The United States of America is the most culturally diverse(多样化) country in the world in terms of culture religion, ethnicity(种族) and sexual orientation. As a combination of various races and cultures, America is home to all. The culture here is so unique that citizens can be just as proud of their original cultural heritage(遗产) as they are to be American.
What is now the US was initially inhabited(居住) by native people until the land was settled by various European groups and African slaves. Since the 20th century, the country has become a heaven for people from all over the globe(全球).
The arrival of immigrants(移民) has shifted populations from rural(农村的) areas into cities because immigrants tend to settle in urban areas. At present, 81 percent of the inhabitants in the US live in cities.
Cultural and ethnic diversity adds a unique flavor to cities that is expressed through distinct(独特的) neighborhoods, restaurants, places of worship, museums, nightlife and multicultural learning environments.
Unique musical forms, such as jazz, rock and roll, Chicano music, and the blues, grow in the US by mixing a variety of culturally distinct musical traditions to create a new form.
At the executive (行政的) level, the country is headed by a mixedrace president; two posts(职位) on the Supreme Court are held by members of the country's two largest minorities.There is also diversity in state and local governments.
Without its rich mixture of races and cultures, America would not be the nation that it is today. Founded upon the basis of equality and freedom, America acts as a stage where different cultures not only coexist peacefully, but develop well.According to the passage, America is a country________.
| A．that welcomes people from all over the world |
| B．where citizens take more pride in their original culture |
| C．that is mostly settled by Europeans and Africans |
| D．where 81% of the population are immigrants |
Where did most people live before many immigrants came to America?
| A．In the urban areas. | B．In the rural areas. |
| C．In the southern part of America. | D．In the northern part of America. |
We can learn from the sixth paragraph that________.
| A．diversity(多样化) has existed in America in almost every aspect(方面) |
| B．most posts in American state governments are held by mixedrace people |
| C．equality and freedom make America a fair country |
| D．diversity has greatly affected the American political field |
What's the best title for this passage?
| A．The effects of culture and diversity on America. |
| B．The influence of globalization on America. |
| C．The political development of America. |
| D．The bright future of America. |
We would most probably read this passage in a book about________.
| A．science | B．history | C．culture | D．amusement |
B
To master a language one must be able to speak and understand the spoken language as well as to read and write. Lenin and his wife Krupskaya translated a long English book into Russian. But when they went to England in 1902, English people couldn’t understand a word they said and they couldn’t understand what was said to them. These days more and more foreigners are coming to China and more Chinese are going out to foreign countries to work or study. So the spoken language is becoming more and more important.
Speaking, of course, can’t go without listening. If you want to pronounce a word correctly, first you must hear it correctly. The sounds of the Chinese and English languages are not exactly the same. If you don’t listen carefully, you’ll find it difficult or even impossible to understand the native speakers.
Well, what about writing? Like speaking, it’s to cachange ideas. People generally use shorter words and shorter sentences in their writing. The important thing is to make your idea clear in you head and then to write it in clear lively language.
Chinese students read far too slowly. If you read fast, you understand better. If you read too slowly, by the time you have reached the end of a page you have forgotten what the beginning is about. When you meet with new words, don’t look them up in the dictionary. Guess the meaning from the context(上下文). You may not guess quite correctly the first time, but as new words come up again and again in different contexts, their meaning will become clearer and clearer. If you look up every word, you’ll never finish a book.
students of a foreign language need a particular knowledge, the knowledge of the life, history and geography of the people whose language they are studying. They should study these subjects in the foreign language, not only in translation. In this way one can kill two birds with one stone: learn a foreign language and get some knowledge of the foreign country at the same time.
45. How many points are there in the passage?
A. Two. B. Three. C. Four. D. Five.
46. In his first point the writer told us ________.
A. how to speak English B. how to read and write
C. why spoken english is important D. why English people couldn’t understand Lenin
47. In the fourth paragraph the writer gave some advice on ________.
A. how to read faster
B. how to guess the meaning of new words from the context
C. how to look up new words in the dictionary
D. how to grasp the general meaning of a passage
48. “one can kill two birds with one stone” means ________.
A. getting some knowledge of a country while learning its language
B. getting more than what one wants
C. the stone is too big
D. the birds are blind enough
四、阅读理解：（共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分）
A
Steve and Yaser first met in their chemistry class at an American university. Yaser was an international student from Jordan. He was excited to get to know an American. He wanted to learn more about American culture. Yaser hoped that he and Steve would become good friends.
At first, Steve seemed very friendly. He always greeted Yaser warmly before class. Sometimes he offered to study with Yaser. He even invited Yaser to have lunch with him. But after the term was over, Steve seemed more distant. The two former(以前的) classmates didn’t see each other very much at school. One day Yaser decided to call Steve. steve didn’t seem very interested in talking to him. Yaser was hurt by Steve’s change of attitude. “Steve said we were friends,” Yaser complained. “And I thought friends were friends forever.”
Yaser is a little confused. He is an outsider(局外人) to American culture. He doesn’t understand the way Americans view friendship. americans use the word “friend” in a very general way. They may call both casual acquaintaneces(熟人) and close companions(伙伴) “friends”. americans have school friends, work friends, sports friends and neighborhood friends. These friendships are based on common interests.
Studies show that one out of five American families moves every year. American frienships develop quckly, and they may change just as quickly.
People from the United States may at first seem friendly. Americans often chat easily with strangers. They exchange information about their families, hobbies and work. They may smile warmly and say, “Have a nice day.” or “see you later.” schoolmates may say, “Let’s get together sometime.” But American friendliness is not always an offer of true friendship.
41. Why didn’t Yaser understand Steve was more was more distant with him when they were no longer in the same class?
A. Because Steve no longer likes Yaser.
B. Because they couldn’t see each other.
C. Because Yaser didn’t know american culture about friendship.
D. Because Yaer was a foreigner.
42. From the text we can find that American friendships ________.
A. develop quickly but change slowly B. develop slowly and change slowly
C. develop slowly but change quickly D. develop and change quickly
43. From the text we may know that Americans are ________.
A. kind B. rude C. sad D. impolite
44. If you no longer work with an american, what should you do with your friendship?
A. Try your best to keep it. B. Avoid meeting your workmates.
C. Let it be. D. worry about it.
D
An altimeter(高度计) is an instrument used in an airplane to tell the pilot how high he is flying. The altimeter used in most airplanes is a kind of barometer(气压计), which, like barometer found in ordinary homes, is a measuring instrument for air pressure. The weight of the atmosphere presses downwards everywhere. At sea level this pressure is more than 14 pounds on every square inch of the surface. The higher you go into the air, the lower the air pressure is. An altimeter measures this air pressure to show the altitude of the airplane, or, how high it is above sea level.
But the altimeter does not show how high the plane is above the ground. A plane might be flying at an altitude of 15,000 feet, but it would be only a thousand feet or so above the ground if the land in that area happened to be 14,000 feet above sea level. The pilot adjusts his altimeter to the actual sea-level pressure before leaving the airport and then corrects it in flight by new information given to him by radio. He flies high enough to be above any mountain he may pass on his course .The barometer altimeter is correct within about 300 feet.
Another kind of altimeter, the radio altimeter, makes use of radio reflection. It calculates the height of the flying plane by sending out electrical signals to the surface below and measuring the time required for them to bounce back(反弹). It is correct within 15 feet over water, but is not reliable over land. Big planes usually have both kinds of altimeter.
67. Which of the following diagrams gives the correct relationship between altimeters and barometers? (a----altimeters, b----barometers)
68. The following drawing shows a plane flying over a mountain. Which of the heights given in the drawing is given by the barometer altimeter in the plane at this moment?
69. Suppose a plane using a radio altimeter is flying 10,000 meters above highland which is 4,000 meters above sea level. What reading will be given by the altimeter?
A.10,000meters. B. 4,000meters. C.14,000meters. D. 6,000 meters.
70. Suppose a plane using both kinds of altimeters is flying over a mountainous area where the land rises and falls very abruptly (迅速地). The pilot keeps his plane steady at the same height. What kind of reading will you get on each of the altimeters?
A. The readings on both altimeters will remain steady.
B. The readings on both altimeters will rise and fall abruptly.
C. The readings on the barometer altimeter will rise and fall abruptly, while that on the radio altimeter will remain steady.
D. The readings on the radio altimeter will rise and fall abruptly, while that on the barometer altimeter will remain steady.
C
A caring mother is the single most important factor in preventing teenagers from abusing(滥用)drugs and alcohol，researchers said on Friday. An international study showed that teenagers living with both parents are less likely to suffer from alcohol and drug problems，and a strong maternal bond is the most effective way to fight against them.
“These findings suggest that living with both parents may prevent drug use.”said Dr.McArdle of Newcastle University in northern England, who led the study.“They also suggest that attachment(感情眷念)，particularly to mothers，is a more effective factor and that this is truly across cultures and substances.”
The report, which is published in the journal Addiction, involved nearly 4,000 teenagers in England, Ireland, Italy, Germany and the Netherlands. They were questioned about their use of several kinds of drugs and alcohol. The teenagers also filled in questionnaires about their relationship with their parents and grandparents, how well they were supervised(监护)after school and whether they were allowed to meet friends at home.
“Both the quality of family relationships and the structure of families have significant influences on youth drug use,” McArdle said in a statement. But he added a strong maternal bond offered the greatest protection against developing drug habits.
The rate of drug abuse among teenagers living with both parents and who had a good relationship with their mother was 16.6 percent. If either factor was missing ,the drug abuse rate rose to 32 percent．More than 42 percent of teenagers living in one parent families who did not have a strong bond with their mother used drugs．
Drug prevention campaigns in British schools and on television warn teenagers about the danger of drugs and alcohol but McArdle said no one is dealing with the problem of their parents’ responsibility.
63.The phrase“maternal bond”appears twice in this passage. Guess its meaning.
A.物质的奖励 B.母亲的约束 C.法律的制裁 D.学校的指导
64. According to McArdle, which is most likely to have the drug abuse problem?
A. 16-year-old Tom from a happy big family.
B.17-year-old Kate supervised by her single mother.
C. 18-year-old Juliet living with her single father.
D.19-year-old Mark cared by his parents.
65. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?
A. Teenagers with both parents won’t have the drug use problem.
B. Teenagers from several countries filled in the questionnaire.
C. Teenagers were asked about their relationship with parents.
D. Teenagers in British schools are warned against drugs abuse.
66. The last paragraph suggests that________________.
A. schools should answer for the drug problem
B. television and media are to blame
C. parents and the society are responsible for the drug problem
D. mothers are the cause of youth drug use
B
The teaching of physics in schools is in danger of dying out unless urgent action is taken to deal with a serious lack of teachers, the government is warned today.
The number of students taking physics at A-level has fallen 38% since 1990, according to a research. At the same time the number of new physics teachers has dropped sharply while the shortage is likely to worsen as older teachers retire.
Britain’s leading scientists and engineers expressed alarm over the findings, which they say are part of the problems in science education generally. Lord May of Oxford, president of the Royal Society, the UK’s National Academy of Science, said, “The problems facing science at A-level are well beyond physics. We have over and over again noted the general downward trend of students studying the sciences besides biology and math at A-level. If we fail to deal with this then we may lose the ability to train the next generation of scientists, technologists and engineers.”
Alan Smithers and Pamela Robinson, who did the research in 432 schools and colleges in England and Wales, said that since 1990, the number of physics students had fallen by 38%, from 45,334 to 28,119. Nearly 10% of state schools now do not offer A-level physics, and of those that do 39.5% had five students or fewer taking it this year.
Over the same period, the research discovered, the number of people who are allowed to become physics teachers dropped from about a third of the science total to 12.8%. The supply of physics teachers is not renewing itself, with nearly twice as many aged over 50 as 30 or younger. Another danger is the redefinition of science subjects to “general science”.
Professor Smithers and Dr Robinson warn that the subject is in danger of dying out in schools.” Physics in schools and colleges is at risk through redefinition and lack of teachers with expertise in the subject,” they said. “If physics is to survive in schools, both as basic education and as a platform for higher level study and research, there is a need for immediate action.”
60. From what Lord May of Oxford said, we can learn that____________.
A. he worries about the future of science education.
B. the top scientists have not noticed the problem until recently.
C. the UK has lost the ability to train scientists and engineers
D. biology and math do not face the same problems as physics.
61. The underlined word “renewing” is closest to _______in meaning.
A. continuing B. offering C. saving D. replacing
62. What is the best title for the passage?
A. Lack of Physics Teachers Causes Trouble. B. How Important the Physics Is!
C. Physics Is Dying Out in Schools. D. Why Do We Study Physics?