第一段
When the government talks about infrastructure contributing to the economy the focus is usually on roads, railways, broadband and energy. Housing is seldom mentioned.
单词&词组
infrastructure n. 基础设施
the focus is usually on... 焦点通常落在……
broadband n. 宽带
housing n. 住宅，住房（尤指住房类型、价格、条件）
seldom ad. 很少，不常
本段翻译
当政府谈到基础设施对经济的贡献时，他们通常把重点放在公路、铁路、宽带和能源上。住房很少被提及。
第二段
Why is that? To some extent the housing sector must shoulder the blame. We have not been good at communicating the real value that housing can contribute to economic growth. Then there is the scale of the typical housing project. It is hard to shove for attention among multibillion-pound infrastructure project, so it is inevitable that the attention is focused elsewhere. But perhaps the most significant reason is that the issue has always been so politically charged.
单词&词组
housing sector 房地产行业，房地产部门
shoulder the blame 承担过失
shoulder v. 肩负，承担
the real value 真实价值
shove v. 挤；撞；猛推
multibillion-pound infrastructure project 数十亿磅基础设施项目
inevitable a. 必然的，不可避免地
charged v. 命令，吩咐
本段翻译
为什么？在某种程度上，房地产行业必须承担责任。我们不善于传达住房对经济增长的实际价值。其次是典型住宅项目的规模。在耗资数十亿英镑的基础设施项目中，很难吸引人们的注意力，因此，将注意力集中在其他地方是不可避免的。但最重要的原因或许是，这个问题一直以来都充满政治色彩。
第三段
Nevertheless, the affordable housing situation is desperate. Waiting lists increase all the time and we are simply not building enough new homes.
单词&词组
nevertheless conj. 然而，不过
affordable a. 负担得起的
desperate a. 危急的，严峻的
all the time 一直
waiting list 候补名单；等候批准的申请人名单
本段翻译
尽管如此，经济适用房的情况令人绝望。等待名单一直在增加，我们根本没有建造足够的新房子。
第四段
The comprehensives pending review offers an opportunity for the government to help rectify this. It needs to put historical prejudices to one side and take some steps to address our urgent housing need.
单词&词组
comprehensive a. 综合的，全部的，详尽的
review n. 审核；审查
comprehensive spending review 综合开支审查
rectify v. 改正，纠正
put historical prejudices to one side 将历史偏见搁置一边
prejudice n. 偏见
take some steps 采取一些措施
address v. 设法解决；处理；应付
urgent a. 紧急的；急迫的
address our urgent housing need 解决我们迫切的住房需求
本段翻译
待审查的综合资料为政府提供了一个帮助纠正这一问题的机会。它需要把历史偏见放在一边，采取一些措施来解决我们迫切的住房需求。
第五段
There are some indications that it is preparing to do just that. The communities minister, Don Foster, has hinted that George Osborne, Chancellor of the Exchequer, may introduce more flexibility to the current cap on the amount that local authorities can borrow against their housing stock debt. Evidence shows that 60,000 extra new homes could be built over the next five years if the cap were lifted, increasing GDP by 0.6%.
单词&词组
indication n. 迹象
hint v. 暗示；示意
introduce v. 引进，推行，实施
flexibility n. 灵活性；弹性
cap n. （可用或可借资金的）最高限额
authorities n. 当局，官方（常用复数）
lift v. 提高
housing stock debt 住房存量债务
本段翻译
只是有迹象表明这是在做准备。社区部长唐·福斯特（Don Foster）暗示，英国财政大臣乔治·奥斯本（George Osborne）可能会对目前地方政府从住房存量债务中借款的上限采取更大的灵活性。有证据显示，如果取消这一上限，未来五年内可能会多建6万套新房，使国内生产总值增长0.6%。
第六段
Ministers should also look at creating greater certainty in the rental environment, which would have a significant impact on the ability of registered providers to fund new developments from revenues.
单词&词组
look at 仔细考虑，研究
the rental environment 租赁环境
have a significant impact on 对……有重要影响
registered a. 注册的，登记在册的
revenue n. 国家的收入；岁入
本段翻译
部长们还应考虑在租赁环境中创造更大的确定性，这将对注册供应商通过收入为新开发项目提供资金的能力产生重大影响。
第七段
But it is not just down to the government. While these measures would be welcome in the short term, we must face up to the fact that the existing ￡4.5bn programme of grants to fund new affordable housing, set to expire in 2015,is unlikely to be extended beyond then. The Labour party has recently announced that it will retain a large part of the coalition’s spending plans if returns to power. The housing sector needs to accept that we are very unlikely to ever return to era of large-scale public grants. We need to adjust to this changing climate.
单词&词组
in the short term 短期内
grant n. 拨款
expire v. 期满；终止
retain v. 保持，保留
coalition n. 联合；联盟
face up to the fact 面对现实
be very unlikely to ……的可能性很低
adjust to 适应……
本段翻译
但这不仅仅取决于政府。虽然这些措施在短期内是受欢迎的，但我们必须正视这样一个事实：现有的45亿英镑的资助新建经济适用住房的计划，将于2015年到期，不太可能再延长到那时。工党最近宣布，如果重新执政，将保留联合政府很大一部分开支计划。住房部门需要接受这样一个事实：我们不太可能回到大规模公共拨款时代。我们需要适应这种不断变化的气候。
第八段
While the government’s commitment to long-term funding may have changed, the very pressing need for more affordable housing is real and is not going away.
单词&词组
commitment n. 承诺
long-term a. 长期的
pressing a. 迫切的
本段翻译
虽然政府对长期融资的承诺可能已经改变，但对更多保障性住房的迫切需求是现实的，不会消失。
五道题
36. The author believes that the housing sector_____.
[A] has attracted much attention
[B] involves certain political factors
[C] shoulders too much responsibility
[D] has lost its real value in economy
37. It can be learned that affordable housing has____.
[A] increased its home supply
[B] offered spending opportunities
[C] suffered government biases
[D] disappointed the government
38. According to Paragraph 5,George Osborne may_______.
[A] allow greater government debt for housing
[B] stop local authorities from building homes
[C] prepare to reduce housing stock debt
[D] release a lifted GDP growth forecast
39. It can be inferred that a stable rental environment would_______.
[A] lower the costs of registered providers
[B] lessen the impact of government interference
[C] contribute to funding new developments
[D] relieve the ministers of responsibilities
40. The author believes that after 2015, the government may______.
[A] implement more policies to support housing
[B] review the need for large-scale public grants
[C] renew the affordable housing grants programme
[D] stop generous funding to the housing sector
参考答案
BCACC
答案解析
36、根据题干关键词the housing sector可直接定位至文章第二段，该段末句明确指出“也许最重要的原因是这个问题一直以来都受到政府因素的制约”，该句中the issue 实际指代的是上文所述住房(规模)问题难以获得政府关注问题,由此可推断.房地产行业涉及一些政治因素,[B]项正确。
37、根据题干关键词affordable housing 可直接定位至文中第三、四段。第三段指出可支付住房形势很严峻,严重供不应求;第四段②句指出政府应该将历史偏见搁置一边以解决人们这一迫切的住房需求问题，由此可侧面推知，可支付住房曾经遭受过政府的偏见,[C]最贴近文意。
38、根据题干关键词Paragraph 5, George Osborne可直接定位至第五段②句,该句提到乔治·奥斯本可能会灵活放宽现在地方政府住房存量债务的借贷金额上限，也即，让地方政府有更高的建房贷款限额，换句话说,地方政府可以借更多的钱以进行住房建设,[A]项正确。
39、根据题干关键词a stable rental environment可直接定位至第六段。该段独句成段，指出稳定的租赁环境将对注册供应者借助营业收人来资助新建住房的能力有重大影响，换言之,稳定的租赁环境有助于增加新建住房项目的投资力度。[C]正确。
40、根据题干关键词after 2015, the government may可定位至第七段。段中②句指出目前的45亿英铸大规模拨款计划于2015年到期后将不再延期;④句也明确指出我们不可能回到政府提供大规模住房拨款的年代，由此可推知.2015年后政府无欲给房地产提供慷慨资助.[D]正确，与此同时排除[C]。
