2014高考英语阅读理解基础训练极品题（14）及答案阅读理解------------SYDNEY—Australia’s economic boom is encouraging a steady stream of unexpected visitors looking for work: Americans.U.S. citizens are heading to Australia in small but growing numbers as near-10% unemployment at home drives more to look for jobs Down Under, where China’s thirst for iron ore (矿石) and energy is transforming the Pacific nation into an economic powerhouse.A bricklaying student from Silver Trowel, a leading provider of quality education and training in the building and construction industry, apprentices (当学徒) on a building project in Western Australia, where workers are in short supply.Daniel Davila, a 23-year-old floorer from Camarillo, California made the 14-hour move across the Pacific two years ago. He had been forced to take a job stocking shelves at a local grocery store for $8.90 an hour when he couldn’t get work fixing floors.On a good day in Australia, he now makes as much as 50 Australian dollars (US$50.21) an hour—about twice the amount for a typical flooring job in the U.S. He plans to start his own flooring business.“I can make what I did in a week in the U.S. in less than a day here,” said Mr. Davila, who lives near a mining boom town in Western Australia.Australian government figures show just under 7,000 Americans currently working on long-term visas, an 80% jump over the past five years. U.S. citizens are now the third-largest group applying for so-called 457 work visas, after British and Indian nationals. Americans with degrees in areas such as accounting or mine engineering, as well as other skilled workers, can obtain a nonrenewable(不可续期的) permit for as much as a three-year stay. After that, they can apply for the renewable 457, which allows up to a four-year stay.The need for workers is particularly pressing in Western Australia. The mining state’s unemployment rate was 4.5% in Nov ember, below the national average of 5.2%.Drivers of heavy trucks can pull in six-figure salaries while experienced crane (起重机) operators can earn hundreds of thousands a year. Attracting skilled workers is a shift for Australia, which historically sent many of its most highly educated to the U.S. and Europe, according to migration data.8. _____, a growing number of Americans go to work in Australia.A. As a result of the encouragement of AustraliaB. As a result of high unemployment in the U.S.C. Out of their ambition of finding valuable resourcesD. Out of their determination to realize their dreams9. It can be inferred from the passage that 457 work visas are _____.A. for skilled workers in some fieldsB. for students on the building projectC. especially for American workersD. especially for those out of work10. It is implied in the passage that _____.A. foreigners have to give up their original professional jobs when working in AustraliaB. it is possible for foreigners to earn more money in Australia than in theirown countriesC. there are more U.S. citizens hoping to work in Australia than from othercountriesD. Australians think it fair to exchange their talent with American skilled workers11. In which of the following cities are workers probably most needed?【参考答案】8—11、BAB D阅读理解-----B(2013·哈尔滨市质检，B)Bursting into the classroom from recess (课间休息), 15 children take their seats and face the woman they know as Ms. Yang.“What day is it today？” she asks, in Mandarin Chinese (普通话)．“Confucius' birthday！” the fifth graders shout in Mandarin.“Why do we celebrate Confucius' birthday？”“Because he's the greatest teacher in the history of China！” exclaims a brown-haired girl. She is speaking Mandarin.English is rarely heard in Lisa Yang's class at the Chinese American International School (CAIS), despite the fact that few students are native speakers of Mandarin.The United States is actively trying to increase the group of students in “critical languages” such as Mandarin. The stu dents at CAIS are way ahead in such a trend.Founded 25 years ago, this small private school in San Francisco, USA, does what few other American schools do: It produces fully fluent speakers of Mandarin Chinese, by far the most commonly spoken language in the world.Mandarin Chinese is suddenly hot in American schools. As China becomes the world's leading economy sometimes this century, schools in the U. S. are scrambling to add Mandarin to their list of foreign languages or expand Chinese programs already in place.“It really is almost unprecedented (无前例的). People are looking at China as a force to be reckoned with... And to ensure that the U. S. has the ability to conduct trade, and to work with the Chinese, certainly having an understanding of Chinese language and culture is an advantage，” said Marty Abbott of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages(ACTFL)．To develop Chineselanguage programs has not been smooth. A shortage of trained teachers has made it difficult for some schools to join the race. When schools do get teachers, they often hire them straight from China, and the teachers usually suffer culture shock when they come to the U. S.Robert Liu remembers his first two years in an American classroom. It was not an easy adjustment. “In China, students respect their teachers，” he said. Liu found that American students, however, expect an active teaching style. He had to use games to engage them rather than lectures.To avoid many of the problems with foreign teaching styles, the CAIS has been working with the Chinese government to improve training of teachers who are sent to the U. S.文章大意：本文为一篇说明文。