While reading a story on 20-somethings complaining about how the economy is ruining their life plans, I couldn't help but think the 20-somethings sound like a bunch of spoiled children who grow 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 forties, and we two are burdened by student loans. But why should it be different? Being young people 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 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 she is 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, not a fertility requirement.
A 26-year-old man in the story is disappointed 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 grow up when their wealth appears to be increasing. Their parents probably see their home values rise along with their investments. "So we have people who have grown up in an environment where people have great expectations of what living well means," says Kobliner.
This recession will certainly play a role in forcing those expectations into more realistic group. In the meantime, it seems much 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 luxurious life.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 ruining their life plans. |
| C．They are unwilling to face all of the challenges. |
| D．They are burdened by student loans. |
Which of the following is NOT one of the complaints of the 20-somethings?
A. They can't have children for at least a decade for they can't afford to buy a house.
B. They have only a one-bedroom apartment to live in.
C. They can't buy a house until 40 and are burdened by student loans.
D. They despair of not being able to afford to get a Ph. D. in literature.What's Kobliner's attitude towards the 20-somethings with high expectations ?
| A．Unbearable. | B．Opposing. | C．Doubtful. | D．Understanding. |
What is the best title for this passage?
| A．Young people afford to continue their education |
| B．Young people can't afford to buy a house |
| C．Young people's high expectations lead to despair |
| D．The 20-somethings' high expectations |
One dark and stormy night, an elderly man and his wife entered the hall of a small hotel in Philadelphia, hoping to get shelter for the night.
The clerk, a friendly man
with a beautiful smile, explained that there were three conferences in town. “All of our rooms are taken,” the clerk said, “but I can't send a nice couple like you into the rain at one o’clock in the morning. Would you perhaps be willing to sleep in my room? It’s not a suite, but it will be good enough to make you comfortable for the night.” The couple agreed.
As the elderly man paid the bill the next morning, he told the clerk, “You are the kind of person who should be the boss of the best hotel in the United States. Maybe someday I’Il build one for you.” The clerk looked at them and smiled. The three of them had a good laugh.
Two years passed. The clerk had almost forgotten the incident when he received a letter from the elderly man, asking the clerk to pay him a visit. The elderly man met him in New York, and led him to the corner of the Fifth Avenue and 34th Street. He then pointed to a great new building there, a reddish stone one with watchtowers thrusting up to the sky, and told the clerk that it was the hotel he ha
d just built for him to manage.
That wonderful building was the original Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. And this young clerk whose names was George C. Boldt never foresaw the return of events that would lead him into the manager of one of the world's most attractive hotels.
56 .When the elderly couple left the hotel, they ________. .
A .took what they said as a joke
B .wanted to build the same hotel in the future
C .hoped that the clerk would replace the boss of the hotel
D. thought the clerk was talented in managing hotels
57. Why did the elderly man build a hotel for the clerk?
A .He was grateful to the clerk. B.They had a bet at first.
C.He wanted to please the clerk. D. He wanted to sell the hotel.
58. According to the text, the clerk
A. helped the couple because he thought they were poor
B. hoped that the old couple could give him a large amount of money
C. didn't expect to receive things in return from the old couple.
D. became rich, thanks to his own efforts
59. From the text, we can infer that .
A. anybody can be a successful manager B. old people are always very rich
C. good luck is always waiting for lucky people D. kindness can bring a good return
60.What do you think of the clerk?
A. He was willing to help. B. He was very attractive.
C. He tried to make money for his hotel． D. He liked making friends.
Why do we need friends? Well, having friends may well keep you healthier and help you deal with stress better. Some studies show that people with close friends have a greater ability to fight disease than people who are lonely. But never take a friendship for granted. Like a good marriage, friendship needs care and patience（耐心）.Here is something to remember to maintain（维持）a friendship:
Make friendship the most important thing. Find the time to be with your friends even if it means letting the grass go unmoved or the dishes unwashed for a while. When you can’t get together, use the phone to keep in touch.
Open up to close friends. Don’t be afraid to express your inner fears and disappointments. Listen to your friends when they have problems, but offer advice only when it’s wanted.
Have different friends for different activities, such as going to the movies, singing in a choir, or taking part in a bowling league.
Don’t wait for a friend to ask a favor. When a friend has the flu, offer to go to the store to buy some pills or drive his / her children to their after-school activities.
How to make new friends?
You can start a group, such as a discussion group on gardening or books. Place an ad in a com
munity newspaper to find people.
Talk to strangers to find new friends. You should be c
autious（谨慎的）and use your common sense, of course. Conversations started in museums, laundry rooms, or bookstores can lead to firm friendships.
Enroll in an adult-education course. A classroom is a good place to meet others with similar interests.
48. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?
A. How to make new friends. B. Why do we need friends.
C. How to keep a friendship. D. How to gain friends’ trust.
49. We can learn from the passage that .
A. We should not give advice to our friends anytime we want to
B. We should offer to help our friends even if they don’t need help at all
C. It’s impolite to have different activities with different groups of friends
D. People with friends can live longer than those who don’t have friends
50. According to the author, _______ are good places to find people sharing your interests.
A. libraries B. markets
C. laundry rooms D. classrooms
Two thieves came to a house to steal something.They dug a hole in the wall of the house.There lived many mice in the house.The woman in the moonlight saw a mouse crawl（爬行）int
o the house.“Look！In comes one，”she said to the man in the house.The thief was so frightened that he hurriedly crawled out of the house and said to the one waiting outside，“She found me when I was just in.” But the thief outside didn’t believe him，so he said，“Let us two try to crawl into the house together.”At that time two mice happened to crawl into the house，too.The woman saw the mice and shouted，“In come two，catch them！” The two thieves were terribly frightened.The man in the house said，“You saw them come in but where are they？ I will catch them tonight.”The two thieves started running away at once.
The two thieves wanted to make it clear whether they had been found or not the night before.The next day they acted as men selling sweet potatoes and came before the house.The man and the woman were ploughing in their fields.The rein（缰绳）broke and the woman came home for a rope.She saw two men selling sweet potatoes and wanted to buy some.She picked out two which looked like mice.At the time the man couldn’t wait for her any longer in the fields and he ran back from the fields to hurry her up.The woman showed the sweet potatoes to the man and said，“How they look like the two of last night.”The man said，“I asked you to fetch a rope，why don’t you hurry for it？”The two thieves ran away quickly without their sweet potatoes.
44.The two thieves failed to steal anything from the house because______.
A.they were found out
B.they were frightened by what they had heard in the house
C.they didn’t work toge
ther well with each other
D.mice stopped them from doing so
45.From the last paragraph，we know that ______.
A.the two thieves were famous selling sweet potatoes
B.the woman recognized the two thieves
C.the woman pretended to know nothing about the two thieves and made fun of them
D.the two thieves didn’t know that they were not found at all
46.“______”is the best title for this passage.
A.Two Clever Thieves B.Terrible Mice
C.Hit the Mark by a Fluke（歪打正着） D.A Clever Couple
47.Which of the following statements is WRONG？
A.The man let the woman go home for a rope，which would be used for catching the thieves.
B.Whenever they found mice，the people in the house would try to catch them.
C.The two thieves ran away at once，because they thought the woman had seen them.
D.The two thieves not only failed to steal things but also lost their sweet potatoes.
SPECIAL EVENTS THIS WEEKEND
Captain Good Fellow
Do your children enjoy interesting stories, funny games, and exciting dances? Captain Good Fellow will be ready to teach all these things to children of all ages at the City Theatre on Saturday morning at 10:00, free.
Walking Tour of the Town
Forget your worries on Saturday morning. Take a beautiful walk and learn about local history. Meet at the front entrance of City Hall at 9:30. Wear comfortable shoes!
Films at the Museum
Two European films will be shown on Saturday afternoon at the Museum Theatre. See Broken Window at 1:30. The Workers will be at 3:45. For further information, call 4987879.
International Picnic
Are you tired of eating the same food every day? Come to Central Park on Saturday and enjoy food from all over the world. Delicious and not expensive. Noon to 5:00 pm.
Take me out to the Ball Game
It’s October, and tonight is your last chance to see the Redbirds this year. Get your tickets at the gate. It might be cold—don’t forget sweaters and jackets.
Do You Want to
Hear “The Zoo”?
“The Zoo”, a popular rock group from Australia, will give their first US concert tomorrow night at 8:00 at Rose Hall, City College.
40. You can probably eat Chinese, Italian, and Arab food ______.
A. at the front entrance of City Hall B. at the ball game
C. at 5:00 pm D. at Central Park on Saturday
41. You can see movies at ______.
A. the City College B. the Museum Theatre
C. the City Theatre D. the Central Park
42. If you are going on the Walking Tour, don’t forget ______.
A. your comfortable shoes B. your beautiful walk
C. your learning about local history D. your worries
43. The Redbirds ball games ______.
A. is in the afternoon B. is outside
C. is at the gate D. might be cold
Some people were eating and drinking in a coffee house. A young woman was sitting alone at a table. She was wearing a beautiful diamond necklace. There was an ugly man at a table not far from her. He was looking at her necklace all the time.
Suddenly the lights went out. The coffee house was in darkness. The woman started to shout. She was very frightened. A few minutes later the lights came on again. The woman was crying. Her necklace was missing.
The manager quickly closed all the doors. He telephoned the police. No one could get out of the coffee house. The policemen soon came. The police inspector told his men to search everyone. The necklace was not on anyone. They then searched the whole coffee house. The necklace couldn't be found.
The police inspector then looked at the faces of all the people in the coffee house. He saw the ugly man and looked at the man carefully. He went up to the man and picked up the bowl of soup that was on his table. He
then poured the soup into a glass. The necklace fell out. The policemen caught hold of the man and took him away. The young woman was happy to get back her necklace.
36. A young woman lost her necklace in ______________.
A. a hospital B. a shop C. a coffee house D. a restaurant
37. The manager closed all the doors and _______________.
A. searched everyone in the coffee house B. searched the whole coffee house
C. telephoned the police D. looked at all the people in the coffee house
38. The police inspector found the necklace in __________.
A. a bowl of soup B. a bowl of rice C. a glass of milk D. a cup of coffee
39. The necklace was stolen by ___________.
A. a beautiful girl B. an old woman C. a young student D. an ugly man
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