When you see homework covering the kitchen table and toys are piling up around the sofa, you probably wish there was a bit more space. You are not alone. Nearly a third of parents say they feel squeezed into their homes but cannot afford to move to a bigger property, a report reveals today.

Twenty-nine perc

ent say “their property is too small to fit the size of their family—rising to 40 percent for those 34 and under”. One in four children is ‘forced to share’ a bedroom, according to the Finda-Property. Com website. Property analyst Samantha Baden said: “Afford-ability remains a key issue for families, with the average cost of a three-bedroom home around ￡193,000.”Very few can afford to buy or to rent a property of the size they want and in the area they desire to live in, according to Miss Baden.

A recent report, from investment firm LV, also found that many ‘space-starved parents’are pushed into a two-bedroom home which was perfect when they were a young couple, but has no space for three or so children. Grown-up children who cannot afford to leave homo are also adding to the problem facing families in Britain’s ‘big squeeze’.

For a home to be the correct size, which means it is not overcrowded, parents must have their own bedroom. Children under ten can share, as well as same-sex children between ten and 20.Anyone over 21 also needs their own room.

The report comes as official figures, published yesterday by the Land Registry, revealing house prices are falling sharply in every region except London. The worst – hit area is the North East where average house prices have fallen to below ￡100, 000 for the first time in seven years. However, they remain unaffordable for millions. 1.According to Paragraph 1, the report reveals         .

A. children like to do homework in the kitchen

B. some families can’t afford a bigger property

C. only a few families have housing problem

D. people are satisfied with their living condition

2.What Miss Baden said in Paragraph 2 means         .

A. most families don’t have enough money yet

B. no family could afford a three - bedroom home

C. it is common to live in a three - bedroom home

D. the price of a bigger property is still acceptable

3.The report from the investment firm LV shows         .

A. young couples should live in a two - bedroom home

B. families with three or so children couldn’t afford a home

C. parents should buy houses for their grown - up children

D. some grown - up children couldn’t afford a separate home

4.What can we learn from the last paragraph?

A. House prices are falling down everywhere.

B. People are able to buy a home of correct size.

C. The house prices in London has not fallen down.

D. The North East is now an area suitable to live in.

 

阅读下面短文，从每小题所给的四个选项中，选出一个最佳答案。

　　After giving a talk at a high school, I was asked to pay a visit to a special student． An illness had kept the boy home, but he had expressed an interest in meeting me, and it would mean a great deal to him． I agreed．

　　During the nine-mile drive to his home, I found out something about Matthew． He had mus-cular dystrophy (肌肉萎缩症) , When he was born, the doctor told his parents that he would not live to see five, then they were told he would not make it to ten． Now he was thirteen． He wanted to meet me because I was a gold-medal power lifter, and I knew about overcoming obstacles and going for my dream．

　　I spent over an hour talking to Matthew． Never once did he complain or ask, “Why me?” He spoke about winning and succeeding and going for his dreams． Obviously, he knew what he was talking about． He didn’t mention that his classmates had made fun of him because he was differ-ent． He just talked about his hopes for the future, and how one day he wanted to lift weight with me．

　　When we finished talking, I went to my briefcase and pulled out the first gold medal I won and put it around his neck． I told him he was more of a winner and knew more about success and over-coming obstacles than I ever would． He looked at it for a moment, then took it off and handed it back to me． He said, “You are a champion． You earned that medal． Someday when I get to the Olympics and win my own medal, I will show it to you． ”

　　Last summer I received a letter from Matthew’s parents telling me that Matthew had passed away． They wanted me to have a letter he had written to me a few days before

　　Dear Rick ,

　　My mom said I should send you a thank-you letter for the picture you sent me． 1 also want to let you know that the doctors tell me that 1 don ‘t have long to live anymore． But I still smile as much as 1 can．

　　I told you someday 1 was going to the Olympics and win a gold medal． But I know now I will never get to do that． But I know 1 ‘m a champion , and God knows that too． When I get to Heaven , God will give me my medal and when you get there , I will show it to you． Thank you for loving me．

Your friend ,

Matthew

1．The boy wanted to meet the author because________．

[　　]

A．he was interested in weight lifting

B．he wanted to get a gold medal．

C．he admired the author very much

D．he wanted the author to know him．

2．The underlined part “Why me?” in the third paragraph probably means “________”

[　　]

A．Why do you come to see me?

B．Why do I have to stay at home?

C．Why does the disease fall on me?

D．Why not give a gold medal to me?

3．We can infer from the passage that ________．

[　　]

A．Matthew is a determined boy

B．Rich used to have the same disease

C．Matthew became a champion finally

D．Rick regarded Matthew as normal

4．The boy refused the author’s medal because ________．

[　　]

A．he wanted the picture instead

B．he did not like to be pitied by others

C．he did not know he would die soon

D．he himself could earn one in the future

I stood up to speak and my mind went blank .Has this ever happened to you? You may be nervous in front of an audience（观众）.You may be worried that you didn’t prepare enough, You may have forgotten some of your facts. What can you do? Sometimes people prepare too much and become terrified if they can’t remember the words they have practised. It is a good idea to bring some notes to help you organize, but don’t memorize your speech. If you “go blank”,begin by explaining the purpose of your speech, and the test will probably follow.

“Go blank” here means       

A. to be absent-minded                B. to think too much suddenly

C. to be afraid of the audience          D. not knowing what to say at the moment

Before the listeners, the speakers who have pre-pared enough    

A. never go bland                         B. never feel afraid 

C. may forget the prepared words            D. may forget the opening speech

A good way to make to made a good speech is      

A. to memorize the speech             B. to organize the audience well

C. to have some brief motes at hand      D. to have the audience take notes

The man who goes blank in front of the listeners should       .

A. begin with the purpose of his speech       B. cut off the rest of his speech

C. see his notes right away                 D. find some way to draw the audience’s attention

It was a lovely day at the park and Stella Bianchi was enjoying the sunshine with her two children when a young boy, aged about four, approached her two-year-old son and pushed him to the ground.

“I’d watched him for a little while and my son was the fourth or fifth child he’d pushed,” she says. “I went over to them, picked up my son, turned to the boy and said, firmly, ‘No, we don’t push.’” What happened next was unexpected.

“The boy’s mother ran toward me from across the park,” Stella says, “I thought she was coming over to apologize, but instead she started shouting at me for blaming her child. All I did was let him know his behavior was unacceptable. Was I supposed to sit back while her kid did whatever he wanted and hurt other children?”

Getting your own children to play nice is difficult enough. Dealing with other people’s children has become a hidden danger.

In my house, jumping on the sofa is not allowed. In my sister’s house it’s encouraged. I find myself saying “no” a lot when her kids are over at mine. That’s OK between sisters but becomes dangerous when you’re talking to the children of friends or acquaintances.

“Kids aren’t all raised the same,” agrees Professor Naomi White of Monash University.” But there is still an idea that they’re the property of the parent. We see our children as a mirror of ourselves, so if you’re saying that my child is behaving improperly, then that’s somehow a criticism(批评) of me.”

In those situations, it’s difficult to know whether to approach the child directly or the parent first. There are two opinions.

“I’d go to the child first,” says Andrew Fuller, author of Tricky Kids. “Usually a quiet reminder that ‘we don’t do that here’ is enough. Kids have antennae (直觉) for how to behave in different settings.”

He points out bringing it up with the parent first may make them feel careless, which could cause problems. Of course, approaching the child first can bring its own headaches, too.

This is why White recommends that you approach the parents first. Raise your concerns with the parents and ask them to deal with it,” she says.   

Asked how to approach a parent in this situation, psychologist Meredith Fuller answers: “Explain your needs as well as stressing the importance of the friendship. Start with something like: ‘I know you’ll think I’m silly but in my house I don’t want…’” 

What did Stella Bianchi expect the young boy’s mother to do when she talked to him?

       A. Make an apology             B. Come over to stop her     

       C. Blame her own boy          D. Take her own boy away

What does the author say about dealing with other people’s children?

       A. It’s important not to hurt them in any way

       B. It’s no use trying to stop their wrongdoing

       C. It’s advisable to treat them as one’s own kids

       D. It’s possible for one to get into lots of trouble

According to professor Naomi White, when one’s kids are criticized, their parents will probably feel ______.

       A. discouraged       B. hurt    C. puzzled      D. affected

What should one do when seeing other people’s kids misbehave according to Andrew Fuller?

       A. Talk to them directly in a mild way  B. Complain to their parents politely

       C. Simply leave them alone            D. Punish them lightly