I used to believe in the American Dream, which meant a job, a mortgage (按揭), credit cards, success. I wanted it and worked toward it like everyone else, all of us
chasing the same thing.
One year, through a series of unhappy events, it all fell
. I found myself homeless and alone. I had my truck and $56. I
the countryside for some place I could rent for the
possible amount. I came upon a shabby house four miles up a winding mountain road
the Potomac River in West Virginia. It was
, full of broken glass and rubbish. I found the owner ,rented it, and
a corner to camp in.
The locals knew nothing about me,
slowly, they started teaching me the
of being a neighbor. They dropped off blankets, candles, and tools, and began
to chat. They started to teach me a belief in a
American Dream—not the one of individual achievement but of
.
What I had believed in, all those things I thought were
for a civilized life, were nonexistent in this place.
on the mountain, my most valuable possessions were my
with my neighbors.
Four years later, I moved back into
. I saw many people were having a really hard time,
their jobs and homes. I managed to rent a big enough house to
a handful of people .There are four of us now in the house, but over time I’ve had nine people come in and move on to other places. We’d all be in
if we hadn’t banded together.（团结起来）
The American Dream I believe in now is a shared one. It’s not so much about what I can get for myself; it’s about
we can all get by together.
| 小题1: | | A．equally | B．separately | C．violently | D．naturally |
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| 小题2: | | A．off | B． over | C．apart | D．out |
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| 小题3: | | A．searched | B．left | C．toured | D．crossed |
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| 小题4: | | A．cheapest | B．largest | C．fairest | D．fullest |
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| 小题5: | | A．at | B．through | C．over | D．round |
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| 小题6: | | A．occupied | B．abandoned | C．emptied | D．robbed |
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| 小题7: | | A．turned | B．approached | C．cut | D．cleared |
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| 小题8: | | A．but | B．although | C．otherwise | D．for |
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| 小题9: | | A．benefit | B．lesson | C．nature | D．art |
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| 小题10: | | A．looking | B．staying | C．swinging | D．turning |
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| 小题11: | | A．wild | B．real | C．different | D．remote |
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| 小题12: | | A．neighborliness | B．happiness | C．friendliness | D．kindness |
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| 小题13: | | A．unique | B．expensive | C．rare | D．necessary |
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| 小题15: | | A．cooperation | B．relationships | C．satisfaction | D．appointments |
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| 小题16: | | A．reality | B．society | C．town | D．life |
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| 小题17: | | A．creating | B．losing | C．quitting | D．offering |
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| 小题18: | | A．put in | B．turn in | C．take in | D．get in |
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| 小题19: | | A．yards | B．shelters | C．camps | D．cottages |
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| 小题20: | | A．when | B．what | C．whether | D．how |
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