Question

You may have heard the term “the American Dream”. In 1848, James W. Marshall found gold in California and people began having golden dreams. That 19th century “American Dream" motivated(激发) the Gold Rush and gave California its nickname of the "Golden State".

The American Dream drove not only 1800s gold-rush prospectors(采矿者) but also waves of immigrants throughout that century and the next. People from Europe, and a large number of Chinese, arrived in the US in the 19th century hoping that in America they would find gold there. But most, instead, worked as railroad laborers. They created the oldest Chinatown, in San Francisco, and gave the city a Chinese name "the old gold hill".

In the 20th century, some critics said that it was no longer possible to become prosperous through determination and hard work. Unfair education for students from poor families and racial discrimination almost made the American Dream a nightmare(噩梦).

Then, in the 1990s, California saw a new wave of dreamers in Silicon Valley. People poured their energy into the Internet. This new chapter of the American Dream attracted many business people and young talents from China and India to form start-ups and seek fortune in America.

Better pay, a nice house, and a rising standard of living will always be attractive. However, the new American Dream is no longer just about money. It encourages Americans to consume wisely to protect the environment, improve the quality of life, and promote social justice（正义）.

The Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger has become the model of the new American Dream. After

years of hard work, he grew from a poor young man from Austria into a super movie star and then a governor.

Many people hope his story can save the American Dream and give California a brighter future.

1.It can be inferred that_________.

A. America’s golden dream could never be realized

B. America’s golden dream had bought great fortune to Chinese immigrants

C. different times have different themes of the American dream

D. determination and hard work are the best way to realize the American dream

2.Why did most of the early immigrants work as railroad laborers?

A. Because they could earn more money as railroad laborers.

B. Because they had to make a living by working as railroad laborers．

C. Because they thought railroad was the first step to find gold.

D. Because railroad laborers were greatly honored at that time.

3.The underlined sentence “his story can save the American Dream” (in the last paragraph) indicates that________．

A. the dream of seeking fortunate in America is easy to realize

B. most of the immigrants to America don’t reach their previous goals

C. the success of Arnold Schwarzenegger is among the common examples of the immigrants

D. the immigrants have made great contributions to California

4.What’s the best title of the passage?

A. Wave of Immigrants to America

B. Make Fortunes Abroad

C. Hard Work Leads to Success

D. Changes of America’s Golden Dream

 

Answer 1

1.C

2.B

3.B

4.D

【解析】

试题分析：文章主要讲述了不同时期的“美国梦”。十八世纪的时候，人们在加利福尼亚发现黄金，由此引发淘金热潮，并引起了大规模的移民潮。后来，随着互联网的兴起，大批商务人士和科技人才涌入美国，开始逐梦之旅。

1.But most, instead, worked as railroad laborers.”可知，B项错误；根据第三段“ it was no longer possible to become prosperous through determination and hard work.”可知，D项错误，故选C。

2.hoping that in America they would find gold there. But most, instead, worked as railroad laborers.”可知，“黄金热”引发了移民潮，大批欧洲人、中国人涌入美国淘金，然而，实际情况却是，美国并非遍地黄金。然而，为了生存下去，大批移民不得不自谋生计，故选B。

3.After years of hard work,...”可知，施瓦辛格经过了刻苦磨练才成为电影明星和加

州州长，像施瓦辛格这样的成功人士知识少数，排除A、C，D项与题意无关，故选B。

4.

考点：历史类短文阅读