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 bu
t 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 indepen![]() ![]() |
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 excep
t _____.
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 |
When I was a child, I often dreamed of the time when I could leave home and escape to the city. We lived on a farm, in the winter especially, we were quite cut off from the outside world. As soon as I left school, I packed my bags and moved to the capital. However, I soon discovered that my life has its _______ too.
One big disadvantage is money. It costs so much to go out, not to mention basics like food and housing. Another disadvantage is pollution. I suffer from asthma(哮喘), and the air is so that I am afraid to go outside. Then there is the problem of traveling round. Although I have a car, I seldom use it because of the traffic jams. One choice is to go by bicycle, but that can be quite dangerous.
Of course there are advantages. First, there is so much to do in the city, whatever your tastes in culture or entertainment(娱乐活动). Besides, there are wonderful jobs and greater chances of moving to a more important job or position. Finally, if you like shopping, the variety of goods is very surprising --- and , what is more, shops are often only a short walk away.
Is life better then, in the city? Perhaps it is , when you are in your teens(十几岁)or twenties. However, as you get older, and especially if you have small children, the peace of the countryside may seem preferable. I certainly hope to move back there soon.Which of the following words can be put into the blank in the first paragraph?
A.dangers | B.adventures | C.problems | D.fun |
What was the writer always thinking about when he was a child?
A.Staying on the farm. | B.Moving to the countryside. |
C.Leaving home for the city. | D.Running away from the school. |
Which of the following is true about the writer?
A.He is very old now. | B.He is in good health. |
C.He prefers driving a car. | D.He lives in the city now. |
In the passage, the writer tries to __________.
A.express his opinions about way of life | B.describe his life in the countryside |
C.an interest in the outside world | D.persuade the reader to live in the city |
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。
As we know, sport is very common in our daily life. People who usually compete in sports can be found everywhere. Why so many people love sports?
Generally speaking, it is good for our health to do sports, such as basketball, football, table tennis, swimming, badminton, and so on. I have taken the swimming course this term, since I didn’t know how to swim. I find that swimming is very interesting and has many benefits for our bodies. On one hand, it can make our blood circulatory system run regularly. On the other hand, the muscles of our bodies can be massaged(按摩) under the pressure of water. All these are positively advantageous to our health.
It is known to us that some sports are team sports that involve several players or even more. When playing with others, people must face the situation of getting along with others. Through the sport games, strangers may go easily with others and make friends with each other.
If you don’t know what to do, doing exercises may be a good idea because you can share the time and the fun with your friends.
Yes, that’s right. But the advantages of sports are more than its disadvantages. We should follow the lead of sports athletes, as sports play an essential role in our life. Plenty of physical exercise will help you keep fit.
A.I think I love the sports deeply. |
B.Just take swimming for example. |
C.There are many reasons for this. |
D.I like the sports, which is interesting. |
E. Besides, sport is also a way of communication.
F. Some people may say it is easy to be hurt while having sports.
G. What’s more, they can get satisfaction from the competitive sports.
If Confucius(孔子) were still alive today and could celebrate his September 28 birthday with a big cake, there would be a lot of candles. He’d need a fan or a strong wind to help him put them out.
While many people in China will remember Confucius on his special day, few people in the United States will give him a passing thought. It’s nothing personal. Most Americans don’t even remember the birthdays of their own national heroes.
But this doesn’t mean that Americans don’t care about Confucius. In many ways he has become a bridge that foreigners must cross if they want to reach a deeper understanding of China.
In the past two decades, the Chinese studies programs have gained huge popularity in Western universities. More recently, the Chinese government has set up Confucius Institutes in more than 80 countries. These schools teach both Chinese language and culture. The main courses of Chinese culture usually included Chinese art, history and philosophy(哲学). Some social scientists suggest that Westerners should take advantages of the ancient Chinese wisdom to make up for the drawbacks of Westerners philosophy. Students in the United States, at the same time, are racing to learn Chinese. So they will be ready for life in a world where China is an equal power with the United States. Businessmen who hope to make money in China are reading books about Confucius to understand their Chinese customers.
So the old thinker’s ideas are still alive and well.
Today China attracts the West more than ever, and it will need more teachers to introduce Confucius and Chinese culture to the West.
As for the old thinker, he will not soon be forgotten by people in the West, even if his birthday is. The opening paragraph is mainly intended to ______.
A.provide some key facts about Confucius |
B.attract the readers’ interest in the subject |
C.show great respect for the ancient thinker |
D.prove the popularity of modern birthday celebrations |
We can learn from Paragraph 4 that American students______.
A.have a great interest in studying Chinese |
B.take an active part in Chinese competitions |
C.try to get high scores in Chinese exams |
D.fight for a chance to learn Chinese |
What is the best title for the passage?
A.Forgotten Wisdom in America |
B.Huge Fans of the Chinese Language |
C.Chinese Culture for Westerners |
D.Old Thinker with a Big Future |
The passage is likely to appear in _______.
A.a biography |
B.a history paper |
C.a newspaper |
D.a philosophy textbook |
Backpacking in America Hi. My friend and I are two engineering students in New York. We are planning a backpacking trip in America. We are friendly, easy-going and adventurous. We are looking for friendly people to go with us along our wild adventurous journey. We are trying to make this trip as cheap as possible, as the cheaper it gets the more excitement it will bring to our journey. So please email us at Stephen302@gmail.com. |
Free French Conversation Hi. I am an American girl. My native language is English and I have a very good knowledge of French. I would like to meet a girl from China to practice speaking French. I would speak slowly so that you can understand me better and learn French more easily. You can teach me Chinese in return. My email is Janet123@hotmail.com. I look forward to hearing from you soon. |
Private English Teacher An English teacher offers private lessons. I have over 5 years’ experience in teaching English. I correct mistakes (grammar, pronunciation), and also teach reading and writing. I always do my best to encourage students to use English and develop their language skills. $10 for a lesson of 40 minutes, and $15 for a lesson of up to 70 minutes. Please email me if you need more information. Email: David305@gmail.com. |
Room Available in Washington I am Lydia from America and looking for a clean and nice female room-mate to live with. It will be available from January 1st, 2012 to August 31st, 2012. The room is large enough for the two of us. It is close to bars, restaurants, and shops and it is within 10 minutes to walk to the bus station. The room price is $460/month, including electricity, hot water, and the Internet! Email me at Lydia606@hotmail.com to set up a time to come and have a look. |
To get close to nature in a group, you will most probably send your e-mail to_____.
A.Lydia606@hotmail.com |
B.David305@gmail.com |
C.Janet123 @hotmail.com |
D.Stephen302@gmail.com |
How much will a student pay a month if he goes to the 40 minutes’ class twice and the 70 minutes’ once every week?
A.$35 | B.$100 | C.$140 | D.$160 |
If you are allowed to move into the room for rent, you _____.
A.can get a free Internet connection every day |
B.can spend ten minutes walking to school |
C.will share the room with a female roommate |
D.will find the restaurants across the bus station |
If you are a Chinese girl who wants to practice French, you can write an e-mail to _____.
A.Stephen302@gmail.com |
B.David305@gmail.com |
C.Lydia606@hotmail.com |
D.Janet123 @hotmail.com |
What time is it? Most people are pretty accurate in their answer. And if you don’t know for sure, it’s a very likely that you can find out. There may be a watch on your wrist, there may be a clock on the wall, desk, or computer screen; or maybe you’re riding in a car that has a clock in the dashboard(仪表板).
Even if you don’t have a timepiece of some sort nearby, your body keeps its own beat. Humans have an internal clock that regulates(调节) the beating of our heart, the pace of our breathing, the discharge(排出) of chemicals within our bloodstream, and many other bodily functions.
Time is something from which we can’t escape. Even if we ignore it, it’s still going by, ticking away, second by second, minute by minute, hour by hour. So the main issue in using your time well is, “Who’s in charge?” We can allow time to slip by and let it be our enemy. Or we can take control of it and make it our ally.
By taking control of how you spend your time, you’ll increase your chances of becoming a more successful student. Perhaps more importantly, the better you are at managing the time you devote to your studies, the more time you’ll have to spend on your outside interests.
The aim of time management is not to schedule every moment so we become slaves of a timetable that governs every waking moment of the day. Instead, the aim is to make informed choices as to how we use our time. Rather than letting the day go by, largely without our awareness, what we are going to discuss next can make us better able to control time for our own purposes.The underlined word “ally” in Para. 3 probably means somebody or something that is _____.
A.your slave and serves you |
B.your supporter and helps you |
C.under your control and obeys you |
D.under your influence and follows you |
The author intends to tell us that time _____.
A.could be regulated by a timepiece such as a clock or a watch |
B.could be managed by the internal clock of human bodies |
C.should be well managed for our own good |
D.should be saved for outside interests |
In the next part, the author would most probably discuss with you _____.
A.how to keep up with the time | B.how to make up for lost time |
C.how to have a good time | D.how to make good use of time |