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  3. Read the article below about effective communication and the questions on the opposite page. For each question(13-18), mark one

Read the article below about effective communication and the questions on the opposite page. For each question(13-18), mark one

admin2013-08-03  45
问题 Read the article below about effective communication and the questions on the opposite page.
For each question(13-18), mark one letter(A, B, C, or D)on your Answer Sheet for the answer you choose.
                              Flat Out
Having seen the damage caused by property bubbles, Hong Kong officials are determined not to have a repeat on their own patch. Last month the territory’s de facto central bank pushed banks into increasing the amount of cash they demand of homebuyers. John Tsang, Hong Kong’s usually tepid financial secretary, called in big developers to warn of government intervention if the housing market became "unfair" or "unhealthy". On November 2nd the territory’s chief executive, Donald Tsang, vowed to cool prices.
The mounting disquiet reflects a huge jump in the price of property, particularly luxury flats. Statistics compiled by CB Richard Ellis, an estate agent, show that prices of high-end flats have risen by 40% since January, and are now just 13% below their 2008 pre-crisis peak. Some are once again priced at record levels. One flat, at 39 Conduit Road, was reported by the developer to have sold in October for HK $71,000($9,200)per square foot. The spike in flat sales has propelled shares in property companies higher, too. That, in turn, has prompted a flood of primary and secondary offerings in property-related shares.
The government’s warnings may be having an impact. Sale and purchase agreements in the territory fell by 24% month on month in October(though they were still up by 97% year on year). But many flats have been pulled off the market in anticipation of even higher prices, says Diana Lilauwala of At Home, a broker whose business finding homes for expats has been hit by a sudden paucity of supply.
Unlike in 2008, current prices have little to do with expats and everything to do with local and, especially, mainland buyers. The government’s restrictions on leverage in property transactions may not help deter these customers. Some of them require mortgages—the percentage of mainland borrowers in Hong Kong has steadily risen over the past three years—but interest rates are low and many are apparently willing to pay cash. According to data from the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, the amount of money approved for mortgages has been declining in recent months e-ven as prices have been going up.
Surging prices have sparked criticism in the local press about the affordability of housing in Hong Kong. They have also put a spotlight on developers’ selling practices. The flat at 39 Conduit Road officially occupies the 68th floor, a lucky number for Chinese people, but that is only because 42 other floors were left out of the building’s numbering system.(The one just above it is on the "88th" floor, an even more auspicious number). Papers are filled with stories about tricks used to inflate the reported size of flats, in many cases to a multiple of the actual living space.
Most important, the property boom has increased scrutiny of the way the government controls land sales in Hong Kong. The annual production of new flats has been declining for years. In its yearly report on the territory, released on November 3rd, the IMF welcomed hints that the government might release more land for development. But the acquisition of developable plots is largely left to a few companies with lots of pricing power. More competition is needed, as well as more land.
Why are some foreigners unable to secure a house in Hong Kong?
选项 A、The quantity of the flats is so small.
B、The broker cannot give good service.
C、The price of the flats are low.
D、Many flats are not on sale due to the expectation of price hikes.
答案D
解析 题目意为：为什么有些外国人在香港找不到住处。此题的关键是在关键词的理解上。第三段中的expats是外国佬的意思。“But manyflats have been pulled off the market inanticipation of even higher prices．…a brokerwhose business finding homes for expats has beenhit by a sudden paucity of supply．”后半句的意思是，为外籍人士寻找房子公司受到了冲击。前半句交代了原因，many flats have beenpulled off the market，许多公寓延期上市。
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本试题收录于： BEC中级阅读题库BEC商务英语分类
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