{A) they find it hard to resist the carrot-and-stick approach of their parents }
B) they have learn from other parents about the joys of having children
C) they feel more and more lonely ad they grow older
D) they have found it irrational to remain childless
24. By saying “… my parents were putting the grandchild squeeze on me” (Line 2-3, Para. 6), the author means that _________.
{A) her parents kept pressuring her to have a child }
B) her parents liked to have a grandchild in their arms
C) her parents asked her to save for the expenses of raising a child
D) her parents kept blaming her for her child‘s bad behavior
25. What does the author really think of the idea of having children?
A) It does more harm than good.
B) It contributes to overpopulation.
{C) It is troublesome but rewarding. }
D) It is a psychological catastrophe
Passage Two
Questions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage.
Ask most people how they define the American Dream and chances are they‘ll say, “Success.” The dream of individual opportunity has been at home in America since Europeans discovered a “new world” in the Western Hemisphere. Early immigrants like Hector St. Jean de Crevecoeur praised highly the freedom and opportunity to be found in this new land. His glowing descriptions of a classless society where anyone could attain success through honesty and hard work fired the imaginations of many European readers: in Letters from an American Farmer (1782) he wrote, “We are all excited at the spirit of an industry which is unfettered(无拘无束的) and unrestrained, because each person works for himself … We have no princes, for whom we toil (干苦力活), starve, and bleed: we are the most perfect society now existing in the world.” The promise of a land where “the rewards of a man’s industry follow with equal steps the progress of his labor” drew poor immigrants from Europe and fueled national expansion into the western territories.
Our national mythology (神化) is full of illustrations of the American success story. There‘s Benjamin Franklin, the very model of the self-educated, self-made man, who rose from modest origins to become a well-known scientist, philosopher, and statesman. In the nineteenth century, Horatio Alger, a writer of fiction for young boys, became America’s best-selling author with rags-to-riches tales. The notion of success haunts us: we spend million every year reading about the rich and famous, learning how to “make a fortune in real estate with no money down,” and “dressing for success.” The myth of success has even invaded our personal relationships: today it‘s as important to be “successful” in marriage or parenthoods as it is to come out on top in business.
But dreams easily turn into nightmares. Every American who hopes to “make it” also knows the fear of failure, because the myth of success inevitably implies comparison between the haves and the have-nots, the stars and the anonymous crowd. Under pressure of the myth, we become indulged in status symbols: we try to live in the “right” neighborhoods, wear the “right” clothes, eat the “right” foods. These symbols of distinction assure us and others that we are different, that we stand out from the crowd. It is one of the great paradoxes of our culture that we believe strongly in the fundamental equality of all, yet strive as hard as we can to separate ourselves from our fellow citizens.
文章最后一段的出处：
But dreams easily turn into nightmares. Every American who hopes to "make it" also knows the fear of failure, because the myth of success inevitably implies comparison between the haves and the have-nots, the achievers and the drones, the stars and the anonymous crowd. Under pressure of the myth, we become engrossed in status symbols: we try to live in the "right" neighborhoods, wear the "right" clothes, eat the "right" foods. These emblems of distinction assure us and others that we are different, that we stand out from the crowd. It is one of the great paradoxes of our culture that we believe passionately in the fundamental equality of all yet strive as hard as we can to separate ourselves from our fellow citizens.
说明：黑体字部分生词较多，所以采用了删除(如the achievers and the drones)或变动单词(如emblems被替换成symbols等)两种手段。
26. What is the essence of the American Dream according to Crevecoeur?
A) People are free to develop their power of imagination.
B) People who are honest and work hard can succeed.
C) People are free from exploitation and oppression.
{D) People can fully enjoy individual freedom. }
27. By saying “the rewards of a man‘s industry follow with equal steps the progress of his labor” (Line 10, Para. 1), the author means __________.
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