More than half of the parents in the United States are helping, or have helped, support their adult children who have been hit by high unemployment and poor wages(工資), according to a new survey. It showed that present economic conditions are discouraging young adults from leaving home and forcing those who have already gone, so-called boomerang kids, to return.
“Parents are continuing their financial involvement longer than we expected,” said Ted Beck, president of National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE).
About 60 percent of parents questioned in the survey said they’re helping their adult children who are no longer in school financially. Half are providing housing and nearly half are helping with living expenses.
For an increasing number of adult children, the situation is bad. Two-thirds of adult children, aged 18 to 39, who are not in school said they faced tougher financial pressures than previous generations, according to the survey. And nearly one-third of parents agreed that it was easier for them to find their financial feet than for their children.
Parents are helping their children out of genuine concern because they do not want to see them struggle. But Beck said that parents who make sacrifices(犧牲) to help their adult children should be careful about their own finances.
“If you are taking on extra debt or delaying(推遲) retirement to help your adult child, you could be making a mistake and putting your own financial future in danger,” Beck warned.
Boomerang children can also cause other problems for their parents. Thirty percent of parents said they had given up privacy since their adult children moved back home, while more than a quarter have taken on added debt, and seven percent have delayed retirement. But the survey also showed 42 percent of adult children living at home are helping with the cooking and cleaning.
小題1:According to the text, boomerang kids refer to ____.
A.married adult children
B.grown-ups living with parents
C.a(chǎn)dult children independent and successful in life
D.young adults depending on parents for financial support
小題2:According to the survey, we can infer that _____.
A.a(chǎn)bout 30% of parents offer their adult children housing
B.one-third of adult children earn money more easily than their parents
C.two-thirds of adult children are faced with financial problems in school
D.a(chǎn)bout 50% of parents give money to their adult children to cover the daily cost
小題3:What is Ted Beck’s suggestion to the parents?
A.Asking their children to help with the housework.
B.Being careful when helping their children financially.
C.Leaving their children to struggle to live.
D.Putting off their time of retirement.
小題4:What would be the best title for the text?
A.Adult children are less independentB.Parents help support adult children
C.Bad conditions affect children a lotD.Adult children like living with parents

小題1:D
小題2:A
小題3:B
小題4:B

試題分析:本文主要講述的是在美國因為經(jīng)濟危機而出現(xiàn)的失業(yè)導(dǎo)致很多的年輕人無法找到工作,只能回到父母的身邊,接受父母的幫助,而成為boomerang kids。
小題1:D 推理題。根據(jù)文章第一段】More than half of the parents in the United States are helping, or have helped, support their adult children who have been hit by high unemployment and poor wages(工資), according to a new survey. It showed that present economic conditions are discouraging young adults from leaving home and forcing those who have already gone, so-called boomerang kids, to return.
可知現(xiàn)在很多的成年的年輕人因為經(jīng)濟危機而失業(yè),不得不回到父母的家里,接受父母的支援。故boomerang kids 就是指這樣的人,故D正確。
小題2:A 細(xì)節(jié)題。根據(jù)文章第三段About 60 percent of parents questioned in the survey said they’re helping their adult children who are no longer in school financially. Half are providing housing and nearly half are helping with living expenses.百分之60的父母親給孩子提供幫助,其中有一半,也就是百分之30的父母親給孩子提供住宿。故A正確。
小題3:B 細(xì)節(jié)題。根據(jù)文章倒數(shù)第三段最后2行But Beck said that parents who make sacrifices(犧牲) to help their adult children should be careful about their own finances.可知老人在幫助孩子的時候也要注意自己的經(jīng)濟問題。故B正確。
小題4:B 主旨大意題。根據(jù)文章第一段可知本文主要講述的是在美國因為經(jīng)濟危機而出現(xiàn)的失業(yè)導(dǎo)致很多的年輕人無法找到工作,只能回到父母的身邊,接受父母的幫助,而成為boomerang kids。故B正確。
點評:本文主要講述的是在美國因為經(jīng)濟危機而出現(xiàn)的失業(yè)導(dǎo)致很多的年輕人無法找到工作,只能回到父母的身邊,接受父母的幫助,而成為boomerang kids。本文主旨鮮明,很容易在文中找到答案。做題時要注意文章的首段和每一段的首句或尾句,因為它們往往就是文章的主題句。閱讀中要注意要點之間的關(guān)系。然后帶著問題,再讀全文,找出答題所需要的依據(jù),完成閱讀任務(wù)。
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