He ______________ in real estate.

From 2007 to 2010, American households lost $11 trillion in real estate, savings, and stocks. More than half of all U. S. workers either lost their jobs or were forced to take cuts in hours or pay during the recession. The worst may be behind them now, but the shocking losses of the past few years have reshaped nearly every facet of their lives—how they live, work, and spend—even the way they think about the future. For Cindy, the recession began when her husband was relocated to Rhinelander, Wisconsin, by his company, forcing the family to move in a hurry. The couple bought a new house but were unable to sell their two-bedroom home in Big Lake, Minnesota. With two mortgages(抵押借贷)and two young children to care for, Cindy couldnt imagine how to stretch her husbands paycheck to keep her family fed. Then she stumbled upon an online community called Blotanical, a forum for gardeners, many with an interest in sustainability. "The more I read and discussed these practices, the more I realized this would help not only our budget but also our health," she says. Cindy admits that before the recession, she was a city girl with no interest in growing her own dinner. "I grew flowers mostly—I didnt think about plants that werent visually interesting. " But to stretch her budget, she began putting in vegetables and fruit—everything from strawberry beds to apple trees—and as her first seedlings grew, her spirits lifted. She no longer thinks of gardening and making her own jams as just a money saver; theyre a genuine pleasure. "Its brought us closer together as a family, too," she says. Her kids voluntarily pitch in with(主动帮助)the garden work, and the family cooks together instead of eating out. The food tastes better—its fresher and organic—and the garden handily fulfills its original purpose; cost cutting. Now she spends about $200 to $300 a month on groceries, less than half of the $ 650 a month that she used to lay out. After discovering how resourceful she can be in tough times, Cindy is no longer easily discouraged. "It makes me feel proud to be able to say I made it myself," she says. "I feel accomplished, and Im more confident about attempting things Ive never done before. " Now she avoids convenience stores and has begun learning to knit, quilt, and make her own soap. "I dont think I would have ever begun this journey if it werent for the recession," she says. "I have a feeling that from now on, it will affect my familys health and happiness for the better. "

We learn from the first paragraph that the recession______.

A．affected Americans in certain occupations

B．is over with some of the losses recovered

C．had only brought huge losses in savings and stocks

D．had great impact on Americans" work and life

Passage two Questions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage Twenty years ago, the urban land institute defined the two types of cities that dominated the us landscape: smaller cities that operated around standard 9-5 business hours and large metropolitan areas that ran all 24 hours of the day. analyzing and comparing cities using the lens of this basic divide gives interesting context to how investment capital flows and housing prices have In recent years, many mid-sized cities have begun to adopt a middle-of-the-road approach incorporating the excitement and opportunity of large cities with small cities' quiet after midnight.these18-hour cities are beginning to make waves in real estate rankings and attract more reaestate investment. what is underlying this new movement in real estate, and why do these cities have so much appeal 18-hour cities combine the best of 24-hour and 9-5 cities, which contributes to downtown revitalization. for decades, many downtown cores in small to mid-sized cities were abandoned after work hours by workers who lived in the suburbs. movement out of city centers was widespread and downtown tenants were predominantly made up of the working poor. this generated little ommerce for downtown businesses in the evenings, which made business and generating tax renenue for municipal upkeep difficult. with the rise of a new concept in urban planning that aims and more conver increasing popularity for urban areas treal estate pushes in major cities like san francisco or new york, has inspired a type of forward thinking urbanity and in smaller cities Transforming downtown areas so that they incorporate modern housing and improved walkability to local restaurants, retail and entertainment -especially when combined with improved infra structure for cyclists and public transit-makes them appeal to a more affluent demographic. these adjustments encourage employers in the knowledge and talent industries to keep their offices downtown. access to foot traffic and proximity to transit allow the type of entertainment-oriented businesses such as bars and restaurants to stay open later, which attracts both younger, creative workers and baby boomers nearing retirement alike. because of their smaller size, most keep hours that allow people to enjoy themselves, then have some quiet after midnight, as opposed to large ajor cities like new york, where the buzz of activity is ongoing. These 18-hour cities are rapidly on the rise and offer great opportunities for ho investment in many of these cities such as denver, a diverse and vigorous economy attracted to the urban core has offered stable employment for residents. the right urban mix has propped up home occupancy increased property values, and attracted significant investment capital. what do we learn about american cities twenty years ago?A.they were divided into residential and business areas

B.their housing prices were linked with their prosperity.

C.there was a clear divide between large and small cities

D.they were places where large investment capital flowed.

what can be inferred from the passage about 18-hour cities?A.they especially appeal to small businesses

B.they have seen a rise in property prices.

C.they have replaced quiet with excitement

D.they have changed america's landscape

what characterizes the new downtown areas in 18-hour cities?A.a sudden emergence of the knowledge industry.

B.flooding in of large crowds of migrant workers

C.housing and improved infrastructure

D.more comfortable life and greater upward mobility.

what have 18-hour cities brought to the local residents?A.more chances for promotion.

B.greater cultural diversity.

C.healthier living environment.

D.Better job opportunities

53 years ago, many downtown cores in small to mid-sized cities().A.had hardly any business activity

B.exhibited no signs of prosperity

C.were crowded in business hours

D.looked deserted in the evenings

请帮忙给出每个问题的正确答案和分析，谢谢！

Questions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.

Twenty years ago, the Urban Land Institute defined the two types of cities that dominated theUS landscape: smaller cities that operated around standard 9-5 business hours and largemetropolitan areas that ran all 24 hours of the day. Analyzing and comparing cities using thelens of this basic divide gives interesting context to how investment capital flows and housingprices have shifted.

In recent years, many mid-sized cities have begun to adopt a middle-of-the-road approachincorporating the excitement and opportunity of large cities with small cities&39; quiet aftermidnight. These 18-hour cities are beginning to make waves in real estate rankings and attractmore real estate investment. What is underlying this new movement in real estate, andwhy do these cities have so much appeal?

18-hour cities combine the best of 24-hour and 9-5 cities, which contributes to downtownrevitalization. For decades, many downtown cores in small to mid-sized cities were abandonedafter work hours by workers who lived in the suburbs. Movement out of city centers waswidespread, and downtown tenants were predominantly made up of the working poor. Thisgenerated little commerce for downtown businesses in the evenings, which made business andgenerating tax revenue for municipal upkeep difficult. With the rise of a new concept in urbanplanning that aims to make life easier and more convenient, however, increasing popularityfor urban areas that cased the real estate pushes, in major cities like San Francisco or NewYork, has inspired a type of forward thinking urbanity and in smaller cities.

Transforming downtown areas so that they incorporate modern housing and improvedwalkability to local restaurants, retail, and entertainment—especially when combined withimproved infrastructure for cyclists and public transit—makes them appeal to a more affluentdemographic. These adjustments encourage employers in the knowledge and talentindustries to keep their offices downtown. Access to foot traffic and proximity to transit allowthe type of entertainment-oriented businesses such as bars and restaurants to stay openlater, which attracts both younger, creative workers and baby boomers nearing retirementalike. Because of their smaller size, most keep hours that allow people to enjoy themselves, then have some quiet after midnight, as opposed to large major cities like New York, wherethe buzz of activity is ongoing.

These 18-hour cities are rapidly on the rise and offer great opportunities for homeownerinvestment. In many of these cities such as Denver, a diverse and vigorous economyattracted to the urban core has offered stable employment for residents. The right urban mixhas propped up home occupancy, increased property values, and attracted significantinvestment capital.

What do we learn about American cities twenty years ago?

A.A.A.They were divided into residential and business areas.

B.B.B.Their housing prices were linked with their prosperity.

C.C.C.There was a clear divide between large and small cities.

D.D.D.They were places where large investment capital flowed.

What does the passage say about kola nuts?

A.A.A.Their commercial value was first discovered by Portuguese settlers.

B.B.B.They contain some kind of energy boost not found in any other food.

C.C.C.Many were shipped to Europe in the late 19th century for medicinal use.

D.D.D.They were strange to the Europeans when first imported from West Africa.

Years ago, many downtown cores in small to mid-sized cities.

A.A.A.had hardly any business activity

B.B.B.were crowded in business hours

C.C.C.exhibited no signs of prosperity

D.D.D.looked deserted in the evenings

What characterizes the new downtown areas in 18-hour cities?

A.A.A sudden emergence of the knowledge industry.

B.B.Flooding in of large crowds of migrant workers.

C.C.Modernized housing and improved infrastructure.

D.D.More comfortable life and greater upward mobility.

What have 18-hour cities brought to the local residents?

A.A.More chances for promotion.

B.B.Healthier living environment.

C.C.Greater cultural diversity.

D.D.Better job opportunities.

请帮忙给出每个问题的正确答案和分析，谢谢！

根据下面短文内容，回答题。

A Tale of Scottish Rural Life

Lewis Grassic Gibbon&39;s Sunset Song (1932) was voted "the best Scottish novel of all

time" by Scotland&39;s reading public in 2005. Once considered shocking for its frank description of aspects of the lives of Scotland&39;s poor rural farmers, it has been adapted for stage, film, TV and radio in recent decades.

The novel is set on the fictional estate of Kinraddie, in the farming country of the Scottish northwest in the years up to and beyond World War I. At its heart is the story of Chris, who is both part of the community and a little outside it.

Grassic Gibbon gives us the most detailed and intimate account of the life of his heroine (女主人公). We watch her grow through a childhood dominated by her cruel but hard-working father;experience tragedy (her mother&39;s suicide and murder of her twin children); and learn about her feelings as she grows into a woman. We see her marry, lose her husband, then marry again. Chris has seemed so convincing a-figure to some female readers that they cannot believe that she is the creation of a man.

But it would be misleading to suggest that this book is just about Chris. It is truly a novel of a place and its people. Its opening section tells of Kinraddie&39;s long history, in a language that imitates the place&39;s changing patterns of speech and writing.

The story itself is amazingly full of characters and incidents. It is told from Chris&39; point of view but also from that of the gossiping community, a community where everybody knows everybody else&39;s business and nothing is ever forgotten.

Sunset Song has a social theme too. It is concerned with what Grassic Gibbon perceives as the destruction of traditional Scottish rural life first by modernization and then by World War I. Gibbon tried hard to show how certain characters resist the war. Despite this, the war takes the young men away, a number of them to their deaths. In particular, it takes away Chris&39; husband, Evan Tavendale. The war finally kills Evan, but not in the way his widow is told. In fact, the Germans aren&39;t responsible for his death, but his own side. He is shot because he is said to have run away from a battle.

If the novel is about the end of one way of life it also looks ahead. It is a "Sunset Song" but is concerned too with the new Kinraddie, indeed of the new European world. Grassic Gibbon went on to publish two other novels about the place that continue its story.

What is Sunset Song mainly about? 查看材料

A.The First World War

B.The beauty of the sunset

C.The new European world

D.The lives of rural Scottish farmers

根据下列材料请回答 41～45 题：

A lale of Scottish Rural Life

Lewis Grassic Gibbon’s Sunset Song(1 932)was voted“ the best Scottish novel of all time” by Scotland’S reading public in 2005.Once considered shocking for its frank description of aspects of the lives of Scotland’S poor rural farmers，it has been adapted for stage，film，TV and radio in recent decades.

The novel is set on the fictional estate of Kinraddie，in the farming country of the Scottish northwest in the years up to and beyond World War I.At its heart is the story of Chris，who is both part of the community and a little outside it.

Grassic Gibbon gives US the most detailed and intimate account of the life of his heroine(女主人公).We watch her grow through a childhood dominated by her cruel but hard‘working father;experience tragedy(her mother’S suicide and murder of her twin children);and learn about her feelings as she grows into a woman.We see her marry，lose her husband，then marry again.Chris has seemed SO convincing a figure to some female readers that they cannot believe that she is the creation of a man.

But it would be misleading to suggest that this book is just about Chris.It is truly a novel of a place and its people.Its opening section tells of Kinraddie‘s long history, in a language that imitates the place’S changing patterns of speech and writing.

The story itself is amazingly full of‘characters and incidents.It is told from Chris’s point of view but also from that of the gossiping community,a community where everybody knows everybody else’S business and nothing is ever forgotten.

Sunset Song has a social theme too。It is concerned with what Grassic Gibbon perceives as the destruction of traditional Scottish rural life first by modernization and then by World War I.Gibbon tried hard to show how certain characters resist the war.Despite this，the war takes the young men away, a number of them to their deaths.In particular，it takes away Chris’S husband，Ewan Tavendale .The war finally kills Ewan，but not in the way his widow is told.In fact，the Germans aren’t responsible for his death.But his own side.He is shot because he is said to have run away from a battle.

If the novel is about the end of one way of life it also looks ahead.It is a“Sunset Song”but is concerned too with the new Kinraddie，indeed of the new European world.Grassic Gibbon went on to publish two other novels about the place that continue its story.

第 41 题 What is Sunset Song mainly about?

A．The First World War.

B．The beauty of the sunset.

C．The lives of rural Scottish farmers

D．The new European world.

A Tale of Scottish Rural Life

Lewis Grassic Gibbon's Sunset Song (1932) was voted "the best Scottish novel of all time" by Scotland's reading public in 2005. Once considered shocking for its frank description of aspects of the lives of Scotland's poor rural farmers, it has been adapted for stage, film, TV and radio in recent decades.

The novel is set on the fictional estate of Kinraddie, in the farming country of the Scottish northwest in the years up to and beyond World War Ⅰ. At its heart is the story of Chris, who is both part of the community and a little outside it.

Grassic Gibbon gives us the most detailed and intimate account of the life of his heroine (女主人公). We watch her grow through a childhood dominated by her cruel but hard-working father; experience tragedy (her mother's suicide and murder of her twin children); and learn about her feelings as she grows into a woman. We see her marry, lose her husband, then marry again. Chris has seemed so convincing a figure to some female readers that they cannot believe that she is the creation of a man.

But it would be misleading to suggest that this book is just about Chris. It is truly a novel of a place and its people. Its opening section tells of Kinraddie's long history, in a language that imitates the place's changing patterns of speech and writing.

The story itself is amazingly full of characters and incidents, It is told from Chris' point of view but also from that of the gossiping community, a community where everybody knows everybody else's business and nothing is ever forgotten.

Sunset Song has a social theme too. It is concerned with what Grassic Gibbon perceives as the destruction of traditional Scottish rural life first by modernization and then by World War Ⅰ. Gibbon tried hard to show how certain characters resist the war. Despite this, the war takes the young men away, a number of them to their deaths. In particular, it takes away Chris' husband, Ewan Tavendale. The war finally kills Ewan, but not in the way his widow is told. In fact, the Germans aren't responsible for his death, but his own side. He is shot because he is said to have run away from a battle.

If the novel is about the end of one way of life it also looks ahead. It is a "Sunset Song" but is concerned too with the new Kinraddie, indeed of the new European world. Grassic Gibbon went on to publish two other novels about the place that continue its story.

What is Sunset Song mainly about?

A．The First World War.

B．The beauty of the sunset.

C．The new European world.

D．The lives of rural Scottish farmers.

A Tale of Scottish Rural Life

Lewis Grassic Gibbon's Sunset Song (1932) was voted" the best Scottish novel of all time" by Scotland's reading public in 2005. Once considered shocking for its frank description of aspects of the lives of Scotland's poor rural farmers, it has been adapted for stage, film, TV and radio in recent decades.

The novel is set on the fictional estate of Kinraddie, in the farming country of the Scottish northwest in the years up to and beyond World War t. At its heart is the story of Chris, who is both part of the community and a little outside it.

Grassic Gibbon gives us the most detailed and intimate account of the life of his heroine (女主人公). We watch her grow through a childhood dominated by, her cruel but hard- working father; experience tragedy (her mother's suicide and murder of her twin children) and learn about her feelings as she grows into a woman. We see her marry, lose her husband, then marry again. Chris has seemed so convincing a figure to some female readers that they cannot believe that she is the creation of a man.

But it would be misleading to suggest that this book is just about Chris. It is truly a novel of a place and its people. Its opening section tells of Kinraddie's long history, in a language that imitates the place's changing patterns of speech and writing.

The story itself is amazingly full of characters and incidents. It is told from' Chris' point of view but also from that of the gossiping community, a community where everybody knows everybody elss's business and nothing is ever forgotten;

Sunset Song has a social theme too. It is concerned with what Grassic Gibbon perceives as the destruction of traditional Scottish rural life first by modernization and then by World War I. Gibbon tried hard to show how certain characters resist the war. Despite this, the war takes the young men away, a number of them to their deaths. In particular, it takes away Chris' husband, Ewan Tavendale. The war finally kills Ewan, but not in the way his widow is told. In fact, the Germans aren't responsible for his death, but his own side. He is shot because he is said to have run away from a battle.

If the novel is about the end of one way of life it also looks ahead, It is a "Sunset Song" but is concerned too with the new Kinraddie, indeed of the new European world. Grassic Gibbon went on to publish two other novels about the place that continue its story.

What is Sunset Song mainly about?

A．The First World War.

B．The beauty of the sunset.

C．The new European world.

D．The lives of rural Scottish farmers.

A Tale of Scottish Rural Life

Lewis Grassic Gibbon's Sunset Song (1932) was voted "the best Scottish novel of all time" by Scottish's reading public in 2005．Once considered shocking for its frank description of aspects of the lives of Scotland's poor rural farmers, it has been adapted for stage, film, TV and radio in recent decades.

The novel is set on the fictional estate of Kinraddie, in the farming country of the Scottish northwest in the years up to and beyond World War I. At its heart is the story of Chris, who is both part of the community and a little outside it.

Grassic Gibbon gives us the most detailed and intimate account of the life of his heroine. We watch her grow through a childhood dominated by her cruel but hard-working father; experience tragedy (her mother's suicide and murder of her twin children ) ; and learn about her feelings as she grows into woman. We see her marry, lose her husband, then marry again. Chris has seemed so convincing a figure to some female readers that they cannot believe that she is the creation of a man.

But it would be misleading to suggest that this book is just about Chris. It is truly a novel of a place and its people. Its opening section tells of Kinraddie's long history, in a language that imitates the place's changing patterns of speech and writing.

The story itself is amazingly null of characters and incidents. It is told from Chris' point of view but also from that of the gossiping community, a community where everybody knows everybody else's business and nothing is ever forgotten.

Sunset. Song has a social theme too. It is concerned with what Grassic Gibbon perceives as the destruction of traditional Scottish rural life first by modernization and then by World War I, Gibbon tried hard to show how certain characters resist the war. Despite this, the war takes the young men away, a number of them to their deaths. In particular it takes away Chris' husband, Evan Tavendale. The war finally kills Evan, but not in the way his widow is told. In fact, the Germans aren't responsible for his death, but his own side. He is shot because he is said to have run away from a battle.

If the novel is about the end of one way of life it also looks ahead, It is a "Sunset Song" but is concerned too with the new Kinraddie, indeed of the new European world. Grassic Gibbon went on to publish two other novels about the place that continue its story.

注释：

[1] Lewis Grassic Gibbon's Sunset Song (1932) was voted "the best Scottish novel of all time" by Scottish's reading public in 2005．Lewis Grassic Gibbon 《日落歌》(1932年在2005 被苏格兰读书界投票为“历来最佳的小说”。

[2] Chris has seemed so convincing a figure to some female readers that they cannot believe that she is the creation of a man. 在一些女读者看来，Chris这个人物写得非常令人信服，因此难以相信她是由一个男人创作出来的。

What is Sunset Song mainly about?

A．The First World War.

B．The beauty of the sunset.

C．The new European world

D．The lives of rural Scottish farmers.