Text 4 "It is always better to buy a house; paying rent is like pouring money down the drain." For years, such advice has encouraged people to borrow heavily to get on the property ladder as soon as possible. But is it still sound advice House prices are currently at record levels in relation to rents in many parts of the world and it now often makes more financial sense--especially for first--time buyers--to rent instead. Homebuyers tend to underestimate their costs. Once maintenance costs, insurance and property taxes are added to mortgage payments, total annual outgoings now easily exceed the cost of renting an equivalent property, even after taking account of tax breaks. Ah, but capital gains will more than make up for that, it is popularly argued. Over the past seven years, average house prices in America have risen by 65% , those in Britain, Spain, Australia and Ireland have more than doubled. But it is unrealistic to expect such gains to continue. Making t
A. negated.
B. popularized.
C. commended.
D. overhauled.
Text 4 "It is always better to buy a house; paying rent is like pouring money down the drain." For years, such advice has encouraged people to borrow heavily to get on the property ladder as soon as possible. But is it still sound advice House prices are currently at record levels in relation to rents in many parts of the world and it now often makes more financial sense--especially for first--time buyers--to rent instead. Homebuyers tend to underestimate their costs. Once maintenance costs, insurance and property taxes are added to mortgage payments, total annual outgoings now easily exceed the cost of renting an equivalent property, even after taking account of tax breaks. Ah, but capital gains will more than make up for that, it is popularly argued. Over the past seven years, average house prices in America have risen by 65% , those in Britain, Spain, Australia and Ireland have more than doubled. But it is unrealistic to expect such gains to continue. Making t
A. tax-evasion were rampant.
B. the real value of mortgages were lost.
C. renting a house were baffling.
D. inflation were out of control.
Text 2 "Worse than useless," fumed Darrell Issa, a Republican congressman from California, on March 19th, when the House Judiciary Committee held a hearing on the Immigration and Naturalization Service. "Terrible, and getting worse," added Zoe Lofgren, a Democratic colleague who has kept a watchful eye on the INS for ten years. Committee members lined up to take swings at James Ziglar, the head of the INS. He explained, somewhat pathetically, that "outdated procedures" had kept the visa-processing wheels grinding slowly through a backlog of applications. He also had some new rules in mind to tighten up visas. Speeding up the paperwork -- and getting more of it on to computers -- is vital, but the September attacks have exposed the tension between the agency’s two jobs: on the one hand enforcing the security of America’s borders, and on the other granting privileges such as work permits to foreigners. But other people want more radi
A. charges launched against its head.
B. its merging with the Customs Service.
C. other security recommendations.
D. its separation into two bodies.
Text 4 "Worse than useless," fumed Darrell Issa, a Republican congressman from California, on March 19th, when the House Judiciary Committee held a hearing on the Immigration and Naturalization Service. "Terrible, and getting worse," added Zoe Lofgren, a Demo cratic colleague who has kept a watchful eye on the INS for ten years. Committee members lined up to take swings at James Ziglar, the head of the INS. He explained, somewhat pathetically, that "outdated procedures" had kept the visa-processing wheels grinding slowly through a backlog of applications. He also had some new rules in mind to tighten up visas. Speeding up the paperwork--and getting more of it on to comput ers--is vital, but the September llth attacks have exposed the tension between the agency’ s two jobs: on the one hand enforcing the security of America’s borders, on the other granting privileges such as work permits to foreigners. But other people want more radi
A. keeps a watchful eye on itself.
B. grants .privileges to immigrants.
C. monitors shipments of goods.
D. takes advantage of computers.
Text 4 "What a difference a word makes." The issue of semantics has been an ongoing complaint against the media, which has been characterized by an increasing level of sensationalism and irresponsible reporting over the years, fostered by increasingly fierce competition and struggle for wider distributions and readerships. A focal point for the criticism is the coverage of high-profile criminal cases.With such headlines as "Mr. X Arrest for First-Degree Murder" prominently displayed across the front page, it has been argued that such provocative language influences public opinion, causing premature assumptions of guilt before the matter can be properly and legally decided in a court of law. The power of the media to influence public opinion and, by extension, legal and political perceptions, has long been established and recognized, spurring outcries when inaccurate or overly embellished stories result in unwarranted destruction of public image or intru
A. reporting, as it is conducted today, is of little value due to its sensationalist nature
B. the media is primarily interested in boosting sales and only marginally interested in the accuracy of its articles
C. the media is on a downward spiral toward further inaccuracies, but there is hope for the future
D. the inaccurate nature of the media is the result of public demand for that type of journalism
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