2014考研英语：阅读理解模拟题及答案解析（四）

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　As is the case in many cultures, the degree to which a minority group was seen as different from the characteristics of the dominant majority determined the extent of that group’s acceptance. Immigrants who were like the earlier settlers were accepted. The large numbers of immigrants with significantly different characteristics tended to be viewed as a threat to basic American values and the American way of life.

　　This was particularly true of the immigrants who arrived by the million during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Most of them came from poverty-stricken nations of southern and eastern Europe. They spoke languages other than English, and large numbers of them were Catholics or Jews.

　　Americans at the time were very fearful of this new flood of immigrants. They were afraid that these people were so accustomed to lives of poverty and dependence that they would not understand such basic American values as freedom, self-reliance and competition. There were so many new immigrants that they might even change the basic values of the nation in undesirable ways.

　　Americans tried to meet what they saw as a threat to their values by offering English instruction for the new immigrants and citizenship classes to teach them basic American beliefs. The immigrants, however, often felt that their American teachers disapproved of the traditions of their homeland. Moreover, learning about American values gave them little help in meeting their most important needs such as employment, food, and a place to live.

　　Far more helpful to the new immigrants were the “political bosses” of the larger cities of the northeastern United States, where most of the immigrants first arrived. Those bosses saw to many of the practical needs of the immigrants and were more accepting of the different homeland traditions. In exchange for their help, the political bossed expected the immigrants to keep them in power by voting for them in elections.

　　In spite of this, many scholars believe that the political bosses performed an important function in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. They helped to assimilate large numbers of disadvantaged white immigrants into the larger American culture. The fact that the United States had a rapidly expanding economy at the turn of the century made it possible for these new immigrants, often with the help of the bosses, to better their standard of living in the United States. As a result of these new opportunities and new rewards, immigrants came to accept most of the values of the larger American culture and were in turn accepted by the great majority of Americans. For white ethnic groups, therefore, it is generally true that their feeling of being a part of the larger culture, that is, “American” is much stronger than their feeling of belonging to a separate ethnic group— Irish, Italian, Polish, etc. (468 words)

　　26. A minority group’s acceptance to the country was determined by _____.

　　A. the difference they showed from the majority.

　　B. the time when they arrived at the new land.

　　C. the background conditions they came from.

　　D. the religious group to which they belonged.

　　27. The immigrants’ flushing in was considered a threat to American value mainly because _____.

　　A. the immigrants came from poverty-stricken nations of southern and eastern Europe.

　　B. the immigrants had been accustomed to poverty and dependence.

　　C. the immigrants had different homeland traditions and other particular characteristics.

　　D. the immigrants did not speak English.

　　28. “Citizenship classes” (Para. 4) were offered because Americans ____.

　　A. wanted to help the immigrants to solve their practical needs.

　　B. would not accept any groups with different traditions.

　　C. wanted the immigrants to deal with the threat to the American values.

　　D. wanted the immigrants to learn about and to keep the American values.

　　29. The political bosses helped the new immigrants for the main purpose of _____.

　　A. showing off their political powers and advantages.

　　B. getting support in elections.

　　C. assimilating the minority into the majority.

　　D. showing their generosity.

　　30. The living standards of the new immigrants were improved in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries mainly because ____.

　　A. they kept the political bosses in power.

　　B. the political bosses gave them a lot of practical help.

　　C. they had a much stronger feeling of being a part of the larger culture.

　　D. there was a rapid growth in American economy at that time.

　　Text 6

　　26. A，细节题。第一段的首句提到：As is the case in many cultures, the degree to which a minority group was seen as different from the characteristics of the dominant majority determined the extent of that group’s acceptance.意思是，一个少数民族区别于社会主导群体的程度决定了它被接受的程度，这是事实。答案A正好是答案。其他选项都不对。

　　27. C，细节题。大量移民的涌入被认为是对美国价值观的威胁的主要原因是什么?答案就在第一段最后一句。 “The large numbers of immigrants with significantly different characteristics tended to be viewed as a threat to basic American values and the American way of life.” 由于大量移民有着不同的特征和传统，所以他们被视为是对美国价值观的威胁。通读各选项，就可以知道C正是此题的答案。其他选项都不可选。

　　28. D，细节题。给移民上“公民权课程”的原因是什么?答案在第四段第一句： “Americans tried to meet what they saw as a threat to their values by offering English instruction for the new immigrants and citizenship classes to teach them basic American beliefs.” 把移民看作是对美国价值观的威胁，所以美国人就为新移民开办一些英语和公民权课程向移民讲授美国人的基本观念。D是正确答案。

　　29. B，细节题。政治老板们帮助移民的主要目的是什么?答案在文章第五段第三句： “In exchange for their help, the political bossed expected the immigrants to keep them in power by voting for them in elections.” 政治老板们给予了移民很多帮助，主要目的是为在竞选时获得更多的选票从而保持其政治实力。所以B是正确答案。

　　30. D，细节题。十九世纪末二十世纪初移民生活水平提高的主要原因是什么?答案在最后一段第三句： “The fact that the United States had a rapidly expanding economy at the turn of the century made it possible for these new immigrants, often with the help of the bosses, to better their standard of living in the United States.” 世纪之交时美国经济的迅速发展，再加上有政治老板的帮助，移民的生活水平提高了。所以，美国经济的迅速发展是移民生活水平提高的主要原因，而政治老板的帮助是次要原因。题目问的主要原因，B是次要原因，不能选。而答案正是D—那个时候美国经济发展迅速。

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