题目内容
America is a mobile society. Friendships between Americans can be close and real, yet disappear soon if situations change. Neither side feels hurt by this. Both may exchange Christmas greetings for a year or two, perhaps a few letters for a while — then no more. If the same two people meet again by chance, even years later, they pick up the friendship. This can be quite difficult for us Chinese to understand, because friendships between us flower more slowly but then may become lifelong feelings, extending (延伸) sometimes deeply into both families.
Americans are ready to receive us foreigners at their homes, share their holidays, and their home life. They will enjoy welcoming us and be pleased if we accept their hospitality (好客) easily.
Another difficult point for us Chinese to understand Americans is that although they include us warmly in their personal everyday lives, they don’t show their politeness (礼貌) to us if it requires a great deal of time. This is usually the opposite (相反) of the practice in our country where we may be generous with our time. Sometimes, we, as hosts, will appear at airports even in the middle of the night to meet a friend. We may take days off to act as guides to our foreign friends. The Americans, however, express their welcome usually at homes, but truly can not manage the time to do a great deal with a visitor outside their daily activities. They will probably expect us to get ourselves from the airport to our own hotel by bus. And they expect that we will phone them from there. Once we arrive at their homes, the welcome will be full, warm and real. We will find ourselves treated hospitably.
For the Americans, it is often considered more friendly to invite a friend to their homes than to go to restaurants, except for purely business matters. So accept their hospitality at home!
1.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A.Friendships between Americans usually extend deeply into their families. |
B.Americans will continue their friendships again even after a long break. |
C.Americans always show their warmth even if they are very busy. |
D.Friendships between Americans usually last for all their lives. |
2.From the last two paragraphs we can learn that when we arrive in America to visit an American friend, we will probably be ______.
A.treated hospitably at his home |
B.offered a ride to his home |
C.warmly welcomed at the airport |
D.treated to dinner in a restaurant |
3.The underlined words “generous with our time” in Paragraph 3 probably mean ______.
A.strict with time |
B.serious with time |
C.willing to spend time |
D.careful with time |
4.A suitable title for this passage would probably be “______”.
A.Friendships between Chinese |
B.Friendships between Americans |
C.Americans’ hospitality |
D.Americans’ and Chinese’s opinions of friendships |
1.B
2.A
3.C
4.D
【解析】略
Popular music in America is what every student likes. Students carry small radios with earphones and listen to music before class, after class, and at lunch. Students with cars buy large speakers and play music loudly as they drive on the street. Adult drivers listen to music on the car radio as they drive to work. They also listen to the news about sports, the weather, and the life of American people. Most of the radio programmes are music.
Pop or popular music singers make much money. They make CDs or tapes which radio stations in many places broadcast(广播). Once the popular singer is heard all over the country, young people buy his or her tapes. Some of the money from these tapes comes to the singer. Wherever the singer goes, all the young people want to meet him or her. Now the singer has become a pop star.
There are other kinds of music that are popular among Americans. One is called folk music. It tells stories about the common life of Americans. Another is called western or country music. This was started by cowboys who would sing at night to the cows they were watching. Today, any music about country life and the love between a country boy and his girl is called western or country music.
【小题1】________ kinds of music are mentioned(提到) in this passage.
A.Two | B.Four. | C.Three | D.Five |
A.become popular with their fans |
B.make a CD or tape |
C.make much money |
D.are wanted to sing on the radio |
A.the common life of Americans |
B.the life of cowboys |
C.the country life and love stories |
D.the school life in America |
A.Western Music | B.Popular Music |
C.History of Music | D.American Music |
请认真阅读下列短文, 并根据所读内容在文章后表格中的空格里填入最恰当的单词。注意:每空格1个单词。
The job of raising children is a tough one. Children don't come with an instruction handbook. And each child is different. So parents sometimes pull their hair out in frustration, not knowing what to do. But in raising children---as in all of life---what we do is influenced by our culture. Naturally then, American parents teach their children basic American values.
To Americans, the goal of parents is to help children stand on their own two feet. From infancy, each child may get his or her own room. As children grow, they gain more freedom to make their own choices. Teenagers choose their own forms of entertainment, as well as the friends to share them with. When they reach young adulthood, they choose their own careers and marriage partners. Of course, many young adults still seek their parents' advice and approval for the choices they make. But once they "leave the nest" at around 18 to 21 years old, they want to be on their own, not "tied to their mother's apron strings."
The relationship between parents and children in America is very informal. American parents try to treat their children as individuals ─ not as extensions of themselves. They allow them to fulfill their own dreams. Americans praise and encourage their children to give them the confidence to succeed. When children become adults, their relationship with their parents becomes more like a friendship among equals. But contrary to popular belief, most adult Americans don't make their parents pay for room and board when they come to visit. Even as adults, they respect and honor their parents.
Most young couples with children struggle with the issue of childcare. Mothers have traditionally stayed home with their children. In recent years, though, a growing trend is to put preschoolers in a day care center so Mom can work. Many Americans have strong feelings about which type of arrangement is best. Some argue that attending a day care center can be a positive experience for children. Others insist that mothers are the best caregivers for children. A number of women are now leaving the workforce to become full-time homemakers.
Disciplining children is another area that American parents have different opinions about. Many parents feel that an old-fashioned spanking(一顿打) helps youngsters learn what "No!" means. Others prefer alternate forms of discipline. For example, "time outs" have become popular in recent years. Children in "time out" have to sit in a corner or by a wall. They can get up only when they are ready to act nicely. Older children and teenagers who break the rules may be grounded, or not allowed to go out with friends. Some of their privileges at home like TV or telephone use may also be taken away for a while. Although discipline isn't fun for parents or children, it's a necessary part of training.
Being a parent is a tall order. It takes patience, love, wisdom, courage and a good sense of humor to raise children. Some people are just deciding not to have children at all, since they're not sure it's worth it. But raising children means training the next generation and preserving our culture. What could be worth more than that?
Title: The Job of Raising Children
Paragraph outline |
Supporting details |
Introduction |
It is no easy task to bring up children. Parents sometimes feel very 1 ▲ , not knowing what to do. |
The goal of parents |
They help children to be 2 ▲ instead of depending on parents. |
The relationship between parents and children |
An informal relationship exists between American parents and children. ● Children are praised and 3 ▲ to realize their dreams. ● Children are treated 4 ▲ more like friends. |
The issue of childcare |
Most young couple struggle with this issue. ● 5 ▲ , mothers stayed home with kids. ● Recently, a day care center is where preschoolers are put. ● There is a(n) 6 ▲ over whether attending a day care center is a positive experience for children. |
Ways to 7 ▲ children |
American parents have different opinions. ● "Time outs" have become 8 ▲ in recent years. ● 9 ▲ away some privileges is a way to punish some older children and teenagers. |
Conclusion |
Raising children takes patience, love, wisdom, courage etc., but it is 10 ▲ . |