Security guards at a shopping mall in Shanghai, China recently discovered a young man who had been living comfortably under a staircase (楼梯) for over six months.

Shopping malls are busy places, so keeping an eye on every individual can be challenging even for the most attentive security guards, but failing to notice someone living in a shopping mall for about half a year is a little suspicious in itself. And yet, that seems to have happened at a busy mall in Shanghai, where a young man managed to remain undiscovered for more than six months while living quite comfortably. The unnamed young man had prepared a sleeping tent under a staircase in the building, along with a small desk and an office chair. He charged his computer and mobile phone from the shopping mall electric outlets (电源插座).

The man apparently moved into the shopping mall over six months ago but was quickly noticed by a security guard who wanted to kick him out at first. However, after telling the guard that he was only living under the staircase there because he needed a quiet place to study for a college entrance exam, the young man was allowed to stay. He promised to leave right after the oh-so-important exam.

It’s not clear what happened to the security guard who originally discovered his clandestine living quarters, but one thing is for sure — the young man continued to live in the shopping mall until October 30, when a different guard managed to discover his surprisingly clean and organized home.

Some people claimed that the young man was nothing more than a ‘parasite (寄生虫)’ that could have caused damage to the companies operating in the mall or even attacked someone, and others praised his ability to remain unnoticed and save money on rent.

1.Which word can describe the man’s life under the staircase?

A Dangerous.

B Restless.

C Peaceful.

D Crowded.

解析：选C。C推理判断题。根据第一段的“had been living comfortably”和第二段的“where a young man managed to remain undiscovered for more than six months while living quite comfortably”可知，该男子选择了商场一个非常隐蔽的角落作为他的居所，因此他过着安静不被打扰的舒适生活。故选C。

2.What can we know about the guard who first found the young man?

A He posted a video about the man online.

B He made friends with the man.

C He kicked the man out right away.

D He agreed the man left there after gaokao.

解析：选D。D细节理解题。根据第三段最后一句“He promised to leave right after the oh-so-important exam.”可知，该男子高考之前被一位商场保安发现过，他说为了考前能安心复习就住在这里，高考结束后就搬走。故选D。

3.What does the underlined word “clandestine” mean?

A Secret.

B Shabby.

C Ugly.

D Noisy.

解析：选A。A词义猜测题。根据划线部分后面的“the young man continued to live in the shopping mall until October 30”可知，这名年轻人被曝光前一直住在商场里，并且住了超过半年的时间，除了最初发现他的那名保安，无其他人知晓他的秘密住所。故选A。

4.What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A The man set a bad example for the public.

B The man was understood by Internet users.

C The man’s story received mixed reactions.

D The man will continue staying under the staircase.

解析：选C。C推理判断题。根据最后一段内容“有的人认为该男子只不过是一个 ‘寄生虫’，可能会对在商场里经营的公司造成损害，甚至会攻击别人，还有人称赞他不被注意的能力，以及节省房租的能力”。由此可见，人们对他的做法褒贬不一。故选C。