Who are these people rushing by you in the street? More than 215 million people now call America “home”, but most of them can trace their families back to other parts of the world. If you look at the names on shop windows, you will see that Americans come from many different lands. The idea that these people, who once were strangers to the United States, have lost the customs and cultures of their original countries and have become “American” is really not true. In fact, what exists in America is more often a kind of “side-by-side” living in which groups of people from other countries often have kept many of their customs and habits. They join the general American society only in certain areas of their lives—such as in schools, business, and sports—but they keep many of their own native customs and manners socially and at home. This living “side-by-side” has both advantages and disadvantages. Sometimes it may cause disagreements to develop between groups whose ways of life are very different from one another. However, there are also great advantages that come from the variety of cultures brought by settlers from other lands. There is great freedom of choice among ideas and dress, food, and social customs in America. Everyone can find some part of his or her familiar world in the United States, in churches, music, food, national groups, or newspapers.
6. More than 215 million people call America “home” because_______.
A. they buy their houses there B. they settle there now
C. they get married there D. they were born there
7. “Side-by-side” living style means _______.
A. making friends with native people B. keeping their own customs while sharing American ones in certain areas
C. the groups of people who live nearby D. that they get closer to American society
8. According to the passage, people in the USA ________.
A. share American customs and culture B. live in a kind of “side-by-side” society
C. keep their own customs and habits firmly D. make no choice to accept American customs
9. Which of the following statements is true?
A. They always stick to their own customs and habits. B. “Side-by-side” living style is not suitable.
C. They face the society they are not familiar with.
D. The advantages coming from the variety of cultures make life in America colorful.
10. Which title of the following can best take the place of “Different Cultures in America”?
A. Advantages and Disadvantages. B. Different Customs and Habits.
C. Home for the People. D. “Side-by-side” Living Style in America.
Genzeb Tibeb is very bright. At only 11 years old, her future is looking promising. She is ranked 2nd Out of 56 students at her govemment school in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia where she has been seleeted for a special program because of her talent. She knows she is special and proudly shows off her certificate and book signifying her accomplishments in this special program.
But her future hasn't always looked so bright. While her mother, Bekelech, sacrificed immensely for Genzeb, she would not have been able to continue sending her to school. When her husband died, Bekelech was the sole provider for their five children. In order for them to survive, she began the daily routine of walking approximately 8-10 miles a day collecting sticks to sell near her 8' x 10' home in Kichene. It wouldn't have been long before Genzeb would have been, forced to quit school in order to help her mom. But Bright Future changed all that.
Genzeb has been at Bright Future for 3 years. Since Ethiopian schools let out early, Genzeb walks to the facility right after lunch. Because of her high ability, she even helps teach the younger children there, building confidence and locking in important foundational academic skills. There's also other meaningful opportunities Genzeb experiences which allow her eyes to be opened to the different opportunities that are available to her if she completes her studies. Field trips are one of her most favorite activities of all. She especially loved the one to Addis Ababa University.
She knows it goes beyond fun trips, though. "I am happy because I get extra help for school from Bright Future," Genzeb shares. At so many levels, her involvement with Bright Future allows her to receive a better education, which she values. For one day she wants to help people in need by becoming a doctor. And now she knows, that with a lot of hard work, that dream might just become a reality. What does the underlined word¨sole" in the second paragraph probably mean?
| A．important | B．main | C．unable | D．only |
According to the text, what is the major factor that can help Genzeb Tibeb continue her school?
| A．Bright Future | B．Her talent. |
| C．Her mother | D．Her school |
From the text we can leam_______.
| A．Genzeb Tibeb quitted school for several years. |
| B．Genzeb Tibeb was admitted into a famous university, |
| C．Genzeb Tibcb was involved in Bright Future activities. |
| D．Genzeb Tibeb had to earn a living by herself. |
According to the taxt, what is Bright Future probably?
| A．A student training center | B．A scholarship organization |
| C．A government school | D．An orphanage organization |
Which of the following things didn't Genzeb Tibeb clo on Bright Future ?
| A．Collecting and selling sticks. |
| B．Teach younger kids there. |
| C．Lock in academic skills. |
| D．Take part in field trips. |
In 1883. John Roebling was inspired by an idea to build a spectacular bridge connecting New York with the Long Island. However, bridge building experts throughout the world thought this was an impossible feat and told Roebling to forget the idea, but Roebling could not ignore the vision he had in his mind of this bridge. After much discussion and persuasion he managed to convince his son Washington, an up and coming engineer, that the bridge in fact could be built.
The project started well, but when it was only a few months underway a tragic accident on the site took the life of John Roebling. Washington was injured and left with a certain amount of brain damage, which resulted in him not being able to walk or talk or even move.
"We told them so." "Crazy men and their crazy dreams.'' "It's foolish to chase wild visions." Evcryone had a negative comment to make and felt that the project should be scrapped since the Roeblings were the only ones who knew how the bridge could be built. In spite of his handicap, Washington was never discouraged.
One day he was lying on his bed in hospital, seeing the sky and the tops of the trees outside for just a moment with the sunlight streaming through the windows, and a gentle breeze bowing the flimsy white curtains apart when an idea hit him. He decided to make the best use of the only finger he could move. Thus, he slowly developed a code of communication with his wife.
He touched his wife's arm with that finger, indicating to her that he wanted her to call the engineers again. Then he used the same method of tapping her arm to tell the engineers what to do. It seemed foolish but the project was under way again.
For 13 years Washington tapped out his instructions with his finger on his wife's arm until the bridge was finally completed.Which of the following is true of Washington and his father?
| A．They are hardworking and courageous. |
| B．They are stubborn and bold. |
| C．They are creative and persistent. |
| D．They are curious and modest. |
In the third paragraph, the underlined phrase''wild vision" refers to______.
| A．the tragic accident | B．the building of the bridge |
| C．the brain damage | D．the discussion and persuasion |
What can we learn about Washington's wife?
| A．She could understand Washington and helped him a lot. |
| B．She cnuldn't understand him but took good care of him. |
| C．She didn't like Washington's idea about building the bridge. |
| D．She took the responsibility to continue building the bridge. |
From the passage, we know that_______when Roebling proposed building the bridge.
| A．people all over America supported him |
| B．almost no bridge experts in the world supported him |
| C．his friends were strongly in favor of his idea |
| D．many people considered it would be a great fe |
The passage suggests that______.
| A．NO pains, no gains. |
| B．Many hands make light work. |
| C．A lighted heart is a good medicine. |
| D．Passion creates wonder. |
In Canada and the United States, there is a new group of children called “satellite kids”, who live in one place but whose parents live in another place．
Asians are immigrating to Canada and the United States in larger numbers than ever before．Most Asians immigrate because they believe that they can give their children a better education in the West．In Asia, especially in China, Japan, and Korea, it is difficult to go to university．Students must first pass the strict national examination．However, in Canada and the United States, it is easy to go to university, and anyone who wants to go can go．As a result, Asian parents decide to leave their countries so that their children can go to university．
The problem is that when Asians arrive, they discover that finding a job and making money are more difficult in the West than in the East．Also, they find that they are very lonely, and that they miss their homes．Because of these two reasons, most Asian parents decide to go back to work while their children study in the West．Therefore, these children become “satellite kids”, and most of their parents do not know how sad it is to be a “satellite kid”．
Only until now are Canadians and Americans discovering the “satellite kid” problem．Because these children do not speak English and because their parents are not there to take care of them, they are often absent from school．To be a “satellite kid” means to grow up in a country where you know you are different and where you cannot make friends because you do not speak English well．Also, it means to grow up lonely, because your parents are elsewhere．What these “satellite kids” will probably say to their parents is that it’s better to have parents around than to have a university education．Some Asian parents send their kids abroad because ________．
| A．they hope their children may easily find a job there |
| B．the kids may not be accepted by universities in their own countries |
| C．all foreign universities are better than the ones in their own countries |
| D．the kids want to improve their English and make foreign friends |
“Satellite kids” refer to Asian kids ________．
| A．without patents |
| B．living abroad alone |
| C．with university education |
| D．speaking no English |
Some Asian immigrant children become “satellite kids” because their parents ______．
| A．want to leave their own country |
| B．want them to go to university |
| C．return to their countries to work |
| D．want them to be independent |
What is the main idea of the passage?
| A．Parents want better education for their kids． |
| B．Parents feel lonely and miss their families． |
| C．Canadians and Americans begin to notice the “satellite kids” problem． |
| D．Kids in foreign countries alone are badly in need of care from family． |
Imagine a mass of floating waste is two times the size of the state of Texas. Texas has a land area of more than 678 000 square kilometers. So it might be difficult to imagine anything twice as big.
All together, this mass of waste flowing in the North Pacific Ocean is known as the Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch. It weighs about 3 500 000 tons. The waste includes bags，bottles and containers—plastic products of all kinds.
The eastern part of the Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch is about l 600 kilometers west of California. The western part is west of the Hawaiian Islands and east of Japan. The area has been described as a kind of oceanic desert，with light winds and slow moving water currents. The water moves so slow that garbage from all over the world collects there.
In recent years，there have been growing concerns about the floating garbage and its effect on sea creatures and human health. Scientists say thousands of animals get trapped in the floating waste，resulting in death or injury. Even more die from a lack of food or water after swallowing pieces of plastic. The trash can also make animals feel full，lessening their desire to eat or drink.
The floating garbage also can have harmful effects on people. There is an increased threat of infection of disease from polluted waste，and from eating fish that swallowed waste. Divers can also get trapped in the plastic.
Its existence first gained public attention in l997. That was when racing boat captain and oceanographer Charles Moore and his crew sailed into the garbage while returning from a racing event. Five years earlier，another oceanographer learned of the trash after a shipment of rubber duckies got lost at sea. Many of those toys are now part of the Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch.
In August，2009，a team from the University of California，San Diego became the latest group to travel to it. They were shocked by the amount of waste they saw. They gathered hundreds of sea creatures and water samples to measure the garbage patch’s effect on ocean environment. How did the writer introduce the topic of the passage?
| A．By giving an example. |
| B．By listing the facts. |
| C．By telling a story. |
| D．By giving a comparison. |
What do we know about the Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch?
| A．It is made up of various kinds of plastic products. |
| B．It is a solid mass of floating waste materials. |
| C．It lies l60 000 kilometers east of California. |
| D．It is described as a kind of oceanic desert. |
Why do people pay attention to the Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch?
| A．Because it may prevent the flow of ocean water. |
| B．Because the polluted plastic articles will move up the food chain. |
| C．Because it may be from an island in the pacific. |
| D．Because ships may be trapped in the floating waste. |
The purpose of writing this passage is to____________.
| A．warn people of the danger to travel in the pacific |
| B．analyze what caused the waste patch in the pacific |
| C．give advice on how to recycle waste in the ocean |
| D．introduce the Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch |
John Davis doesn’t use his GPS system in his car. Instead of guiding the direction, the Delaware farmer uses it to determine where and how much fertilizer to use on the crops on his 4,000-acre family-owned farm. Technological advances like that last year helped Davis and other Ohio farmers set a record for corn product. Ohio's corn crop in 2009 totaled 546 million bushels(蒲式耳), despite a cooler and wetter than normal spring, a dry summer and a delayed, wet harvest. Davis said. “I knew it would be a good crop, but it was much better than we expected.”
A farmer can map his fields on GPS, spotting where soil turned out to be least fertile（肥沃的） and using more fertilizer the next year in those areas where corn didn’t grow as well.
Although Ohio farmers produced more corn, it was grown on less land than in the past years. Total area used for corn in Ohio was 3.35 million acres, about the same as in 2008 but down from 3.85 million acres in 2007, said Dwayne Siekman, director of the Ohio Corn Growers Association. “When you look at the total number of acres in Ohio used for corn, it’s clear that farmers are able to do more with less,” he said. “American farmers can grow five times more corn on 20 percent less land than they did in the 1930s, saying that modern farming techniques are necessary for a growing demand in the world today.” That technology includes using improved seeds that can withstand(忍受) greater temperature extremes and pests, Siekman said.
Farmers aren't the only ones who benefit. Consumers(消费者) do, too, as food costs reduce in the face of “enough supplies of corn,” said Fred Yoder, who runs a 1,500-acre corn, soybean and wheat farm in Plain City. “This is the best, highest-producing corn crop that I've raised in 30 years,” he said.Most people usually use the GPS system for ______.
| A．driving their cars |
| B．telling the position |
| C．mending the car |
| D．supplying the sunshine |
The farmers in Ohio use GPS to ______.
| A．check if the soil is fertile in some areas |
| B．control the rain of the place |
| C．water the crops if the weather is dry |
| D．draw the map of all the crops |
Why did Ohio farmers produce more corn?
| A．Because they expanded more land to grow corn |
| B．Because they turned to technological advances |
| C．Because they used more and more fertilizer. |
| D．Because they supplies themselves with more money. |
From the passage, we can know _____.[
| A．John Davis hadn’t expected a good harvest. |
| B．farmers grew less land than in the 1930s |
| C．improved seeds cost much more money |
| D．the output of corn in the same field is increased. |
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