阅读理解。
Normally when I pop in to see my parents, my mum bursts out of the house with a big smile. Not
today. "Your brother," she says, "he's showered twice this afternoon. Does he know how much it costs
to run this house?" Are we limiting water now? I didn't think the recession(萧条) had got that bad. My
poor brother is a boomerang kid. Like 60 percent of guys immediately after university, he's back at
home. Graduating ￡15,000 in debt and faced with unpaid internships(实习期) or low wages thanks
to the flooding of the market with graduates, a lot of twentysomethings simply don't have the necessary
income or parental support to live independently.
Three years after getting their degree, most graduates are still not earning above the average salary.
They have a near 50 percent tax burden, thanks to student loan repayments and council tax on top of
income tax and national insurance. Unless you have parents who can afford to finance what is effectively
a second home for them, returning to the parental nest is often the only affordable option.
The boomerang effect is becoming even more pronounced thanks to the recession. One in four of
those losing their job during the downturn is under 25. Only 13 percent of final-year students have jobs.
Home is the only place many are going: 111,000 16-29 year olds moved back home in 2008, five times
the average of previous years.
Boomeranging is bad news. It poses serious problems for parents' finances. They've already
supported their children through university, topping up loans with handouts, averaging ￡12,300 in total,
to keep twentysomethings afloat. Now their retirement savings are being eaten away by continuously
dependent children.
It’s bad for the returning kids too. Ambitious young people will be left frustrated, seeing their
university peers from more wealthy backgrounds excel only because parents' money was there to
support them through the initial period of poverty wages. Those living in rural areas are further
disadvantaged by lack of access to cities where most new jobs are located. Half of all young people
now feel they will not achieve their goals. Research by the Prince's Trust reveals that one-quarter of
all 16-25 year olds are regularly down or depressed. And depression does not help self-motivation,
the very trait needed to seek out job opportunities.
1. In paragraph 1, the mother’s criticizing her son for showering too often shows _________.
A. the price of water has increased
B. she thinks her son is selfish
C. her son is an economic burden
D. she wants to have a shower herself
2. What is the boomerang mentioned in the passage?
A. A person earning low income.
B. A person who has heavy tax burden.
C. A youth who cannot get parental support.
D. A youth returning to parents after graduation.
3. According to the passage, which of the following does NOT contribute to the tax bill of most young
graduates?
A. National insurance.
B. Income tax.
C. Council income.
D. Student loans.
4. Who is comparatively most affected by the recession according to the passage?
A. Those who haven’t completed their university studies.
B. Those who are supported through by their parents.
C. Those who can have access to the urban facilities.
D. Those who were born into the well-off families.
5. Which is the best title of the passage?
A. Global Recession
B. Boomerang Kids
C. Unemployment Rate
D. Falling Incomes
