You may have heard of the American Dream, an ideal that has powered the hopes of Americans for generations.
It began as a belief that the US was a land of opportunity, and that anyone could achieve success through hard work. The dream has referred to home ownership, a good job, retirement security or each generation doing better than the last for a long time.
Yet today, this concept seems to have greatly changed. As Tune magazine pointed out, quite different from the older generation, many Millennials (the generation born after 1980) redefine the American Dream as “day-to-day control of your life”. They “prize job mobility, flexible schedules, any work that is more interesting than typing, and the ability to travel”, said the magazine.
Home ownership, once the cornerstone of the American Dream, is becoming a smaller priority for this generation. Meanwhile, nearly 40% of them choose travel as part of their dream. And running their own business is a rising favorite, as nearly 26% of Millennials consider self-employment as part of their dream.
So what has led to this huge change?
Many point fingers at the poor economy. “Modern young Americans seem bound to face a world stamped by ever narrowing opportunity,” noted The Daily Beast.
“The rate of 16-to-24-year-olds out of school and out of work is unusually high at 15%. Many college graduates have taken jobs that don’t require a degree,” Time reported.
The magazine worries that these difficulties may lead to a lost generation who are “unable to ever truly find their feet on the corporation’s ladder”.
Dan Kadlec, a reporter of Time, sees Millennials as resetting their expectations. “This situation is different for young adults today,” he wrote. “A true American dream has to feel attainable, and many Millennials are feeling they can only attain a day-to-day lifestyle that suits them.”
1.Which has similar meaning to the underlined word “cornerstone”?
A. value B. average
C. reason D. basis
2.What has changed Millennials’ views of the American Dream?
A. The discouraging economy and unemployment.
B. The fierce competition in getting a degree.
C. Their dissatisfaction with the government.
D. Their lack of confidence in themselves.
3.What does Dan Kadlec’s think of Millennials’ definition of the American Dream?
A. considerate B. understandable
C. curious D. negative
4.What can be the best title for this passage?
A. Meaning of American Dream B. Redefinition of American Dream
C. Value of Achieving American Dream D. The Reasons of American Dream
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题
You may have heard of the American Dream, an ideal that has powered the hopes of Americans for generations.
It began as a belief that the US was a land of opportunity, and that anyone could achieve success through hard work. At times, the dream has referred to home ownership, a good job, retirement security or each generation doing better than the last.
Yet today, this concept seems to have greatly changed. As Time magazine pointed out, quite different from the older generation, many Millennials (the generation born after 1980) redefine(重新定义) the American Dream as “day-to-day control of your life”. They “prize job mobility, flexible schedules, any work that is more interesting than typing, and the ability to travel”, said the magazine.
Home ownership, once the cornerstone of the American Dream, is becoming a smaller priority for this generation. Meanwhile, nearly 40% of them choose travel as part of their dream. And entrepreneurship(创业) is a rising favorite, as nearly 26% of Millennials consider self-employment as part of their dream.
So what has led to this huge change?
Many point fingers at the poor economy. “Modern young Americans seem bound to face a world stamped by ever narrowing opportunity and social stagnation(停滞),”noted The Daily Beast.
“The rate of 16-to 24-year-olds out of school and out of work is unusually high at 15%. Many college graduates have taken jobs that don’t require a degree,” Time reported.
The magazine worries that these difficulties may lead to a lost generation who are “unable to ever truly find their feet on the corporation’s ladder”.
Dan Kadlec, a reporter of Time, sees Millennials as resetting their expectations. “This situation is different for young adults today,” he wrote. “A true American dream has to feel attainable, and many Millennias are feeling they can only attain a day-today lifestyle that suits them.”
1.What’s the passage mainly about?
A. Meaning of American Dream
B. Redefinition of American Dream
C. Value of Achieving American Dream
D. History of Changing American Dream
2.The underlined word “cornerstone” in Paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to “ ”.
A. growth B. balance
C. purpose D. basis
3.According to the passage, what has changed Millennials’ view of the American Dream?
A. A lack of confidence in themselves
B. Fierce competition in the job market
C. The discouraging economy and unemployment
D. Their dissatisfaction with the government
4.Dan Kadlec thinks Millennials’ new definition of the American Dream is ______.
A. understandable B. beautiful
C. worrying D. Positive
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
You may have heard of the American Dream, an ideal that has powered the hopes of Americans for generations.
It began as a belief that the US was a land of opportunity, and that anyone could achieve success through hard work. The dream has referred to home ownership, a good job, retirement security or each generation doing better than the last for a long time.
Yet today, this concept seems to have greatly changed. As Tune magazine pointed out, quite different from the older generation, many Millennials (the generation born after 1980) redefine the American Dream as “day-to-day control of your life”. They “prize job mobility, flexible schedules, any work that is more interesting than typing, and the ability to travel”, said the magazine.
Home ownership, once the cornerstone of the American Dream, is becoming a smaller priority for this generation. Meanwhile, nearly 40% of them choose travel as part of their dream. And running their own business is a rising favorite, as nearly 26% of Millennials consider self-employment as part of their dream.
So what has led to this huge change?
Many point fingers at the poor economy. “Modern young Americans seem bound to face a world stamped by ever narrowing opportunity,” noted The Daily Beast.
“The rate of 16-to-24-year-olds out of school and out of work is unusually high at 15%. Many college graduates have taken jobs that don’t require a degree,” Time reported.
The magazine worries that these difficulties may lead to a lost generation who are “unable to ever truly find their feet on the corporation’s ladder”.
Dan Kadlec, a reporter of Time, sees Millennials as resetting their expectations. “This situation is different for young adults today,” he wrote. “A true American dream has to feel attainable, and many Millennials are feeling they can only attain a day-to-day lifestyle that suits them.”
1.Which has similar meaning to the underlined word “cornerstone”?
A. value B. average
C. reason D. basis
2.What has changed Millennials’ views of the American Dream?
A. The discouraging economy and unemployment.
B. The fierce competition in getting a degree.
C. Their dissatisfaction with the government.
D. Their lack of confidence in themselves.
3.What does Dan Kadlec’s think of Millennials’ definition of the American Dream?
A. considerate B. understandable
C. curious D. negative
4.What can be the best title for this passage?
A. Meaning of American Dream B. Redefinition of American Dream
C. Value of Achieving American Dream D. The Reasons of American Dream
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
You may have heard of the American Dream, an ideal that has powered the hopes of Americans for generations.
It began as a belief that the US was a land of opportunity, and that anyone could achieve success through hard work. At times, the dream has referred to home ownership, a good job, retirement security or each generation doing better than the last.
Yet today, this concept seems to have greatly changed. As Time magazine pointed out, quite different from the older generation, many Millennials (the generation born after 1980) redefine(重新定义) the American Dream as “day-to-day control of your life”. They “prize job mobility, flexible schedules, any work that is more interesting than typing, and the ability to travel”, said the magazine.
Home ownership, once the cornerstone of the American Dream, is becoming a smaller priority for this generation. Meanwhile, nearly 40% of them choose travel as part of their dream. And entrepreneurship(创业) is a rising favorite, as nearly 26% of Millennials consider self-employment as part of their dream.
So what has led to this huge change?
Many point fingers at the poor economy. “Modern young Americans seem bound to face a world stamped by ever narrowing opportunity and social stagnation(停滞),”noted The Daily Beast.
“The rate of 16-to 24-year-olds out of school and out of work is unusually high at 15%. Many college graduates have taken jobs that don’t require a degree,” Time reported.
The magazine worries that these difficulties may lead to a lost generation who are “unable to ever truly find their feet on the corporation’s ladder”.
Dan Kadlec, a reporter of Time, sees Millennials as resetting their expectations. “This situation is different for young adults today,” he wrote. “A true American dream has to feel attainable, and many Millennias are feeling they can only attain a day-today lifestyle that suits them.”
1.What’s the passage mainly about?
A. Meaning of American Dream
B. Redefinition of American Dream
C. Value of Achieving American Dream
D. History of Changing American Dream
2.The underlined word “cornerstone” in Paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to “ ”.
A. growth B. balance C. purpose D. basis
3.According to the passage, what has changed Millennials’ view of the American Dream?
A. A lack of confidence in themselves
B. Fierce competition in the job market
C. The discouraging economy and unemployment
D. Their dissatisfaction with the government
4.Dan Kadlec thinks Millennials’ new definition of the American Dream is ______.
A. understandable B. beautiful
C. worrying D. Positive
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
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
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
You may have heard of the book Moby Dick(《白鲸记》),written by the American author Herman Melville.You may also know that Moby Dick is considered one of the greatest novels ever written.However,it might surprise you to find out Herman Melville was not always a highly regarded author.
Melville’s first two novels,Typee and Omoo,were widely read and financially successfully.They were both exciting tales of adventures at sea and experiences with people in foreign lands.Melville became quite famous.However,upon the publication of his third book,Mardi,Melville’s popularity began to weaken.He was no longer interested in telling tales of pure adventure,and his writing took on a style that alienated(使疏远)the general reading public of his time.
Melville published Moby Dick in October of 1851 it was an original novel,combining aspects of sociology and philosophy,which confused readers by its complex symbolism.The book sold poorly.
Melville’s next book,Pierre,was almost completely disregarded by the public.Debt frustration and ill health finally forced Melville to take a low-paying job as a customs inspector.Eventually,Melville abandoned prose(散文)and began to write poetry.
The Civil War is the main subject of Melville’s poetry.He and his brother made a trip to the front line,and he published a book of poems,Battle-Pieces and Aspects of War,based on this experience.
Melville died in 1891 at the age of 72 at this point,his work had been completely forgotten by the public.His talent was to go unrecognized for the next thirty years.Then,in 1920s, his reputation began to improve as critics and readers rediscovered his work.Today Moby Dick is one of the best-known novels ever penned by an American author.
1.What were Melville’s first two novels mainly about?
A. His travel experience.
B. His successful communication skills.
C. Adventurous experiences in the front line.
D. Adventurous voyages and foreign experiences.
2.We can learn from the text that Moby Dick .
A. sold a little better than Pierre. B. was Melville’s favorite novel.
C. was copied from other books. D. made Melville popular again.
3.The text may be taken from .
A. a writing guide B. a literary(文学的)journal.
C. a science magazine. D. a critical book on literature.
4.What is the text mainly about?
A. The main works of Melville. B. The skills in Melville’s writing.
C. The ups and downs of Melville. D. The reason for Melville’s failure.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Have you heard about Leap year? Leap year is a year that has 366 days instead of the usual 365. It normally occurs every four years, always on an even-numbered year. The extra day is added to our shortest month. That is the second month of the year, which in non-leap years has 28 days, two fewer than any other month. 1.
We also call Leap year the bissextile year (闰年). 2. In our calendar system there is a need for a leap year because the solar year (the time it takes the earth to go around the sun once)is actually slightly more than 365 days long. That extra day—Feb 29 every four years—helps correct the difference between our calendar and the solar calendar.
It is said that Leap year was first made part of the calendar by the ancient Roman leader Julius Caesar. His astronomers had calculated the length of the solar year to be 365 days and six hours. So Caesar declared that an extra day be added to the calendar.3.
However, Caesar’s adjustment was not completely accurate because his astronomers’ year exceeded the true solar year by eleven minutes and fourteen seconds. By 1582, a difference of ten days had developed between the calendar year and the true solar year. To correct this error, Pope Gregory XIII ruled that every fourth year would continue to be a leap year except for century years that could not be divided evenly by 400. By this system, century years such as 1700, 1800, and 1900 were not leap years, but the year 2000 was a leap year. 4.
People born on Feb 29 celebrate their growing up a little differently from the rest of us.
5. But if they go strictly by the calendar, they have only one-fourth as many birthday celebrations as most people.
A. They acknowledge that they get older each year.
B. When you see Feb 29 on a calendar, you know that year is a leap year.
C. This is its formal, or scientific title.
D. This may seem complicated, but it works.
E. This is done every four years.
F. The leap year was introduced in the Julian calendar in 46 BC.
G. In a leap year, the extra day is added to the second month, giving it 29 instead of the usual 28 days.
高二英语七选五中等难度题查看答案及解析
You probably know who Marie Curie was,but you may not have Heard of Rachel Carson.Of the outstanding ladies listed below,who do you think was the most important woman of the past 100 years?
Jane Addams(1860 -1935)
Anyone who has ever been helped by a social worker has Jane Addams to thank.Addams helped the poor and worked for peace.She encouraged a sense of community(社区)by creating shelters and promoting education and services for people in need.In 1931,Addams became the first American woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize.
Rachel Carson (1907 -1964)
If it weren't for Rachel Carson,the environmental movement might not exist today.Her popular 1962 book Silent Spring raised awareness of the dangers of pollution and the harmful effects of chemicals on humans and on the world’s lakes and oceans.
Sandra Day O’Connor(1930 - present)
When Sandra Day O’Connor finished third in her class at Stanford Law School,in 1952,she could not find work at a law firm because she was a woman.She became an Arizona state senator (参议员)and,in 1981,the first woman to join the U.S.Supreme Court.O’Connor gave the deciding vote in many important cases during her 24 years on the top court. Rosa Parks (1913 -2005)
On December 1,1955,in Montgomery,Alabama,Rosa Parks would not give up her seat on a bus to a white passenger.Her simple act landed Parks in prison.But it also set off the Montgomery bus boycott.It lasted for more than a year,and kicked off the civil- rights movement." The only tired I was,was tired of giving in," said Parks.
1.What is Jane Addams noted for in history?
A. Her social work.
B. Her teaching skills.
C. Her efforts to win a prize.
D. Her community background.
2.What was the reason for O’Connor’s being rejected by the law firm?
A. Her lack of proper training in law.
B. Her little work experience in court.
C. The discrimination against women.
D. The poor financial conditions.
3.Who made a great contribution to the civil-rights movement in the U.S.?
A. Jane Addams.
B. Rachel Carson.
C. Sandra Day O’Connor.
D. Rosa Parks.
4.What can we infer about the women mentioned in the text?
A. They are highly educated.
B. They are truly creative.
C. They are pioneers.
D. They are peace-lovers.
高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
You probably know who Marie Curie was, but you may not have heard of Rachel Carson. Of the outstanding ladies listed below, who do you think was the most important woman of the past 100 years?
Jane Addams (l 860-1935)
Anyone who has ever been helped by a social worker has Jane Addams to thank. Addams helped the poor and worked for peace. She encouraged a sense of community by creating shelters and promoting education and services for people in need. In 1931, Addams became the first American woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize.
Rachel Carson (l 907-1964)
If it weren’t for Rachel Carson, the environmental movement might not exist today. Her popular 1962 book Silent Spring raised awareness of the dangers of pollution and the harmful effects of chemicals on humans and on the world’s lakes and oceans.
Sandra Day O’Connor (1930-present)
When Sandra Day O’Connor finished third in her class at Stanford Law School, in 1952, she could not find work at a law firm because she was a woman. She became an Arizona state senator (参议员) and, in 1981, the first woman to join the U.S. Supreme Court. O’Connor gave the deciding vote in many important cases during her 24 years on the top court.
Rosa Parks (1913-2005)
On December 1,1955, in Montgomery, Alabama, Rosa Parks would not give up her seat on a bus to a white passenger. Her simple act landed Parks in prison. But it also set off the Montgomery bus boycott. It lasted for more than a year, and kicked off the civil-rights movement. “The only tired I was, was tired of giving in,” said Parks.
1.What is Jane Addams noted for in history?
A. Her social work.
B. Her teaching skills.
C. Her efforts to win a prize.
D. Her community background.
2.What was the reason for O’Connor’s being rejected by the law firm?
A. Her lack of proper training in law.
B. Her little work experience in court.
C. The discrimination against women.
D. The poor financial conditions.
3.Who made a great contribution to the civil-rights movement in the U.S.?
A. Jane Addams. B. Rachel Carson.
C. Sandra Day O’Connor. D. Rosa Park.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
You may have heard the expression “buying into the dip”. We usually think of this in terms of nesting (投资) --- for example, recessions (经济萧条) offer an opportunity to take advantage of buying cheap stocks that were once expensive.
But to me, “buying into the dip” is a term which covers a lot more than that. There are a few reasons that I was able to “buying into the dip” and start a business during the Great Recession: ChopDawg.com had zero upstart costs, with no need for any credit to get started. No loans, just $10 for the domain name. I picked a service that only required my own time and labor and that’s basically it, Not needing credit was a big deal for me, and I didn’t even think about this at the time.
I was also selling a service that was priced at just the right rock-bottom level to fill a need local small business badly needed more sales, since so many had cut their spending due to the recession. A website could give these businesses a new way to reach their customers, new and old.
From an economic standpoint, the Great Recession was an opportunity to start if you were selling the right thing at the right cost. During recessions, the pool gets way less crowded. Potential competitors become much more unwilling to risk, but for those who have an in-demand service, and the means to provide it, you are in business.
Back in 2009, website design had not yet become a commercial service, Offering web design as a service for small businesses was a novel idea, and many mom-and-pop shops didn’t know they needed it yet, which brings me to this: if you can solve a fresh-out-of-the-recession pain point at the right price, you have a chance of buying into the dip and helping a lot of people at the same.
1.What is “buying into the dip” to the author?
A.Selling things at low costs.
B.Buying cheap stocks in time.
C.Offering help to small businesses.
D.Starting a business with the least investment.
2.What does the underlined word “novel” in Paragraph 5 mean?
A.Familiar. B.Simple.
C.Clear. D.New.
3.What can be a suitable title for the passage?
A.Start small--very small.
B.Keep an eye on what you may need.
C.Serve right--quite right.
D.Adapt to changes in the Internet service.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
You may be familiar with the following famous people, but have you heard of their graduation speeches, in which they either share their unforgotten experiences or give you some great inspiration(启迪).
●Michael Dell, University of Texas at Austin
And now you've accomplished something great and important here, and it's time for you to move on to what's next. And you must not let anything prevent you from taking those first steps. ... You must also commit to the adventure. Just have faith in the skills and the knowledge you've been blessed (赐予)with and go.
●J.K. Rowling, Harvard University
Half my lifetime ago ,I was striking an uneasy balance between my ambition and the expectation from my parents who were not rich...But what I feared most for myself at your age was not poverty(贫穷), but failure. The fact that you are graduating from Harvard suggests that you know little about failure, you might be driven by a fear of failure quite as much as a desire for success.
●Steve Jobs, Stanford University
Sometimes life's going to hit you in the head with a brick. Don't lose faith...Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work, and the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking, and don't settle.
●Bill Gates, Harvard University
We need as many people as possible to have access to the advanced technology to lead to a revolution in what human beings can do for one another. They are making it possible not just for national governments, but for universities ,smaller organizations, and even individuals to see problems, see approaches and deal with the world's inequities(不公平)like hunger, poverty, and so on.
1.What Michael Dell said is to urge us to________________________________________.
A. listen to our heart B. pursue our dreams
C. follow others' example D. learn from our mistakes
2.What did J.K. Rowling fear most when she was studying in university?
A. Poverty. B. Hunger.
C. Failure. D. Appearance.
3.Who wants to express "Keep looking for what you believe in"?
A. Michael Dell. B. J.K. Rowling.
C. Bill Gates. D. Steve Jobs.
4.What does Bill Gates suggest people do?
A. Make contributions to the environment.
B. Take responsibility for their own behavior.
C. Make joint efforts to rid some global problems.
D. Master as much advanced technology as possible.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析