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The United States of America is often seen as a nation in which the pursuit of happiness is not a dream but a reality. The sad truth is that although portrayed as an unusually easy life, life in America is as much of a struggle as in any other nation.

For example, higher level education for Americans does not come easy. Although there are scholarships, grants and loans available, if a student fails to meet the criteria（标准）he is left with only personal resources to draw from. This takes him into a life with not only a school schedule to follow but perhaps, also, a work schedule and family life. These are often the difficulties that are not portrayed through the TV and movies. These are also the difficulties which many believe they will not encounter by attending an American college.

In the second place, there is financial security. Many times what is portrayed of life in America is a life where “money” is no object. The fallacy（谬误）in this is that, in spite of the comparatively higher wages available, the cost of living is also higher. Even though it may seem like one is making more money, just as much is spent in surviving, each person has his own personal struggle and money is an object for the majority of the people.

Thirdly is the belief that in American way of life everyone has a good job. With the increasing advancements in technology, a well-paid job for those currently in the work force is getting harder to find. Those who have not been exposed to computers and other new methods of communication are finding this to be true. As it stands now, the job market is requiring at least a two-year degree from college, in order to make enough to live comfortably. Even then well-paid jobs are not easy to find, as it is sometimes believed because of the portrayal of life in America.

1．The life in America emphasizes more on____.

A．justice

B．entertainment

C．liberty

D．happiness

2．According to the passage, if students in America cannot obtain scholarships, grants and loans, they have to____.

A．depend on government to help them

B．get college admission by their own hard work

C．depend on themselves even in college

D．borrow money from their parents

3．Most people regard money as life's object because____.

A．money is everything in America

B．it is easy to earn money in America

C．money is a symbol of status

D．they require more money for survival

4．The labor force in America____.

A．provides many positions for applicants

B．only needs the people with advanced science and technology

C．seldom promises a qualified applicant a high wage

D．has fierce competition out of our imagination

5．Which of the following is the example cited by the author to testify his judgment of the life in America?

A．The description in movies.

B．Higher welfare standard.

C．Technological security.

D．Work force.

1．【答案】D

【精析】从第一段的第一句话我们可以知道，美国人特别崇尚追求快乐、幸福的生活，因此他们也特别注重幸福，因此D项正确。A项“公正”、B项“娱乐”、C项“自由”，这些都与文章的意思不相符。

2．【答案】C

【精析】由题干关键词“scholarships, grants and loans”定位至第二段第二句“Although there are scholarships, grants and loans available, if a student fails to meet the criteria he is left with only personal resources to draw from.”由此可知，假如学生没有资格获得奖学金的话，那他就只能用自己的财力支付这笔费用了，所以选C项。A项是依靠政府的帮助，这与文章中的意思“由自己承担”不一致；B项是通过自己的努力学习进入大学，这与谁来承担费用没有直接的关系；D项是向父母借钱，这与文章中的意思也不一致。

3．【答案】D

【精析】由题干关键词“money as life's object”定位至第三段最后一句“Even though it may seem like one is making more money, just as much is spent in surviving, each person has his own personal struggle and money is an object for the majority of the people.”由此可知，即使一个人看起来赚了更多的钱，其实也只是能满足日常生活所需，所以一个人的生存需要更多的费用。A项“在美国钱是一切”、B项“在美国挣钱很容易”、C项“金钱是地位的象征”，根据前面的分析，人们把钱作为一个目标是因为他们的生活中需要许多钱，而不是上面列出的三种原因。

4．【答案】D

【精析】从第四段我们可以知道，随着科技的不断进步，对目前的劳动力来说，高收入的工作更难找了。那些没有接触过计算机和其他信息手段的人很真实地体会到了这一点。而且目前的就业市场对人们的要求是至少要接受过两年的大学教育。所以工作竞争比我们想象的要激烈得多，所以选D项。

5．【答案】D

【精析】本文从三个方面来讨论美国的生活并阐述观点，第二段是从教育方面，第三段是从收入方面，第四段是从工作方面，所以只有D对应了第四段的内容，故选D项。