Australia

江东亮

主题语境：建筑与文化 篇幅：330词 建议用时：7分钟

1 Women over 45 are one of the fastest?growinggroups of people who are homeless in Australia. In2020， an estimated 405，000 women over 45 were atrisk of housing affordability stress and hence becominghomeless. Considering the shortage of af?fordable housing， an ageing population and thelifelong economic disadvantage that women experience， this problem requires a speedysolution.

2 A simple solution for older women facing homelessness is to provide them with accessto appropriate， safe and affordable homes for the long term. So why is this problem sodifficult to solve？ Recent attempts provide good short?term choices. But they do not createlong?term housing that meets older women's needs to age in place and have a sense ofbelonging and safety. All these aspects are important for their well?being.

3 Chinese courtyard housing—siheyuan—has some important principles that could beculturally adapted to the Australian background. The name siheyuan translates into quadrangle（四方院子） courtyard housing. This type of housing comes from traditional Confucianideas of the extended family unit， arranged around a courtyard or series of courtyardswith graduated levels of privacy.

4 The interesting thing about the siheyuan arrangement is the highly ordered series ofrooms with private units organized around open spaces and halls for gatherings. The orderof siheyuan presents a great opportunity for adapting it to suit the needs of older women. It'sa type of co?housing arrangement： People live independently but together， sharing somefacilities like open spaces and areas to come together for occasional meals. This modelcould form part of the rise in shared housing.

5 The courtyards meet the needs of older women to maintain a strong connection to agarden space. The courtyards promote exercise， as well as space for quiet contemplation （沉思）. The hall serves as a social connector. It's a place for activities， connecting with familyor friends， creative projects or listening. The private units ensure the independence， safetyand sense of belonging that older women need. Cultural and social needs are met easilywithin one personal space.

Reading

Check

1. What problem does Australia meet according to the text？

A. There aren't enough houses.

B. There are too many homeless people.

C. More and more senior women are homeless.

D. Australians spend money too quickly.

2. What does the underlined word“ they” refer to in paragraph 2？

A. The attempts to help the old women.

B. The problems the old women meet.

C. The houses built for the old women.

D. The requirements to have a sense of belonging.

3. What is the benefit of siheyuan？

A. It provides small rooms.

B. It is full of Chinese philosophy.

C. It can make people live longer.

D. It offers sharing and privacy.

4. Where can the old women connect with friends according to the last paragraph？

A. In the hall.

B. In the courtyards.

C. In the private units.

D. In the garden space.

Language

Study

Ⅰ. Difficult sentence in the text

Considering the shortage of affordable housing， an ageing population and the lifelongeconomic disadvantage that women experience， this problem requires a speedy solution. 考慮到经济适用房短缺、人口老龄化以及妇女终生处于经济劣势，这个问题需要尽快解决。

【点石成金】本句中，Considering...affordable housing 作状语，considering为介词。在英语中，有些动词的?ing 形式具备介词的性质，常用的这类单词有regarding、concerning、respecting、including。句中的that引导定语从句，that在从句中作宾语。

Ⅱ. Fill in the blanks with the words and phrases in the box in proper forms.

adapt to meet the needs of translate access afford estimate

To bridge the educational gap， we 1. ________the unique circumstances and extendedaccess to quality education. We 2.________the number of children in need and3.________the learning materials into multiple languages. By making the resources4.________， we ensured that it 5.________every student， regardless of their economicbackgrounds. Our efforts aimed to provide equal opportunities and empower the students tothrive academically. Through our determination， we have witnessed the power of educationas it opens doors and empowers individuals to break free from the cycle of poverty. Byworking together， we can continue to make education 6.________and inclusive for all.