概括大意題
part A
A New Citizenship Test
(1) Last week, a sample of the new US citizenship ( 公民身份) exam was released by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (US-CIS). It will be tried out in 10 cities early next year to replace the current test in 2008. Instead of asking how many stripes the US flag has, as the current test does, the new one asks why there are 13 stripes. Instead of having to name the branches of government, an applicant is asked to explain why there are three.
(2) "The goal is to make it more meaningful." explains Emilio Gonzalez, director of the US-CIS. Immigrants who pass it are expected to have a better "understanding and respect" for US civic( 公民的 ) values, Gonzalez says.
(3) The US isn't the only country dealing with citizenship tests that aim to get a "shared commitment" from immigrants for their adopted country's "values". In recent years, in addition to the usual requirement of language/work skills and economic status, several European countries have adopted citizenship tests. Britain introduced a new citizenship test last November. In March, a new Dutch law took effect requiring all would-be immigrants to take a citizenship test. It involved watching a video showing nude ( 裸體的 ) women bathing at beaches and gay ( 同性戀的 ) men kissing in public. The aim was to ensure that "newcomers will be comfortable with the country's liberal social mores ( 風俗 ) ".
(4) Europe has been known for welcoming immigrants for decades. But, today, the fact is that some immigrants are kept apart from local citizens by culture and they become hostile to each other. Promoting integration has become a major concern for European countries, after the rioting in Muslim ghettoes (穆斯林聚集區) in France and the killing of Dutch public figures by religious extremists.
(5) Officials believe that a person's attachment to a country can be tested by his or her knowledge of the country. However, some critics say that the changes can do little to help people assimilate (同化) themselves. "Immigration is a culture war today. Is giving a new test the right way to lessen the accusations in that fight?" says Ali Noorani, of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition (難民辯護聯盟).
23——26概括大意
23. Paragraph 2__________
24. Paragraph 3 __________
25. Paragraph 4 __________
26. Paragraph 5__________
A. Preparation for taking a citizenship test
B. Citizenship tests in European countries
C. Importance of promoting integration
D. Necessity to know the branches of government
E. Different views on the new citizenship test
F. Goal of the new citizenship test
27——30完成句子
27. The questions in the new citizenship test are more difficult__________
28. Would-be immigrants to the US are expected __________
29. In the Dutch citizenship test, all would-be immigrants are required __________
30. Some people fear that changes in the citizenship test will do little __________
A. to know a lot more about the county
B. to watch a video
C. to help immigrants accept the new culture
D. to marry American citizens
E. to do low-skill jobs
F. to answer
答案與解析
23.F。這段比較短，第一句話通過US-CIS負責人的口來講清楚新的公民身份考試的目的。第二句話則再具體一點地解釋，是為了讓通過該考試的移民更好地理解和尊重美國公民的價值觀。
24.B。第三段第一句話講美國並非是唯一通過移民考試使新移民具備移入國價值觀的國家。接著介紹了一些歐洲國家在這方面所做的工作。
25.C。在本段內可以找到這樣一句話：“Promoting integration has become a major concern for European countries.”它與選項C很接近。本段主要講由於移民未能融入移入國的文化和社會所帶來的問題，所以提高移民的融入程度十分重要。
26.E。本段提出了對公民考試的不同意見。本段第一句話是官員們的意見，接著出現了however這個詞，表示轉折，下面便是某些批評家的不同看法。
27.F。題幹：新的公民測驗中的'問題更難__________。利用題幹關鍵詞可以定位到文章的第一段，該段介紹了新的考試和以前的考試之間的區別。很明顯，新的考試題目要比以前的題目難，所以填入to answer。
28.A。題幹：準備移民美國的人被期望__________。利用題幹關鍵詞可以定位到第二段末句，該句提到，通過該考試的移民對美國公民的價值觀有了更好的理解和更多的尊重，也就是說他們對這個國家有了更好的瞭解。
29.B。題幹：在荷蘭的公民測驗中，所有要移民的人都被要求__________。利用題幹關鍵詞可以定位到第三段第三句，由該旬可知荷蘭的移民考試要求申請移民的人看一部錄影。
30.C。題幹：有些人擔心公民測驗方式的變化將。利用題幹關鍵詞可以定位到文章的最後一段中的“However,some critics say that the@anges can do little to help people assimilate(同化)themselves.”所以答案為C。
part B
Earth Angels
(1) Joying Brescia was 8 years old when she noticed that cigarette butts (菸頭) were littering her hometown beach in Isle of Palms, South Carolina. When she learned that it takes five years for the remains of a cigarette to disintegrate, she decided to take action. Joying launched a "No Butts on the Beach" campaign. She raised money and awareness about the need to keep the beaches clean. With the help of others, Joying also bought or received donations of gallon-size plastic ice-cream buckets. The buckets were filled with sand and placed at all public-access areas of the beach. The buckets allowed people to dispose of their cigarettes before hitting beach. Two years later. Joying says the buckets are full and the beach is nearly free of cigarette debris (殘片).
(2) People who live in or visit Steamboat Springs, Colorado have Carter Dunham to thank for a new state wildlife refuge that preserves 20 acres of marshland and many species of wildlife.
Carter and other students wrote a management plan for the area around the Yampa River. The plan was part of a class project when Carter was a freshman at Steamboat Springs High School. Working with the Colorado Division of Wildlife, Carter and his classmates mapped the area and species of animals living there. They also made decisions about, among other things, where fences and parking areas should be built.
(3) Barbara Brown and her friends collect oil. It started as a project for their 4H Club after one of the girls noticed her father using motor oil to kill weeds on their farm in Victoria, Texas. They did some research and discovered that oil can contaminate ground water, a real danger in rural areas, where people live off the water on their land. The girls researched ways to recycle oil and worked with a local oil-recycling company on the issue. Now, the "Don't Be Crude" program runs oil collection sites--tanks that hold up to 460 gallons--where people in the community can dispose of their oil.
(4) Five years ago, 11-year-old Ryan Hreljac was a little boy with a big dream: for all the people in Africa to have clean drinking water. His dream began in the first grade when he learned that people were dying because they didn't have clean water, and that as little as $70 could build a well. "We really take water for granted," says Ryan, of Kemptville, Ontario, in Canada. "In other countries, you have to plan for it." Ryan eamed the first $70 by doing extra chores (零工) , but with the help of others, he has since raised hundreds of thousands of dollars.
(5) His efforts led to the start of the Ryan's Well Foundation, which raises money for clean water and health-related services for people in African countries and developing countries.
23——26概括大意
23. Paragraph 1 __________
24. Paragraph 2__________
25. Paragraph 3 __________
26. Paragraph 4 __________
A. Provide clean water
B. Dig oil wells
C. Save clean water
D. Don't litter
E. Don't be crude
F. Protect wildlife
27——30完成句子
27. Joying placed the buckets at all public-access areas to __________
28. People are grateful to Carter Dunham for his efforts to __________
29. Disposed oil and many other items can be reused to __________
30. Ryan, with the help of others, is fulfilling his dream of help African people to __________
A. make new materials
B. preserve wetland and animals
C. have clean air
D. have clean water
E. collect cigarette butte
F. collect despoiled oil
答案與解析
23.D。本文的標題是“地球天使”，主題是環保，介紹的是幾個孩子如何以自己的行動來從事環保事業的。第一段主要介紹Joying Brescia這個8歲的孩子是怎樣從事環保工作的。選項D(Don’t Litter)的意思是不要亂扔垃圾，最適合做第一段的小標題。
24.F。第二段主要講一名叫Carter Dunham的孩子和他的夥伴如何保護一片溼地裡面珍奇動物的事情。選項F的意思是“保護野生動物”，正好概括了這段的意思，所以選F。
25.E。第三段主要講一個名叫Barbara Brow的女孩和她的朋友發現廢棄的油汙對土地汙染嚴重，提醒人們不要隨便丟棄油汙。原文中的“Don’t Be Crude”就是這個意思，故選E。
26.A。第四段主要介紹一個名叫Ryan Hreljac的孩子用通過打零工以及其他方式籌來的錢來成立“水井基金”(Well Foundation)，幫助非洲人喝上乾淨的水的故事。選項A的意思是“提供清潔的水”，與本段主題一致，故選A。
27.E。題幹：Joying把一些桶放在公共場所的目的是__________。利用題幹關鍵詞可以定位到第一段倒數第二、三句，我們知道這些桶是用來收集菸蒂的，故選E。
28.B。題幹：人們感謝Carter Dunham所做的__________ 努力。利用題幹關鍵詞可以定位到第二段第一句，該旬談到他為保護溼地和野生動物做出了貢獻，故選B。
29.A。題幹：廢棄的油回收後可以用來__________。利用題幹關鍵詞可以定位到第三段，概括該段大意可知，答案應為“製作新的東西”。故選A。
30.D。題幹：Ryan和他的朋友一起幫助非洲人們實現——夢想。利用題幹關鍵詞可以定位到第四段首句，該句講Ryan和朋友們幫非洲人喝上乾淨的水，故選D。
