单选题 Can money buy happiness? Many Americans think {{U}} {{U}} 1 {{/U}} {{/U}}--at least they act as though they {{U}} {{U}} 2 {{/U}} {{/U}}. Americans believe in the right {{U}} {{U}} 3 {{/U}} {{/U}}"life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. " And just what does the pursuit of happiness mean? For many, it means pursuing money. Success- oriented Americans often {{U}} {{U}} 4 {{/U}} {{/U}}people's worth by how much they have. For that reason, {{U}} {{U}} 5 {{/U}} {{/U}}the Joneses has become almost a fulltime occupation.
Why do Americans emphasize money so much? Well, this "land of plenty" has long enjoyed {{U}} {{U}} 6 {{/U}} {{/U}}natural resources, and people have gotten used to {{U}} {{U}} 7 {{/U}} {{/U}}wealth. {{U}} {{U}} 8 {{/U}} {{/U}}, Americans believe that everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed. People aren't bound by social class. They can work hard and improve their status. Many immigrants have come to this land of opportunity for that reason--to {{U}} {{U}} 9 {{/U}} {{/U}}a better future. This belief {{U}} {{U}} 10 {{/U}} {{/U}}equal opportunity has produced a spirit of competition. It's like a race to the top of the success ladder.
So what do Americans do {{U}} {{U}} 11 {{/U}} {{/U}}their money? For one thing, they have to manage it. Families often {{U}} {{U}} 12 {{/U}} {{/U}}careful financial records. Many of them {{U}} {{U}} 13 {{/U}} {{/U}}their income. They plan for basic expenses like housing, food, clothes, transportation and medical bills. Americans save room in their budget for fun. They spend three times {{U}} {{U}} 14 {{/U}} {{/U}}on recreation as on education. {{U}} {{U}} 15 {{/U}} {{/U}}average, Americans save around 5 percent of their income. Some find ways to invest their money. Not all Americans are rich, but most are concerned about money.
Even a casual observer {{U}} {{U}} 16 {{/U}} {{/U}}notice that America is a consumer society. The media bombard people with advertisements. Commercials interrupt TV and radio programs with catchy appeals to go out and buy. Shopping has {{U}} {{U}} 17 {{/U}} {{/U}}replaced baseball as the national pastime. {{U}} {{U}} 18 {{/U}} {{/U}}, Americans realize that life is {{U}} {{U}} 19 {{/U}} {{/U}}having things. Volunteering and giving to charity organizations occupy part of Americans' time and money as well. Deep down, they realize that happiness can't be bought,{{U}} {{U}} 20 {{/U}} {{/U}}it can be given away.
单选题
  • A. that
  • B. it
  • C. such
  • D. so
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】[解析] 根据上下文，意思是：很多美国人都是这样认为的(think so)。so替代了上一个句子的内容(Money can buy happiness)。因此，答案是D)。
单选题
  • A. can
  • B. act
  • C. do
  • D. buy
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】[解析] 根据上下文，意思是：至少，他们的行为表明，他们似乎是这么想的。do替代了think so。因此，答案是C)。
单选题
  • A. for
  • B. with
  • C. to
  • D. on
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】[解析] 此题测试名词词组right to/of(权利)。例如：She has the right to half your money．她有权拥有你一半的钱。因此，答案是C)。
单选题
  • A. examine
  • B. measure
  • C. comment
  • D. discuss
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】[解析] 根据上下文，意思是：衡量人的价值(measure people's worth)。答案是B)。A)检查；C)评论；D)讨论。
单选题
  • A. keeping up with
  • B. keeping touch with
  • C. catching up with
  • D. coming up with
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】[解析] the Joneses用在口语中，意思是“时髦，时尚”。上下文的意思是：向时髦看齐。因此，答案是A)keep up with与……并驾齐驱。B)keep touch with保持联系；C)catch up with赶上；D)come up with提出，想出。
单选题
  • A. plenty
  • B. abundant
  • C. sufficient
  • D. expensive
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】[解析] 在这句话里，主语是“这片富饶的土地(land of plenty)”。暗示了宾语应该是“丰富的自然资源(abundant natural resources)”。因此，答案是B)。A)许多(名词)，形容词是plenty；C)足够的；D)昂贵的。
单选题
  • A. material
  • B. rich
  • C. available
  • D. easy
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】[解析] 根据上下文，意思是：人们已经习惯于物质财富(material wealth)。因此，答案是A)。B)富有的；C)能得到的(后置定语)；D)容易的。
单选题
  • A. Despite
  • B. Except
  • C. For
  • D. Besides
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】[解析] 根据上下文，意思是：除了物质财富，美国人还相信……。由于物质财富也包含在所相信的内容中，因此，答案是D)。A)尽管；B)除了(不包含介词宾语的内容在内)；C)为了。
单选题
  • A. look
  • B. seek
  • C. get
  • D. acquire
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】[解析] 根据上下文，意思是：寻求更好的未来。因此，答案是B)。A)看(不及物动词)，寻求(look for)为介词短语；C)得到；D)获得。
单选题
  • A. of
  • B. in
  • C. for
  • D. to
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】[解析] 此题测试名词短语(belief in)。原句意思是：这种对机会均等的信念。因此，答案是B)。
单选题
  • A. with
  • B. by
  • C. without
  • D. for
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】[解析] 此题测试do with的用法。根据上下文，意思是：美国人用钱做什么(do with money)?因此，答案是A)。B)通过……方法；C)没有；D)为了。
单选题
  • A. make
  • B. carry
  • C. keep
  • D. do
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】[解析] 此题测试动词与名词的搭配。根据上下文，意思是：家庭常常详细记录收入和消费的情况((keep records)。A)make records (在这个词组中records的意思是成绩)；B)和D)不与records搭配。
单选题
  • A. budget
  • B. save
  • C. arrange
  • D. organize
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】[解析] 紧接着上一句的意思，这句话说明许多家庭对他们的收入进行预算。因此，答案是A)。B)节省，救；C)安排；D)组织。
单选题
  • A. more
  • B. much
  • C. as much
  • D. as many
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】[解析] 此题测试比较级的用法，倍数+as much…as…。这句话的意思是：花在娱乐上的钱是花在教育上的三倍。因此，答案是C)。由于three times作为一个整体，用much修饰。many修饰可数名词，因此D)不对。more后面的连词应该用than，所以，A)也不对。
单选题
  • A. At
  • B. In
  • C. By
  • D. On
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】[解析] 此题测试介词短语的用法。on average(按平均值，通常)，因此，D)是答案。
单选题
  • A. would
  • B. should
  • C. could
  • D. does
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】[解析] 根据上下文，意思是：即使一般的观察者也会发现。would是will不肯定的形式。因此，A)是答案。B)应该；C)能，可以(过去时)；D)强调动词，但是，从上下文看，没有强调notice的意思，也不是最佳选择。
单选题
  • A. already
  • B. almost
  • C. always
  • D. completely
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】[解析] 根据上下文，意思是：购物几乎取代了作为全民娱乐形式的棒球。因此，B)是答案。A)已经；C)总是；D)完全地。
单选题
  • A. Though
  • B. But
  • C. So
  • D. Still
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】[解析] 紧接着上一句的意思，这句话说明，同时美国人也意识到……。因此，still(仍然，也)是答案。A)引导让步状语从句；B)和C)与上下文的意思不相符合。
单选题
  • A. not
  • B. not only
  • C. no more than
  • D. more than
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】[解析] 紧接着上一句的意思，这句话说明意识到生活不仅仅是占有物质。more than后跟名词意思表示“不只是”，因此，D)是答案。A)不是；B)连接词，not only…but also不仅……而且；C)引导比较状语从句(正如……一样不能……)例如：A nation can no more exist without people than a tree can grow without roots.一个国家不能离开人们而存在，正如树没有根不能生长一样。
单选题
  • A. becaue
  • B. since
  • C. but
  • D. now that
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】[解析] 根据上下文，意思是：内心深处，他们意识到，幸福不能用金钱买到，但是可以赠送(give…away)它。but正是表示转折意思的连接词。因此，答案是C)。其它连接词意思不符合上下文。A)因为，由于；B)自……以来，既然；D)既然。