Part A: Reading Comprehension

Directions: Read the following text. Answer the questions below each text by choosing A, B, C or D. Mark your answers on the ANSWER SHEET. (40 points)

Text 2

Communities throughout New England have been attempting to regulate short-term rentals since sites like Airbnb took off in the 2010s. Now, with record-high home prices and historically low inventory, there’s an increased urgency in such regulation, particularly among those who worry that developers will come in and buy up swaths of housing to flip for a fortune on the short-term rental market.

In New Hampshire, where the rental vacancy rate has dropped below 1 percent, housing advocates fear unchecked short-term rentals will put further pressure on an already strained market. The state Legislature recently voted against a bill that would’ve made it illegal for towns to create legislation restricting short-term rentals.

“We are at a crisis level on the supply of rental housing,” said Nick Taylor, executive director of the Workforce Housing Coalition of the Greater Seacoast. Without enough affordable housing in southern New Hampshire towns, “employers are having a hard time attracting employees, and workers are having a hard time finding a place to live,” Taylor said.

However, short-term rentals also provide housing for tourists, pointed out Ryan Castle, CEO of a local association of realtors. “A lot of workers are servicing the tourist industry, and the tourism industry is serviced by those people coming in short term,” Castle said, “and so it’s a cyclical effect.”

Short-term rentals themselves are not the crux of the issue, said Keren Horn, an expert on affordable housing policy. “I think individuals being able to rent out their second home is a good thing. If it’s their vacation home anyway, and it’s just empty, why can’t you make money off it?” Horn said. Issues arise, however, when developers attempt to create large-scale short-term rental facilities—de facto hotels—to bypass taxes and regulations. “I think the question is, shouldn’t a developer who’s really building a hotel, but disguising it as not a hotel, be treated and taxed and regulated like a hotel?” Horn said.

At the end of 2018, Governor Charlie Baker of Massachusetts signed a bill to rein in those potential investor-buyers. The bill requires every rental host to register with the state, mandates they carry insurance, and opens the potential for local taxes on top of a new state levy. Boston took things even further, requiring renters to register with the city’s Inspectional Services Department.

Horn said similar registration requirements could benefit struggling cities and towns, but “if we want to make a change in the housing market, the main one is we have to build a lot more.”

26. Which of the following is true of New England?

[A]

Its housing supply is at a very low level. 

[B]

Its communities are in need of funding. 

[C]

Its rental vacancy rate is going up slowly. 

[D]

Its home prices are under strict control. 

27. The bill mentioned in Paragraph 2 was intended to

[A]

curb short-term rental speculation. 

[B]

ensure the supply of cheap housing. 

[C]

punish illegal dealings in housing. 

[D]

allow a free short-term rental market. 

28. Compared with Castle, Taylor is more likely to support

[A]

further investment in local tourism. 

[B]

an increase in affordable housing. 

[C]

strict management of real estate agents. 

[D]

a favorable policy for short-term workers. 

29. What does Horn emphasize in Paragraph 5?

[A]

The urgency to upgrade short-term rental facilities. 

[B]

The efficient operation of the local housing market. 

[C]

The necessity to stop developers from evading taxes. 

[D]

The proper procedures for renting out spare houses. 

30. Horn holds that imposing registration requirements is

[A]

an irrational decision. 

[B]

an unfeasible proposal. 

[C]

an unnecessary measure. 

[D]

an inadequate solution. 

答案与解析 (Answers)

26. [A] Its housing supply is at a very low level.
解析：第一段明确指出新英格兰面临“历史上极低的库存（historically low inventory）”。第三段进一步补充道：“我们的租赁住房供应处于危机水平（We are at a crisis level on the supply of rental housing）”。这完美对应了A选项“其住房供应处于极低水平”。

27. [D] allow a free short-term rental market.
解析：第二段提到州立法机关最近“投票反对（voted against）”了一项法案，这个被否决的法案原本是“旨在规定城镇制定限制短期租赁的法律为非法（would’ve made it illegal for towns to create legislation restricting short-term rentals）”。换句话说，该法案的本意是不让城镇限制短租，即“允许自由的短期租赁市场（allow a free short-term rental market）”。州立法机关否决了它，说明他们希望保留限制短租的权利。

28. [B] an increase in affordable housing.
解析：根据第三段和第四段，Taylor 的身份是“劳动力住房联盟”的执行董事，他抱怨“南部城镇缺乏足够的经济适用房（Without enough affordable housing）”，导致工人找不到住处。而 Castle 则代表房地产协会，他更看重短租为旅游业带来的好处。因此，与 Castle 相比，Taylor 显然更倾向于支持“增加经济适用房（an increase in affordable housing）”。

29. [C] The necessity to stop developers from evading taxes.
解析：第五段中，Horn 认为个人出租闲置的第二套房是好事，但当开发商试图“建立大规模的短期租赁设施——事实上的酒店——以规避税收和监管（to bypass taxes and regulations）”时，问题就出现了。她强调这些伪装的开发商应该像酒店一样被征税和监管。这对应C选项“阻止开发商逃税的必要性”。

30. [D] an inadequate solution.
解析：最后一段中，Horn 承认注册要求有一定的好处，但她用“but（但是）”进行了转折：“如果我们想在住房市场上做出改变，最主要的是我们必须建造更多（the main one is we have to build a lot more）”。这表明，她认为仅仅强制注册治标不治本，是一个“不充分的解决方案（an inadequate solution）”，真正的解决之道在于增加供给。

核心长难句精解 (Highlighted Sentences)

1. 介词短语与定语从句的复合：
"Now, with record-high home prices and historically low inventory, there’s an increased urgency in such regulation, particularly among those who worry that developers will come in and buy up swaths of housing to flip for a fortune on the short-term rental market."
【解析】with... inventory 是伴随状语，点明了目前的严峻背景。who 引导定语从句修饰 those，在从句中 that 引导宾语从句作 worry 的宾语。to flip for a fortune 是不定式作目的状语，意为“为了大赚一笔而倒卖”。
【翻译】如今，随着房价创下历史新高且库存处于历史低位，此类监管的紧迫性有所增加，尤其是对于那些担心开发商会进来买下大片住房，以便在短期租赁市场上高价倒卖大赚一笔的人而言。

2. 虚拟语气与双重否定逻辑：
"The state Legislature recently voted against a bill that would’ve made it illegal for towns to create legislation restricting short-term rentals."
【解析】that 引导定语从句修饰 bill。从句中使用了虚拟语气 would have made（本将会使得）。it 为形式宾语，真正的宾语是 for towns to create...。句中的逻辑非常绕：法案本身是要让“限制短租”变成“非法”的（即支持短租），但立法机关“投票反对（voted against）”了这个法案，意味着立法机关倾向于“允许限制短租”。
【翻译】该州立法机关最近投票否决了一项法案，该法案原本会使城镇制定限制短期租赁的法律成为非法行为。

3. 插入语与反问句：
"“I think the question is, shouldn’t a developer who’s really building a hotel, but disguising it as not a hotel, be treated and taxed and regulated like a hotel?” Horn said."
【解析】who's 引导定语从句修饰 developer。主干是一个反问句 shouldn't a developer... be treated and taxed...。这种句式强烈表达了作者（这里是 Horn）希望这些伪装的短租房受到与酒店同等监管的立场。
【翻译】霍恩说：“我认为问题在于，一个实际上在建酒店，却将其伪装成非酒店的开发商，难道不应该像酒店一样受到对待、征税和监管吗？”