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.”
What’s the passage mainly about?
| A．Meaning of American Dream |
| B．Redefinition of American Dream |
| C．Value of Achieving American Dream |
| D．History of Changing American Dream |
The underlined word “cornerstone” in Paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to “ ”.
| A．growth | B．balance |
| C．purpose | D．basis |
According to the passage, what has changed Millennials’ view of the American Dream?
| A．A lack of confidence in themselves |
| B．Fierce competition in the job market |
| C．The discouraging economy and unemployment |
| D．Their dissatisfaction with the government |
Dan Kadlec thinks Millennials’ new definition of the American Dream is ______.
| A．understandable | B．beautiful |
| C．worrying | D．Positive |
It's not about how much money you make, and it's not about who your daddy is. We're talking about being attractive in general, whether it's on a job interview or just gaining the respect of your colleagues . . .
Ask lots of questions
If you come across as a know-it-all (even if you really do know it all!), it really pushes people away. Rather, asking lots and lots of questions makes people feel like you care, you can be trusted.
Great body language
Your body language says a lot about you - it says whether you have confidence, or simply if you really care. Talking physically, it is one of the most important physical characteristics you need!
Stay busy
Always have something to do. Have you ever seen someone just sitting around, doing nothing? How unattractive. Always be busy with something, even if for some reason you have to make something up.
Show your pearly whites (or just smile)
Smile more, no matter how ugly your teeth are. I'm not kidding about this one. It's notall about the teeth. If you are smiling genuinely, you can draw everyone for 100 meters around to you.
Wear what fits
Wear clothing that fits you. For women, wearing tight pants or shirts is not attractive. Things that just fit you and your shape are the best but not tight. Wear things that fit you nicely, please . . . And for goodness sake, both sexes, stay away from logos and printed shirts! Most people you may ask do not find this attractive. Stop being some company's billboard(广告牌).
Be interested in other man
Be interested in theother person. Don't talk about. If you are truly interested in the person, it will come across. And if you want to talk about yourself, you'll find that putting the other person first actually opens him up to return the favor and ask you questions. See how fun this is?It is your ________ that makes you attractive.
| A．your family background |
| B．fashionable tight clothes |
| C．your appearance and your wealth |
| D．proper body language and behavior |
According to the author, if you ________, you can be trusted.
| A．always smile and show your pearly teeth |
| B．keep asking lots of questions |
| C．are interested in other people’s personal affairs |
| D．always wear clothes that fit you |
The purpose of staying busy is to ________.
| A．gain praises from your boss and colleagues |
| B．look attractive among people |
| C．show that you are interested in your job |
| D．get promoted in your company |
If you are going to a job interview, which of the following is a proper behavior?
| A．Wearing a shirt with printed logos |
| B．Keeping talking about your own experiences and talents |
| C．Staying still, not making any body language |
| D．Smiling truly toward the people you will meet |
Chinese writer Mo Yan has won the 2012 Nobel Prize in Literature, announced the Swedish Academy in Stockholm on Thursday．The win makes Mo Yan the first Chinese citizen to win the Nobel in its 111-year history．Informed of his win today, the author, who was having dinner at home, was “overjoyed and scared"．
Born in 1955 to parents who were farmers, Mo Yan－a pen name for Guan Moye, grew up in Gaomi in Shandong province in eastern China． At the age of 12, he left school to work, first in agriculture, later in a factory. In 1976, he joined the army and during this time began to study literature and writing．
He published his first book in 1981, but found literary success in 1987 with Hong Gaoliang Jiazu, which was successfully filmed in the same year, directed by famous Chinese director Zhang Yimou. In his writing, Mo Yan draws on his youthful experiences and on settings in the province of his birth and his works show the life of Chinese people as well as the country's unique culture and folk customs．Mo Yan is known as a prolific（多产的）writer．In addition to his novels, he has published many short stories and essays on various topics. Despite his social criticism, he is seen in his homeland as one of the most famous contemporary authors．Dozens of his works have been translated into English, French, Japanese and many other languages．
The awarding ceremony will be held on December 10．The winner will win a medal, a personal diploma and a cash award of about $l million．Mo Yan developed his ability for writing when he was _.
| A．on a farm | B．in a factory | C．in the army | D．in a school |
One of Mo Yan's characteristics of writing is that he ________.
| A．explains difficult matters in simple words |
| B．focuses on social problems in the country |
| C．describes his characters in a unique way |
| D．writes about topics he is familiar with |
What's the best title for this passage?
| A．How Mo Yan Gets Nobel Prize |
| B．Mo Yan Wins Nobel Prize in Literature |
| C．An Introduction to Nobel Prize |
| D．A World Famous Writer, Mo Yan |
MELBOURNE, Australia – A kangaroo frightened by a man walking his dog attacked the pair, throwing the pet underwater and hitting the owner in the stomach with its back legs. The Australian, Chris Rickard, was in stable condition Monday after the attack, which ended when the 49-year-old struck the kangaroo in the throat.
Rickard said he was walking his blue dog, Rocky, on Sunday morning when they surprised a sleeping kangaroo in Arthur's Creek northeast of Melbourne. The dog chased the animal into a pond, when the kangaroo turned and knocked the pet underwater.
When Rickard tried to pull his dog free, the kangaroo turned on him, attacking with its back legs and tearing a deep cut into his stomach and across his face.
"I thought I might take action to drag the dog out from under his grasp, but I didn't expect him to actually attack me," Rickard, 49, told The Herald Sun newspaper. "It was a shock at the start because it was a kangaroo, about 5 feet high, they don't go around killing people."
"I was stuck having to hold on to the dog with both hands because it was half drowned and I couldn't really see anything because the kangaroo just attacked me.”
He added, "All I could do was just keep pushing for the bank and he was trying to push me under the water, so at that point I struck him in the throat and that made him back off a little bit.
"I don't think I'll ever be able to watch kangaroo programs quite the same as I used to — it might bring back a couple of bad memories.”
Kangaroos rarely attack people but will fight if they feel threatened.
Dogs often chase kangaroos, which have been known to lead the pets into water and defend themselves there.
Rickard said he ended the attack by hitting the kangaroo in the throat adding Rocky was "half-drowned" when he pulled him from the water.Rickard and his pet dog were attacked when _________.
| A．he was teasing a kangaroo | B．he was walking his dog |
| C．swimming in the pond | D．dragging his dog out from water |
In Australia, kangaroos ________.
| A．are only seen in zoos |
| B．frequently attack people and pets |
| C．get along rather peacefully with people |
| D．can be found swimming in ponds |
The kangaroo attacked the man and his dog probably because ________.
| A．the man struck it in the throat | B．the dog chased it |
| C．the man wanted to drown it | D．it wanted to drown the dog |
As a result of the attack, ________.
| A．the dog was drowned dead |
| B．the kangaroo was killed |
| C．kangaroos should be under stricter protection |
| D．Rickard was left a deep impression |
It is natural for young people to be critical of their parents at times and to blame them for most of the misunderstandings between them. They have always complained, more or less justly, that their parents are out of touch with modern ways; that they are possessive and dominant; that they do not trust their children to deal with problems; that they talk too much about certain problems—and that they have no sense of humor, at least in parent—child relationships. I think it is true that parents often underestimate their teenage children and also forget how they themselves felt when young.
Young people often make their parents angry at their choices in clothes and hairstyles, in entertainers and music. This is not their motive. They feel cut off from the adult world into which they have not yet been accepted. So they create a culture and society of their own. Then, if it turns out that their music or entertainers or vocabulary or clothes or hairstyles make their parents angry, this gives them extra enjoyment. They feel they are superior, at least in a small way, and that they are leaders in style and taste.
Sometimes you are resistant, and proud because you do not want your parents to agree what you do. If they agree, it looks as if you are betraying your own age group. But in that case, you are supposing that you are the underdog; you cannot win but at least you keep your honor. This is a passive way of looking at things. It is natural enough after long years of childhood, when you were completely under your parents' contro1. But it ignores the fact that you are now beginning to be responsible for yourself. If you plan to control your life, cooperation can be part of that plan. You can attract others, especially your parents, into doing things the way you want. You can impress others with your sense of responsibility, so that they will let you choose what you want to do.The first paragraph is mainly about_________.
| A．the teenagers' criticism of their parents |
| B．misunderstandings between teenagers and their parents |
| C．the control of the parents over their children |
| D．the teenagers' ability to deal will problems |
Teenagers tend to have strange clothes and hairstyles mainly because they________.
| A．want to show their existence by creating a culture of their own |
| B．have a strong desire to be leaders in style and taste |
| C．have no other way to enjoy themselves better |
| D．want to make their Parents angry |
Teenagers do not want their parents to agree whatever they do because they_______.
| A．have already been accepted into the adult world |
| B．feel that they are superior to the adults |
| C．are not likely to win over the adults |
| D．have a desire to be independent |
To improve parent—child relationships，teenagers are advised to be_________.
| A．attractive | B．positive | C．cooperative | D．productive |
As we have seen, the focus of medical care in our society has been shifting from curing disease to preventing disease—especially in terms of changing our many unhealthy behaviors, such as poor eating habits, smoking, and failure to exercise. The line of thought involved in this shift can be pursued further. Imagine a person who is about the right weight, but does not eat very nutritious foods, who feels OK but exercises only occasionally, who goes to work every day, but is not an outstanding worker, who drinks a few beers at home most nights but does not drive while drunk, and who has no chest pains or abnormal blood counts, but sleeps a lot and often feels tired. This person is not ill. He may not even be at risk for any particular disease. But we can imagine that this person could be a lot healthier.
The field of medicine has not traditionally distinguished between someone who is merely “not ill” and someone who is in excellent health and pays attention to the body's special needs. Both types have simply been called “well.” In recent years, however, some health specialists have begun to apply the terms “well” and “wellness” only to those who are actively striving to maintain and improve their health. People who are well are concerned with nutrition and exercise, and they make a point of monitoring their body's condition. Most important, perhaps, people who are well take active responsibility for all matters related to their health. Even people who have a physical disease or handicap may be “well,” in this new sense, if they make an effort to maintain the best possible health they can in the face of their physical limitations. “Wellness” may perhaps best be viewed not as a state that people can achieve, but as an ideal that people can strive for. People who are well are likely to be better able to resist disease and to fight disease when it strikes. And by focusing attention on healthy ways of living the concept of wellness can have a beneficial impact on the ways in which people face the challenges of daily life. In the first paragraph, people are reminded that ____.
| A．good health is more than not being ill |
| B．drinking, even if not to excess, could be harmful |
| C．regular health checks are essential to keeping fit |
| D．prevention is more difficult than cure |
The underlined word “handicap” in the second paragraph probably means.
| A．disability | B．advantage | C．difficulty | D．benefit |
According to the author, the true meaning of “wellness” is for people ____.
| A．to best satisfy their body's special needs |
| B．to strive to maintain the best possible health |
| C．to meet the strictest standards of bodily health |
| D．to keep a proper balance between work and leisure |
According to what the author, which of the following groups of people would be inferred healthy?
| A．People who have strong muscles as well as slim figures. |
| B．People who are not presently experiencing any symptoms of disease. |
| C．People who try to be as healthy as possible, regardless of their limitations. |
| D．People who can recover from illness even without seeking medical care. |