阅读理解

　　In the past, Americans used to think of the United States as a“melting pot”of immigrants(移民) from many different cultures to the United States, their old ways melted away and they became part of a completely new culture. The United States was likened to a big pot of soup, which had bits of flavor(味道，滋味) from each different culture. All of the different cultures were so well blended(混合，掺杂) together that it formed its own new flavor.

　　Today, Americans realize that the simple“melting pot”theory is less true. Instead, different groups of people keep many of their old customs. Often groups of Americans from the same culture band together. They live together in distinctive communities, such as“Chinatowns”or“Little Italy”--areas populated almost exclusively(惟一，仅) by Americans of a single ethnic group--which can be found in many large American cities. Living in ethnic neighborhoods gives new Americans the security of sharing a common language and common traditions with people who understand them.

　　In time, however, people from different backgrounds mix together. They also mix with native-born Americans. Old traditions give way to new customs. The children of immigrants are often eager to adopt new, American ways. They often want to dress in American fashions, to speak English and to follow American social customs. By one estimate(估计), about 80 percent of European immigrants marry outside their own ethnic groups by the time they reach the third generation. Third generation means that their great-grandparents were immigrants. Yet as successive generations become more“Americanized”, they often retain significant elements of their ethnic heritage.

1．Ｗhat does the text mainly talk about?

[　　]

A．The American way of life.

B．Immigrants vs．native-born Americans.

C．Old traditions vs．new customs.

D．The multi-cultural heritage of the United States.

2．Why does the author mention“Chinatowns”in the 2nd paragraph?

[　　]

A．To give an example that many people keep their old customs.

B．To show that Chinese cherish their old traditions.

C．To contrast(对比) the Chinese way of life with that of the Italian's.

D．To give an example of the Americanization(美国化).

3．The underlined word“ethnic”in the last sentence most probably means _____.

[　　]

A．moral　　　　B．national

C．cultural　　　D．social

4．The underlined word“Americanized”generally means _____.

[　　]

A．immigrants who still retain their tradition, but behave like Americans in some ways

B．immigrants who still retain their own language, but speak English sometimes

C．immigrants who reject the traditions of their parents, and accept Western culture only

D．immigrants, naturalized by native American culture, in character, way of thinking etc. though still retaining some ethnic heritage

A Battery’s Worst Nightmare(噩梦)
Portable electronics that can be carried about easily are only as good as their batteries and, let’s face it, batteries aren’t very good, especially when compared with, say, petrol, which packs 100 times a battery’s energy into an equal space. That’s why a large group of mechanical engineers (centered at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, but with partners at other universities and companies) are hard at work in an effort to replace batteries with a tiny engine that runs on fuel. Imagine a battery-free life!When the fuel runs out in your laptop or mobile phone, you just fill up and go.
The engine, about the size of a ten-cent coin, starts with a combustion chamber (燃烧室) that burns hydrogen (氢). Its tiny parts are etched onto silicon wafers (硅片) in the same manner that computer parts are imprinted onto integrated circuits (集成电路). The first engine is made up of five wafers. And since these wafers could be produced in much the same way as computer chips, they could probably be produced quite cheaply.
But the devil in all this nice detail is efficiency(效率). Tiny engine parts don’t always behave like their scaled-up parts of the first engine. Something between the parts can slow down the work, according to Columbia University professor Luc Frechette, one of the engine’s designers. Extreme heat from the combustion chamber is also a problem, often leaking to other parts of the engine.
The scientists’ goal is to create an engine that will operate 10 times better than batteries do. Frechette says that a complete system, with all parts in place and working, will be set up in the next couple of years, but commercial models aren’t available until at least the end of the next ten years. 
【小题1】.
. According to the passage, the title suggests that ________.

—The mooncake is really delicious. Can I have another piece?

—_______　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

A. You can. 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. Behave yourself.

C. Be my guest!　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. That’s all right.

When I come across a good article in reading newspapers, I often want to cut and keep it. But just as I am about to do so, I find the article on the __1__ side is as much interesting. It may be a discussion of the way to __2__ in good health, or __3__ about how to behave and conduct oneself in society. If I cut the front article, the opposite one is likely to __4__ damage, leaving out half of it or keeping the text __5__ the title. Therefore, the scissors would __6__ before they start, __7__ halfway done when I find out the __8__ result.

Sometimes two things are to be done at the same time, both worth your __9__. You can only take up one of them, the other has to wait or be __10__ up.

But you know the future is unpredictable—the changed situation may not allow you to do what is left__11__. Thus you are __12__ in a difficult position and feel sad. How __13__ that nice chances and brilliant ideas should gather around all at once? It may happen that your life __14__ greatly on your preference of one choice to the other.

In fact that is what __15__ is like: we are often __16__ with the two opposite sides of a thing which are both desirable like a newspaper cutting. It often occurs that your attention is drawn to one thing only __17__ we get into another. The __18__ may be more important than the latter and give rise to divided mind. I __19__ remember a philosopher's remarks, “When one door shuts, another opens in life.” So a casual __20__ may not be a bad one.

1.A.front　　　　 B．same　　　　　　 C．either　　　　 D．opposite

2．A.get　　　　　 B．keep　　　　　　 C．lead　　　　　 D．bring

3．A.advice　　　 B．news　　　　　　 C．a theory　　　 D．a report

4．A.suffer　　　 B．reduce　　　　　 C．prevent　　　 D．cause

5．A.on　　　　　 B．for　　　　　　 C．without　　　 D．off

6．A.use　　　　　 B．handle　　　　　 C．prepare　　　 D．stay

7．A.or　　　　　 B．but　　　　　　 C．so　　　　　　 D．for

8．A.satisfying　 B．regretful　　　 C．surprising　　 D．impossible

9．A.courage　　　 B．strength　　　　 C．attention　　 D．patience

10．A.given　　　 B．held　　　　　　 C．made　　　　　 D．picked

11．A.near　　　　 B．alone　　　　　 C．about　　　　 D．behind

12．A.filled　　　 B．attracted　　　 C．caught　　　　 D．struck

13．A.dare　　　　 B．come　 　　　　 C．deal　　　　　 D．do

14．A.improves　　 B．changes　　　　 C．progresses　　 D．goes

15．A.study　　　 B．society　　　　 C．nature　　　　 D．life

16．A.faced　　　 B．supplied　　　　 C．connected　　 D．fixed

17．A.before　　　 B．after　　　　　 C．until　　　　 D．as

18．A.following　 B．next　　　　　　 C．above　　　　 D．former

19．A.still　　　　 B．also　　　　　　 C．once　　　　　 D．almost

20．A.treatment　　 B．action　　　　　 C．choice　　　　 D．remark