Never has a generation of young people spent so much money yet understood so little about how tc manage it．Over the past decade，the average credit-card debt of Americans ages 18 t0 24 doubled，tc nearly$3，000．Among high school seniors，4 0ut of 5 have never taken a personal-finance class．but nearly half have an ATM debit card，and more than a quarter have bounced a check。according to a survey of 5，775 teens，released in April by the nonprofit JumpStart Coalition for Financial Literacy．①If those trends continue，declaring bankruptcy could become as common as earning a bachelor’s degree．
The scourge of financial illiteracy is worrisome not only for young debtors but also for their parents， many of whom are facing retirement and can’t keep bailing out their kids forever．o But at least one financial institution has found a way to capitalize on the problem．San Francisco-based Wells Fargo Bank has launched an online role-playing video game aimed at teaching teens and young adults the basics ot financial management--with no strings attached。although Wells Fargo wouldn’t object if users ended up opening accounts at the bank．o The game can be found at stagecoachisland．corn and works only on Windows machines．
The biggest challenge，says Erik Hauser of Swivel Media，who developed the game，was to find a way tc engage kids’attention．“They’re used to instant messagin9，instant gratification and instant puddin9．We had to find an approach that wasn’t dry or static．”Players travel around a fantasy world。plunking down virtual cash at the malt or a car-rental agency，and earn spending money at any of the island’s seven virtual ATMs by taking quizzes(after a brief tutoHal)on such real-world fundamentals as credit，auto loans and online bankin9．④Sample question．Whatt does APR stand for?a)account percentage rate，b)average parcel rate，Anlerican paper route or d)annual percentage rate．For choosing d，you net$15 plus a shockingly generous10％interest each day on your virtual savings account．
But no computer game alone can cure adolescent financial ignorance．Some curriculum experts wonder why high schools are still teaching algebra，trigonometry and calculus but not the financial skills their students will need to survive in the real world，such as how to fill out tax forms。compare interest rates or calculate the return on an investment．“More schools need to offer money-management classes，”says Lewis Mandell，a finance professor at the State University of New York at Buffalo who oversaw the JumpS[art research．“The curriculum has to be made relevant to their lives．”[431 words]
1．The first paragraph is primarily intended to illustrate ______．
A．the life style of young generation
B．the financial state of high school seniors
C．the survey released by a nonprofit agency
D．the serious financial illiteracy among adolescents
2．Financial illiteracy of the youth is likely to lcad to ______．
A．the increase of young debtors
B．the declaration of bankruptcy
C．the worry of most retiring parents
D．the prosperity of a financial institution
3．According to the text，Wells Fargo Bank ______．
A．has heavily invested in financial education
B．is extremely interested in fostering financial literacy
C．makes the best use of young people’s financial illiteracy
D．tries to win more clients by launching an online video game
4．The video game developed by Erik Hauser ______．
A．contributes to the elimination of financial illiteracy
B．offers a brief tutorial to those who are willing to play
C．engages kids’attention by providing instant message
D．gratifies its players instantly by offering cash to them
5．According to some financial experts，adolescents ______．
A．should spend less time playing computer games
B．should attend less mathematics classes at school
C．should cure their financialignorance as soon as possible
D．should be given more opportunity to study financial skills[NextPage]
难句透析
①Among high school seniors，4 out of 5 have never taken a persona卜finance class，but nearly half have an ATM debit card，and more than a quarter have bounced a check，according to a survey of 5，775 teens，[released in April by the nonprofit JumpStart Coalition for Financial Literacy]．
【结构】本句的主句是由逗号和“but”连接的两个分句组成的并列句，其中第二个分句是由逗号和“and”连接的两个次一级分句组成的并列旬。方括号所标示的过去分词短语“released in April by…Literacy”是“survey”的后置定语。
【释义】非盈利组织“JumpStart Coalition”4月公布了一份对5775名年轻人展开的调查，结果显示：在中学高年级学生中，五分之四的人没有上过个人理财课程，但却有将近一半的人拥有自动取款机信用卡，超过四分之一的人曾被银行退票。
②The scourge of financial illiteracy is worrisome not only for young debtors but also for their parents，[many of whom are facing retirement and can’t keep bailing out their kids forever]．
【结构】“not only…but also…”连接两个介词短语“for…”和“for…”。方括号所标示的“many of whom are…forever”是“parents”的后置定语从句。
【释义】不仅仅对于年轻的债务人，而且对于他们的父母而言，理财知识的缺乏令人担忧，因为他们的父母大多数都面临退休以致无法继续帮助他们摆脱困境。
③San Franciscobased Wells Fargo Bank has launched an online role-playing video game[aimed at teaching teens and young adults the basics of financial management]--with no strings attached，[although Wells Fargo wouldn’t object(if users ended up opening accounts at the bank)]．
【结构】方括号所标示的过去分词短语“aimed at…management”是“video game”的后置定语。破折号后面的“with no strings attached”是对主句的补充说明。方括号所标示的“although Wells Fargo…bank”是让步状语从句，圆括号所标示的“if users…bank”是其中的条件状语从句。
【释义】坐落在洛杉矶的富国银行推出了一款在线角色扮演电脑游戏，旨在教授青少年以及年龄较小的成年人理财的基本知识。访问这款游戏没有别的附加条件，当然如果用户最后要开户绝不会遭到富国银行的反对。
④Players”travel around a fantasy world，[plunking down virtual cash at the mall or a car-rental agency]，and earn spending money at any of the island’S seven virtual ATMs by taking quizzes(after a brief tutorial)on such realworld fundamentals as credit。auto loans and online banking．
【结构】本句的主句有两个用逗号和“and”连接的并列的谓语动词“travel”和“earn”。方括号所标示的现在分词短语“plunking down…agency”是第一个谓语动词“travel”的补充说明状语。
【释义】玩家在一个虚拟的世界中漫游。在商场或是汽车租赁公司支付虚拟货币。通过做一些类似于现实生活中的信用卡、自动贷款和电子银行方面的基本知识测试(在简要指南的指导下)，玩家可以在岛上7个虚拟自动取款机上赚取个人零用钱。
⑤Some curriculum experts wonder[why high schools are still teaching algebra，trigonometry and calculus but not the financial skills(their students will need to survive in the real world)，such as(how to”fill out tax forms，”compare interest rates or”calculate the return on an investment)]．
【结构】方括号所标示的“why high schools…investment”是“wonder”的宾语从句，其中圆括号所标示的“their students…real world”是“skills”的后置定语从句。圆括号所标示的，用逗号和“or”连接的三个并列的动词不定式短语“how to”fill out…，”compare…or”calculate…”是“such as”的宾语。
【释义】一些课程设置专家提出质疑：为什么如今中学还在教授诸如代数、三角法、微积分之类的课程，而不传授给学生一些将来在现实社会中立足所必需的理财技巧，比如，如何填写报税单、比较利率或计算投资回报。 [NextPage]
全文翻译
从来没有哪一代的年轻人花钱如此大手大脚却对理财知识知之甚少。在过去的10年间，美国18到24岁年轻人的平均信用卡债务翻了一番，达到3000美金。非盈利组织“JumpStart Coalition”4月公布了一份对5775名年轻人展开的调查，结果显示：在中学高年级学生中，五分之四的人没有上过个人理财课程，但却有将近一半的人拥有自动取款机信用卡，超过四分之一的人曾被银行退票。如果这种趋势继续下去，宣布破产将会变得和获得学士学位一样普遍。
不仅仅对于年轻的债务人，而且对于他们的父母而言，理财知识的缺乏令人担忧，因为他们的父母大多数都面临退休以致无法继续帮助他们摆脱困境。但至少有一个金融机构找到了利用这些阅题的方法。坐落在洛杉矶的富国银行推出了一款在线角色扮演电脑游戏，旨在教授青少年以及年龄较小的成年人理财的基本知识。访问这款游戏没有别的附加条件，当然如果用户最后要开户绝不会遭到富国银行的反对。你可以在stagecoachisIand．corn这个网站找到这款游戏，只适用于Windows操作系统。
旋转传媒的埃里克·豪瑟是这款游戏的开发商，他表示，我们最大的挑战是要找到能让孩子们对游戏产生兴趣的办法：“他们习惯了收发即时消息。接收即时回报以及速溶果冻。我们必须找到一种既不枯燥也不墨守成规的方式。”玩家在一个虚拟的世界中漫游，在商场或是汽车租赁公司支付虚拟货币。通过做一些类似于现实生活中的信用卡、自动贷款和电子银行方面的基本知识测试(在简要指南的指导下)，玩家可以在岛上7个虚拟自动取款机上赚取个人零用钱。例题：请问APR是：a)账户利率，b)平均包裹利率，c)美国报纸路线，d)年利率。如果你选择 d选项，你将净赚15美金，而且你虚拟账户的存款将会获得高达每天10％的利息。
但是仅靠一款电脑游戏还是治愈不了青少年理财知识缺乏症。一些课程设置专家提出质疑：为什么如今中学还在教授诸如代数、三角法、微积分之类的课程，而不传授给学生一些将来在现实社会中立足所必需的理财技巧，比如，如何填写报税单、比较利率或计算投资回报。水牛城纽约州立大学的财经教授刘易斯·曼德尔在检查完 JumpStart的调查之后表示：“学校的课程设置必须与学生们的生活息息相关。”
超纲词汇
Bounce vt．(支票)遭银行退票
ATM abbr．(Automatic Teller Machine)自动取款(出纳)机
Scourge n．惩罚，灾难，祸患
static adj．呆板的，乏味的
bail vt．付钱使免遭失败
Mall n．购物商场，商业街，林荫路
debit n．借方，记入借方的款项
curriculum n．课程
Bankruptcy n．破产，无偿付能力
trigonometry n．三角学
plunk down突然落下，付给
calculus n．微积分学
virtual n．虚的，虚拟的
参考答案：1．D 2．A 3．C 4．A 5．D
