Henry Ford，the famous U．S．inventor and car manufacturer, once said，“The business of America is business．’’By this he meant that the U．S．way of life is based on the values of the business world．

    Few would argue with Ford’s statement．A brief glimpse at a daily newspaper vividly shows how much people in the United States think about business．For example，nearly every newspaper has a business section，in which the deals and projects，finances and management，stock prices and labor problems of corporations are reported daily．In addition，business news can appear in every other section．Most national news has an important financial aspect to it．Welfare，foreign aid，the federal budget，and the policies of the Federal Reserve Bank are all heavily affected by  business． Moreover, business news appears in some of the unlikeliest places．The world of arts and entertainment is often referred to as “the entertainment industry'’ or “show business．’’

    The positive side of Henry Ford’s statement can be seen in the prosperity that business has brought to U．S．1ife．One of the most important reasons so many people from all over the world come to live in the United States is the dream of a better job．Jobs are produced in abundance（大量地）because the U．S．economic system is driven by competition．People believe that this system creates more wealth，more jobs，and a materially better way of life．

    The negative side of Henry Ford's statement，however，can be  seen when the word business is taken to mean big business．And the term big business --referring to the biggest companies，is seen in opposition to labor．Throughout U．S．history working-people have had to fight hard for higher wages，better working conditions, and the fight to form unions．Today, many of the old labor disputes are over I but there is still some employee anxiety．Downsizing--the laying off of thousands of workers to keep expenses low and profits high -- creates feelings of insecurity for many．

1．The United States is a typical country __________．

      A．which encourages free trade at home and abroad

      B．where people’s chief concern is how to make money

      C．where all businesses are managed scientifically

      D．which normally works according to the federal budget

2．The influence of business in the U．S．is evidenced by the fact that __________．

      A．most newspapers are run by big businesses

      B．even public organizations concentrate on working for profits

      C．Americans of all professions know how to do business

      D．even arts and entertainment are regarded as business

3．According to the passage，immigrants choose to settle in the U．S．，dreaming that ________．

      A．they can start profitable businesses there

      B．they can be more competitive in business

      C．they will make a fortune overnight there

      D．they will find better chances of employment

4．A company's efforts to keep expenses low and profits high may result in _______．

A．reduction in the number of employees   

B．improvement of working conditions

C．fewer disputes between labor and management

D．a rise in workers wages

Mary Cassatt is one of the first great women American painters. At first her father did not want her to become an artist. But she followed her dreams and became an artist.She was born on

May 22, 1844, and lived in Europe for several years as a child.

   Her family returned to the United States and, at age 16, Mary attended the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. Four years later she decided she couldn't learn anything fresh and practical in Philadelphia, so she returned to Europe. There she studied the skills of the masters in Rome, Seville, Antwerp, and Paris.

   Mary received the chance of a lifetime at the age of 33 when the famous French painter, Edgar Degas, asked her to join a group of painters that included now-famous artists like Manet and Renoir. Their style of painting is called Impressionism. They used primary colors and short brush strokes(笔画) in their work. They recognized Mary 's spirit and powerful talent and invited her to exhibit in the Impressionist art shows.

   Mary painted what she saw: gardens, and paintings of persons , especially of mothers and children involved in everyday living. One of her paintings, "Young Mother and Two Children," was given to the White House in 1954 where it hangs today.

   Mary never married and, in 1877, her parents and sister moved to Europe to join her. Mary devoted much of her time to them for the next 18 years to their care. Mary painted until 1914 when her failing eyesight made it impossible to continue. She spent the later years of her life in Paris. She died in 1926 at the age of 82. Unfortunately,all her life, she refused to accept students.

Mary left Pennsylvania for Europe at age 20 mainly because_____.

   A. she wanted to learn another style of paintings

   B. she didn’t learn anything in Pennsylvania

   C. her desire for the learning wasn’t satisfied well

   D. her father didin’t want her to learn painting again

Which year was the most critical to her career and life?

   A. 1860   B. 1864   C. 1877    D. 1914

Which of the statements about Mary Cassatt is supported by the passage?

   A. Her father had a decisive effect on her painting

   B. Her painting featured scenes of everyday living

   C. She used various colors and long lines in her works

   D. She studied the paintings of the masters in U.S.A

Mary Cassatt stopping painting because of_____.

   A. her poor eyesight     B. her old age     C.lack of interest   D. her family

It can be inferred from the passage that _____.

   A. during the last ten year of life, she painted nothing.

   B. the paintings of Edgar Degas belong to realism

   C. her works were controversial though highly recognized

   D. her students showed great respect for her

You may know your mother, but how well do you really know Mother’s Day? Cards, flowers, sales, TV specials, and a day off for someone who really deserves it —those are what probably come to mind for many people when they think of Mother’s Day. But there’s more about the story.
The earliest Mother’s Day celebrations were held during spring in Ancient Greece. The celebrations honored Rhea, the Mother of the gods. During the 1600s, England celebrated a day called Mothering Sunday. On this day even servants (仆人) were given the day off to spend with their families. A mothering cake was even served with the family meal.
In the U.S., Mother’s Day began in 1872 when Julia Ward Howe, who wrote the words of the famous song The Battle Hymn of the Republic, suggested it as a day devoted to peace. But it didn’t really become popular until 1907 when Anna Jarvis started a campaign (运动) to honor her own mother. She believed that mothers could help people get over the pain they experienced during the Civil War. The U.S. isn’t alone in devoting a day to its mothers. Many other countries including Denmark, Finland, Italy, Turkey, Australia, Japan, and Belgium also celebrate their Mother’s Day in May. Other countries honor their mothers at different times of the year.
Learning more about Mother’s Day and celebrating Mother’s Day is important, but probably not as important as understanding what your own mother, or grandmother, or aunt has really done for you. And that should certainly be appreciated more than one day in a year.
【小题1】What is the passage mainly about?

Hundreds of people lined up at Grand Central Terminal yesterday, but they
weren’t there to catch a train. They came to New York City’s famous railroad station to trade in old dollar bills for the new George Washington Presidential苊1 coin.
The gold-colored coin is the first in a new series by the U.S. Mint（造币厂）that honors former U.S. Presidents. The Mint will issue(发行) four Presidential苊1 coins a year through 2016. Like the popular 50 State Quarters program, which issues coins in the order in which each state joined the Union, Presidential苊1 coins will come out in the order in which each President served. The George Washington coin is the first to be released. John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison coins will come out later this year.
The Presidential 苊1 coins will be the same size and color as the Sacagawea Golden Dollar. However, there is an important difference. For the first time since the 1930s, there is an inscription（题字）on the edge of each coin. Each coin will show a different President on its face, or head side. It will also show the President’s name, the order in which he served and his years in office. The other side of the coin will show the Statue of Liberty and the inscriptions “United States of America” and “苊 1”.
There will be one Presidential苊1 coin for each President, except Grover Cleveland. He will have two! Cleveland is the only U.S. President to have served two nonconsecutive（不连续的）terms.
The last President scheduled to get a coin is Gerald Ford because a President must have been dead for two years before he can be on a coin.
【小题1】 Why did people line up at the railway station?

My First Trip in the United States
I still remember my first day in the U. S. very clearly. My friend was waiting for me when my plane   36  at Kennedy Airport at three o’clock in the afternoon. The weather was very  37 and it was snowing, but I was too excited to   38  . From the airport, my friend and I took a taxi to my    39   .On the way, I saw the skyline of Manhattan for the   40  time and I looked in surprise at the famous skyscrapers（摩天大楼） and their man-made   41  .  42   me unpack at the hotel, my friend left and promised to return the next day.
  43  my friend had left, I went to a   44   near the hotel to get something   45    . Since I couldn’t speak a single word of English, I couldn’t tell the    46   what I wanted. I was very worried and started to make some   47   ,but he didn’t understand me. Finally, I ordered the    48  thing as the man at the next table was   49   . After dinner, I started to walk along Broadway   50   I came to Times Square with its theatres, neon lights, and crowds of people. I did not feel tired, so I   51  to walk around the city. I wanted to see   52  on my first day, although I knew it was impossible.
When I returned to the hotel, I couldn’t fall asleep, lay    53  and thought about New York. It was a very big and amazing city with many high-rise buildings and streams of cars, and full of   54  and busy people. I also decided right then that I had to learn to    55  .