Part A: Reading Comprehension

Text 4

When the government talks about infrastructure contributing to the economy the focus is usually on roads, railways, broadband and energy. Housing is seldom mentioned.

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 projects, 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.

Nevertheless, the affordable housing situation is desperate. Waiting lists increase all the time and we are simply not building enough new homes.

The comprehensive spending 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.

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%.

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.

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 it returns to power. The housing sector needs to accept that we are very unlikely to ever return to the era of large-scale public grants. We need to adjust to this changing climate.

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.

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. 

答案解析 (Answers & Explanations)

36. [B] involves certain political factors.
解析：第二段最后一句指出，住房部门很少被政府提及，“最主要的原因是这个问题总是带有极强的政治色彩（politically charged）”。这说明住房部门“涉及某些政治因素（involves certain political factors）”，选B。A项与原文“seldom mentioned”相反；C项错在原文是“shoulder the blame（承担未沟通好的责任）”而非“太多责任”；D项错在原文说“未沟通好其真实的经济价值”，而不是说它失去了真实价值。

37. [C] suffered government biases.
解析：第四段中，作者呼吁政府“需要把历史的偏见放在一边（put historical prejudices to one side），并采取措施解决紧急的住房需求”。由此可推知，经济适用房在过去“遭受了政府的偏见（suffered government biases）”，选C。

38. [A] allow greater government debt for housing.
解析：第五段指出，财政大臣 George Osborne 可能会“对目前地方当局可用于抵押住房存量债务的借款上限引入更多的灵活性（introduce more flexibility to the current cap on the amount that local authorities can borrow...）”。放宽借款上限，也就意味着允许为住房借更多的债，即“允许更多的政府债务用于住房（allow greater government debt for housing）”，选A。

39. [C] contribute to funding new developments.
解析：第六段提到，部长们应着眼于创造一个确定性更高的租赁环境（a stable rental environment），“这将对注册供应商利用收入资助新开发项目（fund new developments from revenues）的能力产生重大影响”。因此，稳定的租赁环境有助于“资助新开发项目（contribute to funding new developments）”，选C。

40. [D] stop generous funding to the housing sector.
解析：第七段指出，要在短期内面对现实：现有的用于资助新建经济适用房的 45 亿英镑巨额拨款项目定于2015年到期，且“不太可能在那之后延期（is unlikely to be extended beyond then）”。作者还告诫住房部门，我们“极不可能再回到大规模公共拨款的时代（unlikely to ever return to the era of large-scale public grants）”。这说明2015年后，政府将“停止向住房部门提供慷慨的拨款（stop generous funding to the housing sector）”，选D。

核心长难句精解 (High-Light)

1. 原因分析与从句嵌套：
"It is hard to shove for attention among multibillion-pound infrastructure projects, 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."
【解析】前一句用 so 连接因果关系，it 为形式主语，that 引导真正的主语从句。后一句中 that 引导表语从句。这两句透彻分析了住房项目被边缘化的两大原因：规模比拼不过大型基建，且政治敏感性太强（politically charged）。

2. 介词短语前置与定语从句：
"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."
【解析】that 引导 hinted 的宾语从句。在从句中，`George Osborne, Chancellor of the Exchequer` 是主语及同位语。介词 `on` 后面的 the amount 带了一个由 that 引导的定语从句。`borrow against` 是金融词汇，意为“以...作抵押借款”。

3. 让步状语从句与同位语从句、非谓语动词的综合运用：
"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."
【解析】While 引导让步状语从句（虽然）。主句中 that 引导同位语从句解释 the fact 的内容。在同位语从句中，主语是 `the existing £4.5bn programme of grants`，后面的不定式 `to fund...` 作后置定语，而逗号中间的 `set to expire in 2015` 则是过去分词短语作非限制性定语（相当于 which is set to...）。这句长句生动刻画了英国住房补贴“断奶”的严峻现实。