Question

A recent housing project in Helsinki offers remarkably cheap apartments for those under the age of 25. They must commit to spending time with their older neighbors.

Helsinki offers 247-suqare-foot studio apartments with a bathroom, storage space, kitchen, and balcony for only $272 every month—about a third of the average price for a studio in the city. The apartment is inside homes for the elderly, and the young renter must spend between three to five hours with their elderly neighbors each week.

Like pretty much all other major cities in the world, Finland’s capital of Helsinki has faced rapid population growth in recent years. And with population growth, comes an inevitable rise in the cost of living, and of course, sharp increase in rent. Currently, Helsinki is ranked 14th on the list of the world’s most expensive cities. For those young and freshly independent, this causes terrible problems — even homelessness.

"It's a very expensive city to live in," Mr. Bostrom writes in an email to CNN’s Eoghan Macguire. "If you manage to get an apartment that the city owns, it can be quite affordable. The screening criteria included the ability to participate in a variety of activities, such as cooking or playing instruments, but the number of applicants for those apartments is so high that waiting list takes forever,” he says.

According to Helsinki’s Youth Housing Association, the city council aims to ensure that every young person will have a home by 2018. Miki Mielonen, a representative of the youth department, says this project, currently in its trial stages, will help out young people while offering social benefits to senior citizens. “I think there is quite a rigid opinion in Finland with many people thinking young of the old ideas that we are going to break down.”

1.Helsinki probably rents a cheap apartment to a young man who ________.

A. reaches the age of 25

B. has financial problems

C. promises to accompany the elderly

D. agrees to share it with his neighbor

2.Which is the root reason for the housing problems in Helsinki?

A. The population explosion.

B. The high living standard.

C. World’s priciest apartment rent.

D. Low employment of college graduates.

3.According to Mr Bostrom, the cheap apartments are ________.

A. well-decorated                      B. difficult to afford

C. in short supply                     D. popular with technicians

4.What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A. The young in Helsinki are mostly homeless.

B. Helsinki will overcome people’s prejudice.

C. The project will be experimental in future.

D. The project is more beneficial to the young.

Answer

1.C

2.A

3.C

4.B

【解析】

试题分析：本文讲述了随着人口的膨胀，赫尔辛基的年轻人住房困难。最近在赫尔辛基的一个住宅项目为25岁以下的年轻人提供了非常便宜的公寓，条件是每周要花三到五小时陪伴他们年长的房东。

1.1】C 推理判断题。根据第二段最后一句The apartment is inside homes for the elderly, and the young renter must spend between three to five hours with their elderly neighbors each week.（这个公寓在老人的家里，年轻租赁者每周要花三到五小时之间和他们年长的邻居在一起。）可知，便宜租给年轻人的条件是要陪伴年长者。故选C。

2.2】A 细节理解题。根据第三段第一、二句Finland’s capital of Helsinki has faced rapid population growth in recent years. And with population growth, comes an inevitable rise in the cost of living, and of course, sharp increase in rent.可知，最近几年面临人口的快速增长，随着人口的增长，生活成本必然上升，当然租金也急剧增长。故选A。

3.3】C 推理判断题。根据第四段中"It's a very expensive city to live in," Mr. Bostrom writes in an email to CNN’s Eoghan Macguire. "If you manage to get an apartment that the city owns, it can be quite affordable. The screening criteria included the ability to participate in a variety of activities, such as cooking or playing instruments, but the number of applicants for those apartments is so high that waiting list takes forever,” he says.可知，这是一个住房非常昂贵的城市，如果想买一套这个城市的公寓，价格可能负担得起，但还有很多的筛选条件，所以等待的人很多，也就是公寓很短缺，故选C项。

4.4】B 推理判断题。根据最后一段Miki Mielonen, a representative of the youth department, says this project, currently in its trial stages, will help out young people while offering social benefits to senior citizens.可知，这个工程将帮助年轻人摆脱困境。前文提到住房困难，年轻人要和老年人租住在一起，而最后一段就是为了消除人们的偏见。故选B。

考点：考查社会现象类阅读