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
36 chasing the same thing.
One year, through a series of unhappy events, it all fell
37 . I found myself homeless and alone. I had my truck and $ 56. I
38 the countryside for some place I could rent for the
39 possible amount. I came upon a shabby house four miles up a winding mountain road
40 the Potomac River in West Virginia. It was
41 , full of broken glass and rubbish. I found the owner, rented it, and
42 a corner to camp in.The locals knew nothing about me,
43 slowly, they started teaching me the
44 of being a neighbor. They dropped off blankets, candles, and tools, and began
45 around to chat. They started to teach me a belief in a
46 American Dream—not the one of individual achievement but of
47 .
What I had believed in, all those things I thought were
48 for a civilized life, were nonexistent in this place.
49 on the mountain, my most valuable possessions were my
50 with my neighbors.
Four years later, I moved back into
51 . I saw many people were having a really hard time,
52 their jobs and homes. I managed to rent a big enough house to
53 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 54 if we hadn’t banded together.
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
55 we can all get by together.
| 小题1: | | A．separately | B．equally | C．violently | D．naturally |
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| 小题3: | | A．crossed | B．left | C．toured | D．searched |
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| 小题4: | | A．fullest | B．largest | C．fairest | D．cheapest |
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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．cleared | D．cut |
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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．sticking | B．looking | 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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