The dominant political ideology of the United States is Republicanism.

As of August 13 , 2014, the United States is the () populous country in the world.

A、second-most

B、third-most

C、fourth-most

D、fifth-most

听力原文： Between ten and midnight the United States is politically leaderless -- there is no center of information anywhere in the nation except in the New York headquarters of the great broadcasting companies and the two great wire services. No candidate and no party can afford the investment on election night to match the news-gathering resources of the mass media; and so, as every citizen sits in his home watching his TV set or listening to his radio, he is the equal of any other in knowledge. There is nothing that can be done in these hours, for no one can any longer direct the great strike for American power; the polls have closed. Good or bad, whatever the decision, America will accept the decision -- and cut down any man who goes against it, even though for millions the decision runs contrary to their own votes. The general vote is an expression of national will, the only substitute for violence and blood. Its decision is to be defended as one defends civilization itself.

There is nothing like this American expression of will in England or France, India or Russia. Only one other major nation in modern history has ever tried to elect its leader directly by mass, free, popular vote. This was the Weimar Republic of Germany, which modeled its unitary vote for a national leader on the American practice. Out of its experiment with the system it got Hitler. Americans have had Lincoln, Wilson, two Roosevelt's. Nothing can be done when the voting returns are flooding in: the White House and its power will move to one or another of the two candidates, and all will know about it in the morning.

(33)

A．Watching sports on TV.

B．Watching election returns.

C．Late snacks.

D．Sleeping.

We can infer from the passage that in licensing new drugs the FDA in the United States is ______.

A．very quick

B．very cautious

C．very slow

D．rather careless

听力原文： The United States is primarily an English speaking country. The majority of the population speaks English as their native language. Business, education and most public aspects of life are conducted in English. Across the country, people pronounce English sounds in several different ways. Americans speak one common language. This language is sometimes called American English.

For speakers of other languages, learning English is important, but traditionally teaching people to speak English as a second language was given little attention. Non-English speakers were expected to "pick up" the language through contact in public. Recently, this has changed.

Today, most large public schools and community collages have ESL (English as a Second Language) programs. American English teachers feel that English students should learn the language the way they will be using it. Therefore, ESL programs teach different English lessons to different students. Some programs teach students to communicate in English in public. Other programs teach the kind of English people need on their jobs.

American ESL instructional methods emphasize the importance of the communication to language learning. These methods do not feature grammatical explanations and translation. The instructional goal is to get the English learners to learn by using their target language.

(30)

A．People in the United States.

B．The characteristics of American English.

C．Foreigners in the United States.

D．The teaching of ESL in America.

The state which has the largest land area of all the states in the United States is ______.

A．Texas.

B．California.

C．Alaska.

D．Utah.

Highways in the US

The United States is well-known for its network of major highways designed to help a driver get from one place to another in the shortest possible time.【51】these wide modern roads are generally smooth and well maintained, with【52】sharp curves and many straight sections, a direct route is not always the most【53】one. Large highways often pass【54】 scenic areas and interesting small towns. Furthermore, these highways generally【55】large urban centers which means that they become crowded with【56】traffic during rush hours, when the "fast, direct" way becomes a very slow route. However, there is【57】always another route to take if you are not in a hurry. Not far from the【58】new "superhighways", there are often older,【59】heavily traveled roads which go though the countryside.【60】 of these are good two lane roads; others are uneven roads【61】through the country. These secondary routes may go up step slopes along hilly【62】or down frightening hillsides to towns【63】in deep valleys. Though these are less direct routes, longer and slower, they generally go to places【64】the air is clean and the scenery is beautiful, and the driver may have a chance to get a fresh, clean【65】of the world.

(51)

A．Although

B．Since

C．Because

D．Therefore

The trade and investment relationship between the European Union and the United States is the most important in the world. Despite the emergence of competitors, Europe and America are the dynamo of the global economy.

This economic relationship is a foundation of our political partnership, which we all know has been through a difficult patch. The identity of interest between Europe and America is less obvious than during the cold war. But while the trans-Atlantic relationship is becoming more complex, that does not make it less important. As European commissioner for trade, I do not agree that European and American values are fundamentally diverging, or that our interests no longer coincide.

We still share a belief in democracy and individual freedoms, and in creating opportunity and economic openness. We face the same security challenges. We look ahead to shared global problems: poverty, migration, resource crises, climate change.

We need commitment and vision to redefine our relationship. I want to see a stronger and more balanced partnership -- one in which Europe is more united, more willing to take its role in global leadership and one where the United States is more inclined to share leadership with Europe. We need to find ways to complement each other, not compete in the political arena.

We will not achieve either side of this equation without the other. Europe needs to build stronger foreign policies and to be ready to act on the world stage. But equally, the body language we see from America has a huge impact on how Europeans view the partnership. Our common interest requires a strong Europe, not a weak and divided one. I hope that the United States will reinforce its historical support for European integration.

I am fortunate now to take over an area of policy in which Europe is highly effective: trade. Our top trade priority on both sides of the Atlantic must be to put our weight behind the multilateral Doha development agenda. Concluding this negotiation in a way that lives up to its ambition will bring enormous benefits.

Collectively, we took a major step in reaching the framework agreement in Geneva last July, following the lead taken by the E. U. on agriculture export subsidies. We now look to the United States and others to follow that lead, and we need to accelerate work in other areas -- on industrial tariffs and services -- to achieve a balanced result.

The Doha round of talks differs from any other in its focus on development. Europe and the United States must ensure that poorer countries are fully engaged and derive benefits. But the issues we need to tackle to stimulate growth and innovation in trans-Atlantic trade are not those on the Doha agenda. Our markets are relatively open and highly developed. We need to concentrate on removing regulatory and structural barriers that inhibit activity. This is about cutting international red tape. Our regulatory systems and cultures are different, but that is where real gains can be made.

As E. U. trade commissioner I want to develop an ambitious but practical trans-Atlantic agenda. I am not inclined to set rhetorical targets or launch lofty initiatives. I want a set of achievable goals.

Work on trans-Atlantic deregulation will also contribute to the central goal of the new European Commission: promoting growth and jobs in Europe.

I am not naive. I am not turning a blind eye to the inevitable disputes in trans-Atlantic trade. They are relatively small as a proportion of total trade, but they make the headlines. They reflect the huge volume of our trade and investment flows. That is good. They also reflect our readiness to settle disputes in the World Trade Organization. That is also good. The WTO is the best example of effective multilateralism that the world has so far invented. I hope we will work together to uphold it. If multilateralism is to be worthwhile, it has to be ef

A．machine

B．power

C．source

D．center

Dining Custom

Every land has its own dining custom, and the United States is no exception. Americans feel that the first rule of being a polite guest is to be on time. If a person is invited to dinner at 6:30, the hostess expects him to be there at 6 : 30 or not more than a few minutes after. Because she usually does her own cooking, she times the meal so that the coffee and meat will be at their best at the time she asks the guest to come. If he is late, the food will not be so good, and the hostess will be disappointed. When the guest can not come on time, he calls his host or hostess on the telephone, gives the reason, and tells at what time he thinks he can come.

As guests continue to arrive, the men in the group stand when a woman enters and remain standing until she found a chair. A man always rises when he is being introduced to a woman. A woman does not rise when she is being introduced either to a man or a woman unless the woman is much older.

When the guests sit down at a dinner table, it is customary for the men to help the ladies by pushing their chairs under them.

Even an American may be confused by the number of knives, forks, and spoons besides his plate when he sits down to a formal dinner. The rule is simple, however: use them in the order in which they lie, beginning from the outside. Or watch the hostess and do what she does. The small fork on the outside on the left is for salad, which is often served with the soup. The spoon on butter spreader, on a small bread-and-butter plate at the left. As the bread is passed, each guest puts his piece on the bread-and-butter plate.

As a country of immigrants, the U.S. does not have its own dinning customs.

A．Right

B．Wrong

C．Not mentioned