In our poll, taken before the November elections, the overwhelming majority of our respondents wanted to stop or roll back the impact of government. In answer to another question posed by The Digest, 79 percent said they wanted either no more than the current level of government services and taxes, or less government and lower taxes.

　　“It seems to me that we in the middle class bear most of the burden,” says Jone Nell Norman, 61, a nurse in Dyersburg, Tenn., who often wonders about the government’s judgement in spending her money.

　　Of Americans in our sample, 62 percent believe that politician’s ethics and honesty have fallen. And what about Congress? Is it doing a good job? Or do members “ spend more time thinking about their political futures than passing good legislation?” Across generations, a thumping 89 percent thought the latter. “Congress always seems to be screwing up,” says one young Xer.

　　However, Americans are satisfied with their own lives and jobs. Four of five respondents were “completely “ or “ somewhat “ satisfied. The figures held up across all ages – including Xer, whom many pundits have claimed are pessimistic about their future.

　　Looking deeper at jobs, we found 70 percent of Americans believe they are about where they should be, given their talents and effort. This is an issue where age always makes a difference, since older people, who are more established in their jobs tend to be more satisfied, while younger workers are still trying to find the right niche. Sure enough, Xers scored 65 percent, about five points below average.

　　1.The U.S. government status in the public mind before the Great Depression ____.

　　A.was regarded as quite normal

　　B.used to be very low

　　C.remained a difficult problem for the federal government

　　D.reminded people of the principles laid down by Washington

　　2.”Xers” is repeated several times to refer to

　　A.accusers B.younger respondents

　　C.college students D.blue-collar workers

　　3.The 61-years-old nurse Norman is mentioned in the article to show that ____.

　　A.the government has cheated her out of her money

　　B.it is hard for her to earn a living

　　C.even a retired nurse has lost faith in the government

　　D.the more the government does the greater stake tax – payers’ money will be put at

　　4.”Screwing up “ in paragraph 5 may be paraphrased as ____.

　　A.indecisive in making decisions B.benefiting the nation in earnest

　　C.making a mess of everything D.debating hotly

　　5.”Political future “ in paragraph 5 may be paraphrased as ____.

　　A.the future of the whole nation B.people’s well – being in the future

　　C.a position of higher rank D.awareness of consistency in policies

　　答案：BBDCC

　　英語六級閱讀理解基礎練習二：

　　Everyone has a moment in history, which belongs particularly to him. It is the moment when his emotions achieve their most powerful sway over him, and afterward when you say to this person “the world today” or “life” or “reality” he will assume that you mean this moment, even if it is fifty years past. The world, through his unleashed(釋放的)emotions, imprinted itself upon him, and he carries the stamp of that passing moment forever.

　　For me, this moment—four years in a moment in history—was the war. The war was and is reality for me. I still instinctively live and think in its atmosphere. These are some of its characteristics: Franklin Delano Roosevelt is the president of the United States, and he always has been. The other two eternal world leaders are Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin. America is not, never has been, and never will be what the song and poems call it, a land of plenty. Nylon, meat, gasoline, and steel are rare. There are too many jobs and not enough workers. Money is very easy to earn but rather hard to spend, because there isn’t very much to buy. Trains are always late and always crowded with “service men”. The war will always be fought very far from America, and it will never end. Nothing in America stands still for very long, including the people who are always either leaving or on leave. People in America cry often. Sixteen is the key and crucial and natural age for a human being to be, and people of all other ages are ranged in an orderly manner ahead of and behind you as a harmonious setting for the sixteen-year-olds of the world. When you are sixteen, adults are slightly impressed and almost intimidated by you. This is a puzzle finally solved by the realization that they foresee your military future: fighting for them. You do not foresee it. To waste anything in America is immoral. String and tinfoil are treasures. Newspapers are always crowed with strange maps and names of towns, and every few months the earth seems to lurch(突然傾斜)from its path when you see something in the newspapers, such as the time Mussolini, who almost seemed one of the eternal leaders, is photographed hanging upside down on a meat hook.

　　1.Which statement best depicts the main idea of the first paragraph?

　　A.Reality is what you make of it.

　　B.Time is like a river.

　　C.Emotions are powerful.

　　D.Every person has a special moment.

　　2.Why does the author still clearly remember the war?

　　A.Franklin Delano Roosevelt was President.

　　B.It was his personal reality and part of his life.

　　C.There was not much to buy.

　　D.The war would never end.

　　3.Which statement best describes the author’s feelings about the war?

　　A.It was ever real for him, yet he was not actively involved.

　　B.It was real for him because he was a soldier at that time.

　　C.It was very unreal to him.

　　D.The war was very disruptive to the people at home.

　　4.Why does the author think that adults are impressed with sixteen-year-olds?

　　A.Adults would like to be young.

　　B.Sixteen-year-olds do not waste things.

　　C.Sixteen-year-olds read newspapers.

　　D.They will be fighting soon for adults.

　　5.Why does the author say that string and tinfoil are treasures?

　　A.The war has made them scarce.

　　B.They are useful to sixteen-year-olds.

　　C.He liked them when he was sixteen.

　　D.People are very wasteful.

　　答案：DBADA