As I was reading a recent story in Slate on 20-somethings complaining about how the economy was ruining their life plans, I couldn’t help but think the 20-somethings sounded like a bunch of spoiled children who grew 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 40s, and we too are burdened by student loans(貸款). But why should it be any different? Being young persons 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 Slate 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 is she 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(奢華), not a fertility requirement.
A 26-year-old in the story despairs(絕望) 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 are slowly adjusting, but today’s 20-somethings grew up at a time when everyone’s wealth appeared to be expanding. Their parents probably saw their home values rise along with their investments. “So you have people who have grown up in an environment where people had great expectations of what living well means,” says Kobliner.
This recession(衰退) will certainly play a role in forcing those expectations into more realistic group. In the meantime, it seems a lot 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 luxury life.
41．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 spoiling their life plans.
C．They are reluctant to face all of the challenges.
D．They are burdened by student loans.
42．The underlined word “fertility” in Paragraph 3 probably means        .
A．baby production                                         B．pleasant
C．baby comfort                                             D．essential
43．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 to buy a house.
B．They have only one-bedroom apartment to live in.
C．They can’t buy a house until 40 because of student loans.
D．They despair at not being able to afford a Ph.D. in literature.
44．What’s the author’s attitude towards the 20-somthings with high expectation in Paragraph 5?
A．Intolerant.
B．Negative.
C．Unbelieving.
D．Understanding.
45．What is the best title for this passage?
A．How Young People Afford to Continue Their Study
B．Why Young People Can’t Afford to Buy a House
C．When Young People’s High Hopes Create Despair
D．What the 20-somethings’ High Expectations Are
41—45 BABDC
41．細(xì)節(jié)理解題，由第一段第一句話可知答案。
42．劃線猜詞題，根據(jù)第三段的上下文語境。You need to own a house in order to have kids. Own a house 是 have kids 的條件。
43．細(xì)節(jié)理解題。點(diǎn)分散在幾段中。
44．分析判斷題。第五段中 but 轉(zhuǎn)折。So 表示結(jié)果。加上引用 Kobliner 的話““So you have people who have grown up in an environment where people had great expectations of what living well means,” says Kobliner. 還是環(huán)境使然。因此不難判斷作者對于 20-somethings 的態(tài)度是理解的態(tài)度
45．分析判斷題.。文章的最后一段告訴我們：當(dāng)我們的高期望變成失望時(shí)，我們應(yīng)當(dāng)對現(xiàn)在所擁有的一切感恩。
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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Make some noise on May 7 for Music Monday.People in the U．S. and Canada will be celebrating the day by singing and playing musical instruments together.
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A．National Wanna Play Music Week begins on Music Monday.
B．People can’t sing every day except on Music Monday.
C．Music Monday will last at least seven days.
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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Americans think that travel is good for you, some even think it can help one of the country's worst problems-crime (犯罪).    
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There are two types of people in the world. Although they have equal degree of health and wealth and other comforts of life, one becomes happy and the other becomes unhappy. This arises from the different ways in which they consider things, persons, events and the resulting effects upon their minds.
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237 West Palmdale Boulevard
Fresno, California 93706
AmToy Corporation
Suite 15
TransAm Building
San Francisco, California 94115
November 20, 2008
Dear Sirs,
As a concerned parent, I am writing to protest your recent advertisement for Electro—Robo seen in local media is California. Specifically, I am referring to newspaper and magazine ads（attached to this letter）published the week of November 15.
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Sincerely yours,
（Mrs.） Alma Hernandez
President, Parents for Non-violent Toys
Enc.
 
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Available at all toy stores and department stores NOW!
 
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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

English is an important global language, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy to learn. Many experts have tried to make English easier for students to learn―but they weren’t always successful.
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A．It might be replaced by Internetish.
B．It might become a global language.
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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：完形填空

Cultural differences occur wherever you go. When visiting another country, you should be aware of those differences and _______ them. Here are some _______ on how to fit in.
Every traveler to a foreign country feels _______ at some point. What you do can make locals laugh. Your best defense is a sense of _______. If you can laugh off eating with the wrong hand in India, locals will warm to you as “that crazy foreigner.”
Wearing proper cloths is important too, _______ locals will judge by what you wear. In some Middle Eastern countries, exposing your flesh is _______, especially if you are a woman. So leave your torn jeans at home.
Also be cautious about expressing _______. Getting angry in Southeast Asia just makes you look silly. In some countries it is _______ to kiss in public.
小題1:
A．rejectB．reciteC．respectD．remove
小題2:
A．plansB．tipsC．a(chǎn)rgumentsD．choices
小題3:
A．unsafeB．excitedC．satisfiedD．a(chǎn)wkward
小題4:
A．reliefB．belongingC．humorD．direction
小題5:
A．butB．forC．soD．or
小題6:
A．forbiddenB．a(chǎn)llowedC．expectedD．tolerated
小題7:
A．emotionsB．concernC．interestD．views
小題8:
A．naturalB．a(chǎn)dvisableC．unwiseD．unnecessary

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Americans like to travel all their yearly holiday. Today，more and more travelers in the United States are spending nights at small houses or inns instead of hotels. They get a room for the night and the breakfast the next morning.
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A．a(chǎn)ll the year roundB．for years
C．every yearD．every other year
小題2:According to the passage，which of the following is NOT true?
A．Some Americans like to stay at bed­and­breakfast homes instead of at hotels.
B．The bed­and­breakfast inns are private homes opened to vacationers.
C．The bed­and­breakfast inns have been popular in America for a long time.
D．The bed­and­breakfast inn owners provide a morning meal for their visitors and a room for the night.
小題3:Why do American travelers prefer staying at bed­and­breakfast inns?
A．It is like visiting someone's home.
B．The money they spend there is much less.
C．They can meet local families.
D．All of the above.
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