I support your decision, but I should also make it clear that I am not going to be______to it.

American culture has not been immune to cultural influences from outside. The idea of democracy came from the ancient Greeks; the Industrial Revolution started in England; jazz and rock music preserve African rhythms—to pick a few examples. Indeed, many of the things we think of as "100 percent American" came from other cultures. Still, most of the changes in American culture over the last century have come from within, as the result of inventions and discoveries. And change has been dramatic. One hundred years ago the United States was largely a nation of farmers. Many of the things we take for granted today—a high school education, for example, or indoor plumbing—were luxuries then. The moon was a light for lovers, not a site for scientific exploration; genetic engineering (基因工程) was not even a subject for science fiction, much less for laboratory research and corporate investments. The decades following the Second World War, in particular, were characterized by spectacular scientific and technological advances, national self-confidence, optimism, and (for many Americans) prosperity. The American economy was the strongest in the world: more goods were produced and sold, more people were working, and the standard of living was higher than ever before. Polls (民意调查) taken in the 1950's and 1960's show that the average American was preoccupied with the questions "will I make a good living? Will I be successful?" and "Will I raise successful, happy children?" Success was defined in terms of maintaining a stable family and "keeping up with the Jones". Most Americans believed that if they played by the rules—if they work hard and did what was expected, if they sacrificed their own needs to those of their family and their employer—they would be rewarded with an ever-increasing standard of living, a devoted spouse, and decent children. An expensive car, a suburban home, and children in college were tangible (可触知的) signs that hard work and self-sacrifice paid off. Which statement is NOT true according to the passage?

语言学无疑是学术领域最热门的话题。它浸透着诗人、神学者、哲学家、语言学家、心理学家、生物学家和神经学家的血液

He is often inclined to ______ in other peoples affairs, which is none of his business.

All the girls seem to be ______ of her beauty and intelligence.

It was two years ago today that the hunting ban came into force, supposedly ending centuries of tradition. However, the law has been an unmitigated failure—not that either side is shouting about it. It was a nightmare vision that struck fear and loathing into the hearts of millions. When the hunting ban became law, it was said, 16,000 people would lose their jobs, thousands of hounds would be put down, rotting carcasses would litter the countryside, hedgerows would disappear, riders would face on-the-spot fines, law-abiding people from doctors to barristers would be dragged from their horses and carted off to prison, while dog owners would be prosecuted if their mutt caught a rabbit. These were just some of the claims as desperate countryside campaigners battled to save their sport in the lead-up to the hunting ban, which Labour rammed into law using the Parliament Act on November 18, 2004. For many, the fears were real. Others exaggerated as they fought an increasingly aggressive anti-hunting lobby which had rejected acres of independent evidence affirming that hunting is the most humane way of killing foxes. In the battle to "fight prejudice, fight the ban", every emotive argument was deployed. For its part, the anti-hunting brigade extravagantly claimed that the ban would put an end to the rich parading in red jackets. A senior Labour MP, Peter Bradley, admitted in this newspaper that it was, as many suspected, about "class war". He lost his seat shortly afterwards. But people in red coats did not disappear. In fact, none of the forecasts came true. What did happen was something nobody had predicted: the spectacular revival and growth of hunting with hounds. In short, the hunting ban has been a failure. Today, on the second anniversary of the ban's coming into force on February 18, 2005, new figures show that participation in the sport has never been higher. It is so cheerful that two new packs have been formed, something that has not happened for centuries. They include the seductively named Private Pack, set up by the financier Roddy Fleming in Gloucestershire. It operates on an invitation-only basis, a sort of hunting private members club. This can only mean one thing: like it or not, hunting is cool. Young people are taking it up, enticed by the element of rebellion and the mystique of what actually happens as hunts attempt to keep within the law. The hunting ban has been a complete failure because ______.

Some African Americans have had a profound impact on American society, changing many people's views on race, history and politics. The following is a sampling of African Americans who have shaped society and the world with their spirit and their ideals. Muhammad Ali Cassius Marcellus Clay grew up a devout Baptist in Louisville, Kentucky, learning to fight at age 12 after a police officer suggested he learn to defend himself. Six years later, he was an Olympic boxing champion, going on to win three world heavyweight titles. He became known as much for his swagger (趾高气扬) outside the ring as his movement in it, converting to Islam in 1965, changing his name to Muhammad Ali and refusing to join the U. S. Army on religious grounds. Ali remained popular after his athletic career ended and he developed Parkinson's disease, even lighting the Olympic torch at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and conveying the peaceful virtues of Islam following the September 11 terrorist attacks. W. E. B. Du Bois Born William Edward Burghardt Du Bois in 1868, this Massachusetts native was one of the most prominent, em>prolific/em> intellectuals of his time. An academic, activist and historian, Du Bois co-founded the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), edited em>The Crisis/em> magazine and wrote 17 books, four journals and many other scholarly articles. In perhaps his most famous work, em>The Souls of Black Folk/em>, published in 1903, he predicted "the problem of 20th century [would be] the problem of the color-line." Martin Luther King Jr. The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. is considered one of the most powerful and popular leaders of the American civil rights movement. He spearheaded (带头，做先锋) a massive, nonviolent initiative of marches, sit-ins, boycotts and demonstrations that profoundly affected Americans' attitudes toward race relations. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. Malcolm X Black leader Malcolm X spoke out about the concepts of race pride and black nationalism in the early 1960s. He denounced the exploitation of black people by whites and developed a large and dedicated following, which continued even after his death in 1965. Interest in the leader surged again after Spike Lee's 1992 movie em>Malcolm X/em> was released. Jackie Robinson In 1947, Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier by joining the Brooklyn Dodgers, becoming the first black baseball player in the U.S. major leagues. After retirement from baseball in 1957, he remained active in civil rights and youth activities. In 1962, he became the first African-American to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Which of the following is NOT true about Muhammad Ali?

This morning when she was walking in the street

That is the only way we can imagine ______ the overuse of water in students' bathrooms.

Brass concert music was______to a new level in the 1880s when John Philip Sousa took over the U. S. Marine Band.

古人认为心脏是思维的器官。这是因为当人们在兴奋(无论是高兴还是愤怒)的时候，心脏跳动的变化人们能够直接感觉到。

Will you ______ my article to find out whether I've made any mistakes?

rather crawl it little before although something form make out cut away see

Want a glimpse of the future of health care

Having decided to rent a flat

The drug store at the corner of our street sells aspirins and______penicillin prescriptions.

When I got out of the car and walked about among them, ______ one old man who shook his head disapprovingly, they all began to cheer.

The thieves ______ the waste paper all over the room while they were searching for the diamond ring.

The floor of his study was occupied by a______mass of books and papers.

The organization issued a cry of alarm last week