Question

                                     C

                                 ★★★★☆ 

           The American Dream has been described as "a dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyoneThis dream became reality once in the United States,but are Americans today enjoying the standard of living that their parents and grandparents enjoyed in the post-war years?

           After the Second World War,many Americans became richer and their living standards increased as the economy grew. From 1945 to 1973,incomes increased by about 3% per year. From the mid-1970s to the mid-1990s,incomes rose very slowly,but then they increased sharply for five years between 1995 and 2000. Overall,incomes have been rising by less and less each year and now the annual increase is almost nothing.

            Job security and unemployment also play a role in the standard of living. Nowadays,factories and offices are closing,so jobs are less secure. Unemployment,too,is higher than it was in the past. The number of people without a job in the 1950s fell to around 2. 5%, but now this figure stands at around 9. 5%.

            Another measure of the standard of living is the health of the population. Life expectancy is an important measurement of the health in a country. Life expectancy has increased from 68 years old in 1950 to 78 today,but the United States is now behind Germany and the United Kingdom (80) , France (81) and Japan (82) . One reason for this problem with life expectancy in the United States is obesity,because this has an effect on the general health of the population. In the United States,35% of adults are obese now,compared wilh 10% in 1950. This increase is due to the consumption of fast food.

            Of course,most Americans own more things than in the post-war years such as TVs and phones. However,some economists would argue that the standard of living cannot be rising if people are becoming less healthy,or if they cannot afford to retire. It seems that although we think we have a better standard of living,this may not be the real picture. 

9. According to the text,which of the following is a measurement of the health in a country?

   A. Obesity rate.        B. Life expectancy.

   C. The food people eat. D. The exercise people do.

10. How does the author probably feel about the standard of living in America today?

   A. Hopeful.       B. Surprised.

   C. Dissatisfied.  D. Uninterested.

11. The author introduces American people's living standards mainly by.

   A. listing figures and making comparisons

   B. following the order of importance

   C. following the order of space

   D. giving definitions

12. Which of the following shows the structure of the text?

CP: Central Point       P: Point

Sp: Sub-point (次要点)  C: Conclusion

Answer 1

9. B 10. C 11. A 12. C

      C篇

美国梦的实现曾经让无数美国人民生.活得更富裕、更美好，然而很多人认为，随着时代的进步，美国人的生活水平并未随之提高。

9. B.细节理解题。根据第四段中的Life expectancy is an important measurement of the health in a country可知选B项。

10. C.推理判断题。根据全文内容，尤是文末的 It seems that although we think we have a better standard of living,this may not be the real picture可知，作者认为当今美国人民的生活水平并没有比过去提高多少，由此可推测，作者对当今美国 人民的生活水平不满意。

11. A.写作手法题。根据文章内容可知，作者主要通过列举数据进行对比来介绍美国人的生活水平。

12. C.篇章结构题。文章第一段首先提出了当今美国人民的生活水平像不像战后那么高的问题，随后从收入增如、失业率和国民健康三个方面讨论了这个问题，最后一段得出结论：当今美国人民的生活水平并没有比过去提高多少，故选C项。