0，5，8，17，（），37，48A. A B. B C. C D. D

For the past several decades, it seems there's been a general consensus on how to get ahead in America: Get a college education, find a reliable job, and buy your own home. But do Americans still believe in that path, and if they do, is it attainable? The most recent National Journal poll asked respondents about the American dream, what it takes to achieve their goals, and whether or not they felt a significant amount of control over their ability to be successful. Overwhelmingly, the results show that today， the idea of the American dream—and what it takes to achieve it—looks quite different than it did in the late 20th century. By and large, people felt that their actions and hard work—not outside forces—were the deciding factor in how their lives turned out. But respondents had decidedly mixed feelings about what actions make for a better life in the current economy. In the last seven years, Americans have grown more pessimistic about the power of education to lead to success. Even though they see going to college as a fairly achievable goal, a majority—52 percent—think that young people do not need a four-year college education in order to be successful. Miguel Maeda, 42, who has a master's degree and works in public health, was the first in his family to go to college, which has allowed him to achieve a sense of financial stability his parents and grandparents never did. While some, like Maeda, emphasized the value of the degree rather than the education itself, others still see college as a way to gain new perspectives and life experiences. Sixty-year-old Will Fendley, who had a successful career in the military and never earned a college degree, thinks "personal drive" is far more important than just going to college. To Fendley， a sense of drive and purpose, as well as an effective high-school education, and basic life skills, like balancing a checkbook, are the necessary ingredients for a successful life in America. 51.It used to be commonly acknowledged that to succeed in America, one had to have _____. A.an advanced academic degree B.an ambition to get ahead C.a firm belief in their dream D.a sense of drive and purpose 52.What is the finding of the latest National Journal poll concerning the American dream? A.More and more Americans are finding it hard to realize. B.It remains alive among the majority of American people. C.Americans' idea of it has changed over the past few decades. D.An increasing number of young Americans are abandoning it. 53.What do Americans now think of the role of college education in achieving success? A.It still remains open to debate. B.It has proved to be beyond doubt. C.It is no longer as important as it used to be. D.It is much better understood now than ever. 54.How do some people view college education these days? A.It promotes gender equality. B.It needs to be strengthened. C.It adds to cultural diversity. D.It helps broaden their minds. 55.What is one factor essential to success in America, according to Will Fendley? A.A desire to learn and to adapt. B.A strong sense of responsibility. C.A willingness to commit oneself. D.A clear aim and high motivation.

A、A

B、B

C、C

D、D

A、Make complex concepts easy to understand

B、Start teaching children math at an early age

C、Help children work wonders with calculus

D、Try to arouse students' curiosity in math

While human achievements in mathematics continue to reach new levels of complexity, many of us who aren't mathematicians at heart (or engineers by trade) may struggle to remember the last time we used calculus (微积分）. It's a fact not lost on American educators, who amid rising math failure rates are debating how math can better meet the real-life needs of students. Should we change the way math is taught in schools, or eliminate some courses entirely? Andrew Hacker, Queens College political science professor, thinks that advanced algebra and other higher-level math should be cut from curricula in favor of courses with more routine usefulness, like statistics. "We hear on all sides that we're not teaching enough mathematics, and the Chinese are running rings around us," Hacker says. "I'm suggesting we're teaching too much mathematics to too many people. . . not everybody has to know calculus. If you're going to become an aeronautical (航空的）engineer, fine. But most of us aren't." Instead, Hacker is pushing for more courses like the one he teaches at Queens College： Numeracy 101. There, his students of "citizen statistics" learn to analyze public information like the federal budget and corporate reports. Such courses, Hacker argues, are a remedy for the numerical illiteracy of adults who have completed high-level math like algebra but are unable to calculate the price of, say, a carpet by area. Hacker's argument has met with opposition from other math educators who say what's needed is to help students develop a better relationship with math earlier, rather than teaching them less math altogether. Maria Droujkova is a founder of Natural Math, and has taught basic calculus concepts to 5-year-olds. For Droujkova, high-level math is important, and what it could use in American classrooms is an injection of childlike wonder. "Make mathematics more available," Droujkova says. "Redesign it so it's more accessible to more kinds of people: young children, adults who worry about it, adults who may have had bad experiences. " Pamela Harris, a lecturer at the University of Texas at Austin, has a similar perspective. Harris says that American education is suffering from an epidemic of "fake math"一an emphasis on rote memorization (死记硬背）of formulas and steps, rather than an understanding of how math can influence the ways we see the world. Andrew Hacker, for the record, remains skeptical. "I'm going to leave it to those who are in mathematics to work out the ways to make their subject interesting and exciting so students want to take it," Hacker says. "All that I ask is that alternatives be offered instead of putting all of us on the road to calculus. " 1.What does the author say about ordinary Americans？

A、They struggle to solve math problems

B、They think math is a complex subject

C、They find high-level math of little use

D、advice

A、America is not doing as well as China

B、Math professors are not doing a good job

C、It doesn't help students develop their literacy

D、There has hardly been any innovation for years

A、Allow students to learn high-level math step by step

B、Enable students to make practical use of basic math

C、Lay a solid foundation for advanced math studies

D、Help students to develop their analytical abilities

A、To enable learners to understand the world better

B、To help learners to tell fake math from real math

C、To broaden Americans' perspectives on math

D、To exert influence on world development

A、稳

B、清

C、平

D、准