America, has always had people of many different nationalities and languages. The 1990 census (人口普查) indicates that almost 14% of Americans speak a non-English language at home. Yet only 3% reported that they spoke English “not well” or “not at all ”. That means that slightly more than one out of 10 Americans could be considered bilingual. Besides that, many high school and college students---and even some elementary school students---are required to take a foreign language. Actually, a growing number of Americans are coming to appreciate the benefits of using different languages.

    Ethnic enclaves (少数民族聚居地) have preserved the language and culture of American immigrants. Some local residents can function quite well in their native language, without having to bother learning English. Regions such as southern Florida and the Southwest have numerous Spanish-speaking neighborhoods. In fact, Spanish speakers---numbering over 17 million---form the largest non-English linguistic group in America. But Chinese, Vietnamese, Italian, Polish and many other ethnic group add to the linguistic flavor of America. Foreign languages are so commonly used in some ethnic neighborhoods that visitors might think they are in another country!

    Although some Americans welcome this linguistic and cultural diversity, others have begun to fear that the English language is being threatened. Since the 1980s, the “English Only ” movement has sought to promote legislation (立法) which would establish English as the “official language” and restrict the use of non-English language. However, some groups, including TESOL, the organization for Teachers of English to Speakers of Other language, object to such “language restrictionism”. But so far, 19 states have passed “English Only” legislation, and the topic is the focus of an ongoing debate.

Whether or not English is the official language of the United States, it remains the “language of wider communication”. Nearly everyone recognizes the need to develop the ability in using English in order to do well in America. American also recognize that English is the international language, and people with good English skills can get by in many international settings. On the other hand, in a world growing increasingly smaller, second language skills can be a great favor. They can build cross-cultural bridges and give people an edge in a variety of career field. Indeed, lack of foreign language skill can limit one’s chances for advancement and keep one in a cultural dead-end street. 

Ethnic groups have preserved their native languages because ______.

       A. their native languages are commonly used in their neighborhoods

       B. ethnic groups are not allowed to speak English

       C. ethnic groups can do very well in their native languages

       D. ethnic groups don’t allow their natives to learn English

The underlined word “bilingual” in paragraph 1 probably means ______.

       A. being able to speak two languages    B. being able to speak one language

       C. being able to speak different languages    D. being able to speak many foreign languages

Which of the following is TRUE about “English Only” movement?

       A. Its purpose was to establish a legislation of restricting the use of English.

       B. TESOL was in favor of “English Only ” by objecting to “English plus”.

       C. It was launched because English was being threatened.

       D. A large majority of American states support the movement.

What can be the best title of this passage?

       A. The English Only Movement        B. Learn to speak English

       C. English---an International Language D. Being Bilingual

How to Make Friends

Friendship is a very important human relationship and everyone needs good friends. Good friendship has many benefits. It offers companionship, improves self-worth and promotes good health. There are times in our lives such as when we have recently moved into a new town, or changed our jobs or schools. Such changes often leaves us without a friend.   71 . But for many of us the process is difficult and requires courage. Below are some helpful suggestions on how to make and keep friends.

1.  Associate with others.

The first step to making friends is associating with other people. You can go to public places to meet new people. Besides, you will need to make yourself known by becoming an active member of such places.

2. Start a conversation

Starting a conversation is the second most important step in making new friends.  72   You can always start the conversation. Being able to make small talk is a very useful skill in relating with other people. 

3. 73   

Choosing friends with common interests is important in building friendship as these interests would always bring you and your friend together, Hanging out will always be a pleasant experience.

4. Let it grow.

It is a good thing to stay in touch. However, try not to press your new friend with calls, messages or visits as this would likely wear him or her out and finally you may lose your friend. 74  .  The best friendships are the ones that grow naturally.

5. Enjoy your friendship

The best way to enjoy your friendship is to allow your friends to be themselves.     75  Try not to change them from who they are to what you want them to be. Become the kind of friend you will want your friend to be to you.

A. Be cheerful.

B. Do things together.

C. Do not wait to be spoken to.

D. Try not to find fault with your friends.

E.  Making new friends comes easy for some people.

F.  For a friendship to develop you need to stay in touch.

G.  So you will need to give your friend time to react to you.

 

Recently, a study was carried out to determine who was the greatest American president.Sixty-five presidential historians took part in it, and they judged the past forty-two American leaders based on ten leadership qualities, including public persuasiveness(信服), crisis leadership, management of the economy, moral leadership, and conduct of international relations.The historians also looked at administrative ability (管理能力), relations with Congress, ability to set goals, and the pursuit of equal justice for all.Finally, the experts took into consideration the historical period in which the president lived.

The historians chose Abraham Lincoln as American’s greatest president.He had also been named best president in a similar study in 2000.Abraham Lincoln was the president who led the nation through the Civil War in the 1860s, and was able to unite it in the end.He also took the first steps to abolish slavery in America.

Edna Medford, a professor of history at Howard University in Washington, D.C., was an adviser on this study and the earlier one.She says Abraham Lincoln is seen to represent the values the nation most honors, such as truthfulness, moderation, and respect for human rights.

The historians put American’s first president, George Washington, second on the list, while Franklin D.Roosevelt, Theodore Roosevelt, and Harry Truman follow in that order.John   F.Kennedy, the country’s first Roman Catholic president, is sixth on the list.Like Lincoln, Kennedy was murdered while in office.

Among recent presidents, Ronald Reagan was named the tenth best and Bill Clinton rated fifteenth, while the historians put former president George W.Bush at number thirty-six.His father, George H.W.Bush, did much better, being placed at number eighteen.

1.We learn from the text that ___________.

    A.this is the second time that Abraham Lincoln has been chosen as America’s greatest president

    B.Edna Medford didn’t take part in the study conducted in 2000.

    C.George H.W.Bush was thought to have done worse in office than George W.Bush

    D.Harry Truman was rated the fourth-best president by the study

2.Which of the following belong to the ten leadership qualities considered?

    a.Being able to persuade the public

    b.Taking effective measures during a financial crisis.

    c.Balancing home life and career.

    d.Pursuing equal justice for all.

   A.a,b,c           B.b,c,d          C.a,b,d          D.a,c,d

3.Who is rated worst among the following four presidents?

   A.John F.Kennedy                  B.George Washington

   C.Bill Clinton                     D.George W.Bush

4.The text is mainly about ________.

   A.the ten qualities a great president needs

   B.a study of American presidents

   C.the values the American nation honors most

   D.how Abraham Lincoln improved the country

 

Most Americans believe that someone isn’t grown-up until the age of 26 and they should complete their education, have a full-time job, have a family to support and be financially independent. They also believe that becoming a real grown-up is a process which begins at about the age of 20 and takes about five years, according to the report from the University of Chicago’s National Opinion Research Center.

The findings are based on a representative sample of 1,398 people over the age of 18 who were surveyed in person. The survey found that people expect the transitions to grown-up status to be completed at the following ages: age 20.9 self-supporting; age 21.1 no longer living with parents; age 21.2 having a full-time job; age 22.3 education completed; age 24.5 being able to support a family financially; age 25.7 getting married;  and age 26.2 having a child.

“There is a large degree of agreement across social groups on the relative importance of the seven transitions,” said Tom Smith, director of the survey. The only obvious pattern of differences is on views about supporting a family, having children and getting married. Older adults consider these more important than younger adults do. This probably shows in large part a change in values across generations away from traditional family values. The most valued step toward reaching adulthood, the survey found, is completing education, followed by full-time employment, supporting a family, financial independence, living independently, and marriage.

1.According to the first paragraph, someone is a grown-up when he _______.  

A.has found a full-time job

B.has finished his study in university

C.can make money and support himself after completing his education

D.can support a family and be financially independent after graduation

2.A young man of 24 may be busy ________.  

A.finding a job

B.finding a girl friend

C.making money

D.preparing for his wedding

3.The underlined word “status” in the second paragraph probably means “________”.

A.position

B.rank

C.level

D.situation

4.From the passage, we learn that _________.  

A.being grown-up is just a matter of age

B.being grown-up is a process which takes some time

C.all people think completing education means being grown-up

D.the survey found everyone had a different view about being grown-up

5.The best title for the passage should be “________”   

A.It takes a long time to grown up.

B.Are we grown-up yet?

C.Getting married means being grown-up.

D.Completing education means being grown-up.

 

 

   On Wednesday, the Chinese government, decided to increase its medical subsidies(补贴)  for farmers from 10 Yuan (US$1.23) to 20 Yuan (US$2.47) a head a year from 2006.

   As part of the country's healthcare reform programme, the co-operative rural (农村)medical system was first introduced in 2003 to set up self-help among farmers on a voluntary basis.  Due to insufficient government input to finance hospitals that are mostly State-owned, the country's healthcare reform has largely turned out to be a failure, adding hugely to the financial burden on the public.

While everyone complains about quickly-rising medical costs, rural residents are suffering more than their urban(城镇) cousins because of a lack of money, as well as not being able to enjoy high quality health services. At present, farmers earn on average only one-third of what urban residents make. Most of the country's medical resources are located in cities even though rural residents make up two-thirds of the population.

  Poor health conditions make it more difficult to help farmers get out of poverty; and poverty, in turn, refuses farmers the chance to improve their health. To end this vicious circle, policy-makers tried the co-operative medical system, with a small sum of central and local financial support for each rural participant. But the system has proved to be less than perfect. Due to the limited financial input, the programme still does not benefit the majority of farmers in a significant way. This has reduced many farmers' enthusiasm for participating. A high percentage of involvement is of course a precondition for such a system.

  The central government intends to expand the programme into a national medical system by 2008. Increasing government subsidies is a necessary step to make the co-operative medical system more attractive to farmers. But an increase of 10 Yuan for each participant is surely far from enough to perfect the system. The total cost is not particularly heavy compared to the rapid growth in government revenue(财政).

   Clearly, policy-makers are becoming increasingly aware of how urgent the narrowing of the development gap between rural and urban areas really is. Besides economic policies to push the rural economy, large amount of government investment on improving rural healthcare and education is badly needed.

1. Compared with that in 2006, what will be the rate of coming increase in China’s medical subsidies for farmers?

         A. 100%                      B. 50%                        C. 200%                     D. 150%

2. What is the reason for the failure in the country’s healthcare reform?

         A. Bad management system.          

         B. The government didn’t input enough money to support hospitals that are mostly

state-owned.

         C. The health conditions in the country is too bad.

         D. There are too many farmers that need medical care.

3. What is needed to narrow the development gap between rural and urban areas?

         ①. Large amount of government investment in economy.

         ②. Large amount of government investment on improving rural healthcare and education.

         ③. Economic policies to push the rural economy

④. A high percentage of farmers’ involvement in the medical system

⑤. A better management system

A. ①②③    B.  ②③④                   C. ①②③④⑤          D. ②③

4. Why are many farmers not enthusiastic in joining the co-operative medical system?

         A. It doesn’t benefit most of the farmers in an effective way.

         B. They cannot spare the needed money to join the programme.

         C. They don’t believe in the system.

         D. They don’t think it necessary.

5. What can be inferred from the last but one paragraph?

         A. An increase of 10 Yuan in medical subsidies for each person is not enough.

         B. The government can afford to increase the medical subsidies for farmers.

         C. The government will get farmers of the whole country involved in a medical system by 2008. 

         D. If the government increase subsidies, more farmers are likely to join the medical system.

 

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