单选题
What is the talk mainly about? A. The main function of the American housing system. B. The serious problems of the American housing system. C. The social and economic changes of the American housing. D. The developing tendencies of the American housing system.
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】[解析] 29-34 Professor In recent years, there have been important social and economic changes in the United States, and these changes have affected almost all of America's housing system, from home building to home buying. First of all, American families are growing smaller. People today are having fewer children or choosing not to have children at all. Many people are marrying later in life, and about 40% of all American marriages end in divorce. All this means that many Americans now want smaller houses. And, a large percentage is buying apartments. This has created a shortage of rental housing in many parts of the country. It has caused special difficulties for those who are old or poor, and do not have the money to buy a place of their own. Some people are solving this problem by forming cooperatives. In a cooperative, everyone in an apartment building joins together and buys a share of the building. If 20% of those living in the cooperative have low earnings, then the group can get a low-interest loan from the government. If people want to sell their share in the cooperative, they can not receive more than they paid for it. This helps keep the cost of cooperatives low. Recent concern over the cost of energy also has brought changes in American housing. Some people are moving back to the cities, to save on the cost of driving long distances to work. Additionally, many Americans have begun to seek homes that cost almost nothing to heat, because the temperature of the earth changes very little as the season changes. Other new houses get their energy from the sun. During the day, heat from sunlight is collected through windows on the south side of the house. At night, the windows are covered, and the collected warmth heats the home. Recently, the American economy has also had a major effect on American housing. Inflation has pushed the cost of homes higher and higher. And, interest rates have become very high. Buyers now must pay as much as 18% interest for housing loans. Americans with just moderate earnings now find it very difficult to make monthly payments on a new home. In the last few months, even apartments have become too costly for most people to buy. These developments have brought about a crisis in America's housing industry. Officials say that homes now are selling only half as fast as they do in a good year. Many home building companies are closing. Unemployment in that industry is now more than 16 percent—much higher than most other American industries. Officials in the housing industry have taken some steps to end this crisis. Banks are permitting people to make lower monthly payments when they move into new houses; then, they increase the payments at a late time. Some builders are helping buyers pay the high interest rates on their mortgages. Builders say they are not earning any money this way. However, at least they are surviving this way. Builders are also looking for ways to put together houses at a lower cost. One way is to build as much of the house as possible in a factory. Some house—called mobile home—are made completely in factories, and then transported to the buyer. [解析] 本题为要点题，要求考生通过理解分散在听力材料中的关键词汇、词组和事实，概括出听力材料的要点。题目问：讲座主要谈论什么主题?从讲座开头即可知道讲座的主题是美国社会经济的变化对住房问题的影响。因此，C项为正确答案。
单选题
What is NOT true according to the talk? A. The changes in family size have affected the size of houses. B. One out of four married couples divorce in America. C. In the U.S. , many people would rather rent'an apartment than buy a house. D. People form cooperatives in order to spend less money on houses.
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】[解析] 本题为细节题，考查考生对听力材料中细节或事实的理解，并要求找出与所阐述事实不符的选项。考生对听力材料中的数字应保持敏感。讲座中说到“about 40% of all American marriages end in divorce(美国有大约40%的婚姻以离婚而告终)”，而并非四分之一，故选B。
单选题
Why do some people move back to cities? A. Because they want to be closer to their offices. B. Because they can save time driving to work. C. Because they can save on the cost of driving long distances to work. D. Because they think it's more convenient to live near the workplace.
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】[解析] 本题仍为细节题。题目问：为什么有些人迁回城市居住?根据“Some people are moving back to the cities, to save the cost of driving long distances to work(有些人准备迁回城市住，目的是为了节省远距离驾车上下班的费用)”可知，C项为正确答案。
多选题
What indicates the economic effect on American housing? [Clink on 2 answers.] A. Inflation has increased the cost of housing. B. People earn less and less than before. C. There is a serious shortage of energy. D. Interest rates have become very high.
【正确答案】
【答案解析】[解析] 本题为细节多选题，要求考生选择两个细节或事实作为答案。听力材料中提到“Recently, the American economy has also had a major effect on American housing. Inflation has pushed the cost of homes higher and higher. And, interest rates have become very high. Buyers now must pay as much as 18% interest for housing loans(最近，美同的经济也对美同的住房状况产生了重要影响。通货膨胀使得房价越来越高，并且利率也变得很高。目前，购房者需支付高达18%的住房贷款利率)”，因此，得出A、D为正确选项。
单选题
What can be concluded from the lecture? A. Inflation has made the interest on housing loans 18% higher than before. B. Living underground can help lower the cost of heating and lighting. C. Most Americans with moderate earnings now can manage to buy apartments. D. Unemployment and depression in housing industry result from social and economic changes.
单选题
Why are mobile houses built? A. For convenience. B. To lower the cost. C. To obtain a loan from the bank more easily. D. To accomodate all the workers of a factory.
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】[解析] 本题为内在关系题，要求考生能够把握要点之间的内在关系。题目问：为什么要建造移动住房?听力材料最后提到“Builders are also looking for ways to put together houses at a lower cost(建筑商们也在寻找以低成本将住房集中的方法)”，后面提到的“mobile homes”便 是其中一种，故B项为正确答案。