A study involving 8,500 teenagers from all social backgrounds found thai most of them are ignorani when it comes to money. The findings, the first in a scries of reports from NatWesl that has started a five-year research project into teenagers and money, arc particularly worrying as this generation of young people is likely to be burdened with greater debts man any before.
University tuition fees (学费) are currently capped at £3,000 annually, but this will be reviewed next year and the Government is under enormous pressure to raise the ceiling.
In the research, the teenagers were presented with die terms of four different loans but 76 per cent failed to identify the cheapest. The young people also predicted that they would be earning on average £ 31.000 by the age of 25, although the average salary for those aged 22 to 29 is just £ 17,815. The teenagers expected to be in debt when they finished university or training, although half said that they assumed the debts would be less than £ 10.000. Average debts for graduates are £ 12，363.
Stephen Moir, head of community investment at the Royal Bank of Scotland Group which owns NatWest, said. "The more exposed young people are to financial issues, and the younger they become aware of them, the more likely they arc to become responsible, forward-planning adults who manage their finances confidently and effectively."
Ministers are deeply concerned about the financial pressures on teenagers and young people because of student loans and rising housing costs. They have just introduced new lessons in how to manage debts. Nikki Fairweathcr. aged 15. from St Helens, said that she had benefited from lessons on personal finance, but admitted thai she still had a lot to learn about money.
1.Which of the following can be found from the five-year research project?
A. Students understand personal finances differently.
B. University tuition fees in England have been rising.
C. Teenagers tend to overestimate their future earnings.
D. The students' payback ability has become a major issue.
2.The phrase "to raise the ceiling" in paragraph 2 probably means "______".
A. to raise the student loans B. to improve the school facilities
C. to increase the upper limit of the tuition D. to lift the school building roofs
3.According to Stephen Moir, students_______.
A. are too young 10 be exposed 10 financial issues
B. should learn 10 manage their finances well
C- should maintain a positive attitude when facing loans
D. benefit a lot from lessons on personal finance
4.What can we learn from the passage?
A. Many British teenagers do not know money matters well
B. Teenagers in Britain are heavily burdened with debts.
C. Financial planning is a required course at college.
D. Young people should become responsible adults.
Zoe Chambers was a successful PR (Public Relations) consultant and life was going well — she had a great job, a beautiful flat and a busy social life in London. Then one evening in June last year, she received a text message telling her she was out of work. The first two weeks were the most difficult to live through." she said. "After everything I'd done for the company, they dismissed me by text! I was so angry and I just didn't feel like looking for another job. I hated everything about the city and my life."
Then, Zoe received an invitation from an old school friend, Kathy, to come and stay. Kathy and her husband, Huw, had just bought a farm in north-west Wales. Zoe jumped at the chance to spend a weekend away from London, and now, ten months later, she is still on the farm.
"The moment I arrived at Kathy's farm, I loved it and I knew I wanted to stay." said Zoe. "Everything about my past life suddenly seemed meaningless."
Zoe has been working on the farm since October of last year and says she has no regrets. "It's a hard life, physically very tiring." she says. "In London 1 was stressed and often mentally exhausted. But this is a good, healthy tiredness. Here, all 1 need to put me in a good mood is a hot bath and one of Kathy's wonderful dinners."
Zoe says she has never felt bored on the farm. Every day brings a new experience. Kathy has been leaching her how to ride a horse and she has learnt to drive a tractor. Since Christmas, she has been helping with the lambing — watching a lamb being born is unbelievable, she says, "It's one of the most moving experiences I've ever had. I could never go back to city life now."
1.When working as a PR consultant in London, Zoe thought she lived a______life.
A. satisfying B. tough C. meaningless D. boring
2.The most important reason why Zoe went to visit Kathy's farm is that______.
A. Zoe lost her job as a PR consultant B. Kathy persuaded her to do so
C. Zoe got tired of the city life D. Zoe loved Wales more than London
3.How docs Zoe feel about the country life according to the passage?
A. Tiresome and troublesome. B. Romantic and peaceful
C. Mentally exhausting but healthy D. Physically tiring but rewarding.
4.Which of the following is closest to the main idea of the passage?
A. A friend in need is a friend indeed. B. Where there is a will, there is a way.
C. A misfortune may turn out a blessing. D. Kill two birds with one stone.
ASK LASKAS
YOU’VE GOT QUESTIONS. SHE'S GOT ANSWERS
My
children go to a primary school where
they are not allowed to play football in the playground for fear that a child
might be hurt. Besides, now the school says there must be no homework because
the local secondary school can't keep up with the amount of homework given in
the primary school. Can the school do this? Puzzled Dad
It can't if enough parents do
something about it. It is not just schools. We live
in a society which wishes to get rid of risk. However, schools should have a
little common sense and courage. Children
need risk if they arc to grow up self-sufficient and confident. They
need homework, too, if they are to fulfill their academic
potential. Complain, loudly.
I have a beautiful teenage daughter who spends an hour making
up her face in front of the mirror every day. I tell her to go easy. She just gets mad or bursts into tears.
How can I make her understand she's beautiful the way she is. Plain Mom
You can't. Your daughter is at the age when she's trying to
look beautiful, trying on new masks. And if her friends all dress up as she
docs, you're in for an extra hard time. Support her and tell her she's beautiful — even if she looks
ridiculous for now. Then invite her to join you for a day at a spa (健康美容中心).
Let her try various looks until she's comfortable in her own skin.
1.Why are the children not allowed to play football in the playground?
A. The school is afraid that children might be injured.
B. The school is not sensible and confident.
C. The children don't have enough time to do homework.
D. The children may fail to fulfill their academic potential.
2.What disturbs Plain Mom is that her daughter______.
A. becomes mad B. cries a lot
C. spends much rime before the mirror D. is not beautiful enough
3.The solution to Plain Mom's problem is to______.
A. make her daughter look less ridiculous
B. let her daughter dress up like her friends
C. make her daughter go to a spa every week
D. let her daughter feel herself what beauty is
Directions: For each blank in the following passage there are four words or phrases marked A, B, C and D. Fill in each blank with the word or phrase that best fits the context.
People think children should play sports. Sports are fun, and playing with others. However, playing sports can have __1effects on children. It may produce feelings of poor self-respect or aggressive behavior in some children. According to research on kids and sports, 40,000,000 kids play sports in the US. Of these, 18,000,000 say they have been __2at or called names while playing sports. This leaves many children with a bad __3of sports. They think sports are just too aggressive.
Many researchers believe adults, especially parents and coaches, are the main _4of too much aggression ill children's sports. They believe children _5aggressive adult behavior. This behavior is then further strengthened through both positive and negative feedback. Parents and coaches are powerful teachers because children usually look up to them. Often these adults behave aggressively themselves, sending children the message that__6is everything. Many parents go to children's sporting events and shout __7at other players or cheer when their child behaves _8__. As well, children arc even taught that hurting other players is _ 9or are pushed to continue playing even when they are injured _10, the media makes violence seem exciting. Children watch adult sports games and see violent behavior replayed over and over on television.
As a society, we really need to 11this problem and do something about it. Parents and coaches _12should act as better examples for children. They also need to teach children better__13. They should not just cheer when children win or act aggressively. They should teach children to __14, themselves whether they win or not. Besides, children should not be allowed to continue to play when they are injured. If adults allow children to play when injured, this gives the message that __15is not as important as winning.
1.A. restrictive B. negative C. active D. instructive
2.A. knocked B. glanced C. smiled D. shouted
3.A. impression B. concept C. taste D. expectation
4.A. resource B. cause C. course D. consequence
5.A. question B. understand C. copy D. neglect
6.A. winning B. practicing C. fun D. sport
7.A. praises B. orders C. remarks D. insults
8.A. proudly B. ambitiously C. aggressively D. bravely
9.A. acceptable B. impolite C. possible D. accessible
10.A. By contrast B. In addition C. As a result D.Afterall
11.A. look up to B. face up to C. make up for D. come up with
12.A. in particular B. in all C. in return D. in advance
13.A. techniques B. means C. values D. directions
14.A. respect B. relax C. forgive D. enjoy
15.A. body B. fame C. health D. spirit
Directions: Complete the following passage by using ihe words in the box. Each word can only be used once. Note that there is one word more than you need.
|
Frederick Douglass was an escaped slave in the movement that fought to end slavery in the United Stales. He became a 1.voce in the yean before the Civil War.
A few weeks ago, the National Park Service (NPS) _2._ Douglass's birth and Black History Month with the reopening of his home at Cedar Hill, a _3.site in Washington. D.C. The two-story house, which contains many of Douglass's personal possessions, had undergone a three-year _4.. (Thanks to the NTS website, however, you don't have to live in the nation's capital to visit it. Take a tour online.)
He was born Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey to a slave mother and a white father he never knew. Douglass grew up to become the first black _5.to bold a government office — as US minister and consul general (总领事) to Haiti.
As a youth, be never went to school. Educating slaves was illegal in the South, so be _6.taught himself to read and write. At 21 years old, he escaped from his slave owner to Massachusetts and changed his last name to Douglass, to hide his identity.
In the 1850s, Douglass was involved with the Underground Railroad, the system _7.up by antislavery groups to bring runaway slaves to the North and Canada. His home in Rochester, N.Y. was near the Canadian border. It became an important station on the _8., housing as many as 11 runaway slaves at a time.
He died in 1895. In his lifetime, Douglass witnessed the end of slavery in 1865 and the adoption of the 15th Amendment to the US Constitution (美国宪法修正案), which _9.African-Americans the right to vote.
______well prepared you are, you still need a lot of luck in mountain climbing.
A. However B. Whatever C. No matter D. Although
