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 (激发起) the Gold Rush and gave California its nickname of the "Golden State".

The American Dream drove not only 1800s gold-rush prospectors 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 in the streets. But most, instead, worked as railroad labourers. 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.

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 fortunes 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.

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

It can be inferred that _____.

A. America’s golden dream could never be realized

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

C. each period of time has its own taste of the American dream

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

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.

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 goal

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

D. the immigrants have made great contributions to California

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

You must have been troubled by when to say "I love you" because it is one of the greatest puzzles in our life.

What if you say it first and your partner doesn’t love you back? Or if they do say it but you don’t feel they mean it? Being the first to declare your love can be never racking (紧张) and risky and can leave you feeling as vulnerable as a turtle with no shell. But is the person who says it first really in a position of weakness? Doesn’t it pay to hold back, play it cool and wait until the other half has shown their hand faster?

“A really good relationship should be about being fair and being equal,” says psychologist Sidney Crown. “But love is seldom equal.” “All relationships go through power struggles but,” he says, “if a love imbalance continues for years, the rot will set in.” That feeling of “I’ve always loved you more” may be subverted (颠覆，破坏) for a time, but it never goes away completely and it often emerges in squabbling (大声争吵). In love, at least, the silent, withholding type is not always the most powerful. “The strongest one in a relationship is often the person who feels confident enough to talk about their feelings,” says educational psychologist Ingrid Collins. Psychosexual therapist Paula Hall agrees. "The one with the upper hand is often the person who takes the initiative.” In fact, the person who says “I love you” first may also be the one who says  “I’m bored with you’ first.” Hall believes that much depends on how "I love you" is said and the motivation of the person saying it. Is it said when they’re drunk? Is it said before their partner flies off on holiday, and what it really means is “Please don’ t be unfaithful to me” ? By saying “I love you”, they are really saying “Do you love me?” If so, wouldn’t it just be more honest to say that. Collins agrees that intention is everything. "It’s not what is said, but how it’s said. What it comes down to is the sincerity of the speaker.”

What is the main idea of this passage?

A. The importance of "I love you"   　   B. The meaning of "I love you"

C. The time of saying "I love you".     　D. The place of saying "I love you"

In the first sentence the author means that____________.

A. it is easy to say "I love you"  

B. it is hard to say "I love you"

C. we have many troubles in our life

D. people usually do not know when to say "I love you"

According to the expert, a good relationship should be _____________.

A. fair and equal          　    B. fair and kind

C. powerful and equal            D. confident and fair

In the third paragraph, the phrase "with the upper hand" means __________.

A. being low in spirit    　    B. having only one hand

C. being active               　D. being passive

What is the most important for you to consider when somebody say "I love you" to you?

A. The intention.  　B. The place.   　C. The time.   　D. The determination.

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 in the streets．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，公正）.

   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.

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

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.

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

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

He lost his arms in an accident that cost his father the life. Since then, he’s had to depend on the arms of his younger brother. To take care of him, his younger brother became his shadow, never leaving him alone for years. Except for writing with his toes, he was completely unable to do anything in his life.

   One late night, he felt bad and had to wake up his younger brother. His younger brother accompanied him into the toilet and then went back to the dorm to wait. But being so tired, his younger brother fell asleep, leaving him three hours till the teacher on duty discovered him. As they grew up, they would have their share of problems. Then one day, his younger brother wanted to live his own life, which made him heart-broken.

   A similar misfortune befell a girl. One night her mother, who suffered from mental illness,  disappeared. Her father went out looking for her mother, leaving her alone at home. She tried to prepare meals for them, only to overturn the lamp on the stove, resulting in a fire which took her hands away.

   Though her elder sister, who was studying in another city, showed her willingness to look after her, she was determined to be completely independent. At school, she always studied hard and learned to be independent. She wrote in her composition: “Though I lost my arms, I still have legs; I’m lucky.”

   One day, the boy and the girl were both invited to appear on a television interview program. They both were asked to write something on a piece of paper with their toes. The boy wrote: My younger brother’s arms are my arms; while the girl wrote: Broken wings, flying heart.

   It is true that misfortune can strike at any time. If you choose only to complain and escape, it will always follow you wherever you go. But if you decided to be strong, the hardship will turn out to be a fortune on which new hopes will arise.

Which of the following is TRUE according to this passage?

   A. The elder brother lost his arms in a family fire when cooking.

   B. In an accident the elder brother lost his arms, but his father lost his life.

   C. The younger brother shouldn’t have left his brother alone.

   D. The boy and the girl were both independent.

Which is the best title of this passage?

   A. Help Those in Need

   B. Broken Wings, Flying Heart

   C. Life, Often Unfair, Is Compared to Voyage

   D. The Importance of One’s Arms

What is the biggest difference between the boy and the girl?

   A. The girl didn’t live with her sister while the boy was helped a lot by his brother.

   B. The girl had a devoted sister while the boy’s brother refused to help him.

   C. The girl chose to be challenged while the boy chose to give in.

   D. The boy lost his father while the girl lost her mother.

The underlined word “befell” in the third paragraph means “        ”.

   A. fell                  B. happened to         C. passed                  D. pulled down

You must have been troubled by when to say “I love you” because it is one of the greatest puzzles in our life.

　 What if you say it first and your partner doesn’t love you back? Or if they do say it but you don’t feel they mean it? Being the first to declare your love can be nerve racking(紧张）and risky and can leave you feeling as vulnerable as a turtle with no shell. But is the person who says it first really in a position of weakness? Doesn’t it pay to hold back, play it cool and wait until the other half has shown their hand fast?

　A really good relationship should be about “being fair and being equal,” says psychologist Sidney Crown. “But love is seldom equal.” All relationships go through power struggles but, he says, if a love imbalance continues for years, the rot will set in. “That feeling of ‘I’ve always loved you more’ may be subverted(颠覆，破坏) for a time, but it never goes away completely and it often emerges in squabbling(大声争吵).”  In love, at least, the silent, withholding type is not always the most powerful. “The strongest one in a relationship is often the person who feels confident enough to talk about their feelings,” says educational psychologist Ingrid Collins. Psychosexual therapist Paula Hall agrees. “The one with the upper hand is often the person who takes the initiative. In fact, the person who says ‘I love you’ first may also be the one who says ‘I’ m bored with you’ first.” Hall believes that much depends on how “I love you” is said and the motivation of the person saying it. “Is it said when they’re drunk? Is it said before their partner files off on holiday, and what it really means is ‘Please don’ t be unfaithful to me’ ?” By saying ‘I love you’, they are really saying ‘Do you love me?’ If so, wouldn’t it just be more honest to say that. Collins agrees that intention is everything. “It’s not what is said, but how it’s said. What it comes down to is the sincerity of the speaker.”

What is the main idea of this passage?

A. The importance of “I love you”　

B. The meaning of “I love you”　

C. The time of saying “I love you”　

D. The place of saying “I love you”　

In the first sentence the author means that _________.

　A. it is easy to say “I love you”　　　

B. it is hard to say “I love you”　

　C. we have many troubles in our life

　D. people usually do not know when to say “I love you”　

According to the expert, a good relationship should be _______.

　A. fair and equal　　      B. fair and kind

　C. powerful and equal　　 D. confident and fair

In the third paragraph, the phrase “with the upper hand” means _________.

　A. being low in spirit　　 B. having only one hand

　C. being active 　　     D. being passive