QUESTIONS like the one my taxi driver asked me are always jarring, but I can understand why he could not see me as American. He had a narrow but widely shared sense of the past - a history that has viewed American as European in ancestry. "Race," Toni Morrison explained, has functioned as a "metaphor" necessary to the "construction of Americanness": in the creation of our national identity, "American" has been defined as "white."1
But America has been racially diverse since our very beginning on the Virginia shore, and this reality is increasingly becoming visible and ubiquitous. Currently, one-third of the American people do not trace their origins to Europe; in California, minorities are fast becoming a majority. They already predominate in major cities across the country - New York, Chicago, Atlanta, Detroit, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. ……
说明：考试将原文的Japan换成China，这样文章听起来像是一位美籍华裔的经历，使得录音内容与考生更亲切。
Questions 11 lo 13 are based on the passage you have just heard.
11. What was the theme of the conference the speaker was to attend?
A) The role of immigrants in the construction of American society.
B) The importance of offering diverse courses in European history.
{C) The need for greater cultural diversity in the school curriculum.}
D) The historic landing of Europeans on the Virginia shore.
12. Why did the taxi driver asked the speaker how long he has been in the US?
A) He was wondering if the speaker was used to living in America.
B) He was trying to show friendliness to the speaker.
C) He wanted to keep their conversation going.
{D) He believed the speaker was a foreigner. }
13. What message does the speaker wish to convey?
{A) The US population doesn‘t consist of white European descendants only. }
B) Asian tourists can speak English as well as native speakers of the language.
C) Colored people are not welcome in the United States.
D) Americans are in need of education in their history.
Passage Two
Laws have been written to govern the use of the American National Flag and to ensure proper respect for the flag. Custom has also governed the common practice in regard to its use. All the armed services have precise regulations on how to display the national flag. This may vary somewhat from the general rules. The national flag should be raised and lowered by hand. Do not raise the flag while it is folded. Unfold the flag first, and then hoist it quickly to the top of the flagpole. Lower it slowly and with dignity. Place no objects on or over the flag. Do not use the flag as part of a costume or athletic uniform. Do not print it upon cushions, handkerchiefs, paper napkins or boxes. A federal law provides that a trademark cannot be registered if it comprises the flag, coat of arms, or badges of the United States. When the flag is used in unveiling a statue or monument, it should not serve as a covering of the object to be unveiled.
If it is displayed on such occasions, do not allow the flag to fail to the ground, but let it be carried high up in the air to form a feature of the ceremony. Take every precaution to prevent the flag from becoming soiled. It should not be allowed to touch the ground or floor, nor to brush against objects.
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Laws have been written to govern the use of the flag and to insure a proper respect for the Stars and strips. Custom has decreed certain other observances in regard to its use.
All the services have precise regulations regarding the display of the National Flag, which may vary somewhat form the general rules below. Respect your flag and render it the courtesies to which it is entitled by observing the following rules:
The National flag should be raised and lowered by hand. Do not raise the flag while it is furled. Unfurl, then hoist quickly to the top of the staff. Lower it slowly and with dignity. Place no objects on or over the flag. A speaker's table is sometimes covered with the flag. This practice should be avoided.
When displayed from a staff in a church or public auditorium, the flag should hold the position of superior prominence, in advance of the audience, and at the clergyman's or speaker's right as he faced the audience, with other flags at his left.
The flag should never be displayed
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