While reading a story on 20-somethings complaining about how the economy was ruiningg their life plans, I couldn’t help but think the 20-somethings sounded like a bunch of spoiled who grew up expecting everything to be easy for them. As a 20-something myself, certainly share their disappointment : my husband and I probably won’t be able to buy a house until we’re in our 40s, and we two are burdened by student loans(贷款). But why should it be any different? Being young persons in America, shouldn’t they take up all of the challenges and opportunities that this country offers?
Consider some of these views shared in the story: Jennifer, 29, owner of a two-bedroom apartment with her husband, worries that she won’t be able to have children for at least a decade because they can’t afford to buy a house yet.
I read that, and I thought what planet she is living on where you need to own a house in order to have kids? Has she ever visited a developing country, or even downtown areas in this one? Home ownership is a luxury(奢华), not a fertility requirement.
A 26-year-old in the story is disappointed that he can’t afford to get a Ph. D in literature. Well, that sounds a bit like expressing disappointment that no one will pay you to write poetry on the beach in Thailand for five years.
Yes, it’s sad that these young people feel so lost. But I think the problem is their extremely high expectations, not economic reality. Beth Kobliner, author of Personal Finance in Your Twenties and Thirties, says that she thinks people’s expectations grew up at a time when everyone’s wealth appeared to be increasing, Their parents probably saw their home values rise along with their investments. “So you have people who have grown up in an environment where people had great expectations of what living well means,” says Kobliner.
This recession(经济衰退) will certainly play a role in forcing those expectations into more realistic group. In the meantime, it seems a lot better for our mental health to focus on being grateful---for our one-bedroom apartments, for living in modern cities, or perhaps just for being able to eat three meals a day---than on longing for some kind of luxury life.
小题1:. What makes the author think the 20-somethings sound like a bunch of spoiled children?
A．They expect everything to be easy for them.
B．They complain that the economy is spoiling their life plans.
C．They are unwilling to face all of the challenges.
D．They are burdened by student loans.小题2:. The underlined word “fertility” in paragraph 3 probably means“_____”.
A．baby production
B．pleasant
C．baby comfort
D．comfortable小题3:. Which of the following is NOT mentioned about the complaints of the 20-somethings?
A．They can’t have children for at least a decade a decade to buy a house.
B．They have only a one-bedroom apartment to live in.
C．They can’t buy a house until 40 and are burdened by student loans.
D．They despair at not being able to afford a PH. D in literature.小题4:. What’s the Kobliner’s attitude towards the 20-somethings with high expectations?
A．Unbearable
B．Opposite
C．Doubtful
D．Understanding小题5:What is the best title for this passage?
A．Young people afford to continue their study
B．Young people can’t afford to buy a house
C．Young people’s high hopes create despair
D．The 20-somethings’ high expectations