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Attempt a guess at the following question: In the English-speaking world, which country has the least
affordable homes? You are wrong if you
guessed the US, even with the housing bubble (气泡) and main
sadness. Nor is it the UK, where prices have risen because demand is far from supply. According to a
recent survey of 227 cities around the globe, you must go south of the equator (赤道) to Australia to find
the priciest homes.
The report measured a city's housing market along the f
ollowing guidelines. An "affordable" home
required three times or less of the average family's income to purchase. At four times earnings, a home fell into the "unaffordable" category. And a "seriously unaffordable" home needed five times a family's income. In Australia, homes in the least affordable city cost just about 9. 5 times the average income. Sydney,
Perth, and Melbourne were only a little under this figure.
Australian officials offered little comment, apart from a general statement on the
dismalfindings. These prices make the possibility that many Australians will one day own a home largely unbelievable. Land
rationing (配给制) and excessive development charges have raised prices, and the problem will only be
solved through urgent action by the Rudd government.
Some American cities were also included on the least affordable list, four of which were in California. America is still involved in a mortgage(抵押)crisis, though, affecting the affordability of homes. Yet a
number of US cities garnered "affordable" status, namely Dallas and Kansas. Australia had no cities listed
in the top fifty places with affordable homes.
The survey suggests that you can find affordable homes in most places, just not if you're Australian and choose to live down under.
1. To buy an affordable house, you should pay _____.
A. 3 times or less of the average family's income
B. 4 times or less of the average family's income
C. 5 times or less of the average family's income
D. 9. 5 times or less of the average family's income
2. What caused the prices of houses to increase in Australia?
A. The rising family's income.
B. The demand over supply.
C. The excessive development charges.
D. The decrease of land.
3. The underlined word "dismal" in Paragraph 3 may mean _____.
A. cheerful
B. satisfactory
C. difficult
D. gloomy
4. What might be the most suitable title for the passage?
A. Affordable Houses
B. A House is a Dream First
C. Housing Bu
bble
D. Homes Too Expensive