Property Prices "Causing Distress"

Six out of 10 Chinese white collar workers say they are fatigued by work and other pressures, a survey has found. The number 1 cause of anxiety is the ever increasing cost of housing and property, the survey reported. About 76 percent of office workers are over worked and not entirely healthy, according to samples from 3 million health checks in cities.

Less than 3 percent of the respondents interviewed are completely healthy, said the White Paper on the Health of Chinese White collar Workers, released on Sunday by the Chinese Medical Doctors' Association.

The: survey interviewed people aged between 26 and 45, with monthly incomes of between 5,000 yuan ($ 732) to 10,000 yuan. Many higher income people between the ages of 35 and 50 are biologically 10 years older than their actual age, with declining health, the survey said.

Buying property ranks as the most significant cause of pressure for 46 percent of those interviewed, followed by parents' health, difficulty in finding a spouse, and children's education.

The increasing gap between income and housing prices is causing the most stress and some 85 percent of families cannot afford to buy a house, the survey said. The ratio of housing prices to family income should be three to six times, while in China the ratio this year is expected to reach 8.3, far beyond reasonable, the Economic Blue Paper published yesterday by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences reported, The survey said that the laud supply system and developers' land stockpiles have also contributed to the out of reach property prices.

Commercial property prices have gone up 5 to 10 percent, with a square metre costing between 4,935 to 5,280 yuan, From January to August of 2009, developers invested 2, 111 billion yuan in property, up 14.7 percent from the previous year. Revenue from the sale of commercial property was 2,346. 3 billion yuan, up 69.9 percent from 2008.

Property prices are the talk of the town, and this topic reached a peak in 2009 as the Chinese television drama, Dwelling Narrowness, became a hit with many viewers across the country. The 35 episode series has touched a nerve with city dwellers who empathize with the characters in the drama, according to media reports. Caught in a debate between reality and morality, the audience could not help but connect with the distress and pressure experienced by the characters, caused by the cost of living in a city, according to television analysts.

Most young college graduates and migrant workers who settle into jobs in big cities would prefer to buy an apartment rather than rent, according to media reports. However, rising housing prices make owning an apartment very difficult. Ownership creates a burden that costs parents' their entire savings or results in decades of mortgage loans.

Wang Ke, a purchasing manager with a monthly salary of 10,000 yuan, had to borrow money from her grandmother for the down payment for her apartment. With a monthly mortgage of 4,000 yuan, Wang said saving money is now virtually impossible." Housing prices go up every day, though my salary doesn't," she said.

Do the following statements agree with the information given in the passage and the picture? Write:
Y(for YES) if the statement agrees with the information given in the passage ;
N(for NO) if the statement contradicts the information given in the passage;
NG(for NOT GIVEN) if the information is not given in the passage.

The survey of stress on Chinese white collar workers was conducted by the Beijing Health Protection Association and the Chinese Medical Doctors' Association.

Forty-six percent of those interviewed did occasional exercise and felt that property prices are the major pressure.

The ratio of housing prices to family income in China is lower than the usual standard.

Fill in each blank with no more than three words to complete the sentences according to the passage. Commercial property prices have increased by ________ percent according to the survey.

Wang Ke, who took part in the survey, bought her apartment by borrowing money from ________ for the down payment and paying a monthly mortgage.