单选题 {{B}}Passage Two{{/B}}
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 daffy 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. life. 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 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, but there is still some employee anxiety. Downsizing—the driving away of thousands of workers to keep expenses low and profits high—creates
feelings of insecurity for many.
单选题 The United States is a country ______ .
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】第一段明确指出：By this he meant that the U. S. way of life is based on the values of the business world.意为：他的意思是美国的生活方式是以商业领域的价值观为基础的。由此可知美国是一个什么样的国家。故选B。其他选项均为干扰项。
单选题 The influence of business in the U.S. is evidenced by the fact that ______ .
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】第二段最后一句话说：The world of arts and entertainment is often referred to as "the entertainment industry" or "show business".意为：艺术和娱乐也经常被称为娱乐业或娱乐性行业。由此可知商业在美国人生活中各个方面的影响，故选D。
单选题 According to the passage, immigrants choose to settle in the U.S., dreaming that ______ .
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】第三段明确指出：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.全世界这么多人来美国生活的最重要原因之一就是梦想一份更好的工作。故选D。其他选项均与原文不符。
单选题 Henry Ford's statement can be taken negatively because ______ .
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】第四段第一句话指出：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.意为：然而，当买卖这个词做大买卖讲的时候，我们就会看到福特先生的论调的否定方面。“大买卖”这个术语指的是最大的公司企业——看起来正好是与劳动力相反的。故选C，其他选项均为干扰项。
单选题 A company's efforts to keep expenses low and profits high may result in ______ .
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】第四段最后一句说：Downsizing—the driving away of thousands of workers to keep expenses low and profits high—creates feelings of insecurity for many.意为：裁员——赶走数以千计的工人以降低成本而保持高利润——使很多人觉得感觉。故选A，其他选项原文没有提及。