Cities with high levels of homeownership—in the range of 75%, like Detroit and St. Louis—had on average considerably lower levels of economic activity and much lower wages and incomes. Far too many people in financial problems are trapped in homes they can’t sell, unable to move on to new centers of opportunity.
The cities and regions with the lowest levels of homeownership—in the range of 55% to 60% like Los Angeles and New York—had healthier economies and higher incomes. They also had higher levels of happiness and well-being.
I was shocked to read these interesting points that Richard Florida made in his recent article. Let me try to understand. The people in Detroit and St. Louis are less happy than the people in New York, and Los Angeles. And, the reason is because of homeownership rates?
First, to compare them to New York City (the economic capital of the world), Los Angeles (the entertainment capital of the world) seems unfair. Most people in almost any other city in the world might be less happy!
Next, let’s try a different way of determining whether renters are happier than homeowners. Why don’t we ask them? Fannie Mae’s National Housing Survey 2010 reported:
75% of current renters believe owning a home makes more sense.
67% plan to buy a home at some point in the future.
When they asked current renters for the major reason to buy a house, these were their answers (they could pick several answers):
78% said it was a good place to raise children.
75% said because they would feel safe.
70% said because you have control of your own space.
If you believe renters are happier, you would also have to believe the majority enjoy living in a less safe environment, which wouldn’t be a good place to raise children and would be a place where they have less control of their space.
【小題1】Which of the following is a fact?
| A．People in Los Angeles earn high incomes because of its low homeownership rate. |
| B．New York’s low homeownership rate increases people’s happiness levels. |
| C．Detroit’s high level of homeownership causes its economic problems. |
| D．St. Louis has a higher level of homeownership than Los Angeles. |
| A．people in Los Angeles are happier than those in St. Louis |
| B．renting a house is better than owning a house |
| C．Detroit’s economy is healthier than New York’s economy |
| D．New York and Los Angeles are happiest cities |
| A．pay employees highest wages in America |
| B．benefit from low levels of homeownership |
| C．a(chǎn)re leading cities across the globe |
| D．a(chǎn)re best American cities to live in |
| A．paying rent makes more sense |
| B．most homeowners plan to sell their houses |
| C．most renters prefer to become homeowners |
| D．parents need to buy a house for their children |
【小題1】D
【小題2】B
【小題3】C
【小題4】C
解析試題分析：文章先是引用Richard Florida 文章里面的話，說明租房子的人比擁有房子的人快樂，但是作者通過Fannie Mae的報告對其進行反駁，說明人們還是愿意自己擁有房子的。
【小題1】細節(jié)題：從第一段的句子：Cities with high levels of homeownership—in the range of 75%, like Detroit and St. Louis 和第二段的句子：The cities and regions with the lowest levels of homeownership—in the range of 55% to 60% like Los Angeles 可知在圣路易斯比洛杉磯私房屋主多，選D
【小題2】推理題：從第三段的句子：The people in Detroit and St. Louis are less happy than the people in New York, and Los Angeles. And, the reason is because of homeownership rates? 可知Richard Florida 在他的文章中想表達的是租房子的人比擁有房子的人更快樂，選B
【小題3】細節(jié)題：從第四段的句子：First, to compare them to New York City (the economic capital of the world), Los Angeles (the entertainment capital of the world) seems unfair. Most people in almost any other city in the world might be less happy!可知作者認為紐約和洛杉磯是兩個主要的城市，選C。
【小題4】細節(jié)題：從第五段下面的調(diào)查結果：75% of current renters believe owning a home makes more sense. 67% plan to buy a home at some point in the future.可知大部分租房子的人還是愿意自己擁有房子的，選C。
考點：考查社會現(xiàn)象類短文
科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
We are not who we think we are.
The American self-image is spread with the golden glow of opportunity. We think of the United States as a land of unlimited possibility, not so much a classless society but as a place where class is mutable—a place where brains, energy and ambition are what counts, not the circumstances of one's birth.
The Economic Mobility Project, an ambitious research led by Pew Charitable Trusts, looked at the economic fortunes of a large group of families over time, comparing the income of parents in the late 1960s with the income of their children in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Here is the finding: "The 'rags to riches' story is much more common in Hollywood than on Main Street. Only 6 percent of children born to parents with family income at the very bottom move to the top.
That is right, just 6 percent of children born to parents who ranked in the bottom of the study sample, in terms of income, were able to bootstrap their way into the top . Meanwhile, an incredible 42 percent of children born into that lowest are still stuck at the bottom, having been unable to climb a single rung of the income ladder.
It is noted that even in Britain---a nation we think of as burdened with a hidebound class system-children who are born poor have a better chance of moving up. When the studies were released, most reporters focused on the finding that African-Americans born to middle-class or upper middle-class families are earning slightly less, in inflation-adjusted dollars, than did their parents.
One of the studies indicates, in fact, that most of the financial gains white families have made in the past three decades can be attributed to the entry of white women into the labor force. This is much less true for African-Americans.
The picture that emerges from all the quintiles, correlations and percentages is of a nation in which, overall, "the current generation of adults is better off than the previous one", as one of the studies notes.
The median income of the families in the sample group was $55,600 in the late 1960s; their children's median family income was measured at $71,900. However, this rising tide has not lifted all boats equally. The rich have seen far greater income gains than have the poor.
Even more troubling is that our nation of America as the land of opportunity gets little support from the data. Americans move fairly easily up and down the middle rungs of the ladder, but there is "stickiness at the ends" —four out of ten children who are born poor will remain poor, and four out often who are born rich will stay rich.
【小題1】What did the Economic Mobility Project find in its research?
| A．Children from low-income families are unable to bootstrap their way to the top. |
| B．Hollywood actors and actresses are upwardly mobile from rags to riches. |
| C．The rags to riches story is more fiction than reality. |
| D．The rags to riches story is only true for a small minority of whites. |
| A．perfect its self-image as a land of opportunity |
| B．have a higher level of upward mobility than Britain |
| C．enable African-Americans to have exclusive access to well-paid employment |
| D．encourage the current generation to work as hard as the previous generation |
| A．The US is a land where brains, energy and ambition are what counts. |
| B．Inequality persists between whites and blacks in financial gains. |
| C．Middle-class families earn slightly less with inflation considered. |
| D．Children in lowest-income families manage to climb a single rung of the ladder. |
| A．Social Upward Mobility. |
| B．Incredible Income Gains. |
| C．Inequality in Wealth. |
| D．America Not Land of Opportunity. |
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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
When first entered, Vanak Restaurant does not look like much of a restaurant, but once the pleasant smells of kabob （烤肉串）hit the senses, you are incapable of calling it anything less.
Owned by a local couple, this Persian restaurant has an inviting, homelike atmosphere that many restaurants lack.
The space is small with only a few dining tables and nearly no decoration, but the environment is truly chaiming.
Lying in a hardly noticeable street corner, the restaurant still attracts all customer especially those experienced in the delights of Middle Easrern cooking.
A common sight is that of old Persian men sitting in the corner talking loudly about world topics, wathcing news events on TV, drinking a black tea known as Persian chai, an reading local Persian nespapers all the while trying to finish off their plates piled wit food.
The variety of food at the restaurant is limited, but the amount of each dish is fairly large. Most of the meals can serve two people and are under $10, so not only is it affordably but practical as well.
The food, especially appeals to health-conscious eaters because each dish is very healthy,made with limited fat and oil and served straight off the grill（烤肉架）.
The main dish that the restaurant is popular for is its kabobs, which are different style of grilled meat.
One delicious and extremely healthy dish is the Jooieh Kabob, which is made of grille chicken pieces served with either rice or bread. Another great kabob is the Chelo Kabob, kabob consisting of grilled beef.
Although the restaurant is small, the atmosphere and the food is delicious. It is a plan that should not be overlooked.
【小題1】When first entering the restaurant ,one can find that it
| A．is splendidly decorated. |
| B．has pleasant smells of kabobs. |
| C．is crowded with dining table. |
| D．looks like a common restaurant. |
| A．Watching news events on TV. |
| B．Drinking a kind of black coffee. |
| C．Reading local English newspaper. |
| D．Discussing world topics in low voices. |
| A．is served in small amounts. | B．is rather expensive. |
| C．is rich in variety. | D．is very healthy |
| A．Rice | B．Chicken | C．Bread | D．Beef |
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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
Who are these people rushing by you in the street? More than 215 million people now call America “home’’, but most of them can trace their families back to other parts of the world. If you look at the names on shop windows, you will see that Americans come from many different lands. The idea that these people, who once were strangers to the United States, have lost the customs and cultures of their original countries and have become “American’’is really not true. In fact, what exists in America is more often a kind of “side-by-side”, living in which groups of people from other countries often have kept many of their customs and habits. They join the general American society only in certain areas of their lives—such as in schools, business, and sports-but they keep many of their own native customs and manners socially and at home. This living “side-by-side” has both advantages and disadvantages. Sometimes it may cause disagreements to develop between groups whose ways of life are very different from one another. However, there are also great advantages that come from the variety of cultures brought by settlers from other lands. There is great freedom of choice among ideas and dress, food, and social customs in America. Everyone can find some part of his or her familiar world in the United States, in Churches, music, food, national groups, or newspapers.
【小題1】More than 215 million people call America “home” because .
| A．they buy their houses there | B．they settle there now |
| C．they get married there | D．they were born there |
| A．making friends with native people |
| B．the groups of people who live nearby |
| C．keeping their own customs while sharing American ones in certain areas |
| D．that they get closer to American society |
| A．share American customs and culture |
| B．1ive in a kind of “side-by-side'' society |
| C．keep their own customs and habits firmly |
| D．make no choice to accept American customs |
| A．They always stick to their own customs and habits. |
| B．“Side—by—side’’living style is not suitable. |
| C．They face the society they are not familiar with. |
| D．The advantages coming from the variety of cultures make life in America colorful. |
| A．Advantages and Disadvantages. |
| B．Different Customs and Habits. |
| C．Home for the People |
| D．“Side—by—side”Living Style in America. |
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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
WHEN there are some strangers in front of us, which of them will we trust?
According to a new study in the online PLOS One, people make their decisions to trust others largely based on their faces. Your appearance can do a lot for you, especially if you are in the financial industry. The more trustworthy you look, the more likely people will buy what you’re selling.
Researchers from Britain’s University of Warwick Business School, University College London, and Dartmouth College, US, did a number of experiments.
The research team used computer software to make 40 faces, from the least to the most trustworthy-looking.
The study said that the difference between a trustworthy face and one that isn’t as trustworthy comes from features that look slightly angry or slightly happy, even when the face is at rest. However, a slightly happy face is more likely to be trusted.
Researchers gave participants some money and asked them which face they trusted to invest the money for them. Then researchers gave some good and bad information about the people with these faces, and asked the participants again whom they trusted.
The results showed that even if they got different information, the participants didn’t change their choices. They were still more likely to invest their money with the more trustworthy-looking faces.
Chris Olivola, one of the study’s authors, said in the University of Warwick’s press release: “It seems we are still willing to go with our own instincts (本能) about whether we think someone looks like we can trust them. The temptation (誘惑) to judge strangers by their faces is hard to resist.”
【小題1】Which of the following can be a proper title for this passage?
| A．What kind of face do you trust? |
| B．Who did the experiments? |
| C．Why do you trust him or her? |
| D．Why did they do the experiments? |
| A．A sad face. | B．A smiling face. |
| C．A crying face. | D．An angry face. |
| A．The trustworthy faces were given good information. |
| B．Researchers took photos of the 40 people’s faces in college. |
| C．Most participants gave their money to the trustworthy-looking faces. |
| D．Participants liked to choose the faces with good information. |
| A．People can’t refuse temptations. |
| B．People always do things with their instincts. |
| C．People often judge strangers by their faces. |
| D．People don’t trust strangers with sad faces. |
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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
Do you want to love what you do for a living? Follow your passion. This piece of advice provides the foundation for modern thinking on career satisfaction. But this can be a problem.
I've spent the past several years researching and writing about the different strategies we use to seek happiness in our work. It became clear early in the process that the suggestion to “follow your passion” was flawed (有缺陷), for it lacks scientific evidence. However, it doesn't mean you should abandon the goal of feeling passionate about your work. The reality emphasizes that things are quite complicated.
Passion is earned. Different people are looking for different things in their work, but generally, people with satisfying careers enjoy some combination of the following features: autonomy，respect, competence, creativity, and a sense of impact. In other words，if you want to feel passionate about your livelihood，don't seek the perfect job，but seek to get more of these features in the job you already have.
Passion is elusive (難捉摸的). Many people develop the rare and valuable skills leading to passion, but still end up unhappy in their work. The problem is that the features leading you to love your work are more likely to be useful to you than your organization. As you become increasingly “valuable”，for example, your boss might push you toward traditional promotions that come with more pay and more responsibility, as this is what is most useful to your company. However, you might find more passion by applying your value to gain autonomy in your schedule or project selection.
Passion is dangerous. I've watched too many of my peers fall into anxiety and chronic(慢性的) job-hopping (跳槽) due to the “follow your passion” advice. The issue is expectations. If you believe we all have a pre-existing passion, and that matching it to a job will lead to instant workplace happiness, reality will always pale in comparison.
Work is hard. Not every day is fun. If you're seeking a dream job, you'll end up frustrated, again and again. Don't set out to discover passion. Instead, set out to develop it. This path might be longer and more complicated than what most cheerful career guides might advocate, but it's a path much more likely to lead you somewhere worth going.
【小題1】People satisfied with their careers are _______.
| A．a(chǎn)utonomous and passionate | B．creative and passionate |
| C．respectable and sensitive | D．creative and competent |
| A．Figuring out early what one will do in the future. |
| B．Matching the pre-existing passion to one's work. |
| C．Developing passion for what one is doing. |
| D．Discovering skills that lead to interesting careers. |
| A．it is not easy to match our passion with our jobs |
| B．we shouldn't think everyone has a pre-existing passion |
| C．workplace happiness does not require a pre-existing passion |
| D．high expectations of passion in jobs bring disappointment |
| A．Disapproving. | B．Supportive. | C．Cautious. | D．Unclear. |
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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
“Hey, little boy, will you support me when I’m getting old?” Wang Wenshan, 35, asked his newborn baby as he picked him up at home.
The Chinese tradition of raising sons to support parents in their old age has been weakened by the rapidly growing economy and improving standard of living. As is the case with more and more developed countries, China faces an aging society. People are living longer and having fewer children. Therefore, many Chinese families are falling into a 4－2－1 family pattern: a couple raises one child and supports four elderly parents. But few realize that a problem is likely to happen ahead.
The aging of the population is a trend that now affects a growing number of countries. Not long ago, the Information Office of the State Council, China’s cabinet, issued a white paper on measures China is taking to help its elderly population. The paper said China’s population entered the aging period at the end of the 20th century and the proportion of people aged 60 and above accounted for over 10 percent of the entire population. By the end of 2005, China had nearly 144 million people over 60, accounting for 11 percent of population, according to the white paper.
An expanding aged population inevitably means that many issues must be settled, as the problem concerns every aspect of society. It puts more pressure on each family, causing disturbing economic consequences and serious social problems. It also challenges the labor force supply and the pension system.
“I used to think that it’s not an issue for me to provide for the aged,” said Wang, whose parents and parents-in-law all enjoy pensions and medical insurance. But last year Wang’s father suffered a serious illness and afterward Wang began to feel the pressure on his shoulders.
After his father recovered, Wang opened bank accounts for each parent and deposited some money into the account every month to prepare for future uncertainties. In addition, he has to save money every month to provide for his son’s future education. “I’m now breaking my back working to support my family: saving pensions for the parents, my son’s education funds, and living costs.”
Wang also bought some commercial old-age insurance for himself. “We have to take precautions before it is too late, and many of my colleagues share the same view,” he said.
【小題1】 Which of the following is not caused by an aging society?
| A．Social problem |
| B．The problem of the pension system |
| C．More pressure on the family |
| D．Unemployment |
| A．the aging people problem is one of the concerns for the Chinese government |
| B．China will encourage young couples to have more than one child |
| C．many people have realized the problem of aging society |
| D．children will not support their parents in an aging society |
| A．Surprisingly | B．Certainly | C．Hopefully | D．Unluckily |
| A．China is the only country to face an aging society |
| B．Most of the developing countries face an aging society |
| C．countries with a large population face an aging society |
| D．more and more developed countries face an aging society |
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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
At age 11, Ghulam was married off to 40-year-old Jaiz in a rural Afghan village, making her only one of more than 10 million young girls who are being forced to wed men old enough to be their fathers of grandfather every year.
In an effort to start a global conversation about the devastating effects of early marriages, which are currently practiced in more than 50 developing countries, the United Nations designed October 11 as International Day of the Girl Child this year.
Although child marriage is against the law in many countries, and international treaties forbid the practice, it is estimated that about 51 million girls below age 18 are currently married, often under the cover of darkness and in secret. In Afghanistan alone, it is believed that approximately 57 percent of girls wed before the legal age of 16.
Various factors drive parents of child bridges to marry off their daughters, from the community’s pressure to confirm to age-old cultural customs to economic considerations. In poor, developing nations, it is not uncommon for families to settle debts by offering their daughters as payment.
Experts agree that early marriage denies the girl education and robs them of their childhood because most young wives, burdened by grownup responsibilities, do not get a chance to interact with their peers or carry on friendships outside the household. In many cases, the girls are lorded over by their husbands and in-laws, leaving them vulnerable(易受傷害的) to domestic violence as well as physical, sexual and verbal abuse. Underage wives who are lucky enough to escape from their husbands end up living in poverty, or worse. Most girls who enter early marriages are expected to get pregnant right away, which often leads to tragedy for both the mothers, who are still children themselves, and their babies.
Unless international organizations take steps to reverse the troubling trend, it is estimated that over the next decade, 100 million more girls—or about 25,000 girls a day ---will marry before they turn 18.
To learn more about campaign to end the practice of early marriages, please click: Too Young To Wed.
【小題1】The purpose of the first paragraph is to _________.
| A．a(chǎn)ttract readers’ attention |
| B．introduce the following topic |
| C．list the countries practicing early marriages |
| D．give readers an example of early marriages |
| A．the number of girls involved in early marriages |
| B．the causes of early marriages in developing counties |
| C．the tragic effects of early marriages |
| D．the countries that allow early marriages |
| A．urge parents to treat girls equally as boy |
| B．call on people to pay more attention to girls’ education |
| C．call on people to pay more attention to girls in poor countries or areas |
| D．start a global campaign against early marriages |
| A．The present girls develop much earlier than before |
| B．Some poor parents marry off their young girls for economic problems. |
| C．Many young girls receive little or no education for different reasons. |
| D．Most girls suffer from domestic violence and have babies too early. |
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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
Five years ago, David Smith wore an expensive suit to work every day. “I was a clothes addict.” he jokes. “I used to carry a fresh suit to work with me so I could change if my clothes got wrinkled.” Today David wears casual clothes—khaki pants and a sports shirt—to the office. He hardly ever wears a necktie. “I am working harder than ever.” David says, “and I need to feel comfortable.”
More and more companies are allowing their office workers to wear casual clothes to work. In the United States, the change from formal to casual office wear has been gradual. In the early 1990s, many companies allowed their employees to wear casual clothes on Friday（but only on Friday）.This became known as “dress-down Friday” or “casual Friday”. “What started out as an extra one-day-a-week benefit for employees has really become an everyday thing.” said business consultant Maisly Jones.
Why have so many companies started allowing their employees to wear casual clothes? One reason is that it’s easier for a company to attract new employees if it has a casual dress code.” “A lot of young people don’t want to dress up for work,” says the owner of a software company, “so it’s hard to hire people if you have a conservative（保守的）dress code.” Another reason is that people seem happier and more productive when they are wearing comfortable clothes. In a study conducted by Levi Strauss and Company, 85 percent of employers said that they believe that casual dress improves employee morale（心境，士氣）. Only 4 percent of employers said that casual dress has a negative influence on productivity. Supporters of casual office wear also argue that a casual dress code helps them save money. “Suits are expensive, if you have to wear one every day,” one person said. “For the same amount of money, you can buy a lot more casual clothes.”
【小題1】David Smith refers to himself as having been “a clothes addict,” because .
| A．he often wore khaki pants and a sports shirt |
| B．he couldn’t stand a clean appearance |
| C．he wanted his clothes to look neat all the time |
| D．he didn’t want to spend much money on clothes |
| A．they make him feel at ease when working |
| B．he cannot afford to buy expensive clothes |
| C．he looks handsome in casual clothes |
| D．he no longer works for any company |
| A．Many employees don’t like a conservative dress code. |
| B．Comfortable clothes make employees more productive. |
| C．A casual clothes code is welcomed by young employees. |
| D．All the employers in the U. S. are for casual office wear. |
| A．Company workers started to dress down about fifty years ago. |
| B．Dress-down has become an everyday phenomenon since the early 90s. |
| C．“Dress-down Friday” was first given as a favor from employers. |
| D．Many workers want to wear casual clothes to impress people. |
| A．saving employees’ money |
| B．making employees more attractive |
| C．improving employees’ motivation |
| D．making employees happier |
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