Generation next is usually a powerful unknown. Sometimes called Generation Y, sometimes called the Millennials (千禧代), this group of 16-to-25-year-olds live in a world of high-tech advances, increasing racial diversity and economic growth. And it is a generation expected to affect major social change.

    "This is us," said Katie Stroud,16 from South Carolina, US. "This is how we are. Take it or leave it."

    The problem is, they're proving hard to define.

    "This group is unique," said Ken Shin, a sociology professor at the University of South Carolina. "They have different values. They're more informed. They're more tolerant."

    Generation Y is expected to do great things -- to move beyond thought to action.

    "As a generation, they are the strongest and most intelligent," said Joyce Fields, a professor at Columbia College in South Carolina.

    Generation Y has grown up in a digital, instant-messaging age. DVDs, iPods and cell phones are just part of everyday life for this Interact-surfing generation.

"I feel that we're very smart," said Shawn Rumph,18, of Columbia, S.C. "Look at all the technology we have to help us learn."

    Since they have grown up in good times, for Generation Y, success and wealth are almost certain. Their attitude, therefore, shows that they're optimistic and materialistic, Fields said.

    Richard Perry, an 18-year-old University of South Carolina student, agrees that Generation Y is materialistic. "Everybody is into new stuff," he said.

    To marketers selling soda, music, clothes and computers, members of Generation Y look like human dollar signs.

    With a "buy now, pay later" mentality, this group is assaulted with Web ads and TV commercials aimed at getting them to part with their and their parents' money.

    Despite the insistence on having modem-day conveniences, in many ways Generation Y is traditional, experts say. Getting an education and having a family are important.

    Besides, some Generation Y members say they are comfortable with racial diversity and expect discrimination to disappear.

    Elizabeth Pope,16, of South Carolina, said Generation Y probably will elect the first female or minority-race president.

    In any ease, Fields is confident in Generation Y. "I think we're in good hands."

1. In this passage, how many such optimistic young people are mentioned?

A. Four         B. Five          C. Six D. Two

2. Which of the following characteristics of Generation Y is NOT mentioned by Joyce Fields?

A. the strongest                     B. more tolerant

    C. the most intelligent              D. optimistic and materialistic

3. What does it mean by "Everybody is into new stuff."?

    A. Generation Y is in the direction of wealth.

    B. Generation Y has different social values.

    C. Generation Y is during a period of being lost.

D. Generation Y is interested in new things.                   

4. According to the passage, what's the attitude of the experts towards Generation Y?

    A. suspicious     B. sympathetic    C. optimistic     D. pessimistic

5. According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?

A. People of Generation Y are more informed and more tolerant.

    B. DVDs, iPods and cell phones are all of everyday life for Generation Y.

    C. Success and wealth are almost certain for Generation Y.

    D. In many ways people of Generation Y are traditional, though.

（湖北省部分重点中学2009届高三第二次联考）

D

y brother-in-1aw opened the drawer of my sister’s cupboard and took out a package．He said。“This is a new silk slip（衬裙）．Jane bought it in New York nine years ago．She never wore it．She was saving it for a special occasion．I guess this is the occasion．”

It was an exquisite（精美的）handmade silk slip．The price tag on it was still attached．

He took the slip from me and put it on the bed，with the other clothes we were taking to the mortician（殡仪员）．His hands fingered on the soft material for a moment, then he shut the drawer and turned to me．“Don’t ever save anything for a special occasion．Every day you’re alive is a special occasion．’’

His words have changed my mind．I’m spending more time with my family and less time on meetings．I’m trying to recognize these moments now and cherish them．I’m not saving anything．I wear my good skirt to the market if I feel like it．I can pay $28·49 for a small bag of  groceries．I’m not saving my good perfume for special parties．If something is worth seeing or hearing or doing，I want to see and hear and do it now．“Someday” has disappeared in my vocabulary．

I’m not sure what Jane would have done if she had known she’d not be here for the tomorrow we all take for granted．I’m guessing Jane would have called family members and a few close friends．She might have apologized to her former friends for their past quarrels．She’d have gone out for a Chinese dinner, her favorite food．

I’m trying hard not to put off, hold back。or save anything that would add laughter to our fives．Every morning I open my eyes。I tell myself that every day, every minute，every breath is a gift．

73．Why didn’t Jane wear the brand new silk slip?

A．She meant to wear it on her death．     B．She wanted to save it for her sister．

      C．She thought it was too dear．               D．She saved it for a special occasion

74．After Jane’s death．the author begins to             ．

A．treasure the simple pleasure of life               B．spend more time having meetings

C．save more money for necessities                 D．care about her special parties

75．What does the underlined sentence “Someday” has disappeared in my vocabulary．”（in Paragraph4）mean?

A．I prefer to leave out the word “someday” in my speech．

B．“Someday” is found missing from my old dictionar．

C．I will not delay enjoying the pleasure of life

D．I decide not to enjoy something good at the moment·

76．It can be inferred from the passage that              ．

A．it makes sense to follow our dream

B．we tend to leave good things until the last minute

C．we should take pleasure in our work

D．it is meaningless to save something for the future

I came to study in the United States a year ago .Yet I did not know the real American society until I was injured in a car accident because after the accident I had to see a doctor and go to court.

After the accident, my roommate called a doctor for me. I was very grateful and determined to repay him one day. But the next day, he asked me to pay him $200 for what he had done. I was astonished. He had good reason to charge me, he said. And if I wanted to collect money from the person who was responsible for my injury, I’d have to have a good lawyer. And only a good doctor can help me get a good lawyer .Now that he had helped me find a good doctor, it was only fair that I should pay him.

But every day I went to see the doctor, I had to wait about 50 minutes. He would see two or three patients at the same time, and often stop treating one so as to see another. Yet he charged me $115 each time .The final examination report consisted of ten lines, and it cost me $215.

My lawyer was all smiles the first time we met. But after that he avoided seeing me at all. He knew very well the other party was responsible for the accident, yet he hardly did anything. He simply waited to collect his money. He was so irresponsible that I decided to dismiss him. And he made me pay him $770.

Now I had to act as my own lawyer. Due to my inexperience, I told the insurance company the date I was leaving America. Knowing that, they played for time…and I left without getting a cent.

1.The author’s roommate offered to help him because________.

A．he felt sorry for the author

B．he thought it was a chance to make some money

C．he knew the doctor was a very good one

D．he wanted the author to have a good lawyer

2.The word “charge” in the third paragraph means_________ .

A．ask as a price                          B．accuse

C．be responsible                         D．claim

3. Both the doctor and the lawyer in this passage are very__________.

A．friendly           B．busy              C．professional        D．selfish

4. What conclusion can you draw from the story?

A．Going to court is something very common in America.

B．One must be very careful while driving a car.

C．There are more bad sides in America than good sides.

D．Money is more important than other things in the US.

It’s not easy growing up. Growing up can be a real “pain” for some of us. Sometimes we feel trapped, sometimes we feel sad, sometimes we are fearful, and sometimes we just don’t understand why we can’t stay young forever. But we should take a look back on all the hardships in life with a positive attitude and learn from them. We must overcome every obstacle one small step at a time. We should realize that all of our growing pains actually turn into growing gains!
Throughout our lives we are going to face many challenges and pains, but we should never let these obstacles keep us from following our dreams. We must overcome every obstacle one small step at a time.
As a young girl, my parents forced me to do so many things that I didn’t like. They made me learn to play the violin and then the piano. At that time I hated music and I also hated them. But looking back now, I am so glad that my parents encouraged me to take music lessons. Music has enriched(丰富) my life in so many ways. I now realize that my parents and teachers wanted me to have a better life than they did themselves.
We are all going to experience growing pains, but they are just part of our life. They might seem so huge at the time, but we must be strong. Think about how we would feel if we had no challenges and lived a life like that. Life would be really boring and meaningless. The future is ours! A little hard work and sweat never hurt anyone! If we realize that these pains are just small bumps(碰撞) on our road to success, we will realize that our growing pains are actually growing gains!
【小题1】 The underlined word “obstacles” (in Paragraph 2) roughly means things that ______.

Some names have special meanings in popular American expressions. One day, an average Joe was walking down the street. An average Joe is a common person — either male or female. He did not know where he was going. So average Joe asked John Q. Public for directions to the nearest bank. John Q. Public is also a common person — male or female. “Jeez Louise,” said John Q. Public. This is an expression of surprise. “Don’t you know that all banks are closed today? It is Saturday.”

“For Pete’s sake.” said average Joe. This is also an expression used to show a feeling like surprise or disappointment. “I do not believe you,” said he. At that moment, Joe Blow was walking down the street with a woman. Joe Blow is also an expression for a common person. Now this Joe Blow was not walking next to a plain Jane. A plain Jane is a woman who is neither ugly nor pretty. The woman with Joe Blow was a real Sheila — a beautiful woman.

Average Joe asked the woman if all banks were closed on Saturday. “No way, Jose,” she answered. This is a way of saying “No.” “No way, Jose. Many banks are open on Saturdays.”

Average Joe did not know either of these two people from Adam. That is, he did not know them at all. But he followed their directions to the nearest bank.

When he arrived, he walked to the desk and said: “I am here to withdraw some money so I can pay my taxes to Uncle Sam”. This represents the United States government. The banker produced some papers and told him to sign his John Hancock at the bottom. A John Hancock is a person’s signed name — a signature. Historically, John Hancock was one of the signers of the United States Declaration of Independence. Hancock had a beautiful signature and signed his name larger than all the others.

The main idea of this text is that ______.

A. some popular American names have special stories

B. some popular American expressions have some special names

C. some popular American names have special meanings

D. some popular American expressions are interesting

Which of the following refers to an ordinary-looking woman?

A. An average Joe         B. John Q. Public         C. Joe Blow           D. A plain Jane

The name “Jeez Louise” is ______.

A. an expression of surprise                    B. a feeling like disappointment

C. an expression for a common man              D. a woman who is neither ugly nor pretty