You may have heard of the American Dream, an ideal that has powered the hopes of Americans for generations.
It began as a belief that the US was a land of opportunity, and that anyone could achieve success through hard work. At times, the dream has referred to home ownership, a good job, retirement security or each generation doing better than the last.
Yet today, this concept seems to have greatly changed. As Time magazine pointed out, quite different from the older generation, many Millennials (the generation born after 1980) redefine(重新定义) the American Dream as “day-to-day control of your life”. They “prize job mobility, flexible schedules, any work that is more interesting than typing, and the ability to travel”, said the magazine.
Home ownership, once the cornerstone of the American Dream, is becoming a smaller priority for this generation. Meanwhile, nearly 40% of them choose travel as part of their dream. And entrepreneurship(创业) is a rising favorite, as nearly 26% of Millennials consider self-employment as part of their dream.
So what has led to this huge change?
Many point fingers at the poor economy. “Modern young Americans seem bound to face a world stamped by ever narrowing opportunity and social stagnation(停滞),”noted The Daily Beast.
“The rate of 16-to 24-year-olds out of school and out of work is unusually high at 15%. Many college graduates have taken jobs that don’t require a degree,” Time reported.
The magazine worries that these difficulties may lead to a lost generation who are “unable to ever truly find their feet on the corporation’s ladder”.
Dan Kadlec, a reporter of Time, sees Millennials as resetting their expectations.”This situation is different for young adults today,” he wrote. “A true American dream has to feel attainable, and many Millennias are feeling they can only attain a day-today lifestyle that suits them.”
The underlined word “cornerstone” in Paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to “ ”.
| A．growth | B．balance | C．basis | D．purpose |
What has changed Millennials’ view of the American Dream according to the passage?
| A．A lack of confidence in themselves |
| B．Fierce competition in the job market |
| C．Their dissatisfaction with the government |
| D．The discouraging economy and unemployment |
Dan Kadlec thinks Millennials’ new definition of the American Dream is ______.
| A．beautiful | B．understandable |
| C．worrying | D．positive |
What can be the best title for this passage?
| A．Redefinition of American Dream |
| B．Meaning of American Dream |
| C．Value of Achieving American Dream |
| D．History of Changing American Dream |
I will never forget the day--- September 10th 2009, when my class went on a field trip to the beach and I had so much fun. When we returned to school, my teacher told me to go to the headmaster’s office. When I got into the office, I saw a police officer. Suddenly, I realized something was wrong. The police officer told me what had happened and we went to pick my sister up. After that, we went to the hospital and waited. Time went slowly. Finally, we got to see our mother. It was terrible.
On the next day, the headmaster came and told my two teachers what had happened. I was taking a test that day. I knew it had something to do with my mother. I kept thinking that she either died or had gotten better. How I wished that she had gotten better. When my teacher took me outside, my sister ran up to me. She started crying, “She’s gone, Terresa, mommy’s gone. She’s dead.” I couldn’t believe it. We jumped into the car and drove straight to the hospital. Most of my family were there. The silence was terrible. I knew I had to say goodbye.
Today when I look back, I still miss my mother very much, but I know that I will live. My mother was a strong mother, who had the biggest heart. She was an angel walking on the earth. I will always remember her as a living. When someone is asked who their hero is, they usually say someone famous, like Michael Jordan or Britney Spears. When someone asks me who my hero is, I tell them, my mother. My mother lives everyday. That is what makes her a true hero.Where was the writer when she learned her mother was sick?
| A．On the beach. | B．At the hospital. |
| C．At school. | D．At home. |
Who brought the writer the bad news that her mother was ill?
| A．Her sister. | B．The headmaster. |
| C．The police officer | D．Her teacher. |
What did the headmaster tell the two teachers on the next day?
| A．Her father had been very ill. |
| B．Her mother had gotten better. |
| C．Her mother came to see her. |
| D．Her mother had been dead. |
From the last paragraph of the passage we know that _____________.
| A．the writer is afraid of her mother. |
| B．the writer feels sad about her mother. |
| C．the writer feels sorry for her mother. |
| D．the writer is proud of her mother. |
Spring is coming. and it is time for those about to graduate to look for jobs. Competition is tough, so job seekers must carefully consider their personal choices. Whatever we are wearing，our family and friends may accept us, but the workplace may not.
A high school newspaper editor said it is unfair for companies to discourage visible tattoos (纹身),nose rings, or certain dress styles. It is true you can’t judge a book by its cover, yet people do “cover” themselves in order to convey (传递)certain messages. What we wear, including tattoos and nose rings, is an expression of who we are. Just as people convey messages about themselves with their appearances, so do companies. Dress standards exist in the business world for a number of reasons, but the main concern is often about what customers accept.
Others may say how to dress is a matter of personal freedom, but for businesses it is more about whether to make or lose money. Most employers do care about the personal appearances of their employees (雇员),because those people represent the companies to their customers.
As a hiring manager I am paid to choose the people who would make the best impression on our customers. There are plenty of well-qualified candidates, so it is not wrong to reject someone who might disappoint my customers. Even though I am open-minded, I can’t expect all our customers are.
There is nobody to blame but yourself if your set of choices does not match that of your preferred employer. No company should have to change to satisfy a candidate simply because he or she is unwilling to respect its standards, as long as its standards are legal.Which of the following is the newspaper editor’s opinion according to Paragraph 2?
| A．People’s appearances carry messages about themselves. |
| B．Candidates with tattoos or nose rings should be fairly treated. |
| C．Customers’ choices influence dress standards in companies. |
| D．Strange dress styles should not be encouraged in the workplace. |
What can be inferred from the text?
| A．Candidates have to wear what companies prefer for an interview. |
| B．Hiring managers make the best impression on their candidates. |
| C．What to wear is not a matter of personal choice for companies. |
| D．Companies sometimes have to change to respect their candidates. |
Which of the following would be the best title for the text?
| A．Hiring Managers Matter | B．Personal Choices Matter |
| C．Employees Matter | D．Appearances Matter |
The author’s attitude towards strange dress styles in the workplace may best be described as _________.
| A．enthusiastic | B．positive |
| C．negative | D．sympathetic |
What looks like an angry old man and lives at the bottom of the ocean? It’s the world’s ugliest animal---the blobfish(水滴鱼).
Its strange skin is shaped by its habitat. It lives 800 meters below the ocean’s surface, a depth where very few other creatures can survive.
Most fishes have a swim bladder(鱼鳔), which is filled with gas and helps them stay afloat. At the depth that the blobfish live, water pressure is 80 times higher than that at higher sea levels and any swim bladder wouldn’t be able to serve its purpose.
The blobfish don’t have a swim bladder because their skin works the same way. It helps them stay afloat without having to use any energy.
The blobfish have a pretty relaxed attitude towards eating. All they do is stay and wait for crabs or lobsters to come by.
Since the blobfish like to eat crabs and lobsters, they often get caught in nets that are used to catch lobsters or crabs and end up dying or being killed. They are not suitable for eating so they are useless for fishermen.
There’s a purpose behind the blobfish’s new title; it has become the new mascot for the Ugly Animal Preservation Society, an organization whose purpose is to preserve endangered ugly animals.
“We’ve needed an ugly face for endangered ugly animals for a long time and I’ve been amazed by the public reaction,” said the Society’s Simon Watt. “For too long cute animals have taken the limelight(风头) but now the blobfish will be a voice for those who always get forgotten.”They hope this new face will help the world know that we need to help preserve the populations of ugly animals too.The biggest difference between the blobfish and most other fishes is that the blobfish_____ .
| A．cannot be eaten by people |
| B．don’t have a swim bladder |
| C．only live at high sea levels |
| D．aren’t active in catching food |
What makes the blobfish stay afloat?
| A．Their skin. | B．Their tail. |
| C．Their mouth. | D．Their swim bladder. |
We can learn from what Simon Watt said that _____ .
| A．most ugly animals are in danger |
| B．the population of the blobfish is increasing |
| C．the blobfish have attracted the public’s attention |
| D．people knew nothing about the blobfish in the past |
What is the purpose of the passage?
| A．To discuss the importance of preserving animals. |
| B．To give the reason for starting an organization. |
| C．To present the results of a survey. |
| D．To introduce a special animal. |
| Apple picking |
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| Apple picking is always a popular fall activity, with families looking for a fun way to spend time together outdoors. Check out some options on where and how to pick close to Toronto: |
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| Where to pick |
Pine Farms Tel: 905-833-5459 Hours: Tuesday to Sunday 9 am to 5 pm Details: Pick your own apples from mid-August to November. |
| Albion Farms Tel: 905-584-0354 Hours: Daily 10 am to 6 pm Details: Pick your own apples on weekends only |
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| Watson Farms Tel: 905-623-9109 Hours: Monday to Friday 9 am to 8 pm Weekends 9 am to 6 pm Details: Pick your own apples only in early September. |
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| Brooks Farms Tel: 905-473-3920 Hours: Daily 9 am to 5 pm Details: Picking your own apples is not available(可得到的)，but apples are available in the farm market. |
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| Willis Family Fruit Farms Tel: 905-876-2606 Hours: Weekends 10 am to 8 pm Details: Pick your own apples only in September and October. |
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| Apple picking tips |
Call first: Certain apple types may not be available because demand and farm hours can change without notice. So call ahead before setting out. |
| What to bring: Some farms provide containers(容器) for you to carry the fruit home, but it’s not a bad idea to bring them yourself. Comfortable shoes and clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty are a must. And keep the weather in mind: pack a sweater for cooler days, and bring sun cream. |
According to the author, apple picking ______ .
| A．helps farmers harvest the fruit |
| B．can bring great pleasure to families |
| C．is better for teenagers than for adults |
| D．is becoming more and more popular in cities |
If you are only free after 6 pm on Tuesday, you can choose _____ .
| A．Pine Farms | B．Albion Farms |
| C．Watson Farms | D．Willis Family Fruit Farms |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．You may dirty your clothes when picking apples. |
| B．Apples on all the farms are on sale at the same time. |
| C．You have to pay to take the apples you have picked home. |
| D．You are not allowed to take containers for carrying apples. |
I regularly train at a local boxing gym and I’m lucky enough to meet an amazing man, Adrian Charter. Adrian comes to the gym to train, just like me. The difference is, I’m 31 years old, and Adrian is 72!
I watched Adrian as he was training, early on a Sunday morning, and he was hitting the punching bag harder and quicker than most men in their twenties would. Adrian was a former boxer whose last professional fight was in 1972. Even though he has stopped competing as a boxer, his discipline(纪律) still makes him stick to a training rule.
It simply amazed me as to how a 72-year-old man could train so hard. Believe me, boxing is one of the most difficult sports on the earth, needing much patience,skill, and effort.
What surprised me even more was that a few days earlier he did some running. He ran 9 kilometers. He does this on a regular basis. For me, I can run 5 kilometers at most.
When I questioned him about how he kept such discipline, he calmly replied, “It is all in my mind.”
I thought about it for a moment. If discipline can push a 72-year-old man to train so hard and enjoy it, could I imagine how discipline could serve every single human being on the earth? Right at this point, as you read this story, please pause and ask yourself, “What is my level of discipline?”
Adrian’s example told me that the power of discipline will get us to the finishing line! The bigger the challenge is, the more our discipline can serve us and the sweeter the taste of success will be!The author noticed Adrian Charter mostly because Adrian Charter _______ .
| A．was a famous former boxer |
| B．was the oldest in the boxing gym |
| C．acted faster even than young people |
| D．didn’t want to compete any longer |
What does the author think of boxing?
| A．It has high requirements. |
| B．It has strict training rules. |
| C．It has a limit to people’s age. |
| D．It makes people become quick and strong. |
The underlined sentence in the last paragraph probably means “______ ”.
| A．Rome was not built in a day |
| B．no pains, no gains |
| C．failure is the mother of success |
| D．early birds can catch worms |
What can be the best title for the text?
| A．Grasp every chance to keep fit |
| B．An unforgotten experience |
| C．The power of discipline |
| D．An amazing boxer |