2006年Text 1In spite of“endless talk of difference,”American society is an amazing machine for homogenizing people. There is“the democratizing uniformity of dress and discourse, and the casualness and absence of deference”characteristic of popular culture. People are absorbed into“a culture of consumption”launched by the 19th century department stores that offered“vast arrays of goods in an elegant atmosphere. Instead of intimate shops catering to a knowledgeable elite”these were stores“anyone could enter, regardless of class or background. This turned shopping into a public and democratic act.”The mass media, advertising and sports are other forces for homogenization.Immigrants are quickly fitting into this common culture, which may not be altogether elevating but is hardly poisonous. Writing for the National Immigration Forum, Gregory Rodriguez reports that todays immigration is neither at unprecedented levels nor resistant to assimilation. In 1998 immigrants were 9.8 percent of the population; in 1900, 13.6 percent. In the 10 years prior to 1990, 3.1 immigrants arrived for every 1,000 residents; in the 10 years prior to 1890, 9.2 for every 1,000. Now, consider three indices of assimilationlanguage, home ownership and intermarriage.The 1990 Census revealed that“a majority of immigrants from each of the fifteen most common countries of origin spoke Englishwellorvery wellafter ten years of residence.”The children of immigrants tend to be bilingual and proficient in English. “By the third generation, the original language is lost in the majority of immigrant families.”Hence the description of America as a“graveyard”for languages. By 1996 foreign-born immigrants who had arrived before 1970 had a home ownership rate of 75.6 percent, higher than the 69.8 percent rate among native-born Americans.Foreign-born Asians and Hispanics“have higher rates of intermarriage than do U.S.-born whites and blacks.”By the third generation, one third of Hispanic women are married to non-Hispanics, and 41 percent of Asian-American women are married to non-Asians.Rodriguez notes that children in remote villages around the world are fans of superstars like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Garth Brooks, yet“some Americans fear that immigrant living within the United States remain somehow immune to the nations assimilative power.”Are there divisive issues and pockets of seething anger in America? Indeed. It is big enough to have a bit of everything. But particularly when viewed against Americas turbulent past, todays social indices hardly suggest a dark and deteriorating social environment.21.The word“homogenizing”(Line 1, Paragraph 1) most probably means_.A identifyingB associatingC assimilatingD monopolizing22.According to the author, the department stores of the 19th century_.A played a role in the spread of popular cultureB became intimate shops for common consumersC satisfied the needs of a knowledgeable eliteD owed its emergence to the culture of consumption23.The text suggests that immigrants now in the U.S._.A are resistant to homogenizationB exert a great influence on American cultureC are hardly a threat to the common cultureD constitute the majority of the population24.Why are Arnold Schwarzenegger and Garth Brooks mentioned in Paragraph 5?A To prove their popularity around the world.B To reveal the publics fear of immigrants.C To give examples of successful immigrants.D To show the powerful influence of American culture.25.In the authors opinion, the absorption of immigrants into American society is_.A rewardingB successfulC fruitlessD harmfulText 2Stratford-on-Avon, as we all know, has only one industryWilliam Shakespearebut there are two distinctly separate and increasingly hostile branches. There is the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), which presents superb productions of the plays at the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre on the Avon. And there are the townsfolk who largely live off the tourists who come, not to see the plays, but to look at Anne Hathaways Cottage, Shakespeares birthplace and the other sights.The worthy residents of Stratford doubt that the theatre adds a penny to their revenue. They frankly dislike the RSCs actors, them with their long hair and beards and sandals and noisiness. Its all deliciously ironic when you consider that Shakespeare, who earns their living, was himself an actor (with a beard) and did his share of noise-making.The tourist streams are not entirely separate. The sightseers who come by busand often take in Warwick Castle and Blenheim Palace on the sidedont usually see the plays, and some of them are even surprised to find a theatre in Stratford. However, the playgoers do manage a little sight-seeing along with their playgoing. It is the playgoers, the RSC contends, who bring in much of the towns reve