I used to believe in the American Dream, which meant a job, a mortgage(按揭), credit cards, and success. I wanted it and worked toward it like everyone else, all of us 1.A chasing the same thing.
One year, through a series of unhappy events, it all fell 2.B . I found myself homeless and 3.C . I had my truck and $56. I 4.D the countryside for some place I could rent for the 5.D possible amount. I came upon a shabby house four miles up a winding mountain road over the Potomac River in West Virginia. It was 6.B ， full of broken glass and rubbish. I found the owner, rented it, and 7.C a corner to camp in.
The locals knew nothing about me, 8.A slowly, they started teaching me the 9.D of being a neighbor. They dropped off blankets, candles, and tools, and began sticking around to 10.A . They started to teach me a belief in a 11.C American Dream—not the one of individual achievement but of 12.A .
What I had believed in, all those things I thought were 13.D for a civilized life, were nonexistent in this place. Up on the 14.A ， my most valuable possessions were my 15.B with my neighbors.
Four years later, I moved back into 16.C . I saw many people were having a really hard time, 17.B their jobs and homes. I managed to rent a big enough house to 18.C a handful of people. There are four of us now in the house, but over time I've had nine people come in and move on to other places. We'd all be in 19.B if we hadn't banded together.
The American Dream I believe in now is a shared one. It's not so much about what I can get for myself; it's about 20.D we can all survive together.
文章大意：本文是一篇记叙文。叙述了作者在美国的生活经历，以及他对美国梦的理解的前后变化。一开始作者认为在美国就会有银行卡、工作和房子。但是在美国经历了一系列不愉快的事件后，作者的美国梦想破碎了。作者在山上找了一座破旧的房屋租住。他从邻居那里学到了美国梦是大家团结起来共同实现的。
1．A.separately B．equally
C．violently D．naturally
解析：separately“分别地；各自地”；equally“同样地；平等地”；violently“猛烈地；激烈地”；naturally“自然地”。根据前文的“like everyone else”向每个其他人一样，我们每个人也都在做。句意：我们各自在追逐同样的事情。故选A。
2．A.off B．apart
C．over D．out
解析：off“远离的”；apart“分离的”；over“在上面的”；out“外面的”。根据后文的“I found myself homeless”可知我发现自己孤独。此处说自己原来的梦想破碎了，崩溃了。句意：有一年，在经历了一系列不愉快的事件后，它完全崩溃了。故选B。
3．A.awesome B．priceless
C．alone D．passionate
解析：awesome“可怕的”；priceless“无价的”；alone“单独的；独自一人”；passionate“有激情的”。可知我发现自己孤独，此处说自己原来的梦想破碎了，崩溃了。故C项正确。
4．A.crossed B．left
C．toured D．searched
解析：crossed“穿过”；left“离开”；toured“旅行”；searched“搜索”。根据后文的“for some place I could rent”可知作者在乡村寻找可以租住的地方。search...for...“搜……为了找……”。句意：我在乡村搜寻我可以租住的地方。故选D。
5．A.fullest B．largest
C．fairest D．cheapest
解析：fullest“完全的；满的”；largest“最大的”；fairest“公平的”；cheapest“最便宜的”。根据前文的“I had my truck and $56.”可知作者只有一辆卡车和56美元，可见他没太多的钱，因此他要租便宜的房子。故此处用形容词cheapest。句意：我要租住尽可能最便宜的地方。故选D。
6．A.occupied B．abandoned
C．emptied D．robbed
解析：occupied“占用”；abandoned“放弃的，废弃的”；emptied“倒空”；robbed“抢劫”。根据后文的“full of broken glass and rubbish”可知这座房子是被废弃的。句意：它被废弃了。故选B。
7．A.turned B．approached
C．cleared D．cut
解析：turned“转动”；approached“接近”；cleared“清除”；cut“剪”。根据后文的“to camp in”可知作者为了能扎营住在这里，因此清理了一下。句意：为了能住进去，我清理了一个角落。故选C。
8．A.but B．although
C．otherwise D．for
解析：but“但是”；although“尽管”；otherwise“否则”；for“因为”。根据前文的“knew nothing about me”和后文的“slowly, they started teaching me”可知其他人开始时不了解他，后来教他一些东西，前后是转折关系，故用连词but。句意：当地人对我不了解，但是慢慢地开始教会我一些东西。故选A。
9．A.benefit B．lesson
C．nature D．art
解析：benefit“利益；好处”；lesson“教训；课”；nature“自然”；D.art“艺术；道理”。根据前文的“they started teaching me”可知他们教我一些道理。句意：慢慢地他们开始教我做邻居的道理。故选D。
10．A.chat B．fight
C．struggle D．perform
解析：chat“聊天”；fight“战斗”；struggle“斗争；努力”；perform“表演”。句意：他们带来一些毯子，蜡烛和工具，停下来和我聊天。故选A。
11．A.wild B．real
C．different D．remote
解析：wild“野生的”；real“真实的”；different“不同的”；remote“遥远的；偏僻的”。根据前文的“I used to believe in the American Dream, which meant a job, a mortgage(按揭), credit cards, success.”可知他过去的美国梦想是成功的，而现在没有房子和工作，是失败的，与想象的不一样，句意：他们开始教会我一种对美国梦想不同的信念。故选C。
12．A.neighborliness B．happiness
C．friendliness D．kindness
解析：neighborliness“亲切；友善”；happiness“幸福”； friendliness“友好”；kindness“善良”。根据前文的“of being a neighbor”可知作为邻居的理论，可知此处是强调邻居的重要性。句意：美国的梦想不是个人的成就而是邻居共同的成就。故选A。
13．A.unique B．expensive
C．rare D．necessary
解析：unique“独特的； 唯一的”；expensive“昂贵的”；rare“稀有的”；necessary“必要的”。根据后文的“were nonexistent in this place”可知以前以为必要的东西，在这个地方不存在。句意：所有我原以为必要的东西在这个地方不存在。故选D。
14．A.mountain B．downtown
C．river D．countryside
解析：mountain“山”；downtown“市中心”；river“河流”；countryside“农村”。根据上文“I came upon a shabby house four miles up a winding mountain road over the Potomac River in West Virginia.”可知此处应是上山。句意：我最有价值的东西是在山上。故选A。
15．A.cooperation B．relationships
C．satisfaction D．appointments
解析：cooperation“合作”；relationships“关系”；satisfaction“满意”；appointments“约定”。根据前文的“They dropped off blankets, candles, and tools, and began sticking around to 10 .”可知作者与邻居的关系好。故此处用relationships。句意：我最有价值的财富就是与邻居的关系。故选B。
16．A.reality B．society
C．town D．life
解析：reality“现实”；society“社会”；town“城镇”；life“生活”。根据前文的“I moved back into”可知作者从山上搬回了城里。句意：四年后，我搬回了城里。故选C。
17．A.creating B．losing
C．quitting D．finding
解析：creating“创造”；losing“失去；损失”；quitting“放弃”；offering“提供”。根据前文的“I saw many people were having a really hard time”可知这里的许多人过着艰难的生活，此处应是失去工作，才能体现生活困难。句意：我看见许多人生活艰难，失去了工作和家园。故选B。
18．A.put in B．turn in
C．take in D．get in
解析：put in“提出”；turn in“上交”；take in“吸收；上当；容纳”；get in“收获”。根据前文的“rent a big enough house to”可知作者租了一间大的房子是为了能容纳一些人。句意：我租下了一个足够大的房子为了容纳一些人。故选C。
19．A.yards B．shelters
C．camps D．cottages
解析：yards“院子”；shelters“避难所”；camps“营地”；cottages“村舍”。根据后文的“if we hadn't banded together...”可知我们如果不团结起来就会没有地方住，只待在避难所。句意：如果我们不团结起来，我们就会待在避难所。故选B。
20．A.when B．what
C．whether D．how
解析：when“何时”；what“什么”；whether“是否”；how“如何”。根据后面的“we can all survive together(我们一起生活)”和文章意思，大家一起共同团结的生活，才能解决困难，这是说生活的方式，故此处用代词how。故选D。
