PARTVREADINGCOMPREHENSION
PASSAGEONE
(1)TheearliestsettlerscametotheNorthAmericancontinenttoestablishcoloniesthatwerefreefromthecontrolsthatexistedinEuropeansocieties.Theywantedtoescapethecontrolsplacedontheirlivesbykingsandgovernments,priestsandchurches,noblemenandaristocrats.ThehistoricdecisionsmadebythosefirstsettlershavehadaprofoundeffectontheshapingoftheAmerican
character.Bylimitingthepowerofthegovernmentandthechurchesandeliminatingaformalaristocracy,theycreatedaclimateoffreedomwheretheemphasiswasontheindividual.IndividualfreedomisprobablythemostbasicofalltheAmericanvalues.Byfreedom,Americansmeanthedesireandtheabilityofallindividualstocontroltheirowndestinywithoutoutsideinterferencefromthegovernment,arulingnobleclass,thechurch,oranyotherorganizedauthority.
(2)Thereis,however,apricetobepaidforthisindividualfreedom:self-reliance.ItmeansthatAmericansbelievetheyshouldstandontheirownfeet,achievingbothfinancialandemotionalindependencefromtheirparentsasearlyaspossible,usuallybyage18or21.
(3)AsecondimportantreasonwhyimmigrantshavetraditionallybeendrawntotheUnitedStatesisthebeliefthateveryonehasaequalchancetoenteraraceandsucceedinthegame.BecausetitlesofnobilitywereforbiddenintheConstitution,noformalclasssystemdevelopedintheU.S.
(4)Thereis,however,apricetobepaidforthisequalityofopportunity:competition.Ifmuchoflifeisseenasrace,thenapersonmustruntheraceinordertosucceed;apersonmustcompetewithothers.ThepressuresofcompetitioninthelifeofanAmericanbegininchildhoodandcontinueuntilretirementfromwork.Infact,anygroupofpeoplewhodoesnotcompetesuccessfullydoesnotfit
intothemainstreamofAmericanlifeaswellasthosewhodo.
(5)AthirdreasonwhyimmigrantshavetraditionallycometotheUnitedStatesistohaveabetterlife.Becauseofitsabundantnaturalresources,theUnitedStatesappearedtobea“landofplentywheremillionscouldcometoseektheirfortunes.Thephrase“goingfromragstoriches”becameasloganfortheAmericandream.Manypeopledidachievematerialsuccess.MaterialwealthbecameavaluetotheAmericanpeople,anditalsobecameanacceptedmeasureofsocialstatus.
(6)Americanspayaprice,however,fortheirmaterialwealth:hardwork.HardworkhasbeenbothnecessaryandrewardingformostAmericansthroughouttheirhistory.Insomeways,materialpossessionsareseenasevidenceofpeople’sabilities.BarryGoldwater,acandidateforthepresidencyin1964,saidthatmostpoorpeoplearepoorbecausetheydeservetobe.MostAmericanswouldfind
thisaharshstatement,butmanymightthinktherewassometruthinit.
(7)ThesebasicvaluesdonottellthewholestoryoftheAmericancharacter.Rather,theyshouldbethoughtofasthemes,aswecontinuetoexploremorefacetsoftheAmericancharacterandhowitaffectslifeintheUnitedStates.
1.Para.4seemstosuggestthat__________.
A.Americansarebornwithasenseofcompetition
B.thepressureofcompetitionbeginswhenonestartswork
C.successfulcompetitionisessentialinAmericansociety
D.competitionresultsinequalityofopportunities
2.WhichofthefollowingmethodsdoestheauthormainlyuseinexplainingAmericanvalues?
A.Comparison
D.Causeandeffect
C.Definition
D.Processanalysis
1.C 2.D
暂无解析
Toobtainasatisfactoryresult，onemustapplytwo____ofpaintonacleansurface.
WhichofthefollowingitalicizedwordsDOESNOTcarrythemetaphoricalmeaning?
Toobtainasatisfactoryresult，onemustapplytwo（）ofpaintonacleansurface.
PARTVREADINGCOMPREHENSION
Inthissectiontherearefourpassagesfollowedbyquestionsorunfinishedstatements,eachwithfoursuggestedanswersmarkedA,B,CandD.Choosetheonethatyouthinkisthebestanswer.
TEXTA
Racket,dinclamor,noise,whateveryouwanttocallit,unwantedsoundisAmerica'smostwidespread
nuisance.Butnoiseismorethanjustanuisance.Itconstitutesarealandpresentdangertopeople'shealth.Day
andnight,athome,atwork,andatplay,noisecanproduceseriousphysicalandpsychologicalstress.Nooneis
immunetothisstress.Thoughweseemtoadjusttonoisebyignoringit,theear,infact,neverclosesandthe
bodystillresponds—sometimeswithextremetension,astoastrangesoundinthenight.
Theannoyancewefeelwhenfacedwithnoiseisthemostcommonoutwardsymptomofthestressbuilding
upinsideus.Indeed,becauseirritabilityissoapparent,legislatorshavemadepublicannoyancethebasisof
manynoiseabatementprograms.Themoresubtleandmoreserioushealthhazardsassociatedwithstress
causedbynoisetraditionallyhavebeengivenmuchlessattention.Nevertheless,whenweareannoyedormade
irritablebynoise,weshouldconsiderthesesymptomsfairwarningthatotherthingmaybehappeningtous,
someofwhichmaybedamagingtoourhealth.
Ofmanyhealthhazardstonoise,hearinglossisthemostclearlyobservableandmeasurablebyhealth
professionals.Theotherhazardsarehardertopindown.Formanyofus,theremaybeariskthatexposuretothe
stressofnoiseincreasessusceptibilitytodiseaseandinfection.Themoresusceptibleamongusmayexperience
noiseasacomplicatingfactorinheartproblemsandotherdiseases.Noisethatcausesannoyanceandirritability
inhealthpersonsmayhaveseriousconsequencesforthesealreadyillinmindorbody.
Noiseaffectsusthroughoutourlives.Forexample,thereareindicationsofeffectsontheunbornchildwhen
mothersareexposedtoindustrialandenvironmentalnoise.Duringinfancyandchildhood,youngstersexposed
tohighnoiselevelsmayhavetroublefallingasleepandobtainingnecessaryamountsofrest.
Why,then,istherenotgreateralarmaboutthesedangers?Perhapsitisbecausethelinkbetweennoiseand
manydisabilitiesordiseaseshasnotyetbeenconclusivelydemonstrated.Perhapsitisbecausewetendto
dismissannoyanceasapricetopayforlivinginthemodernworld.Itmayalsobebecausewestillthinkof
hearinglossasonlyanoccupationalhazard.
1.InParagraph1,thephrase"immuneto"areusedtomean___.
A.unaffectedby
B.hurtby
C.unlikelytobeseenby
D.unknownby
2.Theauthor'sattitudetowardnoisewouldbestbedescribedas___.
A.unrealistic
B.traditional
C.concerned
D.hysterical
3.Whichofthefollowingbeststatesthemainideaofthepassage?
A.Noiseisamajorproblem;mostpeoplerecognizeitsimportance.
B.Althoughnoisecanbeannoying,itisnotamajorproblem.
C.Noiseisamajorproblemandhasnotyetbeenrecognizedassuch.
D.Noiseisamajorproblemaboutwhichnothingcanbedone.
4.Theauthorcondemnsnoiseessentiallybecauseit___.
A.isagainstthelaw
B.canmakesomepeopleirritable
C.isanuisance
D.inagangertopeople'shealth
5.Theauthorwouldprobablyconsiderresearchabouttheeffectsnoisehasonpeopletobe___.
A.unimportant
B.impossible.
C.awasteofmoney
D.essential