Imagine you’ve finally landed a job of your dreams in another city. It’s everything you’d hoped for, but there’s only one problem — housing costs in the area are so high that you’re forced to live in a parking lot.
While this sounds like an impossible situation, this predicament is a reality for one man.
Brandon, 25, is a software engineer for Google at its San Francisco, California campus.
“I realized I was paying too large an amount of money for the apartment I was staying in, and I was almost never home,” he told Business Insider. “It’s really hard to justify throwing that money away. You’re not putting money into anything and you are not building it up for a future.”
Since scoring his job in May 2015 following a successful internship, he’s been living in a truck on a parking lot a short distance from his workplace.
The tech worker makes up for the lack of facilities by eating, using the bathroom and showering at work, also charging his phone and computer there.
San Francisco is home to the most expensive rental market in the US, with the average rental for a one-bedroom apartment coming to $3,590 (24,900 yuan) a month, according to property site Zumper.
And while some may not be able to handle giving up life’s luxuries just to put aside some cash, Brandon estimates that he’s saved almost $28,000 since he moved in just over 18 months ago.
“Not only do I get to invest all of that redirected rent money, but I get to invest all the money I’m not spending on furniture, facilities and buying food,” Brandon wrote on his blog.
1.Which of the following can replace the underlined word “predicament” in Paragraph 2？
A. possibility B. disappointment C. dilemma D. mess
2.Why does Brandon prefer to live in a truck on a parking lot?
A. Because he has no time to go back to an apartment.
B. Because the rent is too high and he thinks it isn’t worthwhile
C. Because his workplace provides him with what he needs
D. Because he wants to save money for an apartment of his own.
3.What does Brandon think of his choice?
A. Difficult. B. Embarrassing. C. Painful. D. Wise.
When I was a freshman, on Christmas break I went home and looked through the bags of clothes Mom intended to give away. I took a baggy red shirt, for I needed something to wear in art class. Mom was surprised. She wore that when she was pregnant with my younger brother.
The red shirt became a part of my college wardrobe. After graduation, I wore the shirt the day I moved into my new apartment and on Saturday morning when I cleaned. When I became pregnant, I wore the red shirt during big-belly days. I missed Mom and the rest of my family. But that shirt helped. I smiled, remembering that Mother had worn it when she was pregnant, 15 years earlier. That Christmas, thinking of the warm feelings the shirt had given me, I wrapped it in holiday paper and sent it to Mom. When Mom wrote to thank me for her “real” gift, she said the red shirt was lovely. She never mentioned it again. The next year, when my husband and I moved the kitchen table, I noticed something red taped to its bottom. It was the shirt! And so the pattern was set.
On our next visit home, I secretly placed the shirt under Mom and Dad’s mattress. Two years passed before I discovered it under the base of our living-room floor lamp. The red shirt was just what I needed now while refinishing furniture. The walnut stains added character.
Years later, my husband and I divorced. With my three children, I prepared to move back to Illinois, depressed. Suddenly I saw the stained red shirt. I smiled. After unpacking in our new home I visited her, and I hid it in her bottom dresser drawer. Meanwhile, I found a good job at a radio station. A year later I discovered the red shirt hidden in a rag bag in my cleaning closet. The shirt was Mother’s final gift. Mother died three months later.
I was tempted to send the red shirt, faded but in decent shape, with her to her grave. But I’m glad I didn’t, my older daughter is in college now, majoring in art. And every art student needs a baggy red shirt to wear to art class.
1.Where did the author get the shirt for the first time?
A. In art class in college. B. In unwanted bags of clothes.
C. In her college wardrobe. D. In the kitchen.
2.How did the shirt help the author?
A. The shirt relieved homesickness from the author.
B. The shirt made her find a good job at a radio station.
C. The shirt was the only clothes that the author had for art class.
D. The shirt was the cheapest gift to give to her Mom tor Christmas.
3.What does the underlined phrase “the pattern” refer to in the text?
A. Visiting the parents regularly.
B. Moving the kitchen table regularly.
C. Secretly giving and receiving the shirt.
D. Often tapping something to the bottom of the table.
4.What is the important reason for the author’s valuing the shirt so much?
A. That her daughter needs it in art class.
B. That it is from her dead Mom.
C. That it is still in decent shape though faded.
D. That it symbolizes mother’s love.
Here is a list of some of the best museums for children in America.
Please Touch Children’s Museum
This museum lies in Philadelphia. It offers Alice in Wonderland exhibits where young children can play with giant flowers and have tea parties. Kids can also play on musical instruments and babies can crawl on lily pads, which make musical sounds.
The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis
This museum lies in Indiana. It holds a fair share of dinosaur fossils (化石). There are many fossils like the T. Rex, Bucky and many others in an 8,000-square-foot area. Around 10,000 man-made objects, including a 55-ton steam engine and a 33-foot tall water clock, are there in the 365,000-square-foot area. It also offers activities like dinosaur building, camps and classes featuring space themes and other educational programs.
Boston Children’s Museum
This museum lies in Massachusetts. The exhibits here are of health, art, science, culture and environment. In this museum, children also learn about Japanese culture. Activities like Play Lab, New Balance Climb and The Recycle Shop bring out the creativity in children.
National Museum of Play
This museum, which lies in Rochester area of New York, has a wide collection of dolls, games, toys and other home crafts dating back to the 19th century. Here, educational tours include stories of machines and other toys. Kids can walk in Sesame Street exhibit and cook food at play or TV studios.
Children’s Museum of Houston
This museum lies in Texas. Termed as the best playground for mind, this museum offers scores of activities for kids of every age. It even offers free family adventure events where families with their kids are encouraged to work on math activities and games. Children also learn about broadcasting activities and preserving ecosystems.
1.One who has interest in environmental protection can choose to visit “________”.
A. National Museum of Play or Children’s Museum of Houston
B. Boston Children’s Museum or Children’s Museum of Houston
C. Please Touch Children’s Museum or Boston Children’s Museum
D. The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis or National Museum of Play
2.While visiting National Museum of Play, you can take part in ________.
A. dinosaur building B. New Balance Climb
C. playing with giant flowers D. cooking food at play or TV studios
3.If a couple with kids of different ages want to do activities together, they should go to ________.
A. Texas B. Indiana
C. New York D. Massachusetts
4.Who might be most interested in this passage?
A. Parents. B. Students.
C. Teachers. D. Researchers.
1.幸运的是，炸弹在爆炸之前被警察发现。(go off)
2.汤姆去年开始学画画，但很快失去了兴趣。(take up)
3.他们募集了很多钱以促进医学研究。(promote)
4.所有的学生都应该去听这场讲座，这是很重要的。(attend)
5.据说有五百人参加了这次会议。(be said)
contribution stress carry lose complain
include marry survive injure serve
1.The government aims to improve public _______, especially education.
2.We do have some difficulty in _______ out the plan.
3.Have you reported the _______ of your wallet to the police?
4.The writer personally _______ ￡4,000 to the earthquake fund.
5.Usually we've got three days' holiday at the beginning of the year, _______ New Year's Day.
6.They are getting _______ on Christmas Day and all of us are going to attend their wedding ceremony.
7.This man was one of the _______ from the earthquake.
8.Webster has not played since he suffered a hamstring (肌腱) _______ in the opening game.
9.Why don't you make a _______ against your noisy neighbors?
10.According to one small study, being around your best friend during tough times can help alleviate(缓解) _______ emotions.
1. One of the best things you can possibly do is to start you own club． It’s great fun especially if you are the sort of person who feels there’s never anything to do during the school holidays．
The first thing you need to come up with is an idea for your club．2. Pets, clothes, pop music or dancing groups, sports, making things? The list is endless．
Next you need some friends to be in your club with you3. All you need is three or four other people who are interested in the same thing as you．
4. You should all sit down somewhere together with lots of pieces of paper and write down every name you can think up That’ll keep you busy for ages．
At your first meeting you should make up a rule book． And the first rule should be no grown-ups or little/big brothers or sisters! The best clubs are always secret!
Now you have just about everything you need, except membership cards． These are very important and again you can spend a lot of time making them.5. Why not leave some space for a photo of yourself? That will make the membership card really look like it．
So there you are, get clubbing! Once you get started you’ll think of loads of more interesting things to do!
A. That’s easy．
B. Enjoy your own club!
C. Invite a designer to join you．
D. What are you interest in?
E. Some vacation is just around the corner．
F. Then you need to pick a name for your club．
G. Use a bright thick pen to make a special design．
