Americans are people of action.

A . /（不填） B . A C . The D . Many

A . natural B . fatal C . tiny D . enormous

A . real B . honest C . normal D . wealthy

A . educaution B . family and hardwork C . education D . BandC

What does the speaker mean？ A．Americans are worried about only two things. B．Americans are worried more about death than about taxes. C．Americans are as worried about death as about taxes. D．Americans are as sure of taxes as of death.

是 否

是 否

Now, health advocates say, an ill-conceived redesign-has taken one of the more successful public-health campaigns—the Food Guide Pyramid—and rendered it confusing to the point of uselessness. Some of these critics worry that America's Department of Agriculture caved to pressure from parts of the food industry anxious to protect theft products. The Food Guide Pyramid was a graphic which emphasizes that a healthy diet is built on a base of gains, vegetables and fruits, followed by ever-decreasing amounts of dairy products, meat, sweets and oils. The agriculture department launched the pyramid in 1992 to replace its previous program, which was centered on the idea of four basic food groups. The "Basic Four" campaign showed a plate divided into quarters, and seemed to imply that meat and dairy products should make up haft of a healthy diet, with grains, fruits and vegetables making up the other half. It was replaced only over the strenuous objections of the meat and dairy industries. The old pyramid was undoubtedly imperfect. It failed to distinguish between a doughnut and a whole-grain roll, or a hamburger and a skinless chicken breast, and it did not make clear exactly how much of each foodstuff to eat. It did, however, manage to convey the basic idea of proper proportions in an easily understandable way. The new pyramid, called "My Pyramid", abandons the effort to provide this information. Instead, it has been simplified to a mere logo. The food groups are replaced with unlabelled, multi-colored vertical stripes which, in some versions, rise out of a cartoon jumble of foods that look like the aftermath of a riot at a grocery store. Anyone who wants to see how this translates into a healthy diet is invited to go to a website, put in their age, sex and activity level, and get a custom-designed pyramid, complete with healthy food choices and suggested portion sizes. This is free for those who are motivated, but might prove too much effort for those who most need such information. Admittedly, the designers of the new pyramid had a tough job to do. They were supposed to condense the advice in the 84-page United States' Dietary Guidelines into a simple, meaningful graphic suitable for printing on the back of a cereal box. And they had to do this in the face of pressure from dozens of special interest groups—from the country's Potato Board, which thought potatoes would look nice in the picture, to the Almond Board of California, which felt the same way about almonds. Even the National Watermelon Promotion Board and the California Avocado Commission were eager to see their products recognized. Nevertheless, many health advocates believe the new graphic is a missed opportunity. Although officials insist industry pressure had nothing to do with the eventual design, some critics suspect that political influence was at work. On the other hand, it is not clear how much good even the best graphic could do. Surveys found that 80% of Americans recognized the old Food Guide Pyramid—a big success in the world of public-health campaigns. Yet only 16% followed its advice. Trying to get Americans to eat a healthy diet is a frustrating business can be easily proved by the fact that A．public-health campaigns cannot compete with tempting flavors. B．snack-food and fast-food industries are flourishing in the US. C．most food in America are profoundly rich in fat and sugar. D．fat people account for a large proportion of American population.

(57)

Very often, introductions are made using both first and last names: "Mary Smith, this is John Jones." In this situation you are free to decide whether to call the lady "Mary" or "Miss Smith". Sometimes both of you will begin a conversation using last names, and after a while one or both of you may begin using first names instead. You have a choice: if you don't want to use first names so quickly, no one will think it impolite if you continue according to your own custom. In the first paragraph the author tells us that ______. A．Americans do not talk about rank, especially socially B．Americans feel uncomfortable when talking about rank C．Americans take interests in social customs D．Americans don't care much about social rank

Most Americans stop working at the age of sixty-five or seventy and retire. Because work is such an important part of life in American culture, retirement can be very difficult for Americans. Retirees often feel that they are useless and unproductive. Of course, some people are happy to retire, but leaving one's job, whatever it is, is a difficult change, even for those who look forward to retiring. Retirement can also bring financial problems. Many people depend on Social Security checks every month. During their working years, employees contribute a certain percentage of their salaries to the government. Each employer also gives a certain percentage to the government. When people retire, they receive this money as income. Sometimes these checks do not provide enough money to live on, because prices are prone to increasing, a process known as "inflation". Senior citizens, those over sixty-five, typically have to have savings in the bank or other retirement plans to make ends meet. In addition, many senior citizens have to change their lifestyles after retirement. They have to spend carefully to be sure that they can afford to buy food, fuel and other necessities(必需品). Of course, many senior citizens are happy with their retirement. They have time to spend with their families or to enjoy their hobbies. Some continue to work part-time, others do volunteer work. Some, like those in the Retired Business Executives Association, even help young people to start new businesses. Many retired citizens also belong to "Golden Age" groups. These organizations plan trips and social events. There are many other opportunities for retirees. Which of the following could be the best title of the passage？ A．Golden Age Groups B．The American Opinion of Work C．The Importance of Work in America D．The Problems of Retirement in America