高一英语限时阅读（20）AYOU may have heard of the “American Dream”, an ideal that has powered the hopes of Americans for generations.It began as a belief that the US was a land of opportunity, and that anyone could achieve success through hard work. At times, the dream has referred to home ownership, a good job, retirement security or each generation doing better than the last.Yet today, this concept seems to have greatly changed. As Time magazine pointed out, quite different from their predecessors (前辈), many Millennials (the generation born after 1980) redefine the American Dream as “day-to-day control of your life”. They “prize job mobility (机动性), flexible schedules, any work that is more interesting than typing, and the ability to travel”, said the magazine.Home ownership, once the cornerstone (基石) of the American Dream, is becoming a smaller priority (优先事项) for this generation, as a new research released by US insurance company MassMutual noted. Meanwhile, nearly four in 10 Millennials choose travel as part of their dream. And entrepreneurship (创业) is a rising favorite, as 26 percent of Millennials cite self-employment as part of the dream.So what has led to this huge change?Many point fingers at the poor economy. “Contemporary young Americans seem destined (注定的) to [face] a world stamped by ever narrowing opportunity and societal stagnation (停滞),”noted The Daily Beast.“The rate of 16- to 24-year-olds out of school and out of work is unusually high at 15 percent. Many college graduates have taken jobs that d on‟t require a degree,” Time reported.The Atlantic magazine worries that these difficulties may lead to a lost generation who are “unable to ever truly find their feet on the corporate (公司的) ladder”.Dan Kadlec of Time sees Millennials as resetting their expectations. “The [situation] is different for young adults today”, he wrote. “A true American Dream has to feel attainable, and many Millennials aren‟t feeling they can attain much more than a day-to-day lifestyle that suits them.”1. The article is mainly about ____.A. how American youth today are trying to realize their dreamsB. changes in American youth‟s beliefs about the American dream and the reasons for themC. how the American dream has inspired Americans to achieve successD. why the meaning of the American dream varies from generation to generation2. According to Time magazine, unlike their parents, many Millennials in the US now consider ____ to be the American Dream.a. home ownershipb. travelc. a stable jobd. self-employmente. a flexible scheduleA. a, b, dB. a, c, eC. b, d, eD. b, c, d3. The underlined word “cornerstone” in the fourth paragraph is closest in meaning to ____.A. basisB. growthC. purposeD. balance4. What has changed Millennials‟ views of the American Dream according to the article?A. A lack of confidence in themselves.B. Their dissatisfaction with their government.C. Fierce competition in the job market.D. The discouraging economy and unemployment.5. Dan Kadlec thinks Millenials‟ new definition of the American Dream is ____.A. understandableB. negativeC. troublingD. beautifulKey:1. B。
本文主要讲的是80后的美国年轻人对美国梦的最新定义并分析了导致这一改变的原因，故答案为B。
2. C。
由第三四段可知很多80后的年轻人渴望旅游、自主创业、弹性工作制，所以C项为正确答案。
3. A。
由第二段可知，以前在很多人心中美国梦意味着home ownership, a good job, retirement security等，所以可以推知房屋所有权是美国梦的核心内容之一，故cornerstone在这里意为“基石，基础”，答案为A。
4. D。
由第六段可知低迷的经济状况以及失业率是导致年轻人重新定义美国梦的主要原因，所以答案为D。
5. A。
由本文最后一句话可知Dan Kadlec认为年轻人对美国梦的定义更贴合社会现状，更容易实现，所以答案为A。
BWE see birds flying in groups all the time. But migrating (迁徙的) birds are the ones that make us wonder –they fly not just in groups, but in “V”formations. That must mean something, right?Scientists, too, have been puzzled by this phenomenon and have tried to figure out what benefit birds get from this particular formation. Now, a research group from University of London may have found the answer –migrating birds fly in a “V” to save energy, according to a study published in the journal Nature.When a bird flaps (扑扇) its wings, it stirs (搅动) the air around it and causes the air to move in different directions. Scientists found in the study that the air creates an upward-moving wave at the tip of the wings, which means that if a bird flies around the wingtips of another bird, it can get a boost (抬高) from the rising air and therefore use less energy to stay in the air.When a bunch of birds use this trick at the same time, they form the shape of a “V”.But there is a small problem – the lead bird gets no lift advantage and can easily get tired. This is why a group of migrating birds regularly switches leaders, according to The New York Times.Apart from the “free ride”strategy, scientists were also surprised to observe that migrating birds timed their wing beats and adjusted their positions in a very precise way to maximize (最大限度利用) the lifting effect while avoiding areas where the air moved downward.“They‟re able to sense what‟s going on from the bird in front, where this …good air‟ is coming from and how to position themselves perfectly in it,” lead researcher Steven Portug al told BBC.In fact, the “V”formation has long been thought to help birds fly more efficiently (高效地).A previous study revealed that birds’heart rates went down when they were flying together in a “V”. Fighter jets were also found to be able to reduce their energy use by up to 18 percent by staying near the wingtips of other jets. Both of these findings led scientists to suspect (猜想) that the “V”formation had an efficiency purpose, but until now they lacked proof.For scientists, the new study provides insight (理解) into an interesting natural phenomenon. But it could mean even more for aircraft companies –helping them to “understand how they can replicate (效仿) that with their plane formations to save fuel”, said Portugal.6. What is the author‟s purpose in writing the article?A. To introduce how migrating birds find their way.B. To explain how birds benefit from migration.C. To report new findings about migrating birds‟ “V” formations.D. To inform us of some applications of migrating birds‟ “V” for mations.7. According to a recent study, when birds migrate, ____.A. they fly in “V” formations to protect themselves against enemiesB. they form the shape of a “V” to make best use of the lifting effectC. they don‟t often change their lead birds duri ng the whole journeyD. the air they stir around makes it hard for the birds behind them to fly fast8. What is the significance of the new study according to the article?A. It has proven that the “V” formation can improve efficiency in many fields.B. I t led scientists to discover that birds‟ heart rates go down when they fly in a “V”.C. It shows that the best formation of fighter jets in battles would be a “V” formation.D. It might inspire aircraft companies to think of ways to improve efficiency.Key:1. C。