In America, every student in his or her second year of high school is required to take a class in driver's education.

第1题

Drunken driving--sometimes called America's socially accepted form. of murder--has become

a national epidemic. Every hour of every day about three Americans on average are killed by drunken drivers, adding up an incredible 250,000 over the past decade.

A drunken driver is usually defined as one with a 0.10 blood content or roughly three beers, glasses of wine or shots of whisky drank within two hours. Heavy drinking used to be an acceptable part of the American man image and judges were tolerant in most courts, but the drunken slaughter has recently caused so many well-publicized tragedies, especially involving young children, that public opinion is no longer so tolerant.

Twenty states have raised the legal drinking age to 21, reversing a trend in the 1960s to reduce it to 18.After New Jersey lowered it to 18, the number of people killed by 18 to 20-year-old drivers more than doubled, so the state recently upped is back to 21.

Reformers, however, fear raising the drinking age will have little effect unless accompanied by educational programs to help young people to develop "responsible attitudes" about drinking and teach them to resist peer pressure to drink.

Tough new laws have led to increased arrests and tests and, in many areas already, to a marked decline in fatalities. Some states are also penalizing bars for serving customers too many drinks. A tavern in Massachusetts was fined for serving six or more double brandies to a customer who was "obviously intoxicated" and later drove off the road, killing a nine-year-old boy.

As the fatalities continue to daily in every state, some Americans are even beginning to speak well of the 13 years of national prohibition of alcohol that began in 1919, what President Hoover called the "noble experiment". They forget that legal prohibition didn't stop drinking, but encouraged political corruption and organized crime. As with the booming drug trade generally, there is no easy solution.

Drunken driving has become a major problem in America because ______.

A．most Americans are heavy drinkers

B．Americans are now less shocked by road accident

C．accident attract too much publicity

D．drinking is a socially accepted habit in America

点击查看答案

第2题

Artificial flowers are used for scientific as well as for decorative purposes. They are ma

de from a variety of materials, such as wax and glass, so skillfully that they can scarcely be distinguished from natural flowers. In making such models, painstaking skill and artistry are called for, as well as thorough knowledge of plant structure. The collection of glass flowers in the Botanical Museum of Harvard University is the most famous in North America and is widely known throughout the scientific world. In all, there are several thousand models in colored glass, the work of two artists-naturalists, Leopold Blaschka and his son Rudolph.

The intention was to have the collection represent at least one member of each flower family native to the United States. Although it was never completed, it contains more than seven hundred species representing 164 families of flowering plants, a group of fruits showing the effect of fungus diseases, and thousands of flower parts and magnified details. Every detail of these is accurately reproduced in color and structure. The models ate kept in locked cases, as they are too valuable and fragile for classroom use.

Which of the following is the best title for the passage？

A．An Extensive Collection of Glass Flowers.

B．The Live Leopold and Rudolph Blaschka.

C．Flowers Native to the United States.

D．Materials Used for Artificial Flowers.

点击查看答案

第3题

The word "Okay" is known and used by millions of people all over the world. Still, languag

e experts do not agree on where it came from.

Some say it came from the Indian peoples. When Europeans first came to America they heard hundreds of different Indian languages. Many were will developed.

One tribe especially had a well developed language. This was the Chocktaw tribe. They were farmers and fishermen whole lived in the rich Mississippi valley in what is now the state of Alabama. When problems arose, Chocktaw leaders discussed them with the tribal chief. They sat in a circle and listened to the wisdom of the chief.

He heard the different proposals, often raising and lowering his head in agreement, and saying, "Okeh," meaning "it is so."

The Indian languages have given many words to English. Twenty four of the American States almost half, have Indian names, Okalahoma, the Dakotas, Idaho, Wisconsin, Ohio and Tennessee, to name a few. And the names of many rivers, streams, mountains, cities and towns are Indian.

However, there are many people who dispute the idea that "Okay" came from the In di ans. Some say the President Andrew Jackson first used the word "Okay." Others claim the word was invented by John Jacob Astor, a fur trader of the late 1700s who became one of the world's richest men. Still others say a poor railroad clerk made up this word. His name was Obadiah Kelly and he put his initials(首写字母), O.K. on each package people gave him to ship by train.

So it goes, each story sounds reasonable and official.

But perhaps the most believable explanation is that the word "Okay" was invented by a political organization in the 1800s. Martin Van Buren was running for President. A group of people organized a club to support him. They called their political organization the "Okay Club. The letters "O" and "K" were taken from the name of Van Buren's hometown, the place where he was born, old Kinderhook, New York.

There is one thing about "Okay" that the experts do agree on: that the word is pure American and that it has spread to almost every country on earth.

There is something about the word that appeals to peoples of every language. Yet, here in America it is used mostly in speech, not in serious writing. In recent time, "Okay" has been given an official place in the English language. But it will be a long time before Americans will officially accept two expressions that come from "Okay." There are "Oke" and "Okeydoke".

______different opinions as where the word "Okay" came from are mentioned in the text.

A．Four

B．Five

C．six

D．Three

点击查看答案

第4题

On the fourth Thursday of November, every year, Americans celebrate Thanksgiving Day. The

day is a national holiday which is set aside each year as a time to give thanks to God for our blessings (祝福).

Legend has it that the first English colonists (殖民者) in Massachusetts (马萨诸塞州) started the custom. According to the story, the Pilgrims~ first winter in the New World was difficult. They had arrived too late to grow many crops, and without fresh food, half of the colonists died from disease. The following spring the Indians taught them how to grow corn. In the autumn of 1621, bountiful crops of corn, beans and pumpkins were harvested. The colonists had much to be thankful for, so a feast was planned. They invited their Indian friends to join them in a large feast to share in the bounties (慷慨) of the land. This is the first Thanksgiving.

The traditional foods of the big Thanksgiving Day meal include roast turkey, cranberries, sweet potatoes, pumpkin pie, and Indian bread puddings.

Since the day is set aside for giving thanks, it has also become a traditional family day. Large dinners with many relatives are common throughout America on this special day.

When was the Thanksgiving Day tradition begun？

A．In the 17(上标)th century.

B．On Thursday.

C．Last November.

D．In the 16(上标)th eentury.

点击查看答案

第5题

Every culture and every country in the world celebrates New Year, but not everyone does it

the same way. The countries in North America and Europe welcome New Year on January the first. This practice began with the Romans in the Middle East, New Year is when spring begins. People in China and Vietnam celebrate it on the first day of the Spring Festival, which is the first day of their calendar based on the moon. Rosh Hashana, which is the Jewish (犹太人的) New Year, comes at the end of summer. The Hindus (印度教教徒 ) in India celebrate the first day of each season, so they have four New Years.

In all these cultures, there is a practice of making noise. People made noise in ancient times to drive away the evil spirits (妖精) from their homes. Today making noise is more of a custom than a religious rim

In the United States, many people stay up until midnight on New Year's Eve to watch the clock pass from one year to the next. Friends often gather together at a party on New Year's Eve, and when the new year comes, all ring bells, blow' whistles, sing songs, and kiss each other. A favorite Scottish song which everyone sings together is Auld Lang Sync. The words tell of old friends and good times.

In all cultures, New Year's Day is a time when people think of new beginnings. They want to make the coming year better than the last one. Many people in the United States make New Year resolutions. These are specific promises that they make to improve their behavior, change their habits, and become better people. There are many jokes about how a person keeps his or her New Year resolutions.

In ancient times, the practice of making noise was meant ______.

A．to keep the evil spirits away

B．to have fun

C．to celebrate the coming of the new year

D．to keep to a custom

点击查看答案

第6题

In 1917, Russia was in chaos. The economy was collapsing, there were food shortages and th

e country was suffering heavy losses in the World War I. Inevitably, people began to lose faith in their ruler, Tsar Nicholas II. On 15 March 1917, after much political unrest, the Tsar decided to abdicate. He was replaced by a new government led by Alexander Kerensky.

To begin with a rival political group, the Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lennin and Leon Trotsky, supported the new government, but their relationship soon collapsed. The Bolsheviks wanted even more change—their aim was to replace the existing political structure with groups representing each sector of society and they urged every worker to join a revolution in order to bring this about. In July 1917, the Bolsheviks tried to overthrow the government but failed. They tried again on 24 October and this time they were successful. The provisional government was arrested in St Petersburg, and Lenin took over as Head of State. Support for the Bolsheviks soon spread across Russia, and world's first “workers’ revolutionary State” became reality.

From the passage we may know that the situation in Russia in 1917 was______.

A．favorable

B．in disorder

C．inspiring

D．encouraging

点击查看答案

第7题

Directions: There are five reading passages in this part. Each passage is followed by five

questions. For each question there are four suggested answers marked A, B, C and D. Choose the best answer and blackening the corresponding letter on the answer sheet.

Passage One

Artificial flowers are used for scientific as well as for decorative purposes. They are made from a variety of materials, such as wax and glass, so skillfully that they can scarcely be distinguished from natural flowers. In making such models, painstaking skill and artistry are called for, as well as thorough knowledge of plant structure. The collection of glass flowers in the Botanical Museum of Harvard University is the most famous in North America and is widely known throughout the scientific world. In all, there are several thousand models in colored glass, the work of two artists-naturalists, Leopold Blaschka and his son Rudolph.

The intention was to have the collection represent at least one member of each flower family native to the United States. Although it was never completed, it contains more than seven hundred species representing 164 families of flowering plants, a group of fruits showing the effect of fungus diseases, and thousands of flower parts and magnified details. Every detail of these is accurately reproduced in color and structure. The models ate kept in locked cases, as they are too valuable and fragile for classroom use.

31. Which of the following is the best title for the passage？

A. An Extensive Collection of Glass Flowers.

B. The Live Leopold and Rudolph Blaschka.

C. Flowers Native to the United States.

D. Materials Used for Artificial Flowers.

点击查看答案

第8题

Passage OneQuestions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage. Your passport is your of

Passage One

Questions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage.

Your passport is your official identification as an American citizen. In America，most people never consider obtaining a passport unless they are planning a trip out of the country. In Europe, where travel from one country to another is much more common，almost everyone carries a passport. A passport is final proof of identity in almost every country in the world.

In 1979 almost 15 million Americans held passports. Most of these passports were obtained to travel outside the country because，except for a few Western nations。passports are required to enter every country. And if you travel abroad，you must have a valid passport to reenter the country.

When traveling abroad，you will need a passport for identification when exchanging dollars for francs or marks or other foreign currency. You may also need your passport to use a credit card，buy an airplane ticket or check into a hotel. As a passport is an official U. S. document. it is valuable as identification in any emergency cases，such as floods，fires，or war.

Don't confuse passports and visas. Whereas a passport is issued by a country to its citizens. a visa is official permission to visit a country granted by the government of that country. For some years，many countries were dropping their visa requirements，but that trend has reversed. Argentina，Brazil，and Venezuela now require visas from U. S. citizens. They may be obtained from the embassy of the country you wish to visit.

Passport applications are available at passport agency offices in large cities like Boston，New York，or Chicago. In smaller cities，applications are available at post offices and at federal courts. To get your first passport，you must submit the application in person. along with a birth certificate and two pictures.

The main purpose of this passage is to______.

A. discuss traveling in other countries

B. distinguish between passports and visas

C. discuss the financial uses of a passport

D. provide information about passports

点击查看答案

第9题

Television has changed the lifestyle. of people in every industrialized country in the wor

ld. In the United States, where sociologists have studied the effects, some interesting observations have been made.

Television, although not essential, has become an important part of most people’s lives. It alters people's ways of seeing the world; in many ways, it supports and sustains (维持) modern life. Television has become a baby-sitter, an introducer of conversations, the major transmitter of culture, a keeper of tradition. Yet when what can be seen on TV in one day is critically analyzed, it becomes evident that television is not a teacher but a sustainer; the poor quality of programming does not elevate (提高)people into greater understanding, but rather maintains and encourages the life as it exists.

The primary reason for the lack of quality in American television is related to both the history of TV programming development and the economics of TV. Television in America began with the radio. Radio companies and their sponsors first experimented with television. Therefore, the close relationship which the advertisers had with radio programs became the system for American TV. Sponsors not only paid money for time within programs, but many actually produced the programs. Thus, in American society, television is primarily concerned with reflecting and attracting society rather than experimenting with new ideas. Advertisers want to attract the largest viewing audience possible. To do so requires that the programs be entertaining rather than educational, attractive rather than challenging.

Television in America today remains, to a large extent, with the same organization and standards as it had thirty years ago. The hope for further development and true achievement toward improving society will require a change in the entire system.

According to the author American television is poor in quality because ______.

A．advertisers are interested in experimenting with new ideas

B．it is still at an early stage of development, compared with the radio

C．the programs have to be developed in the interests of the sponsors for economic reasons

D．it is controlled by radio companies

点击查看答案

第10题

On the old-time farm in America there were chickens and turkeys. There were also cows, pig

s, and other livestock. But there were very few machines. Most of the work was done by the entire farm family with the help of a "hired" man. Sometimes extra labourers were needed in busy seasons. Horses provided 79 percent of the power used, human labor 15 percent, and machines only 6 percent.

Today all that has changed. On many modern farms machines now supply 96 percent of the power, human labor 3 percent, and horses 1 percent. Modern farms are enterprising businesses which keep only the livestock that can pay its way. The children go to school by bus every morning, the parents work on the farm or in the house, and hired help is seldom needed. Their work has been replaced by a whole army of farm machines.

Farmers in the machine age also use the new fertilizers, new sprays, new feeds, new hybrid seeds, and other helps developed by farm sciences. As a result the farmers are able to produce more food with less labour. This means fewer but larger farms and fewer but more prosperous farmers.

In old days, most of the work on a farm was done by______.

A．all the farm family

B．livestock

C．farm machines

D．both A and B

点击查看答案

第11题

In an essay entitled “Making It in America” the author Adam Davison relates a joke from co

tton country about just how much a modern textile mill has been automated: The average mill has only two employees today, “a man and a dog. The man is there to feed the dog, and the dog is there to keep the man away from the machines.

Davidson’s article is one of a number of pieces that have recently appeared making the point that the reason we have such stubbornly high unemployment and declining middle-class incomes today is largely because of the big drop in demand because of the Great Recession, but it is also because of the advances in both globalization and the information technology revolution, which are more rapidly than ever replacing labor with machine or foreign workers.

In the past, workers with average skills, doing an average job, could earn an average lifestyle. But, today, average is officially over. Being average is just won’t earn you what it used to. It can’t when so many more employers have so much more access to so much more above average cheap foreign labor cheap robotics, cheap software, cheap automation and cheap genins. Therefore, everyone needs to find their extra – their unique value contribution that makes them stand out in whatever is their field of employment.

Yes, new technology has been eating jobs forever, and always will. But there’s been an acceleration. As Davidson notes, “ In the 10 years ending in 2009, factories shed workers so fast that they erased almost all the gains of the previous 70 years; roughly one out of every three manufacturing jobs – about 6 millions in total – disappeared.”

There will always be change – new jobs, new products, new services. But the one thing we know for sure is that with each advance in globalization and the I.T. revolution , the beat jobs will require workers to have more and better education to make themselves above average.

In a world where average is officially over, there are many things we need to do to buttress employment, but nothing would be more important than passing some kind of G.I. Bill for the 21st century that ensures that every American has access to post-high school education.

The joke in Paragraph 1 is used to illustrate

A.the impact of technological advances

B.the alleviation of jobs pressure

C.the shrinkages of textile mills

D.the decline of middle-class incomes

点击查看答案