The sun is shining when I get on No. 151 bus. We passengers sit jammed together in heavy clothes. No one speaks. That’s one of the unwritten rules of Chicago commuting. Although we see the same faces every day, we prefer to hide behind our newspapers. The phenomenon is striking: people who sit so close together are using those thin sheets of newsprint to keep their distance.
As the bus approaches the Magnificent Mile, a voice suddenly rings out: “Attention! Attention!” Papers rattle (发出细小声). Necks crane (伸长). “This is your driver speaking.”
We look at the back of the driver’s head. His voice has authority.
“All of you put your papers down.”
The papers come down, an inch at a time. The driver waits. The papers are folded and placed on our laps.
“Now, turn and face the person next to you. Go ahead.”
Amazingly, we all do it. Still, no one smiles.
I face an older woman, her head wrapped tightly in a red scarf. I see her nearly every day. Our eyes meet. We wait, unblinking, for the next order from the driver.
“Now, repeat after me…” It is a command, delivered in the tones of a drill sergeant (操练军士). “Good morning, neighbor!”
Our voices are weak and timid. For many of us, these are the first words we have spoken today. But we say them at the same time, like schoolchildren, to the strangers beside us.
We smile and can’t help it. We have said it; the barrier has been broken. Good morning, neighbor. It is not so hard after all. Some of us repeat it. Others shake hands. Many laugh.
The bus driver says nothing more. He doesn’t need to. Not a single newspaper goes back up. I hear laughter, a warm sound I have never heard before on bus No. 151. This day is starting off better than most.On hearing the sudden utterance of “Attention!”, the passengers ___________.
| A．stopped reading and put down their newspapers immediately |
| B．sat still without response |
| C．looked up from the newspapers to see who was speaking |
| D．were frightened |
The underlined word “commuting” in Paragraph 1 most probably means ___________.
| A．long-distance ride |
| B．daily traveling between home and work |
| C．communication technology |
| D．behavior patterns |
Which of the following is true according to the passage?
| A．The passengers on the crowded bus were so absorbed in reading their newspapers that no one spoke. |
| B．When the bus driver said nothing more, the passengers picked up and read their newspapers again. |
| C．The passengers didn’t follow the driver’s instruction at first. |
| D．The passengers were physically close together but mentally they kept each other at a terrible distance. |
What would be the best title for the text?
| A．The Warmth of Communication |
| B．The Exchange of Information |
| C．The Power of Observation |
| D．The Attitude to Loneliness |
For many in the United States,Arab-Americans are an invisible part of the population．Though Arab-Americans as a community have made great contributions to American society in fields from literature to politics to medicine,many Americans know very little about Americans of Arab backgrounds．
Arab history in the United States goes back to the late 1800’s when large numbers of Arab immigrants first began making their journey to a land known simply as“Amreeka”．
Historians generally describe Arab immigration to America in two waves．The first wave took place between 1860 and 1924．The first wave consisted of Lebanese and Syrian,and some Egyptian immigrants．These new immigrants,who were mostly Christian,came to America in search of better opportunities．Even the doomed Titanic,which set sail for America in 1912,had close to a hundred Arab passengers aboard．The majority of Arab-Americans today are descendents of the first wave of immigrants;they are the third or more generation Americans．
The second wave of immigrants followed after World War Ⅱ,caused by political unrest in the Middle East．This second wave of immigrants consists of mainly Arab Muslims（穆斯林）and continues to this day．
Arab-Americans make up 3 million of the population in the United States,according to demographers．And quite different from popular belief,64 percent of them are American-born．Eighty-two percent of Arab-Americans are US citizens．
Arab-Americans are beyond the national average in both education and income．Education is important among Arab-Americans;82 percent have high school diplomas,36 percent have bachelor’s degrees or higher,and 15 percent have graduate degrees．The-median（中位数的） average income among Arab-Americans is $39 580,which is higher than the US average． What would be the best title for the text?
| A．Arabs in America． | B．The Two Arab Immigration Waves to America． |
| C．Arab-Americans,Contributions to America． | |
| D．Arab-Americans,Education and Income． |
The first wave of immigrants took place because______．
| A．all Arabs were Christian at that time |
| B．Arabs wanted to hunt for a better development |
| C．the Second World War broke out |
| D．Arabs wanted to gain higher income |
The writer of this passage mentioned Titanic______．
| A．to tell us that taking ship at that time was dangerous |
| B．because Titanic became a well-known disaster |
| C．to show us there were many Arabs flocking into America at that time |
| D．to inform us that Arabs are brave enough |
From the last paragraph we can infer that______．
| A．Arab-Americans are much more clever than native Americans |
| B．Arab-Americans are hard-working people |
| C．the higher education you receive,the higher income you will get in America |
| D．Arab-Americans play the most important role in the American average in both education and income |
As society advances and basic needs are most often being met, things that were not considered important in the past have taken priority(优先). In the past, people could easily get a job and progress pretty well, as long as they were hard-working; education was important but not as crucial(关系重大) as it is today.
Nowadays, just as clothes are important to first impressions, degree is important to a person’s first job interview or even a job with a good salary. Although experience is important to survive in any trade or profession, the first thing that companies look for is that piece of paper before looking at one’s experience.
A passport into the world of any profession is what having a degree means today, especially for professions that have need of certification and pay well, such as architects, doctors, lawyers, and teachers.
That piece of paper, the degree, is also a passport to jobs in top or middle management in any company, especially so for multi-national corporations(跨国公司). Having a degree opens up opportunities that one would not have had if one did not have any kind of degree. A degree simply proves that one has gone through the necessary training and understanding of how to carry out a job.
Although there are many that may say having a degree may not necessarily equal to success, it would most definitely help any person achieve success in shorter and easier steps. Success cannot simply be a result of hard work and/or depending on one’s experience or degree alone; it is the art and knowledge of how to work that determines one’s success. Therefore, it should not be for the sake to get a degree, but the quality of the degree and experiences that one can learn from that matter as well. What would be the best title for this passage?
| A．People used to be hard-working |
| B．How important is the degree? |
| C．How can we enter the top management? |
| D．Degree surely leads to success |
Why does the author mention clothes in the second paragraph?
| A．To prove the importance of the first impression. |
| B．To stress the importance of job interviews. |
| C．To show the importance of clothes. |
| D．To explain the importance of degree. |
What does the underlined word “it” in the last paragraph refer to?
| A．Having a degree |
| B．Success |
| C．Necessary training |
| D．Having an opportunity |
It was getting dark and snow was coming down. Joe was driving home. He’d been unemployed since the factory closed. Most of his friends had left, but he stayed on. After all, he was born here.
Suddenly he saw a lady standing on the side of the road and pulled up. She was worried. No one had stopped to help her. Was he going to hurt her? He looked poor and hungry. Joe knew how she felt and said, “My name is Joe and I’m here to help you.” All she had was a flat tire, but for an old lady, that was bad enough. Joe changed the tire, but he got dirty and his hands were hurt. She wanted to pay Joe and said any amount would have been all right. Joe never thought twice about the money and there were plenty who had given him a hand in the past. He had lived his whole life that way. He told her that if she really wanted to pay him back, the next time she saw someone who needed help, she could give that person the assistance that they needed.
Later the lady went in a dingy-looking restaurant to grab a bite to eat. The cash register was like the telephone of an out-of-work actor----it didn’t ring much. The waitress, who was nearly eight months pregnant, brought a clean towel to her with a sweet smile. The old lady remembered Joe. After the waitress brought the change from a 100-dollar bill, she found the lady gone and something written on a piece of paper, “Someone once helped me out----the way I’m helping you. If you really want to pay me back, don’t let the chain of love end with you.”
That night the waitress gave her sleeping husband a soft kiss and whispered, “Everything’s going to be all right. I love you, Joe.”What do we know about Joe from this passage?
| A．On his way home after work, he helped an old lady. |
| B．He had worked in a factory in his hometown before. |
| C．He would move away to fulfill his dream soon. |
| D．Though he was poor, he didn’t care about money at all. |
The saying “she wanted to pay Joe and said any amount would have been all right” in Paragraph 2 suggests that _____.
| A．the old lady was very grateful to Joe’s timely aid |
| B．the old lady was much worried to be hurt by Joe |
| C．the old lady wanted to show off her fortune to Joe |
| D．the old lady’s car was very difficult to repair for Joe |
Which of the following is TRUE according to Paragraph 3?
| A．The restaurant was not only light but also clean. |
| B．The old lady did have a big meal in the small restaurant. |
| C．The waitress was more than eight months pregnant. |
| D．The old lady left the remaining money to the waitress. |
Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Acts of luck | B．A warm-hearted man |
| C．The chain of love | D．A generous lady |
Language is a way to communicate with each other. We started to learn language when we were born. However, people are used to speaking their native language, so immigrants are having many problems between the first generation and the second generation because they don’t have the same native language. Also, the second generation is losing their identity. Especially in America, there are many immigrants that came from different countries to succeed in the States. Because they suffer in lots of areas such as getting a job and trying to speak English, they want their children to speak English, not only at school, but also at home in order to be more successful. Because of this situation, their children are losing their identity and, even more, they are ignoring their parents whose English is not very good. I think most immigrants are trying to preserve their native language in their new country, but this doesn’t help very much in getting a good job. My aunt taught Korean to her children not to help them succeed in the U.S. She did so, hopefully, to help them establish a Korean identity. Though the second generation was born in the new country, they often get confused about their identity because they look different from others, and also, if they visit their parents’ country, they will probably feel different from other people there too. My cousins told me that when they visited Korea a few years ago, they felt different from other Koreans. They could even feel it just strolling around the street because they wore different clothes and walked differently. We must realize that language is important and valuable for many reasons. Immigrants should make an effort not to be ignored by their children and let them understand their background by teaching them the parents’ language. This is very important, not only for the harmony of the family, but also in helping the second generation establish their identity. According to the text, what is the problem of the first generation immigrants?
| A．They have lost their identity. |
| B．Their children are losing their identity. |
| C．Their children speak different languages. |
| D．They cannot speak their native language. |
My aunt taught her children Korean__________.
| A．so that they knew they were of Korean origin. |
| B．so that they would be more successful in the U. S. |
| C．because she didn’t want them to speak English |
| D．because she wanted them to respect her |
The writer’s cousins felt different in their parents’ country because they_________.
| A．had never been there before |
| B．behaved quite differently |
| C．couldn’t understand the language |
| D．had different facial appearance |
According to the text, the native language is important and valuable to immigrants because________.
| A．it gives them self-confidence and better chance |
| B．it makes the second generation love motherland |
| C．it helps the second generation to understand their parents |
| D．it strengthens the family ties and reminds them of their identity |
I didn’t realize how short I was until I started school. There, a few kids picked on(欺负)me, calling me names. Then I knew. After that, I began to hate the first day of school each year. I didn’t know who was new and would stare at me as I struggled to climb the school bus stairs. Some of the kids would point and say, “Look at that kid. Look at her.”
As time went on, I just tried to smile and accept the fact that I was going to be noticed my whole life. I was determined to make my uniqueness an advantage rather than a disadvantage. My friends became increasingly protective. They’d help me up the bus steps. If people were cruel, they would take them aside and correct them.
What I lacked in height, I made up for in personality----my ability to laugh, even at myself. For example, one time I was reaching into the washing machine at my parents’ house to grab the wet clothes. I fell all the way in and yell for Mother, who was sitting nearby reading the paper. Watching feet flying everywhere, she laughed quietly and said, “I should leave you in there.” I laughed with her.
I’m 47 now, and the stares have not decreased as I’ve grown older. People ask my friends if I live in a dollhouse. They look in disbelief when they see me get out of my car on the driver’s side. During those times, I try to keep a good attitude. When people are rude, I remind myself, “Look what else I have----a great family, nice friends…”What is the main idea of the second and third paragraphs?
| A．How the writer changed her disadvantage to advantage. |
| B．The writer’s friends and mother loved her deeply. |
| C．The writer had many friends helping her. |
| D．The writer had the ability to laugh. |
By saying “the stares have not decreased” in the last paragraph, the author suggests that____.
| A．she is able to live a happy life like a normal person |
| B．she isn’t afraid of being noticed by others any more |
| C．some people still don’t treat her as a normal person |
| D．more and more people treat her with respect now |
How is the author feeling now about her situation?
| A．Quite optimistic. |
| B．Very satisfied. |
| C．Deeply upset. |
| D．Rather anxious. |
We can infer that the author believes that_________.
| A．society should help the disabled as much as possible |
| B．only your parents and friends can help you |
| C．what people say about you is none of your business |
| D．all people should be treated with respect |