TheUrbanization—migrationawayfromthesuburbstothecitycenter—willbethebiggestrealestatetrendin2015,accordingtoanewreport.ThereportsaysAmerica’surbanizationwillcontinuetobethemostsignificantissueaffectingtheindustry,ascitiesacrossthecountryimitatethewalkabilityandtransit-orienteddevelopmentmakingcitieslikeNewYorkandSanFranciscososuccessful.Assmallercitiescopythemodelofthese“24-hourcities,’’tfioreaffordableversionsoftheseplaceswillbecreated.Thereportreferstothisasthecomingofthe“18-hourcity,”,andusesthetermtorefertocitieslikeHouston,Austin,Charlotte,andNashville,whichare“positioningthemselvesashighlycompetitive,intermsoflivability,employmentofferings,andrecreationalandculturalfacilities.”Anothertrendthatlookssignificantin2015isthatAmerica’slargestpopulationgroup,Millennials(千禧一代),willcontinuetoputoffbuyingahouse.ApartmentswillretaintheirappealforawhileforMillennials,hauntedbywhathappenedtohome-owningparents.Thistrendwillcontinueintothe2020s,thereportprojects.Afterthat,surveyrespondentsdisagreeoverwhetherthisgenerationwillfollowintheirparents,footsteps,movingtothesuburbstoraisefamilies,orwillchoosetoremaininthecitycenter.AnotherissueaffectingrealestateinthecomingyearwillbeAmerica’sfailinginfrastructure.Mostroads,bridges,transit,watersystems,theelectricgrid,andcommunicationsnetworkswereinstalled50to100yearsago,andtheyarelargelytakenforgranteduntiltheyfail.Thereport’swritersstatethatAmerica’sfailuretoinvestininfrastructureimpactsnotonlythehealthofthereal-estatemarket,butalsoourabilitytoremaingloballycompetitive.Apartfromthespecifictrendshighlightedabove,whichcausesomeinvestorstoworry,thereportportraysanoveralloptimismbornebytherecenthealthyreal-estate“upcycle”andimprovingeconomy.Seventy-fourpercentoftherespondentssurveyedreporta“goodtoexcellent”expectationofreal-estateprofitabilityin2015.Whileexcessiveoptimismcanpromotebadinvestmentpatterns,resultinginareal-estate“bubble,”thereport’swritersdownplaythatpotentialoutcomeinthatithasnotyetoccurred.46.Accordingtothenewreport,realestatedevelopmentin2015willwitness_______.
PartIIReadingComprehension(40minutes)Directions:Thereare4passagesinthissection.Eachpassageisfollowedbysomequestionsorunfinishedstatements.ForeachofthemtherearefourchoicesmarkedA),B),C)andD).YoushoulddecideonthebestchoiceandmarkthecorrespondingletteronAnswerSheet.PassageOneQuestions1to5arebasedonthefollowingpassage.Questions46to50arebasedonthefollowingpassage.Textbooksrepresentan11billiondollarindustry,upfrom$8billionin2014.TextbookpublisherPearsonisthelargestpublisher—ofanykind—intheworld.Itcostsabout$1milliontocreateanewtextbook.Afreshmantextbookwillhavedozensofcontributors,fromsubject-matterexpertsthroughgraphicandlayoutartiststoexpertreviewersandclassroomtesters.Textbookpublishersconnectprofessors,instructorsandstudentsinwaysthatalternatives,suchasOpenE-TextbooksandOpenEducationalResources,simplydonot.Thisconnectionhappensnotonlybymeansofcollaborativedevelopment,reviewandtesting,butalsoatconferenceswherefacultyregularlydecideontheirtextbooksandcurriculaforthecomingyear.Itistruethattextbookpublishershaverecentlyreportedlosses,largelyduetostudentsrentingorbuyingusedprinttextbooks.Butthiscanbechalkeduptotheexorbitantcostoftheirbooks—whichhasincreasedover1,000percentsince1977.Areshufflingofthetextbookindustrymaywellbeinorder.Butthisdoesnotmeantheendofthetextbookitself.WhiletheymaynotbeasdynamicasaniPad,textbooksarenotpassiveorlifeless.Forexample,overthecenturies,theyhavesimulateddialogueinanumberofways.From1800tothepresentday,textbookshavedonethisbyposingquestionsforstudentstoanswerinductively.Thatmeansstudentsareaskedtousetheirindividualexperiencetocomeupwithanswerstogeneralquestions.Today’spsychologytexts,forexample,ask:“Howmuchofyourpersonalitydoyouthinkyouinherited?”whileonesinphysicssay:“Howcanyoupredictwheretheballyoutossedwillland?”Expertsobservethat“textbookscomeinlayers,somethinglikeanonion.”Fortheactivelearner,engagingwithatextbookcanbeaninteractiveexperience:Readersproceedattheirownpace.They“customize”theirbooksbyengagingwithdifferentlayersandlinkages.Highlighting,Post-Itnotes,dog-earsandothertechniquesallowforfurthercustomizationthatstudentsvalueinprintbooksoverdigitalformsofbooks.46.Whatdoesthepassagesayaboutopeneducationalresources?