单选题 {{B}}Passage Three{{/B}}

in spite of "endless talk of, difference," American society is an amazing machine for homogenizing people. This is "the democratizing uniformity of dress and discourse, and the casualness and absence of consumption" launched by the 19th century department stores that offered vast arrays of goods in an elegant atmosphere. Instead of intimate shops catering to a knowledgeable elite, "these were stores, anyone could enter, regardless of class or background D. This turned shopping into a public and democratic act. The mass media, advertising and sports are other forces for homogenization.
Immigrants are quickly fitting into this common culture, which may not be altogether elevating but is hardly poisonous. Writing for the National Immigration Forum, Gregory Rodriguez reports that today% im- migration is neither at unprecedented level nor resistant to assimilation. In 1998 immigrants were 9.8 percent of population; in 1900, 13.6 percent. In the 10 years prior to 1990, 3. 1 hnmigrants arrived for every 1,000 residents; in the 10 years prior to 1890, 9.2 for every 1,000. Now, consider three indices of assimilation—language, home ownership and intermarriage.
The 1990 Census revealed that "a majority of immigrants from each of the fifteen most common countries of origin spoke English "well "or" very well "after ten years of residence. ' The children of immigrants tend to be bilingual and proficient in English. "By the third generation, the original language is lost in the majority of immigrant families." Hence the description of America as a graveyard" for language". By 1996 foreign-born immigrants who had arrive before 1970 had a home ownership rate of 75. 6 percent, higher than the 69. 8 per- cent rate among native-born Americans.
Foreign-born Asians and Hispanics "have higher rates of intermarriage than do U. S born whites and blacks." By the third generation, one third of Hispanic women are married to non-Hispanics, and 41 percent of Asian-American women are married to non-Asians.
Rodriguez not that children in remote villages around world are fans of superstars like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Garth Brooks, yet "some Americans fear that immigrant living within the United States remain somehow immune to the nation% assimilative power. '
Are there divisive issues and pockets of seething in America? Indee D. It is big enough to have a bit of everything. But particularly when viewed against America's turbulent past, today's social induces suggest a dark and deteriorating social environment.

单选题 The word "homogenizing" (Line 1, Paragraph 1) most probably means______.

单选题 According to the author, the department stores of the 19th century ______.

【正确答案】 A

【答案解析】[解析] 依据题干中的信息the department stores of the 19th century，可以定位本题答案在第一段。由于the culture of consumption是由这些百货商店发起的，可排除最后一个选项(D项本末倒置)。C与原文相反(instead of intimate shops catering to a knowledgeable elite)；intimate shops(私人商店)只服务于高级知识分子(knowledgeable elite)，B与题意不符。而百货商店、大众媒体、广告和体育被认为是传播大众文化的几大途径。因此答案应选A。

单选题 The text suggests that immigrants now in the U. S. ______.

【正确答案】 C

【答案解析】[解析] 此题的答案可以从第二段得出。首句中，(this common culture)may not be altogether elevating与选项B意思不符；次句中，nor resistant to assimilation与选项A意思相反；从含有许多数据的第三句和第四句，我们得知，一百多年来，移民在美国人口中的比例并没有达到突飞猛进的地步，正如第二句所言“today's immigration is neither at unprecedented level(今天的移民并未达到空前的水平)”，故排除D。首句中的表达(this common culture)is hardly poisonous与选项C内容完全吻合。