Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions from 35 to 42.
A mansion is a very large home. McDonald's is the name of a fast food hamburger chain. What do you get when you put the two together? You get McMansion, the recently created name for a type of large suburban, two storied home that originated in the United States. Many people love McMansions for their low price, abundant space and impressive styling, but the news is not all gooD. In fact, McMansions may now be a threatened species.
McMansion became very popular in the United States during the 1990s, and this popularity continued for almost 20 years. During those years the economy was relatively strong, and banks were willing to lend large sums of money to people who wanted to buy a home. The result was an increase in the average home size. In 1988, the average new American home was 170 square meters, but by 2008 this had risen to 244 square meters, a 44% increase.
To offset the greater costs of these large homes, land developers built many homes that all used a similar basic design and identical construction methods. Framing and interior fittings were constructed in
factories, instead of on site, and the materials used were often of a lower quality. Finally, the sections of land used for each house were much smaller than before.
The result was suburban developments full of huge homes, often over 280 square meters in floor area, that all looked similar to each other. Their standardization and lowest possible-cost construction reminded people of McDonald's hamburgers, hence the term McMansion. For many people a McMansion was their dream home, but that dream is now rapidly turning sour.
There are two main problems with McMansions. One problem is that their huge size means that they cost a lot to heat or cool. Energy is becoming more expensive, so owners are faced with huge bills if they try to heat or cool their home. The other problem is that McMansion owners are often in a lot of debt. They borrowed a lot of money to pay for their impressive home, but during the 2000s, with struggling economy and high unemployment, they couldn't afford to repay their loan.
McMansion are still popular in some area, but no one is sure how long it will last. Will energy become even more expensive and force owners to downsize? Will the economy grow and banks become more willing to end again? Will the drop-in house prices allow larger, less affluent families to afford a McMansion? These questions are weighing heavily on the future of one of the most popular housing styles of the late 20th century.
(Source: Reading planet)
According to the passage, which of the following is a major problem with McMansions?
A. Their impressive designs make them dream homes for many people.
B. The large size of McMansions asks their owners for huge energy bilis.
C. The identical look of the McMansions everywhere makes them no longer popular.
D. The identical look of the McMansions reminds people of McDonald's hamburgers.
Kiến thức: Đọc hiểu
Giải thích:
Theo đoạn văn, điều nào sau đây là một vấn đề lớn với McMansion?
A. Thiết kế ấn tượng của chúng khiến chúng trở thành ngôi nhà mơ ước của nhiều người.
B. Kích thước lớn của McMansion yêu cầu chủ sở hữu thanh toán các hóa đơn năng lượng khổng lồ.
C. Vẻ ngoài giống hệt của McMansion ở khắp mọi nơi khiến chúng không còn phổ biến.
D. Vẻ ngoài giống hệt của McMansion khiến người ta liên tưởng đến hamburger của McDonald.
Thông tin: One problem is that their huge size means that they cost a lot to heat or cool. Energy is becoming more expensive, so owners are faced with huge bills if they try to heat or cool their home.
Tạm dịch: Một vấn đề là kích thước khổng lồ của chúng có nghĩa là chúng tốn rất nhiều chi phí để sưởi ấm hoặc làm mát. Năng lượng đang trở nên đắt đỏ hơn, vì vậy chủ sở hữu phải đối mặt với các hóa đơn khổng lồ nếu họ cố gắng sưởi ấm hoặc làm mát ngôi nhà của họ.
Chọn B