1997年1月托福阅读全真试题
In any housing market， rental prices perform three functions：
（1） promoting the efficient maintenance of existing housing and stimulating the construction of new housing， （2）
allocating existing scarce housing among competing claimants，and （3） rationing use of existing housing by potential renters.
One result of rent control is a decrease in the construction of new rental units. Rent controls have artificially depressed the most important long-term determinant of profitability - rents. Consider some examples. In a recent year in Dallas，Texas， with a 16 percent rental vacancy rate but no rent control laws， 11，000 new housing units were built. In the same year， in San Francisco， California， only 2，000 units were built. The major difference？ San Francisco has only a 1.6 percent vacancy rate but stringent rent control laws. In New York City， except for government-subsidized construction， the only rental units being built are luxury units， which are exempt from controls. In Santa Monica， California， new apartments are not being constructed. New office rental space and commercial developments are， however. They are exempt from rent controls.
40. What does the passage mainly discuss？
（A） The construction of apartments in the United States.
（B） Causes and effects of rent control
（C） The fluctuations of rental prices
（D） The shortage of affordable housing in the United States.
41. The word "They" in line 9 refers to
（A） the tenants
（B） their leases
（C） places
（D） rent controls.
42. Which of the following was NOT a reason for the introduction of rent controls in Santa Monica， California？
（A） Rapid population growth
（B） Inflation
（C） Economic conditions during wartime
（D） Record-high housing prices
43. The phrase "roll back" in lines 11-12 is closest in meaning to
（A） credit
（B） measure
（C） vary
（D） reduce
44. The word "stimulating" in line 15 is closest in meaning to
（A） experimenting with
（B） identifying
（C） estimating
（D） encouraging
45. It can be inferred that the purpose of rent control is to
（A） protect tenants
（B） promote construction
（C） increase vacancy rates
（D） decrease sales of rental units
46. The word "depressed" in line 19 is closest in meaning to
（A） saddened
（B） created
（C） lowered
（D） defeated
47. The information in the last paragraph supports which of the following statements？
（A） San Francisco has eliminated its rent control laws.
（B） Rent control leads to a reduction in the construction of housing units
（C） Luxury apartments are rarely built when there is rent control
（D） There is a growing need for government-subsidized housing.
48. According to the passage， which of the following cities does NOT currently have rent
controls？
（A） Santa Monica
（B） Dallas
（C） San Francisco
（D） New York City
49. The word "stringent" in line 23 is closest in meaning to
（A） straightforward
（B） strict
（C） expanded
（D） efficient
50. According to the passage， which of the following is NOT exempt from rent control？
（A） Luxury apartments
（B） Commercial development
（C） Moderately priced apartments
（D） Office space.
注：本套试题第12题由于原图片原因，图片无法扫描，望读者谅。