Ⅰ.阅读理解
American culture is unique because it is formed and developed under certain conditions. The major factors contributing to the making of this new nation and the forming of a new culture are the hard environment, ethnic diversity (多民族) and plural religion, which is quite different from other nations in the world. What is more, these elements are still influencing the American culture.
The early immigrants who were English Puritans settled down in northeast part of America. From 1607 to 1892, frontiers were pushed further west. The frontiersmen (拓荒者) looked for a land of rich resources and a land of promise, opportunity and freedom. Actually they looked for a better life. So individualism (个人主义), selfreliance, and equality of opportunity have perhaps been the values most closely associated with the frontier heritage (遗产) of America.
In history, people from different countries in the world rushed to America three times. They brought their own culture to America and later on, different cultures were mixed together. Thus the unique American culture is formed, a common cultural life with commonly shared values. The fundamental American belief in individual freedom and the fight of individuals to practice their own religion is at the center of religious experience in the United States. The great diversity of ethnic backgrounds has produced religious pluralism (多元化); almost all of the religions of the world are now practiced in the United States.
Nowadays, we can see the continual influence of the three elements in the current American society. American family is typically parents and their unmarried children. Middleaged and elderly people generally do not live with their married children. The people in America have a very strong desire to start a new life in a new place. Quite a number of people change residences every year. The average American moves fourteen times in his lifetime.
语篇解读：本文主要从三个方面说明了美国独特文化产生的原因。
1．We can learn from this article that ________.
A．the frontiersmen left important society values for American culture
B．the early immigrants brought about the unique American culture
C．people in the world once rushed to America because of its unique culture
D．the American family members don't get along well with each other
解析：选A 细节理解题。根据第二段的内容可知，美国早期的拓荒者对美国文化有深刻的影响。
2．From the passage we know ________.
A．there are many kinds of American religions
B．American religions are different from those in other places
C．American values are the same as Chinese ones
D．everyone should have American values
解析：选A 细节理解题。根据第三段的“The great diversity of ethnic backgrounds has produced religious pluralism (多元化); almost all of the religions of the world are now practiced in the United States.”可知。
3．The last paragraph is about ________.
A．the family structure in American society
B．the influence of the three elements in the current American society
C．the new life style of American family
D．the reason why American people like to change residences
解析：选B 段落大意题。这一段主要告诉我们三个因素对现在的美国文化的影响。
4．What might be the most suitable title of this article?
A．The Immigrants in America
B．Why American Culture Is Unique
C．The Influence of American Culture
D．Plural Religion and American Culture
解析：选B 标题归纳题。美国的文化非常独特，主要有三个方面使其独特，本文主要阐述了这几个方面对美国文化的影响，说明了美国独特文化产生的原因。
