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.
小題2:In his article, Richard Florida tried to express that _________.
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
小題3:The writer believes that New York City and Los Angeles _________.
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
小題4:From Fannie Mae’s survey report, we can know that _________.
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

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(jìn)行反駁，說明人們還是愿意自己擁有房子的。
小題1:細(xì)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(dá)的是租房子的人比擁有房子的人更快樂，選B
小題3:細(xì)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(rèn)為紐約和洛杉磯是兩個主要的城市，選C。
小題4:細(xì)節(jié)題：從第五段下面的調(diào)查結(jié)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。
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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

When several people look at the same person, it is not unusual for each of them to see different things; when you are alone observing one behavior or a person at two different times, you may see different things. The followings are but some of the factors that lead to these varying perceptions(感知,認(rèn)識):
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小題1:The first factor given by the author that affects our perception is _____.
A．our hearing and visual abilities
B．cultural background and personal experiences
C．the experience one learns from others
D．critical measures taken by other people
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A．one is likely to take all aspects into consideration
B．one pays more attention to his/her advantages
C．children often differ from grown-ups in perception
D．one tends to choose certain aspects to look at
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A．they follow different standards
B．either of them may be slow to catch information
C．the time for observation is not long enough
D．each of them uses different language to express his/her impressions
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A．something attractive
B．selective perception
C．contradictory information
D．shoplifting
小題5:The worst thing in selective perception is that ______.
A．the information received runs against your desire
B．facts can be twisted or totally ignored
C．importance of the contradictory information can be overrated (估計過高)
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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

I have nothing to say about whether or not “A Day Without Immigrants(移民)” had a positive or negative effect on the question of how the federal government should deal with the huge population of undocumented illegal immigrants in this country. I'll leave that question to others.
Regardless of how you feel about the event, one conclusion is obvious. Using the theme of “A Day Without” as a way to focus national attention on a particular subject is a great idea, and could serve as a method for increasing public consciousness about other issues that affect daily life in America. Here are my top three examples:
“A Day Without Speeding.” How hard could this be? If all drivers would strictly obey every posted speed limit on highways, downtown, on neighborhood streets, and in parking lots for one 24-hour cycle, the benefits would be huge.
“A Day Without Losing Your Temper.” A higher degree of difficulty here, and I know that from personal experience. When something goes wrong at home or on the job, there may be brief satisfaction in yelling or kicking the furniture, but bursting into anger usually has nothing to do with the approach to the heart of the matter.
“A Day Without Having All The Answers.” I would like to get a break from hearing anyone speak the phrase, “Here’s what you’re doing wrong.” Right now the US is packed with citizens who believe they can point out the cause of every single problem in existence and then solve it in a moment. I believe they need to be quiet sometimes and use their ears instead of their voices.
I wonder how would average Americans react to such a national pause? Would it be a day of reaction against anger, or joyful celebrations?
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B．immigrants are not equally treated by the US government
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D．some move to America without the permission of the US government
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B．show public consciousness of some subjects could be raised
C．encourage common people to create more similar activities
D．indicate some bothering issues affecting people’s daily life
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A．he thinks the Americans are too proud
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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

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Even university graduates often feel they have no choice but to choose the positions with the government or state-run enterprises, since those jobs are thought to be stable.
That makes those who are happy at work in China a rare find indeed.
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A．The people in Israel are not engaged in their jobs.
B．People in Syria are more engaged at work than the Chinese.
C．Most Chinese people are happy in work.
D．China ranked the top in the job engagement.
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B．Because many Chinese workplaces are full of misery and despair.
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D．Because they are not psychologically committed to their jobs.
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The story is seemingly the same as those dramas which look into the lives of women in the imperial palace. It focuses on plots and intrigues(陰謀) within the Inner Palace during Emperor Yongzheng’s reign.
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B．Zhen Huan really loves the emperor.
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D．Legend of Zhen Huan is shown everywhere.
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B．The life of women.
C．Emperor Yongzheng’s reign.
D．The story of Zhen Huan.
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B．a(chǎn)sks others for advice
C．feels down and disappointed
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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

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Dr. Alan Bradshaw of Royal Holloway, University of London, said, “Festive jingles are force-fed to Christmas shoppers in a bid to change their mood, influence their sense of time and what sort of products they buy. In other words, this is an attempt to control your shopping habits in a way that you might hardly be aware of.”
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Dr. Bradshaw and Prof Morris Holbrook of Columbia University examined the phenomenon and found that retailers often “dumb down” the music played in shops to relax customers, meaning it is easier to control their behaviour.
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①their mood ②their income ③their sense of time ④the sort of products they buy
A．①②③B．①③④C．②③④D．①②④
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A．let customers spend more time shopping
B．make customers and sales assistants relaxed
C．let customers enjoy the beautiful music
D．help customers find what they really want
小題3:What kind of music is now often adapted to influence customers in shops?
A．Classical music.B．Popular modern songs.
C．Folk songs.D．Jazz music.

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In the field of marketing, consumer goods are classed according to the way in which they are purchased. The two main classes are convenience goods and shopping goods. Two lesser types are specialty goods and unsought(主動提供的) goods. It must be emphasized that all of these types are based on the way shoppers think about products, not on the nature of the products themselves. What is regarded as a convenience item in France (wine, for example) should be a specialty goods in the United States.
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Shopping goods fall into two classes; those that are recognized as basically the same and those that are regarded as different. Items that are looked upon as basically the same include such things as home appliances, television sets, and automobiles. Having decided on the model desired, the customer is primarily interested in getting the item at the most favorable price. Items regarded as essentially different include clothing, furniture, and dishes. Quality, style and fashion will either take precedence(優(yōu)先) over price, or they will not matter at all.
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D．a(chǎn) computer is a need rather than a want
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D．people are in constant need of
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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Special Bridges Help Animals Cross the Road
----- Reported by Sheila Carrick
Why did the chicken cross the road？ To get to the other side. Most people know this joke. But recently, some people have been much more concerned with how the grizzly bear and mountain lion can cross the road. Millions of animals die each year on U.S. roads， the Federal Highway Administration reports. In fact， only about 80 ocelots, an endangered wild cat, exist in the U.S. today. The main reason？ Road kill. "Ecopassages" may help animals cross the road without being hit by cars. They are paths both over and under roads. "These ecopassages can be extremely useful, so that wildlife can avoid human conflicts, " said Jodi Hilty of the Wildlife Conservation Society. But do animals actually use the ecopassages？The answer is yes. Paul Beier of Northern Arizona University found foot marks left by mountain lions on an ecopassage that went under a highway. This showed that the lion used the passage. Builders of some ecopassages try to make them look like a natural part of an area by planting trees on and around them. Animals seem to be catching on. Animals as different as salamanders and grizzly bears are using the bridges and underpasses. The next time you visit a park or drive through an area with a lot of wildlife, look around. You might see an animal overpass！
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B．the driving conditions have improved greatly
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D．a(chǎn)nimals are increasing in number
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A．wild animals may attack cars
B．wild animals may jam the road
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