Twenty years ago, Americans were a rare sight in China. But decades later, things have changed greatly. Americans are found in every Chinese province and region and in all walks of life. Much of this change is due to the increasing exchange and improving relationship between the two countries, but what attracts many here is China’s rapid development and the huge opportunities that have arisen with that development.
Erik Nilsson has been working for the English newspaper China Daily as a reporter for five years since his graduation from Central Michigan University. Although his original plan was to become a conflict zone reporter in Latin America, he decided to stay at China Daily
Robert Brownell, a former IT engineer with Microsoft in Seattle, is now teaching in China and appreciates the different atmosphere in the school. His actions are a lot less restricted here than they would be in the U.S. “For good students, I can give them candy,” he explains. “But in American schools, if you give food to students, they have to be sealed(密封)and tested. In China I can pat them on the back and raise my voice. But in America, everything is regulated so much, you just can’t do anything.”
Kodi Keith Avila, the 30-year- old Hawaiian is running a business English school, New York Minutes, in Beijing. Avila first came to China in 2007 on a scholarship program as a student of University of Hawaii. It was encouragement from his professor that finally convinced him to go to China. “He thought China would overtake other countries in trade, consumption and technology,” Avila said.“I saw many good opportunities for personal careers or business development in China. So many limousines Audi, Mercedes-Benz, so many businessmen and skyscrapers. One can get a business license in China as long as one has a good business plan”he told China Today.
“I came to China because I am interested in Chinese medicine. Learning Chinese language will help me learn Chinese medicine,” Caponigro told China Today. She is not alone among Americans in becoming more and more fascinated with Chinese culture

1. 1.

   After graduation, Erik Nilsson first planned to ______.

   1. A.
      work as an English newspaper editor
   2. B.
      work for China Daily
   3. C.
      become a conflict zone reporter in America
   4. D.
      cover his reports in Latin America
2. 2.

   From Robert Brownell’s story, we know that ______.

   1. A.
      He couldn’t find a job and had to come to China
   2. B.
      School teachers share more freedom in China than in the U.S
   3. C.
      American teachers are not allowed to give food to their students
   4. D.
      American classes are more fun and lively
3. 3.

   Kodi Keith Avila stays in China running his business because______.

   1. A.
      he is on a scholarship program as a student of University of Hawaii
   2. B.
      he was encouraged and seized the business opportunity
   3. C.
      he has provided the start-up capital
   4. D.
      his professor convinced him to run a school
4. 4.

   Which of the following might be the best title of the passage?

   1. A.
      The Fascinating Chinese Culture
   2. B.
      China--- A Jobseekers’ Wonderful Place
   3. C.
      Starting Business in China
   4. D.
      Americans Following Their Dreams to China

Afraid that her son would be too tired, Ms. Wendy would sometimes tell the boy to skip school, but each time, Fabian would insist on going to school.
“I don’t like it because when I return to school, I don’t know what’s going on,” the 12-year-old boy explained. He suffers for SMA－a neuromuscular（神经肌肉的）disease that leads to weakness in muscles－and gets around in a wheelchair.
Fabian’s determination to excel in his studies was evident when he was disappointed that he got a total score of 236 yesterday in his Primary School Leaving Examination. He was hoping for a score of at least 240, but his mother was full of pride. “I am happy with his results. He’s very motivated,” said Ms. Wendy.
When Fabian was two months old, he was diagnosed with SMA. Ms. Wendy, who used to go to other homes to teach piano lessons, started teaching lessons at home so she could take care of her son. Fabian proved to be a fighter. Ms. Wendy said, “ He would study every day on his own even though he was weak and his spine（脊柱）was already starting to curve quite badly.”
Fabian is also active in the Singapore Disability Sports Council, where he plays boccia（滚球）, a ball sport for those who require a wheelchair due to physical disability.
At just 133cm tall and weighing 14kg, he knows that he will have to rely on others all his life. “I’m afraid that when my parents grow older, they will not be able to carry me and that there will be nobody to carry me,” said Fabian. “But for now, I feel lucky that I get to go out and do a lot of things that I thought I couldn’t.”
His dreams aren’t lofty（崇高的）either－all he want to be able to do is work and provide for his parents. “I just want to study hard so that I can be a businessman, like my dad.” He is planning to apply to study at Victoria School.
【小题1】The underlined word “it” in the second paragraph refers to ______.
A. going to school.               B. being absent from school
C. studying hard.                   D. suffering from SMA.
【小题2】We can know from the text that Fabian ______.