A
Media reports are noting an increase in the number of houses listed by Japanese government no socalled “akiya banks”. In Japanese, akiya means abandoned or vacant houses.
According to recent estimates (评估) from the Nomura Research Institute (NRI), Japan is home to an estimated 10 million abandoned houses, with many old ones spreading throughout rural areas. And it is also estimated that the number of abandoned houses will grow to 21.7 million by 2033, which is roughly onethird of all houses.
“These abandoned houses are toxic assets (不良资产), since they're costly to maintain or to tear down，” Munekatsu Ota, head of a vacation rental firm, told the Japan Times. “But simple repairs could turn them into moneymakers.”
The increasing number of vacant houses is due to both declining population, a shift from rural to urban environments, and culture. In an effort to increase its younger population and decreasing work force, and resettle areas with vacant houses, Japan is planning to loosen its once tightly controlled visa policy. “Anyone wandering around Japan knows that there is growing diversity in schools and the workplace，” said Jeff Kingston, a professor at Temple University Japan. “Employers know just how important foreign workers are and this recognition is spreading. Japan is a new immigration destination and more is necessary to promote its future economic progress.”
With plenty of vacancies in the housing market, government, officials have been making great efforts. They offer “free” houses, with buyers only paying taxes and fees, with some great discounts, and with some older units sold for only a few hundred dollars. Katsutoshi Arai, president of an estate agency, said “When I was growing up, what I always heard is that Japan has a huge population, and you won't be able to buy a house. Now you can buy a fairly big house for a low cost, redecorate it and live well in it.”
本文是一篇说明文。日本国内弃屋数量逐年以惊人的速度增长，如何处理这些弃屋成为政府的重要任务。
1．What can be learned from NRI's estimates mentioned in Paragraph 2?
A．Japan has constructed too many houses.
B．Japanese prefer new houses to old ones.
C．Abandoned houses have become a social problem.
D．Abandoned houses make up about 33% of all houses.
答案：C
解析：细节理解题。根据第二段内容可知，NRI估计日本现有1 000万弃屋，到2033年弃屋数量将达2 170万，由此可知日本弃屋已成为一个社会问题。
2．What does Japan do to deal with its increasing abandoned houses?
A．Change people's cultural concepts.
B．Turn rural areas into urban ones.
C．Build diverse schools and the workplace.
D．Attract more foreigners to work in the country.
答案：D
解析：细节理解题。根据第四段的．..loosen its once tightly controlled visa policy及Japan is a new immigration destination...可知，为解决弃屋问题，日本政府放宽签证政策，吸引更多外国人到日本工作。
3．What can be inferred from the last paragraph?
A．It's hard to deal with vacant houses in Japan.
B．More free houses will be built for Japanese people.
C．Housing in Japan is more affordable than before.
D．Most Japanese are willing to buy abandoned houses.
答案：C
解析：推理判断题。根据最后一段的．..you won't be able to buy a house...buy a fairly big house for a low cost...可推知，日本住房较之前更便宜了。
