More than half of parents in the United States are helping , or have helped their adult children who have been hit by high unemployment and stagnant（无变化的）wages, 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 children, to return.
“Parents are continuing their financial involvement longer than we expected,” said Ted Beck, the president and CEO of National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE).
About 60 percent of parents questioned in the survey said they are helping their adult children who are no longer in school financially, providing housing and 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 earn money than for their children.
Parents are helping their children out of genuine concern, and because they do not want to see them struggle. But Beck said that parents who make sacrifices to help their adult children should be cautious about their own finances.
“If you are taking on extra debt or delaying 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 ten percent have delayed retirement. But the survey also showed that 42 percent of adult children living at home are helping with the cooking and cleaning.The underlined words “boomerang children” in the first paragraph likely means ________.
| A．adult children visiting parents often |
| B．married adult children |
| C．adult children depending on parents for financial support |
| D．adult children independent and successful in life |
What is Ted Beck’s suggestion to the parents?
| A．Asking their children to help with the housework. |
| B．Leaving their children to struggle to live. |
| C．Being careful when helping their children financially. |
| D．Putting off their time of retirement. |
According to the survey, we can know that ________.
| A．about 50% of parents give money to their adult children to cover the daily cost |
| B．two - thirds of adult children are faced with financial problems in school |
| C．one - third of adult children earn money more easily than their parents |
| D．one in ten parents has delayed retirement |
What is the main idea of the whole text?
| A．Adult children are less independent. |
| B．Parents help support adult children. |
| C．Bad conditions affect children a lot. |
| D．Adult children like living with parents. |
There are many great movie directors of all time and the following are five of those who have largely impressed audience with their body of work.
As a member of the New Hollywood gang, Francis Coppola is best remembered for The God Father series. His decision to cast Marlon Brando in the lead also met with fierce opposition from the studio bosses. Good sense became popular, and The God Father went on to become one of the most memorable movies ever. Critics may point out that he has become less creative after his seventies, but try as one might, no one can possibly take the place of this great director’s work.
Stanley Kubrick’s movies focus on the themes like sci-fi, horror, dark humor and war. He used symbolism in most of his movies, giving us some wonderful screen visuals, as shown in 2001: A Space Odyssey. His actors in Hollywood complained about the endless number of retakes, but they appreciated the performance he milked out of them. People argue about films like Lolita, A Clockwork Orange and Paths of Glory, but these are now seen as classics.
Steven Spielberg is a great success at the box office, and he is one of the world’s most popular filmmakers today. As the creator of classics like Schindler’s List, Jurassic Park, ET, Indiana Jones series, Jaws, Saving Private Ryan, no one can win his hold over the audience. His critics accuse him of being emotional and over the top, but the fact remains that his movies attract the audience, and set the cash registers ringing.
Woody Allen is a director who directs movies full of crime and hate. This comic genius has given us Annie Hall, Hannah and Her Sisters and Midnight in Paris, which have also become classical. His movies constantly include characters who arouse the audience’s sympathy and laughter at the same time, as they set out on a journey of self-discovery. Hollywood star power has never fazed Allen. Thankfully, awards and honors do not interest him, which results in creativity that is original.What do the directors mentioned in the passage have in common_______?
| A．They are interested in awards for their works. |
| B．They are members of the New Hollywood gang. |
| C．They have created a lot of movies taken as classics. |
| D．They focus their themes on negative side of the society. |
The movie Indiana Jones series is directed by ______.
| A．Francis Coppola | B．Woody Allen |
| C．Stanley Kubrick | D．Steven Spielberg |
Stanley Kubrick’s works include the following except ______.
| A．Midnight in Paris | B．2001: A Space Odyssey |
| C．A Clockwork Orange | D．Paths of Glory |
It is implied in the underlined sentence Steven Spielberg ______.
| A．was successful in amusing the audience |
| B．succeeded in making a great box office |
| C．became much better at creating classics |
| D．had set a cash register working for himself |
What will be discussed in the paragraph that follows this passage________?
| A．Their contribution to the society |
| B．The difference between the directors |
| C．Another famous movie directors |
| D．More great movies from the directors |
When buying from a dealer, the law says that a car must be:
As described:
This includes the history of the car as well as its specification. For example, if the dealer described the car as previously having “one careful lady owner”, it shouldn’t turn out to have had several previous “boy racer” owners.
Of satisfactory quality:
It must meet the standard that a reasonable person would regard as acceptable and be free from any quality problem. Also, bear in mind that a second-hand car will have a slightly different definition of what is considered “satisfactory, because there’s certainly an element of wear and tear.
Fit for the purpose:
It must be reasonable fit for any normal purpose and this includes any purpose that you specify to the seller.
●If any of the above is violated, then in theory, you may have the right to reject the vehicle and get your money back if you’re reasonably quick. Alternatively, the dealer might offer to replace or repair the car; reduce the price of offering a partial refund(退款). Once you’ve informed the dealer that you wish to reject the car, you must stop using the vehicle.
●If the rejection is not accepted, then it’s up to you to prove your case. You’ll need to pay for an independent assessment of the car and sue for damages. If you do choose a repair, insist the dealer provide you with a hire car or pay any reasonable traveling expenses thus produced while your new car is in the garage.
●If the car is new, it’s likely that the claim will be too high to be fought. Using the small claims procedure to you may have to pay for legal representation. All this can be pretty daunting and expensive. You need to weigh up the pros and cons before rejecting a car. Would a repair do just as well? Selecting a dealer who offers a clear exchange policy may help.After the above writing, you will be better at .
| A．choosing a car | B．dealing with car sellers |
| C．making a claim | D．suing for damages |
According to the text, what is essential after you inform the dealer of your wish to reject the car________?
| A．Suing for damages. | B．Demanding traveling expenses. |
| C．Stopping using it. | D．Proving your case. |
If the dealer offers to repair the car you have bought, which of the following is acceptable_______?
| A．Asking the dealer to provide you with a hire car. |
| B．Asking the dealer to provide you with repair tool sets. |
| C．Asking the dealer to pay all of your traveling expenses. |
| D．Asking the dealer to return all your money. |
Which of the following words has the closest meaning to the underlined word “daunting” in the last paragraph________?
| A．Different. | B．Effective. | C．Discouraging. | D．Convenient. |
What does the writer want to say in the last paragraph_________?
| A．Buyers should select a dealer that offers to repair the car. |
| B．Rejecting a new car is not necessarily the best choice. |
| C．It’s necessary that a new car should be repaired. |
| D．Buyers should never reject a new car. |
The light from the campfire brightened the darkness, but it could not prevent the damp cold of Dennis’s Swamp (沼泽地) creeping into their bones. It was a strange place. Martin and Tom wished that they had not accepted Jack’s dare. They liked camping, but not near this swamp.
“So,” Martin asked as they sat watching the hot coals. “How did this place get its name?”
“Are you sure you want to hear it? It’s a scary story,” warned Jack.
“Of course!” cried out Tom. “If there were anything to be scared of, you wouldn’t have chosen this place!”
“Ok, but don’t say I didn’t warn you,” said Jack, and he began this tale.
“Way back in time, a man called Dennis tried to start a farm here. He built that cottage over there to live in. In those days, the area looked quite different ---- it was covered with tall trees and the swamp was a crystal-clear river. After three hard years, Dennis had cleared several fields and planted crops. He was so proud of his success that he refused to listen to advice.
“You are clearing too much land,” warned one old man. “The land is a living thing. It will hit back at you if you abuse it.”
“Silly fool,” said Dennis to himself. “If I clear more land, I can grow more crops. I’ll become wealthier. He’ s just jealous(妒忌的)!”
“Dennis continued to chop down trees. Small animals that relied on them for food and shelter were destroyed. He was so eager to expand his farm that he did not notice the river flowing slowly towards his door. He did not notice salt seeping to the surface of the land. He did not notice swamp plants choking all the native plants.”
“What happened?” Martin asked. It was growing colder. He trembled, twisting his body closer to the fire.
“The land hit back ---- just as the old man warned,” Jack shrugged. “Dennis disappeared. Old folks around here believe that swamp plants moved up from the river and dragged him underwater. His body was never found.”
“What a stupid story,” laughed Tom. “Plants can’t…” Before he had finished speaking, he screamed and fainted (晕倒). The other two boys jumped up with fright, staring at Tom. Suddenly, they burst out laughing. Some green swamp ivy (常春藤) had covered Tom’s face. It was a while before Tom could appreciate the joke.The underlined word “dare” in Paragraph 1 is closed in meaning to ________.
| A．courage | B．assistance | C．instruction | D．challenge |
Dennis ignored the warning of the old man because ________.
| A．the old man was jealous of him |
| B．the old man was foolish |
| C．he was too busy to listen to others |
| D．he was greedy（贪婪的）for more crops |
Why did Tom scream and faint?
| A．He saw Dennis’s shadow. |
| B．He was scared by a plant. |
| C．His friends played a joke on him. |
| D．The weather became extremely cold. |
What lesson can we learn from the story of Dennis?
| A．Grasp all, lose all. |
| B．It is no use crying over spilt milk. |
| C．No sweat, no sweet. |
| D．He who makes no mistakes makes nothing. |
Do you know of anyone who uses the truth to deceive(欺骗)? When someone tells you something that is true, but leaves out important information that should be included, he can give you a false picture.
For example, someone might say, “I just won a hundred dollars on the lottery(彩票). It was great. I took that dollar ticket back to the store and turned it in for one hundred dollars!”
This guy is a winner, right? Maybe, maybe not. We then discover that he bought $ 200 worth of tickets, and only one was a winner. He’s really a big loser!
He didn’t say anything that was false, but he left out important information on purpose. That’s called a half-truth. Half truths are not technically lies, but they are just as dishonest.
Some politicians often use this trick. Let’s say that during Governor Smith’s last term, her state lost one million jobs and gained three million jobs. Then she seeks another term. One of her opponents says, “During Governor Smith’s term, the state lost one million jobs!” That’s true. However, an honest statement would have been, “During Governor Smith’s term, the state had a net gain of two million jobs.’’
Advertisers will sometimes use half-truths. It’s against the law to make false statements so they try to mislead you with the truth. An advertisement might say, “Nine out of ten doctors advised their patients to take Yucky Pills to cure toothache.” It fails to mention that they only asked ten doctors and nine of them work for the Yucky Company.
This kind of deception happens too often. It’s a sad fact of life: Lies are lies, and sometimes the truth can lie as well. We may infer that the author believes people should ________.
| A．buy lottery tickets if possible |
| B．make use of half-truths |
| C．be careful about what they are told |
| D．not trust the Yucky Company |
Which of the following is true according to the passage?
| A．Using half truths is against the law. |
| B．Technically, half truths are in fact lies. |
| C．Yucky Pills is a very good medicine for toothache. |
| D．Governor Smith did a good job during her last term. |
Which of the following best expresses the main idea of the passage?
| A．He’s really a big loser! |
| B．Sometimes the truth can lie as well. |
| C．Advertisers will sometimes use half truths. |
| D．It’s against the law to make false statements. |
If you need to relax and want to head overseas, you can think of these four off-peak travel destinations to visit.
Portugal
With rich culture and history, Portugal continues to be one of the most affordable European destinations. Head to this beautiful capital city of Lisbon to attend the festivals and fairs, visit some 12th-century buildings, and stay at one of the newer hotels in the main city district. The Hotel Teatro is a four-star restaurant, and average nightly rates are under $ 150 a night.
Hotel Teatro
Porto, Portugal
+351 220 409 620
Aruba
Set your sights on Aruba for an unforgettable Caribbean holiday. You can get special offers from one of the larger beach resorts here. Some of the chain hotels, including Marriott and Radisson, offer discounts on spa relaxations. The Radisson Aruba Resort, Casino & Spa is offering a Super Saver Spring Rate at just $309 per night.
Radisson Aruba Resort, Casino & Spa
Palm Beach, Aruba
800-967-9033
Oaxaca
Escape to southern Mexico to explore the historic colonial city and learn about the region’s traditions, culture, and colorful history. Oaxaca plays host to several cultural festivals and is a great place to just relax. A seven-night stay at the Camino Real Oaxaca is just $207 per night for a deluxe single or double room.
Camino Real Oaxaca
Centro, 68000
01 951 501 6100
Turkey
Another place to have some local culture is Istanbul, Turkey. Stay at a destination that will put you within easy reach of famous sites like the Topkapi Palace. The Modern Sultan Hotel is a deluxe hotel located in the heart of the historic district. Average nightly rates for the bed and breakfast package are just under $ 120 per night.
Modern Sultan Hotel
Istanbul, Turkey
+90 212 520 00 53What can we learn about Portugal?
| A．Lisbon is a small town in Portugal. |
| B．A trip to Portugal is relatively cheap. |
| C．The Hotel Teatro is in the suburbs of Lisbon. |
| D．Most houses in Portugal date back to the 12th century. |
If you want to enjoy the beautiful sea, you can go to _________.
| A．Lisbon | B．Oaxaca | C．Istanbul | D．Aruba |
How much should you pay if you have a seven-night stay in a deluxe single room at the Camino Real Oaxaca?
| A．207 dollars. | B．735 dollars. | C．1, 449 dollars. | D．2, 163 dollars. |
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