河南成教 / 专升本英语2
1[阅读题]
How America Lives
(1) Americans still follow many of the old ways. In a time of rapid changes it is essential that we remember how much of the old we cling to. Young people still get married. Of course, many do get divorced, but they remarry at astonishing rates. They have children, but fewer than before. They belong to churches, even though they attend somewhat less frequently, and they want their children to have religious instruction. They are willing to pay taxes for education, and they generously support institutions like hospitals, museums and libraries. In fact, when you compare the America of today with that of 1950, the similarities are far greater than the differences.
(2) Americans seem to be growing conservative. The 1980 election, especially for the Senate and House of Representatives, signaled a decided turn to the right insofar as political and social attitudes were concerned. It is as if our country spent the 1960s and 1970s jealously breaking out of old restraints and now wishes to put the brakes on. We should expect to see a reaffirmation of traditional family values, sharp restraints on pornography, a return to religion and a rejection of certain kinds of social legislation.
(3) Patterns of courtship and marriage have changed radically. Where sex was concerned, I was raised in an atmosphere of suspicion, repression and Puritanism, and although husky young kids can survive almost anything, many in my generation suffered grievously. Without reservation, I applaud the freer patterns of today, although I believe that it’s been difficult for some families to handle the changes.
(4) American women are changing the rules. Thirty years ago I could not have imagined a group of women employees suing a major corporation for millions of dollars of salary which, they alleged, had been denied them because they had been discriminated against. Nor could I imagine women in universities going up to the men who ran the athletic programs and demanding a just share of the physical education budget. At work, at play, at all levels of living women are suggesting new rules.
(5) America is worried about its schools. If I had a child today, I would send her or him to a private school for the sake of safety, for the discipline that would be enforced and for the rigorous academic requirements. But I would doubt that the child would get any better education than l did in my good public school. The problem is that good public schools are becoming pitifully rare, and I would not want to take the chance that the one I sent my children to was inadequate.
(6) Some Americans must live on welfare. Since it seems obvious that our nation can produce all its needs with only a part of the available work force, some kind of social welfare assistance must be doled out to those who cannot find jobs. When I think of a typical welfare recipient I think of a young neighbor woman whose husband was killed in a tragic accident, leaving her with three young children. In the bad old days she might have known destitution, but with family assistance she was able to hold her children together and produced three fine, tax-paying citizens. America is essentially a compassionate society.
(7) America cannot find housing for its young families. I consider this the most serious danger confronting family life in America, and I am appalled that the condition has been allowed to develop. For more than a decade, travelers like me have been aware that in countries like Sweden, Denmark, Russia and India young people have found it almost impossible to acquire homes. In Sweden the customary wait was 11 years of marriage, and we used to ask, “what went wrong?” It seemed to us that a major responsibility of any nation would be to provide homes for its young people starting their families. Well, this dreadful social sickness has now overtaken the United States, and for the same reasons. The builders in our society find it profitable to erect three-bathroom homes that sell for $220,000 with a mortgage at 19 percent but find it impossible to erect small homes for young marrieds. For a major nation to show itself impotent to house its young people is admitting a failure that must be corrected.
(8) Our prospects are still good. We have a physical setting of remarkable integrity, the world’s best agriculture, a splendid wealth of minerals, great rivers for irrigation and an unsurpassed system of roads for transportation. We also have a magnificent mixture of people from all the continents with varied traditions and strengths. But most of all, we have a unique and balanced system of government.
(9) I think of America as having the oldest form of government on earth, because since we started our present democracy in 1789, every other nation has suffered either parliamentary change or revolutionary change. It is our system that has survived and should survive, giving the maximum number of people a maximum chance for happiness.
IV. In this section, there are ten incomplete statements, followed by four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the best answer and write the corresponding letter on your Answer Sheet.
1. Which of the following is NOT a major aspect of the American life discussed by the writer?
A. Family value and housing. B. Social welfare and education.
C. Agriculture and transportation. D. Marriage and women’s social status.
2. The author welcomes the freer patterns of today’s courtship and marriage ______.
A. since nobody can survive almost anything
B. because many young kids of his time suffered bitterly
C. although all the families find it difficult to deal with the changes
D. whether or not these changes have indicated a decided turn to the right
3. American public schools today are ______.
A. no better than those decades ago
B. no worse than those in the past
C. less desirable than they used to be
D. more desirable than private schools
4. Builders seem not willing to put up small homes for young married couples because ______.
A. there is no market demand for small houses
B. America is a nation impotent to house its young people
C. most young people would dream of having larger homes
D. it is not very lucrative for builders to put up small houses
5. The America of today is similar with that of 1950, a case in point is ______.
A. young people have more children than their parents did
B. young people do many things in the same ways as their parents did
C. American people are reluctant to donate money to public services
D. many young people are cautious about getting re-married after a divorce
6. Which of the following is a serious problem that exists in American society?
A. American women are changing the rules.
B. America cannot provide homes for its young people.
C. American public schools are as good as private schools.
D. None of the jobless can enjoy more welfare than before.
7. As the writer expects to see a reaffirmation of traditional family values, sharp restraints on pornography, a return to religion and a rejection of certain kinds of social legislation, he is somewhat ______.
A. radical B. cynical
C. conservative D. open-minded
8. Obviously, the writer is ______ the major changes that have taken place and that are occurring in American life.
A. in favor of B. enraged by
C. critical of D. worried about
9. The American system of government has survived and should survive, because ______.
A. it is truly democratic
B. it is the oldest on earth
C. it has experienced numerous changes
D. it offers its people chances of happiness
10. This essay is ______.
A. narrative B. expository
C. descriptive D. argumentative
1[阅读题]
How America Lives
(1) Americans still follow many of the old ways. In a time of rapid changes it is essential that we remember how much of the old we cling to. Young people still get married. Of course, many do get divorced, but they remarry at astonishing rates. They have children, but fewer than before. They belong to churches, even though they attend somewhat less frequently, and they want their children to have religious instruction. They are willing to pay taxes for education, and they generously support institutions like hospitals, museums and libraries. In fact, when you compare the America of today with that of 1950, the similarities are far greater than the differences.
(2) Americans seem to be growing conservative. The 1980 election, especially for the Senate and House of Representatives, signaled a decided turn to the right insofar as political and social attitudes were concerned. It is as if our country spent the 1960s and 1970s jealously breaking out of old restraints and now wishes to put the brakes on. We should expect to see a reaffirmation of traditional family values, sharp restraints on pornography, a return to religion and a rejection of certain kinds of social legislation.
(3) Patterns of courtship and marriage have changed radically. Where sex was concerned, I was raised in an atmosphere of suspicion, repression and Puritanism, and although husky young kids can survive almost anything, many in my generation suffered grievously. Without reservation, I applaud the freer patterns of today, although I believe that it’s been difficult for some families to handle the changes.
(4) American women are changing the rules. Thirty years ago I could not have imagined a group of women employees suing a major corporation for millions of dollars of salary which, they alleged, had been denied them because they had been discriminated against. Nor could I imagine women in universities going up to the men who ran the athletic programs and demanding a just share of the physical education budget. At work, at play, at all levels of living women are suggesting new rules.
(5) America is worried about its schools. If I had a child today, I would send her or him to a private school for the sake of safety, for the discipline that would be enforced and for the rigorous academic requirements. But I would doubt that the child would get any better education than l did in my good public school. The problem is that good public schools are becoming pitifully rare, and I would not want to take the chance that the one I sent my children to was inadequate.
(6) Some Americans must live on welfare. Since it seems obvious that our nation can produce all its needs with only a part of the available work force, some kind of social welfare assistance must be doled out to those who cannot find jobs. When I think of a typical welfare recipient I think of a young neighbor woman whose husband was killed in a tragic accident, leaving her with three young children. In the bad old days she might have known destitution, but with family assistance she was able to hold her children together and produced three fine, tax-paying citizens. America is essentially a compassionate society.
(7) America cannot find housing for its young families. I consider this the most serious danger confronting family life in America, and I am appalled that the condition has been allowed to develop. For more than a decade, travelers like me have been aware that in countries like Sweden, Denmark, Russia and India young people have found it almost impossible to acquire homes. In Sweden the customary wait was 11 years of marriage, and we used to ask, “what went wrong?” It seemed to us that a major responsibility of any nation would be to provide homes for its young people starting their families. Well, this dreadful social sickness has now overtaken the United States, and for the same reasons. The builders in our society find it profitable to erect three-bathroom homes that sell for $220,000 with a mortgage at 19 percent but find it impossible to erect small homes for young marrieds. For a major nation to show itself impotent to house its young people is admitting a failure that must be corrected.
(8) Our prospects are still good. We have a physical setting of remarkable integrity, the world’s best agriculture, a splendid wealth of minerals, great rivers for irrigation and an unsurpassed system of roads for transportation. We also have a magnificent mixture of people from all the continents with varied traditions and strengths. But most of all, we have a unique and balanced system of government.
(9) I think of America as having the oldest form of government on earth, because since we started our present democracy in 1789, every other nation has suffered either parliamentary change or revolutionary change. It is our system that has survived and should survive, giving the maximum number of people a maximum chance for happiness.
IV. In this section, there are ten incomplete statements, followed by four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the best answer and write the corresponding letter on your Answer Sheet.
1. Which of the following is NOT a major aspect of the American life discussed by the writer?
A. Family value and housing. B. Social welfare and education.
C. Agriculture and transportation. D. Marriage and women’s social status.
2. The author welcomes the freer patterns of today’s courtship and marriage ______.
A. since nobody can survive almost anything
B. because many young kids of his time suffered bitterly
C. although all the families find it difficult to deal with the changes
D. whether or not these changes have indicated a decided turn to the right
3. American public schools today are ______.
A. no better than those decades ago
B. no worse than those in the past
C. less desirable than they used to be
D. more desirable than private schools
4. Builders seem not willing to put up small homes for young married couples because ______.
A. there is no market demand for small houses
B. America is a nation impotent to house its young people
C. most young people would dream of having larger homes
D. it is not very lucrative for builders to put up small houses
5. The America of today is similar with that of 1950, a case in point is ______.
A. young people have more children than their parents did
B. young people do many things in the same ways as their parents did
C. American people are reluctant to donate money to public services
D. many young people are cautious about getting re-married after a divorce
6. Which of the following is a serious problem that exists in American society?
A. American women are changing the rules.
B. America cannot provide homes for its young people.
C. American public schools are as good as private schools.
D. None of the jobless can enjoy more welfare than before.
7. As the writer expects to see a reaffirmation of traditional family values, sharp restraints on pornography, a return to religion and a rejection of certain kinds of social legislation, he is somewhat ______.
A. radical B. cynical
C. conservative D. open-minded
8. Obviously, the writer is ______ the major changes that have taken place and that are occurring in American life.
A. in favor of B. enraged by
C. critical of D. worried about
9. The American system of government has survived and should survive, because ______.
A. it is truly democratic
B. it is the oldest on earth
C. it has experienced numerous changes
D. it offers its people chances of happiness
10. This essay is ______.
A. narrative B. expository
C. descriptive D. argumentative
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