Normally when I pop in to see my parents, my mum bursts out of the house with a big smile. Not
today. "Your brother," she says, "he's showered twice this afternoon. Does he know how much it costs
to run this house?" Are we limiting water now? I didn't think the recession(蕭條) had got that bad. My
poor brother is a boomerang kid. Like 60 percent of guys immediately after university, he's back at
home. Graduating ￡15,000 in debt and faced with unpaid internships(實(shí)習(xí)期) or low wages thanks
to the flooding of the market with graduates, a lot of twentysomethings simply don't have the necessary
income or parental support to live independently.
     Three years after getting their degree, most graduates are still not earning above the average salary.
They have a near 50 percent tax burden, thanks to student loan repayments and council tax on top of
income tax and national insurance. Unless you have parents who can afford to finance what is effectively
a second home for them, returning to the parental nest is often the only affordable option.
     The boomerang effect is becoming even more pronounced thanks to the recession. One in four of
those losing their job during the downturn is under 25. Only 13 percent of final-year students have jobs.
Home is the only place many are going: 111,000 16-29 year olds moved back home in 2008, five times
the average of previous years.
     Boomeranging is bad news. It poses serious problems for parents' finances. They've already
supported their children through university, topping up loans with handouts, averaging ￡12,300 in total,
to keep twentysomethings afloat. Now their retirement savings are being eaten away by continuously
dependent children.
     It’s bad for the returning kids too. Ambitious young people will be left frustrated, seeing their
university peers from more wealthy backgrounds excel only because parents' money was there to
support them through the initial period of poverty wages. Those living in rural areas are further
disadvantaged by lack of access to cities where most new jobs are located. Half of all young people
now feel they will not achieve their goals. Research by the Prince's Trust reveals that one-quarter of
all 16-25 year olds are regularly down or depressed. And depression does not help self-motivation,
the very trait needed to seek out job opportunities.

1. In paragraph 1, the mother’s criticizing her son for showering too often shows _________.

A. the price of water has increased
B. she thinks her son is selfish
C. her son is an economic burden
D. she wants to have a shower herself

2. What is the boomerang mentioned in the passage?

A. A person earning low income.
B. A person who has heavy tax burden.
C. A youth who cannot get parental support.
D. A youth returning to parents after graduation.

3. According to the passage, which of the following does NOT contribute to the tax bill of most young
graduates?

A. National insurance.
B. Income tax.
C. Council income.
D. Student loans.

4. Who is comparatively most affected by the recession according to the passage?

A. Those who haven’t completed their university studies.
B. Those who are supported through by their parents.
C. Those who can have access to the urban facilities.
D. Those who were born into the well-off families.

5. Which is the best title of the passage?

A. Global Recession
B. Boomerang Kids
C. Unemployment Rate
D. Falling Incomes

     Cosmo Books Ltd.,                                    14, Woodman Road,
     Hertford Estate,                                          Two Bridges,
     Rickmansworth,                                          West Sussex.
     Middx.
                                                                                                                  25th February
 Sir,
     Just over six months ago, I saw an advertisement in the Morning Mail for a set of the complete
works of William Shakespeare. Your company, Cosmo books Ltd., offered this set (eight books
of plays and two books of poetry) at what was claimed to be a ‘remarkable’ price: fifteen pounds
and fifty pence, including postage and packing. I had wanted a set of Shakespeare’s plays and poems
for some time, and these books, in red imitation leather, looked particularly attractive; so I sent for
them.
     Two weeks later, the books arrived, together with a set of the complete works of Charles Dickens
which I had not ordered. So I returned the Dickens books to you, with a cheque for fifteen pounds
and fifty pence for the works of Shakespeare. Two more weeks passed. Then there arrived on my
door step a second set of the works of Shakespeare, the same set of novels by Dickens and a six book
set of the plays of Moliere, in French. Since I do not read French, these were of no use to me at all.
However, I could not afford to post all these books back to you, so I wrote to you at the end of August
of last year, instructing you to come and collect all the books that I did not want, and asking you not to
send any other books until further notice.
     You did not reply to that letter. Instead you sent me a bill for forty two pounds , and a set of the
plays of Schiller, in German. Since then, a new set of books has arrived every two weeks, the works
of Goethe, the poems of Milton, the plays of Strindberg; I hardly know what I have. The books are
still all in their boxes, in the garage, and my car has to stand in the rain outside.
     I have no room for any more books, and even if I read from now until the Last Judgment, I should
not finish reading all the books that you have sent me.
     Please send no more books, send no more bills, send no more angry letters demanding payment.
Just send one large lorry and take all the books away, leaving me only with the one set of the complete
works of Shakespeare for which I have paid.
                                                                                                                                 Yours faithfully,
                                                                                                                             SIMON WALKER

1. Simon Walker wrote the letter to ________

A. show his anger to Cosmo Books Ltd..
B. complain about getting books he didn’t want.
C. advise readers not to order books from Cosmo Books Ltd..
D. urge for the final solution to the problem with the unwanted books.

2. The advertisement that Mr. Walker saw in the Morning Mail was for ____

A. unlimited number of Cosmo Books.
B. a set of 10 books of the works of Shakespeare.
C. fifteen pounds and fifty pence.
D. a book containing all the plays and poems of Shakespeare.

3. Mr. Walker answered the advertisement because ________

A. he wanted a set of Shakespeare’s works which was a good bargain 
B. he claimed that the books were being offered at a remarkable price.
C. he had ordered the set and had been waiting for them to come for some time.
D. the set he already had was not particularly attractive.

4. It can be inferred that _______

A. Cosmo Books have sent bills for books that they have not sent.
B. Mr. Walker took some action after receiving the books he did not order.
C. Mr. Walker hasn’t received the books that he ordered.
D. Several sets of books have been sent to Mr. Walker free of charge.

5. The tone of the letter is that of _______

A. bitterness  
B. respect   
C. annoyance  
D. humor

     I can’t remember a winter being as cold as this in Pennsylvania, but I’m sure there were colder days.
     Even though the daylight hours are growing longer minute by minute, it’s easy to find an excuse not to go out unless you absolutely must, but then again I often have to push myself to accomplish things.
     People I speak to have been in all kinds of nasty moods. They say they’re “under the weather,” not feeling good about this time of year.
     As I stood outside with my two dogs yesterday, it was so cold that my nose and face felt frozen and my ears were stinging.
     Of course, that doesn’t matter to Ricky and Lucy. They have a routine they must go through to find just the fighting spot no matter how cold or hot it is.
     So I wait.
     But this time it was different. As cold as it was, I suddenly was excited thinking about how wonderful this extreme cold really was.
     Then the sun broke through the clouds and memories of summer’s extremely hot days flashed through my mind. I could remember standing in the heat of the afternoon, with sweat pouring down my brow and the hot, burning sun against my face. I reminded myself then and there that in the cold of the winter I would wish I had this heat.
     I was grateful for the extremes. Without the extremes in my life, I would never appreciate the days when things were just right. Without the extremes, life would be boring.
     It’s being pushed to one of the extremes that makes us appreciate the middle more. Health challenges remind us that we need to pay more attention to how we live. Financial extremes remind us that when things go smoothly it’s also time to save for raining days. ks5u
     I’ve come to the conclusion that all too often I find a reason not to be happy with where I am at that moment.
     Whether it’s hot or cold, good health or bad, in the money or out of it, I always want it to be different.
     I’m tired of being “Under the Weather!”

1. What is the author’s attitude towards the extremes in life?

A. Grateful.
B. Critical.
C. Negative.
D. Unconcerned.

2. That day the writer waited in the terrible cold because ______.

A. his dogs wanted to hunt
B. he wanted to face the cold bravely
C. his dogs had a routine
D. he wanted to be different

3. The underlined word “nasty” (Paragraph 4) can be replaced by ______.

A. unpleasant
B. violent
C. favorable  
D. unusual

4. At last the author drew a conclusion that ______.

A. happiness cannot be gained by complaints
B. things will be different whatever the situation is
C. happiness will fail to come to you if you can find a reason
D. he is disappointed with his present situation

5. What is the best title for this passage?

A. Follow the Routine
B. Two Extremes in Life
C. Changes should be Expected
D. Weather Information