Question

“All men are created equal” is one idea that nearly every American would agree upon.  36  they sometimes betray the idea in their daily lives, they have a deep faith  37  in some fundamental way no one is born superior to anyone else.

    In the early years of American history, because titles of nobility(贵族) were forbidden, no  38  class system developed in the United States. Firmly believing that being born into a lower class would not  39  them from success and they would have a better chance in America, thousands of immigrants   40  to leave the European societies, where their    41   in life was determined  42  by the social class into which they were born. It was because the dreams of many of there immigrants were   43  in their new country, though there might be  44  in some situations, that Americans came to believe in equality of opportunity.

    Americans do not mean that everyone should be  45  equal when they say they believe in equality of opportunity.  46  , they do mean that each person should have an equal chance for success. Abraham Lincoln once said, “We wish to  47  the humblest(最微贱的) man an equal chance to get rich with everybody else. When one starts poor, free society is  48  that he knows he can   49  his condition.”

    However, competition is the price to be   50   for his equality of opportunity. Americans match their energy and intelligence against that of others in a competitive contest for success, because they believe competition  51  the best in any person. Indeed, the pressure of competition causes an American to be   52  , but it also places a constant emotional stress on him. In fact, in a society that gives so much  53   to those “winners”,   54  does not compete successfully for whatever reason never  55  into it as well as those who do.

1.A．Since              B．As               C．Although         D．Because

2.A．what               B．that             C．as               D．which

3.A．normal             B．moral            C．formal           D．general

4.A．benefit            B．prevent          C．save             D．limit

5.A．forced          B．required         C．chose            D. looked forward

6.A．place              B．meaning          C．function         D．purpose

7.A．slightly           B．largely          C．originally       D．publicly

8.A．come true          B．ruined           C．succeeded        D．realized

9.A．excitements B．expectations          C. exceptions     D．disappointments

10.A．really            B．totally          C．actually         D．truly

11.A．Besides           B．Meanwhile        C．Moreover         D．Instead

12.A．allow             B．encourage        C．approve          D．share

13.A．so                B．the one          C．such             D．as

14.A．enjoy             B．better           C．maintain         D．stand

15.A．paid              B．asked            C．cared            D．sought

16.A．gives out         B．comes out        C．brings out       D．stands out

17.A．exhausted         B．energetic        C．realistic        D．effective

18.A．honor             B．pressure         C．happiness        D．burden

19.A．anyone            B．who              C．one              D．whoever

20.A．enters            B．fits             C．falls            D．matches

Answer

1.C

2.B

3.C

4.B

5.C

6.A

7.B

8.D

9.C

10.B

11.D

12.A

13.C

14.B

15.A

16.C

17.B

18.A

19.D

20.B

【解析】文章讲述的是在美国厉害的早期，在没有阶层体系建立的时候，人人都有成功的机会，很多欧洲人都选择了美国作为成功的地方。

1.句意理解，尽管他们有时候在日常生活中背叛这一思想，但是他们有一个很深的信念，那就是没有人生来就比别人优越。

2.同上，that 引导的同位语从句，作faith的同位语

3.句意理解，在美国历史的早期，因为贵族头衔被禁止，所以没有形成正式的阶层体系。

4.上下文，根据后面from success可知，该句意为，他们坚信，出生在一个低的阶层并不能阻止他们成功，

5.上下文，因为没有阶层体系，所以很多欧洲人也选择来到美国，因为那里每个人都是平等的。

6.句意理解，他们来自欧洲，在那里他们的社会地位很大程度上受他们出生所在的阶层决定。

7.词组搭配，此处意为实现梦想，用法为dreams come true,或者dreams are realized

8.上下文，根据though可知，他们的梦想可以实现，尽管在一些情况下有例外。

9.句意理解，他们并不是说每个人都完全平等，totally意为全完的

10.句意理解，相反，他们的意思是每个人都有平等的成功的机会

11.句意理解，他们允许最卑微的人和其他人一样有成功的平等机会，

12.句意理解，当一个人出生贫困的时候，自由社会就是这样一个他知道可以改善他的状况的社会。

13.同上，such指的是free society

14.同47空意思，better意为improve，意为改善

15.词组搭配，pay the price意为付出的代价

16.词组，bring out 意为使显示出 give out发出 come out 出现，出版stand out突出，句意为，他们认为，竞争能够让显示出每个人最优秀的部分。

17.句意理解，竞争让美国人非常积极，火力充沛，这里指的是竞争带来的好处，

18.句意理解，在一个给予胜利者太多荣誉的社会，任何因为某种原因无法获胜的人永远也无法和其他人一样很好地适应这个是社会。

19.同上，此处缺少主语，意为无论是谁

20.词组，fit into 固定词组，意为适应