______ Americans owned a bathtub as early as 1895. A. Many B. Not all C. All D.
______ Americans owned a bathtub as early as 1895.
A. Many
B. Not all
C. All
D. Few
______ Americans owned a bathtub as early as 1895.
A. Many
B. Not all
C. All
D. Few
A.were very rich
B.lived in poverty
C.had the good things on the first three levels
D.did not own automobiles
A. were very rich
B. lived in poverty
C. did not own automobiles
D. had own automobiles
Today, Americans are still fond of trying their hand at becoming small business people, even though only one out of two survives the first two years. Many of these people start their businesses for the wrong reasons: to get away from the paper work of their present jobs or to exchange the responsibility of their present jobs for freer life styles. But more, not less, paper work and responsibility come with ownership of a small business. John Shuttleworth, owner of the recently successful life-ecology news magazine Mother Earth, reports having had to work sixty hours straight in order to bring out the first issue.
John Shuttleworth waited years after conceiving the idea for Mother Earth before he attempted to put out the first issue. During that time, he collected as much information as he could about his proposed venture. He borrowed books about business from the library; he talked to people already established in the field; and he began planning in detail the amount of money and the kinds and numbers of supplies he would need. When he finally opened with a capital of $1,500, he set up his office in the kitchen of his home and his printing press in the garage. Due to his devotion to business his managerial skill, and his talent, Mother Earth now has a circulation of 300,000:
Not all small business succeed as well as Mother Earth has. Fifty percent of the 450,000 that start in the United States every year fail. Still, ninety-five percent businesses in the States can be described as small. Combined, these businesses account for forty percent of America's gross national product.
According to this passage, many people start their own businesses for the wrong reasons. The reasons are wrong because they do not realize that ______.
A.their own businesses will provide large income but less responsibility
B.their own businesses will not relieve them from paper work and responsibility
C.their own businesses will require longer working hours but less paper work
D.their own businesses could easily fail
Very often, introductions are made using both first and last names: "Mary Smith, this is John Jones." In this situation you are free to decide whether to call the lady "Mary" or "Miss Smith". Sometimes both of you will begin a conversation using last names, and after a while one or both of you may begin using first names instead. You have a choice: if you don't want to use first names so quickly, no one will think it impolite if you continue according to your own custom.
In the first paragraph the author tells us that ______.
A.Americans do not talk about rank, especially socially
B.Americans feel uncomfortable when talking about rank
C.Americans take interests in social customs
D.Americans don't care much about social rank
Car rental companies are【B2】in the telephone book and are located in most cities and towns.【B3】, there are usually rental cars at airports and train and bus stations. As is true everywhere in the world, you can rent a car【B4】the day, week, or month. Some companies【B5】have special weekend rates that you may find especially interesting if you have only a limited【B6】of time to travel around the area you are visiting. Since each company has its own rules and rates, it is a good idea to【B7】prices among companies to get the best rates to suit your purposes. For example, most car rental costs【B8】how long you plan to keep the car and how far you travel. However, some companies may include gasoline in their rates, but【B9】do not. Some companies require that you【B10】the car to its starting point; others will permit you to leave the car in another city.
【B1】
A.Some time
B.Sometimes
C.Sometime
D.Some times
“Energy independence” and its rhetorical (修辞的) companion “energy security” are, however, slippery concepts that are rarely though through. What is it we want independence from, exactly?
Most people would probably say that they want to be independent from imported oil. But there are reasons that we buy all that old from elsewhere.
The first reason is that we need it to keep our economy running. Yes, there is a trickle(涓涓细流)of biofuel(生物燃料)available, and more may become available, but most biofuels cause economic waste and environmental destruction.
Second, Americans have basically decided that they don't really want to produce all their own oil. They value the environmental quality they preserve over their oil imports from abroad. Vast areas of the United States are off-limits to oil exploration and production in the name of environmental protection. To what extent are Americans really willing to endure the environmental impacts of domestic energy production in order to cut back imports?
Third, there are benefits to trade. It allows for economic efficiency, and when we buy things from places that have lower production costs than we do, we benefit. And although you don't read about this much, the United States is also a large exporter of oil products, selling about 2 million barrels of petroleum products per day to about 90 countries.
There is no question that the United States imports a great deal of energy and, in fact, relies on that steady flow to maintain its economy. When that flow is interrupted, we feel the pain in short supplies and higher prices, At the same time, we derive massive economic benefits when we buy the most affordable energy on the world market and when we engage in energy trade around the world.
61. What does the author say about energy independence for America?()
A.It sounds very attractive.
B.It ensures national security.
C.It will bring oil prices down.
D.t has long been everyone's dream.
62. What does the author think of biofuels?()
A.They keep America's economy running healthily.
B.They prove to be a good alternative to petroleum.
C.They do not provide a sustainable energy supply.
D.They cause serious damage to the environment.
63. Why does America rely heavily on oil imports?()
A.It wants to expand its storage of crude oil.
B.Its own oil reserves are quickly running out.
C.It wants to keep its own environment intact.
D.Its own oil production falls short of demand.
64. What does the author say about oil trade?()
A.It proves profitable to both sides.
B.It improves economic efficiency.
C.It makes for economic prosperity.
D.It saves the cost of oil exploration.
65. What is the author's purpose in writing the passage?()
A.To justify America's dependence on oil imports.
B.To arouse Americans' awareness of the energy crisis.
C.To stress the importance of energy conservation.
D.To explain the increase of international oil trade.
Samuel Preston, a sociologist at the University of Pennsylvania, studied how the American family is changing. He reported that by the time the average American couple reaches about 40 years of age, their parents are usually still alive. The statistics show the change in lifestyles and responsibilities of aging (老龄化) Americans. The average middle-aged couple can look forward to caring for elderly parents sometime after their own children have grown up. Moreover, because people today live longer after an illness than people did years ago, family members must provide long-term care. These facts also mean that after caregivers provide for their elderly parents, who will eventually die, they will be old and may require care too. When they do, their spouses (配偶) will probably take care of them because they have had fewer children than their parents did.
Because Americans are living longer than ever, more social workers have begun to study ways of caregiving to improve the care of the elderly. They have found that all caregivers share a common characteristic; They believe that they are the best people for the job. The social workers have also discovered three basic reasons why the caregivers take on the responsibility of caring for an elderly, dependent relative. Many caregivers believe they had an obligation (职责) to help their relatives. Some think that helping others makes them feel more useful. Others hope that by helping someone now, they will deserve care when they become old and dependent.
Samuel Preston's study shows that______.
A.lifestyles and responsibilities of the elderly are not changing
B.most American couples over 40 have no living parents
C.middle-aged Americans have to take care of their children and parents at the same time
D.elderly people may need care for a long time because they live longer after an illness
In the USA, the (27) family, if the father is not (28) work, can afford to buy a new car every five years. However, many young people (29) after school in order to save money to buy a car. Learning to drive and getting a driver license may be one of the most exciting (30) of a young person's life. Driver (31) is one of the most popular courses. At the end of the course the student will (32) a driving test for a license. (33) many, that piece of paper means that they have grown up.
In the United States, many men and women (34) to have cars. People use cars to go to work. (35) drive cars to go shopping, to take the children to school or for other activities.
21.
A. crazy
B. careful
C. sure
D. worried
Sitting in a dark theater, watching the images on the screen, they enter another world that is real to them. They become involved in the lives of the characters in the movie, and for two hours, they forget all about their own problems. They are in a dream world where things often appear to be more romantic (浪漫的) and beautiful than in real life.
The biggest "dream factories" are in Hollywood, the capital of the film industry. Each year, Hollywood studios make hundreds of movies that are shown all over the world. American movies are popular because they tell stories and they are well-made. They provide the public with heroes who do things the average person would like to do but often can't. People have to cope with many problems and much trouble in real life, so they feel encouraged when they see the" good guys "win in the movies.
The Americans go to the movies mainly because they want______.
A.to enjoy a good story
B.to experience an exciting life
C.to see the actors and actresses
D.to escape their daily life
听力原文: People over the age of 65 in the U.S.A. are called senior citizens. Life for these people is different from that for younger Americans. Most senior citizens retire, or no longer work full time. Also it is unusual for people of this age to live with their children and grandchildren. Grandparents tend to live in their own houses or apartments away from their families.
For many senior citizens, the year after 65 is not enjoyable. They feel unproductive when they no longer work. Their lives lose meaning. In addition, they may feel lonely being away from their families and the contacts they had in their work. Moreover, they become more concerned with their health as they grow olden If they live in big cities, they often worry about their safety.
Other senior citizens enjoy their lives. They feel free to do things they were not able to do when they were working and raising families. They now have time to enjoy hobbies and sports and travel. They associate with their fellow senior citizens who have common interests and equal free time. Many senior citizens move to retirement communities located in warm climates. Some senior citizens continue to work beyond retirement age. Many find new careers and professional opportunities after they retire.
The number of senior citizens in the U.S. is increasing rapidly because people are living longer than before. The average life span for Americans is now more than 74 years. Because of their larger numbers and more active life styles, senior citizens are gaining social influence in the country, both politically and economically. Their concerns are receiving a wider audience than ever before. The time may come when all Americans will look forward to becoming senior citizens.
How old are senior citizens?
A.People of 65 years old.
B.People over 65 years of age.
C.People between 60 and 65 years old.
D.Retired people.
For the past several decades, it seems there's been a general consensus on how to get ahead in America: Get a college education, find a reliable job, and buy your own home. But do Americans still believe in that path, and if they do, is it attainable? The most recent National Journal poll asked respondents about the American dream, what it takes to achieve their goals, and whether or not they felt a significant amount of control over their ability to be successful. Overwhelmingly, the results show that today, the idea of the American dream—and what it takes to achieve it—looks quite different than it did in the late 20th century. By and large, people felt that their actions and hard work—not outside forces—were the deciding factor in how their lives turned out. But respondents had decidedly mixed feelings about what actions make for a better life in the current economy. In the last seven years, Americans have grown more pessimistic about the power of education to lead to success. Even though they see going to college as a fairly achievable goal, a majority—52 percent—think that young people do not need a four-year college education in order to be successful. Miguel Maeda, 42, who has a master's degree and works in public health, was the first in his family to go to college, which has allowed him to achieve a sense of financial stability his parents and grandparents never did. While some, like Maeda, emphasized the value of the degree rather than the education itself, others still see college as a way to gain new perspectives and life experiences. Sixty-year-old Will Fendley, who had a successful career in the military and never earned a college degree, thinks "personal drive" is far more important than just going to college. To Fendley, a sense of drive and purpose, as well as an effective high-school education, and basic life skills, like balancing a checkbook, are the necessary ingredients for a successful life in America. 51.It used to be commonly acknowledged that to succeed in America, one had to have _____.
A.an advanced academic degree
B.an ambition to get ahead
C.a firm belief in their dream
D.a sense of drive and purpose
52.What is the finding of the latest National Journal poll concerning the American dream_____
A.More and more Americans are finding it hard to realize.
B.It remains alive among the majority of American people.
C.Americans' idea of it has changed over the past few decades.
D.An increasing number of young Americans are abandoning it.
53.What do Americans now think of the role of college education in achieving success_____
A.It still remains open to debate.
B.It has proved to be beyond doubt.
C.It is no longer as important as it used to be.
D.It is much better understood now than ever.
54.How do some people view college education these days_____
A.It promotes gender equality.
B.It needs to be strengthened.
C.It adds to cultural diversity.
D.It helps broaden their minds.
55.What is one factor essential to success in America, according to Will Fendley_____
A.A desire to learn and to adapt.
B.A strong sense of responsibility.
C.A willingness to commit oneself.
D.A clear aim and high motivation.