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.The underlined word “cornerstone” in Paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to “ ”.
A. growth B. balance C. basis D. purpose
2. What has changed Millennials’ view of the American Dream according to the passage?
A. A lack of confidence in themselves
B. Fierce competition in the job market
C. Their dissatisfaction with the government
D. The discouraging economy and unemployment
3.Dan Kadlec thinks Millennials’ new definition of the American Dream is ______.
A. beautiful B. understandable
C. worrying D. positive
4.What can be the best title for this passage?
A. Redefinition of American Dream
B. Meaning of American Dream
C. Value of Achieving American Dream
D. History of Changing American Dream
名校课堂系列答案科目：高中英语 来源：2014-2015学年北京市高三上学期第一次月考英语试卷（解析版） 题型：单项填空
When Madam Curie did the science experiment again, she was more careful ________ she had made a mistake.
A．what B．when C．which D．where
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科目：高中英语 来源：2016届湖北松滋第一中学高二下学期6月月考英语试卷（解析版） 题型：阅读理解
John was waiting for the girl whose heart he knew，but whose face he didn’t，the girl with the rose．Thirteen months ago，in a Florida library he took a book off the shell and found himself interested in the notes in the margin(页边)．The soft handwriting showed a thoughtful soul and insightful(有洞察力的)mind．
In front of the book，he discovered the name，Miss Hollis Maynell. With time and effort he got her address．He wrote her a letter introducing himself and inviting her to keep in touch．
During the next year and one month the two grew to know each other through the mail．A romance started．John requested a photograph，but she refused．She felt that if he really cared, it wouldn’t matter what she looked like．Later they agreed on their first meeting—7:00 pm at Grand Central Station in New York．
“You’ll recognize me,” she wrote，“by the red rose I’ll be wearing my coat.” So at 7：00 he was in the station looking for the girl with the red rose．
A girl in a green suit was coming toward him，her figure long and slim and her eyes were blue as flowers．Almost uncontrollably came to her，and just at this moment he saw Hollis Maynell—a woman well past 40．The girl was walking quickly away．
He did not hesitate(犹豫)，saying，“I’m John，and you must be Miss Maynell．I am so glad you could meet me. May I take you to dinner?”
The woman smiled, “I don’t know what this is about，son，” she answered，“but the young lady in the green suit begged me to wear this rose on my coat．And she said if you were to ask me out to dinner，I should tell you that she is waiting for you in the restaurant across the street．She said it was some kind of test!”
It’s not difficult to admire Miss Maynell’s wisdom. The true nature of a heart is seen in its response to the unattractive.
1.John was attracted by Miss Hollis Maynell because ________.
A．John believed her one of her old friends
B．she took good notes with a soft handwriting
C．John thought her a considerate and thinking lady
D．she was beautiful with a slim figure and blue eyes
2.Why did John uncontrollably go up to the young girl in the green suit?
A．Because he knew it was Miss Hollis Maynell.
B．Because she was the very lady he was waiting for.
C．Because he was drawn to her beautiful appearance.
D．Because John didn’t want to meet Miss Hollis Maynell
3.We can find John was a person who ________.
A．was easy to change his mind
B．was casual and independent
C．judged a person by his looks
D．valued a person’s inner spirit
4.What’s the theme of the story?
A．The wisdom is shown in one’s action.
B．Love can be met by chance if you like.
C．You should never judge a book by its cover.
D．A noble heart is seen in its response to the unattractive.
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科目：高中英语 来源：2014-2015学年北京市海淀区高三一模英语试卷（解析版） 题型：阅读理解
Every day we are exposed to images, videos, music and news．In this age of visual and aural hyper stimulation, the medium of radio is making a great comeback.
“We’re at the beginning of a golden age of audio,” said US based podcaster Alex Blumberg in an article in The Sydney Morning Herald．In the last month alone, 15 percent of US adults listened to a radio podcast (播客)．These statistics, released by Edison Research, show the successful evolution of traditional radio broadcasts to the present day’s digital podcast format．The term “podcast” was invented in 2004, but the trend only started gaining mainstream popularity in recent years．With the sharp increase in consumer demand for smartphones and tablets, podcast sales have jumped.
The appeal of the podcast partly lies in its multiplatform delivery and on demand capabilities (功能)．You can listen during those extra minutes of the day when you’re walking to the shops, waiting in a queue or riding the subway．Similar to television shows, podcasts are generally free to download and most offer new content every week.
Donna Jackson, 22, Sydney University media graduate, listens to podcasts two or three times a week, via iTurns．“I listen while I’m wandering around the house doing something else．It makes completing a boring task much more enjoyable… And it’s an easy way of keeping in touch with what’s going on in the rest of the world,” she said, “I mainly listen to BBC podcasts, but recently I’ve also been listening to This American Life and Serial．They have a special skill to really draw you in.”
Unlike television and music, the audio format has the potential to create a deep impression on readers．Blumberg says this owes to the podcast’s ability “to create close relationship and emotional connection.” Sydney University undergraduate Hazel Proust, majoring in social work and arts, agrees．“When you’re listening, it feels as if the voice of the podcast’s storyteller is talking directly to you．It’s comforting, ” said Proust.
It seems the age old tradition of verbal storytelling is very much alive and well.
1.From the first two paragraphs, we can learn that ________.
A．traditional broadcast has come back
B．Americans love listening to the radio
C．podcasts have become very popular today
D．smartphones sell well because of podcasts
2.The writer mentions Donna Jackson mainly to ________.
A．tell how young people relax themselves
B．explain why young people like podcasts
C．introduce what programs podcasts are presenting
D．show how popular podcasts are presenting
3.Paragraph 5 is mainly about ________.
A．the influence of radios
B．the advantage of podcasts
C．readers’ impression on radios
D．people’s reaction to the medium
4.What is probably the best title of the passage?
A．Return of Radio
B．Opinions of Podcast
C．Features of Radio
D．Technology of Podcast
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科目：高中英语 来源：2014-2015学年北京市丰台区高三一模考试英语试卷（解析版） 题型：单项填空
The road_______next week leads to Highway 62．
A．building B．to build
C．to be built D．built
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科目：高中英语 来源：2015-2016学年黑龙江铁人中学高一上第一阶段考英语试卷（解析版） 题型：阅读理解
French lessons in France
Whatever your level is, choosing to take French lessons in France is the best way to learn French. Place yourself in the local culture and practice your newly found skills in your free time.
You will be taught by native (本地的) French speakers who have a love for teaching and use excellent teaching techniques. Lessons are interesting and you will speak French on the first day both inside and outside the classroom.
Learners
● Suitable for all levels from beginners to advanced (高级的)
● Over 18 years old
Class Schedule (课表)
● Classes start on Mondays and run throughout the summer.
● Please arrive at the school by 8:15 am on your first day for a short level test. It will help to place you in the right class.
● Classes run from Monday to Friday each week.
● Classes start at 8:45 am each day depending on your level.
● You will have 3 classes per day lasting 55 minutes each.
● You will have a short break between classes.
Free Time and Tours
● The school offers a lot of cultural activities throughout the week. These activities can include cooking lessons, wine and cheese tasting, visits to Paris, cycling, movies and much more.
● You will have plenty of free time to explore (探索) the local area and practice your newly found language skills or just relax on this learning holiday with a difference.
Other Information
● You should bring a small dictionary, pens and paper with you.
Get more from your holiday, have fun, meet new people and take home a new language skill that will stay with you forever.
1.What is special about the French courses?
A. They are taught in small groups.
B. The teachers are young French speakers.
C. People learn French in and out of class.
D. They will offer a wine tasting license.(执照)
2.On the first day, the students should ______.
A. take a language test B. pay for their study
C. do a survey D. introduce themselves to the class
3.How many lessons are there in a week?
A. 21. B. 30. C. 15. D. 12.
4.We can learn from the text that the course ______.
A. is not suitable for teenagers
B. offers cooking classes as well
C. provides dictionaries for students
D. has a short game between classes
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科目：高中英语 来源：2014-2015学年北京市东城区高三下学期综合练习一 英语试卷（解析版） 题型：阅读理解
It is easy to lose patience with science today． The questions are pressing: How dangerous is air pollution? What about low-level radiation? When will that horrible earthquake strike California? And why can't we predict weather better? But the evidence is often described as "uncertain", forcing scientists to base their points of view almost as much on intuition（直觉）as on science．
When historians and philosophers of science listen to these questions, some conclude that science may not be able to solve all these problems any time soon． The unknowns can grow into riddles that are impossible to solve． Because of the unstable and changing state of the earth's atmosphere, for example, scientists have struggled for centuries to predict the weather with precision（精确） but failed．
The case is different for scientists of astronomy． For example, they think that the gravitational force of a nearby space vehicle, though tiny, is able to change the path of a much larger planet if the vehicle spends enough time close to it． With the aid of Newton's laws of gravitational attraction, ground controllers can predict the path of a planetary probe （探测仪）-or satellite-with incredible accuracy． They do this by calculating the gravitational force from each of the passing planets until the probe speeds beyond the edge of the solar system．A much more difficult task is to calculate what happens when two or three times of such force pull on the probe at the same time． Such procedures can, of course, be very difficult, but for experiments, they are effective．
This range of questions-from simple problems to those impossibly complex-has resulted in nicknames for various fields of study: "soft" sciences and " hard " sciences．“Soft” sciences admit a great degree of uncertainty． Academicians tend to judge fields such as sociology, psychology, and political science as “soft” because they are assumed to be understandable, of unnecessary mathematical accuracy, and concerned with everyday affairs such as interpersonal relationships． However, "hard" sciences, such as astronomy and chemistry, are said to offer precise answers． Precise definitions for "hard" sciences vary, but the characteristics of "hard" sciences include: producing testable predictions; performing controlled experiments; relying on quantifiable data and mathematical models; a high degree of accuracy and objectivity; and generally applying a pure form of the scientific method
1.We can learn from the passage that ．
A．a large planet is able to change the size of a tiny planet
B．ground controllers can affect the gravitational force of planets
C．calculating the probe speeds beyond the solar system is possible
D．predicting the weather is more difficult than predicting the path of a satellite
2.According to the author, "soft" sciences ．
A．allow for certain inaccuracy
B．focus on personal relationships
C．are based on controlled experiments
D．are rooted in data and mathematical models
3.What might be the best title for the passage?
A． Science, a Long History?
C． Science, Accurate or Not?
B． Science and Its Functions
D． Science and Its Application
4.What is the author's attitude towards science in this passage?
A． Objective． B． Sceptical．
C． Disapproval． D． Optimistic
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科目：高中英语 来源：2015高北京第六十六中学三上第一次质量检测英语试卷（解析版） 题型：阅读理解
I had to knock on the taxi to get his attention．Finally，the driver，a man about 60，looked up from behind the wheel and apologized，“I’m sorry，but I was reading a letter．” He sounded as if he had a cold or a cough．
Since I was in no hurry，I told him to finish his letter．He shook his head，explaining that he had already read it several times and almost knew it by heart．Curious，I asked whether it was from a child or maybe a grandchild．“This isn’t family，”he replied．“though he might just as well have been a regular member of the family．Old Ed and I grew up together．”
They were always friends．But since he moved away from the neighborhood 30 years ago，it’d generally just been postcards at Christmas time between them．A couple of weeks ago，Ed died．“I should have kept in touch．” He repeated this，more to himself than to me．To comfort him，I said sometimes we just didn’t seem to find the time．“But we used to find the time，” he said．“Take a look．” He handed the letter over to me．
The first sentence “I’ve been meaning to write for some time，but I’ve always delayed it．” reminded me of myself．It went on to say that he often thought about the good times they had had together．When I read the part where it said “Your friendship really means a lot to me，more than I can say because I’m not good at saying things like that”，I found myself nodding in agreement．
We had gone several kilometers and were almost at my hotel, so I read the last paragraph: “So I thought you’d like to know that I was thinking of you.” And it was ended with “Your Old Friend, Tom.”
“I thought your friend’s name was Ed,” I said.
“I’m Tom,” he explained. “It’s a letter I wrote to Ed before I knew he’d died. I never put it in the mailbox. I guess I should have written it sooner.” His face was pale as he wiped his eyes with a handkerchief.
When I got to my hotel room I didn’t unpack right away．I had to write a letter and post it．
1.Who wrote the letter？
A．Tom
B．Old Ed．
C．The author．
D．The driver’s grandchild．
2.It can be inferred from the passage that the driver regretted_____．
A．missing Ed’s funeral
B．moving away from his neighborhood
C．forgetting to send Ed Christmas cards
D．not being able to keep in touch with Ed
3.From Paragraph 4，we learn that the author _______．
A．often fails to write to his friends
B．has no intention to write to his friends
C．had many great moments with his friends
D．was good at expressing his feelings to friends
4.What message does the passage probably try to convey？
A．Comfort your friends when they are feeling down．
B．Life is unpredictable so live each day as if it were your last．
C．Remember to always mail your letters after expressing your words．
D．Always make time to value and experience your lasting friendships．
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科目：高中英语 来源：2014-2015学年浙江省温州市十校联合体高三上期初联考英语试卷（解析版） 题型：阅读理解
D
Dear Guys,
I’d like to talk to you about the shame you subjected me to last night. Let me first refresh your memory: You, a group of fit, young men, were playing soccer on the field across from my apartment building. I, a better-than-average looking young woman, was walking along the sidewalk with my groceries. That’s when your ball came flying over the fence and landed in front of me.
One of you approached and asked politely if I would throw the ball back to you. Fighting the urge to drop my bags and run screaming down the street, I reluctantly (勉强地) agreed.
Before I continue, let me explain something that I didn’t have a chance to mention last night: I hate sports. More specifically, I hate sports involving balls. This results from my lack of natural ability when it comes to throwing, catching and hitting. I’m bad at aiming too. So you can understand why I’d be nervous at what I’m sure seemed to you like a laughably simple request.
However, wanting to appear agreeable, I put my bags down, picked up the ball and, eyes half-shut, and threw it as hard as I could.
It hit the middle of the fence and bounced back to me.
Trying to act casually, I said something about being out of practice, and then picked up the ball again. If you’ll remember, at your command, I agreed to try throwing underhand. While outwardly I was smiling, in my head, I was praying, oh God, oh please oh please oh please. I threw the ball upward with all my strength, terrified by what happened next.
The ball hit slightly higher up on the fence and bounced back to me.
This is the point where I start to take issue with you. Wouldn’t it have been a better use of your time, and mine, if you had just walked around the fence and took the ball then? I was clearly struggling; my smiles were more and more forced. And yet, you all just stood there, motionless.
Seeing that you weren’t going to let me out of the trouble, I became desperate. Memories of middle school softball came flooding back. I tried hard to throw the ball but it only went about eight feet, then I decided to pick it up and dash with ball in hand towards the baseline, while annoyed thirteen-year-old boys screamed at me that I was ruining their lives. Children are cruel.
Being a big girl now, I pushed those memories aside and picked up the soccer ball for the third time. I forced a good-natured laugh while crying inside as you patiently shouted words of support over the fence at me.
“Throw it granny-style!” one of you said.
“Just back up a little and give it all you’ve got!” another offered.
And, most embarrassing of all, “You can do it!”
I know you thought you were being encouraging, but it only served to deepen the shame.
Anyway, I accepted your ball-throwing advice, backed up, rocked back and forth a little, took a deep breath and let it fly.
It hit the edge of the fence and bounced back to me.
I surprised myself—and I’m sure you as well—by letting out a cry, “DAMN IT!!!” I then willed myself to have a heart attack and pass out in front of you just so I’d be put out of my misery.
Alas, the heart attack didn’t happen, and you continued to look at me expectantly, like you were content to do this all night. I had become a sort of exhibition for you. I could feel your collective thoughts drifting through the chain-link: “Can she really not do it? But I mean, really?”
Unfortunately for you, I wasn’t really game to continue your experiment. Three failed attempts at a simple task in front of a group of people in a two-minute period were just enough blows for me for one night. I picked up the ball one last time, approached the fence and grumbled, “Please just come get the damn ball.”
And you did. And thanks to you, I decided at that very moment to never throw anything ever again, except disrespectful glances at people who play sports.
Sincerely, Jen Cordery
1.The writer agreed to throw the ball because ______.
A. she needed to have a relax carrying the heavy groceries
B. she wanted to refresh her childhood memories
C. she could not refuse the polite request from the young man
D. she had fallen in love with the young man at first sight
2.Which of the following is closet in meaning to the underlined word “game”?
A. anxious B. brave C. afraid D. curious
3.Why did the writer mention her middle school memory?
A. To explain why she failed the attempts to throw the ball back.
B. To complain that she had not mastered the ball throwing skills.
C. To show how cruel those 13-year-old boys were.
D. To express her dislike towards softball.
4.What the boys said before the writer’s third attempt actually made the writer ________.
A. inspired B. encouraged C. awkward D. depressed
5.What happened to the ball at last?
A. The writer managed to throw the ball back.
B. The boy got the ball back by himself.
C. The writer threw the ball away out of anger.
D. The boys got angry and left without the ball.
6.What’s the writer’s purpose in writing this open letter?
A. To express her regret over what she did the day before.
B. To announce that she would never play all games again.
C. To joke on her inability to throw the ball over the fence.
D. To criticize the young men for their cruelty to her dignity.
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