggs, leaving the males to feed the hungry chicks on their own.
Males can double their success in producing children by fertilizing neighboring females, but only “mates” care for the young, and some are none the wiser. “ They can’t tell when the egg comes out and whether it’s theirs or not,” She said. “They have no way to know.”
Divorce is surprisingly common among birds, and most live with one partner for only a few months or years. Divorce rates range from 99 percent in the greater flamingo to zero in the wandering albatross(信天翁).What does the underline word “dispels” mean?
| A．States | B．Doubts | C．Confirms | D．Removes |
The book The Private Lives of Birds_____.
| A．shows the kind of male birds females seek out. |
| B．indicates the wandering albatross is the most faithful. |
| C．is based on Professor Stutchbury’s 20 years’ research. |
| D．suggests that female birds select males near their home. |
According to the passage, we can infer that________.
| A．young birds’ quality depends on their feather. |
| B．some male birds care for others’ young as their own. |
| C．female birds go to find males as soon as autumn comes. |
| D．female birds are responsible for feeding the hungry babies. |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．A book about love-birds. |
| B．Birds’ living habits and love life |
| C．The fact that birds don’t love their mates forever. |
| D．The factors that influence birds to look for another mate. |
A new report says sea ice in the Arctic Ocean is melting more quickly than expected. American scientists say the ice is melting even faster than computer programs had estimated.
Scientists know that climate change has a major effect on the Arctic Ocean partly because sea ice is disappearing. They also know that areas of open seawater are expanding. Such areas are known to take in sunlight and increase temperatures. Scientists say this has helped to cause the loss of the Arctic’s ice cover.
For the study, the American scientists compared eighteen computer programs with observations made by satellites and other instruments. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change used the computer programs to prepare its 2007 estimates of climate change.
The computer programs gave estimates of the amount of ice in the Arctic Ocean in the month of September. September is when the Arctic has the least ice, after the warm, summer months. The computer estimates suggested an ice loss of two and a half percent for every ten-year period between 1953 and 2006.
Newer studies of the Arctic have used information gathered by aircraft, satellites and ships. This information showed a loss of September ice cover of almost eight percent for every ten-year period between 1953 and last year. This means the ice is disappearing about thirty years faster than the computer programs estimated.
The scientists say the programs might not have recognized the full effect of increased carbon dioxide and other gases in Earth’s atmosphere. They say their study suggests the gases may have more of an effect than had been thought.It is reported that sea ice in the Arctic Ocean is melting more quickly than expected mainly because _________.
| A．climate change | B．sea ice’s disappearance |
| C．seawater’s expansion | D．the loss of the Arctic’s ice cover |
How did the scientists draw the conclusion that sea ice in the Arctic Ocean is melting more quickly than expected?
| A．The scientists have been observing the Arctic Ocean for many years. |
| B．The scientists have compared the computer programs with observation made by satellites and other instruments. |
| C．The scientists have figured out many numbers with the help of computer. |
| D．The scientists have found that the seawater take in sunlight and increase temperatures. |
If the ice melts at the present speed, by the end of this century the ice loss in the Arctic Ocean will be _________ according to newer studies.
| A．22.5% | B．35% | C．72% | D．100% |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．The figures of the computer estimates are wrong. |
| B．Scientists study climate change through studying sea level. |
| C．Newer studies show gases may have more effect on sea ice in the Arctic Ocean. |
| D．The ice is melting even faster than satellites have estimated. |
This report mainly warns human to _________.
| A．prevent the sea ice in the Arctic Ocean from melting any more |
| B．pay more attention to the loss of the Arctic’s ice cover |
| C．take necessary steps to protect the environment of our earth |
| D．stop summer sea ice in the Arctic from disappearing so fast |
It is only during the last few years that man has generally realized that in the world of nature a balance exists between all forms of life. No living thing can exist by itself: it is a part of a system (体系) in which all forms of 
life are joined together. If we change one part of the natural order, this will in its turn almost certainly bring about changes in some other part.
The cutting down of forests reduces the supply of oxygen. The killing of weeds and insects by chemicals leads to the wide spread poisoning of animals and birds. The throwing of waste products into the ocean harm to life in the sea, while waste gases change the chemical balance of the atmosphere.
And so we could go on, adding more examples, until in despair (绝望) we might feel like giving up the struggle to control and keep within limits these harmful human activities. Man is very clever at changing the world around him to satisfy his immediate needs, but not so clever at looking far ahead, or at thinking about what the future results of
his action might be.The first paragraph mainly tells us that __________.
| A．everything in nature can’t exist without the help of human beings |
| B．no living thing can exist naturally |
| C．all living things in nature depend on each other |
| D．man has well known the importance of the balance for a long time |
The examples given in the second paragraph are used to prove that __________.
| A．it is very important to protect forests |
| B．there are some living things which can exist all by themselves without change |
| C．all forms of life belong to a system in which all the part can be changed for one another |
D．we cannot change one form of life or matter without disturbing (扰乱) the balance of nature |
In the second paragraph the underlined word “atmosphere” means __________.
| A．the production of chemical factories | B．the gas in the outer space |
| C．the mixture of gases that surrounds the earth | D．the health of the human body |
The third paragraph suggests that __________.
| A．man shouldn’t think only about his immediate needs without enough thought on the future results |
| B．man is very clever in planning his distant future |
| C．man often feels that he has to give up in despair |
| D．man is always anxious to control and keep his actives within limits |
My husband and children think they are very lucky that they are living and that it’s Christmas again. They can’t see that we live on a dirty street in a dirty house among people who aren’t much good. But Johnny and children can’t see this. What a pity it is that our neighbours have to make happiness out of all this dirt. I decided that my children must get out of this. The money that we’ve saved isn’t nearly enough.
The McGaritys have money but they are so proud. They look down upon the poor. The McGarity girl just yesterday stood out there in the street eating from a bag of candy(糖果)while a ring of hungry children watched her. I saw those children looking at her and crying in their hearts; and when she couldn’t eat any more she threw the rest down the sewer(下水道). Why, is it only because they have money ? There is more to happiness than money in the world, isn’t there?
Miss Jackson who teaches at the Settlement House isn’t rich, but she knows things. She understands people. Her eyes look straight into yours when she talks with you. She can read your mind. I’d like to see the children be like Miss Jackson when they grow up. This passage mainly suggests that the writer _______.
| A．is easy to get along with | B．is unhappy with the life they are living |
| C．is good at observing and understanding | D．is never pleased with her neigbours |
What do you think of McGarity girl?
| A．She is proud and hungry. | B．She is selfish and cruel. |
| C．She is lonely and friendless. | D．She is unhappy and misunderstood. |
In this text, the writer tries to tell us that _______.
| A．money is the key to everything |
| B．the more money you have, the less happy you’ll be |
| C．there is something more important than money |
| D．when talking to people we should look into their eyes |
Pick out the one that does NOT describe the writer’s view on money.
| A．Why, is it only because they have money? | B．There is more to happiness than money. |
| C．Miss Jackson isn’t rich, but she knows things. | D．The money we saved isn’t nearly enough. |
阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项, 并答题卡上将该项涂黑。
A
If you go to Brisbane, Australia, you can easily get a small book called Discover Brisbane free． Here is something about banks on page 49:
ANZ Banking Group
Corner Greek & Queen Sts ………………………………………238-3228
Bank of New Zealand
410 Queen Street ……………………………………………… 221-0411
Bank of Q
ueensland
229 Elizabeth Street …………………………………………… 229-3122
Commonwealth Banking Group
240 Queen Street ………………………………………………… 237-3111
National Australia Bank Ltd
225 Adelaide Street ……………………………………………… 221-6422
Westpac Banking Corp
260 Queen Street ………………………………………………… 227-2
666
Banking hours are Mon.—Thu． 9:30 am to 4 pm． Fri． 9:30 am to 5 pm． All banks close Sat． Sun.& Public Holidays. You can find ANZ Banking Group on _________.
| A．Queen Street |
| B．Elizabeth Street |
| C．the corner of Greek Street and Queen Street |
| D．the corner of Queen Street and Elizabeth Street |
_________ seems to be the most important street in Brisbane.
| A．Queen Street | B．Elizabeth Street |
| C．Greek Street | D．Adelaide Street |
On Saturdays, you can go to _________ to put your money in or take your money out.
| A．ANZ Banking Group | B．Bank of Queensland |
| C．National Australia Bank Ltd | D．none of the banks |