2006 考研英语阅读真题Text 1(英语二)

2006 Text 1（英语⼆）美国社会正在使⼈们同质化
In spite of endless talk of difference, is an amazing machine for homogenizing people.
There is "the democratizing uniformity of dress and discourse, and the casualness and absence of deference" characteristic of .
People are absorbed into "a culture of consumption" launched by the 19th-century that offered "vast arrays of goods in an elegant atmosphere.Instead of intimate shops catering to a knowledgeable elite," these were stores "anyone could enter, regardless of class or background.
This turned shopping into a public and democratic act."
The , advertising and sports are other forces for homogenization.Immigrants are quickly fitting into this common culture, which may not be altogether elevating but is hardly poisonous.
Writing for the National Immigration Forum, Gregory Rodriguez reports that today's immigration is neither at unprecedented levels nor resistant to assimilation.
In 1993 immigrants were 9.8 percent of population; in 1900,13.6 percent.
In the 10 years prior to 1990,3.1 immigrants arrived for every 1,000 residents; in the 10American society 不管我们如何喋喋不休地谈论差别，美国社会实际上是⼀台同化⼈们的神奇的机器。

popular culture 美国流⾏⽂化在着装和语⾔上既有⼤众化的统⼀性，⼜有随意⽽不拘礼的特点。

department stores ⼈们被 19 世纪百货公司发起的“消费⽂化”所吸引，这种⽂化“在优雅的氛围中提供⼤量商品”。

与迎合知识渊博的精英的私密商店不同，“这些商店”任何⼈都可以进⼊，⽆论阶级或背景如何。

这使得购物成为⼀种⼤众的、⾃主的⾏为。

mass media ⼤众传媒、⼴告和体育也推动着⼈们逐渐趋向统⼀。

尽管这种⽂化并不算⾼雅，但也算不上有害，移⺠们很快就融⼊了这种共同⽂化。

Gregory Rodriguez 为美国移⺠研讨会撰⽂指出，今天的移⺠既不是处于空前的⽔平，也不抵制同化。

在 1993 年，移⺠占全国⼈⼝的 9.8%；在 1900 年为 13.6%。

years prior to 1890,9.2 for every 1,000.
Now, consider three indices of assimilation — language, home ownership and intermarriage.
The 1990 Census revealed that "a majority of immigrants from each of the fifteen most common countries of origin spoke English 'well' or 'very well' after ten years of residence."
The children of immigrants tend to be bilingual and proficient in English.
"By the third generation, the is lost in the majority of immigrant families."
Hence the description of America as a "graveyard" for languages.
By 1996 foreign-born immigrants who had arrived before 1970 had a home
ownership rate of 75.6 percent, higher than the 69.8 percent rate among native-born Americans.
Foreign-born and Hispanics "have higher rates of intermarriage than do U.S.-born whites and blacks."
By the third generation, one-third of women are married to non-Hispanics, and 41 percent of women are married to non-Asians.
在 1990年以前的⼗年之中，在每千位居⺠当中，有千分之 3.1的新来的移⺠；⽽在 1890 年以前的⼗年之中，每千位居⺠当中就有千分之 9.2 的移⺠。

现在，让我们来看⼀下三个同化指标——语⾔、拥有产权住房和异族结婚情况。

1990年的⼈⼝普查透露：“来⾃⼗五个移⺠数量最多的国家的移⺠在到美国⼗年后英语说得‘好’或‘很好’。

”
移⺠的⼦⼥⼏乎都说两种语⾔，且精通英语。

original language “到了第三代，在⼤多数移⺠家庭，他们的⺟语就消失了。

”
因此，有⼈就把美国描 述成了 “语⾔的坟场”。

到了 1996 年，出⽣于国外的、在 1970 年以前到达美国的移⺠有 75.6%购置了⾃⼰的住房，这个数字⾼出⼟⽣⼟⻓的美国⼈的拥有⾃⼰所有权住房的百分⽐——69.8%。

Asians 在国外出⽣的亚裔和⻄班⽛裔移⺠ “与美国本⼟⽩⼈和⿊⼈相⽐，与异族通婚的⽐率要⾼。

”
Hispanic Asian-American 到了第三代，三分之⼀的⻄班⽛裔⼥性与⾮⻄班⽛裔结婚，⽽有 41% 亚裔美国妇⼥与⾮亚裔男性结
Rodriguez notes that children in remote villages around the world are fans of
superstars like and Garth Brooks, yet "some Americans fear that immigrants living within the United States remain somehow immune to the nation's assimilative power."
Are there divisive issues and pockets of seething anger in America?
Indeed.
It is big enough to have a bit of everything.
But particularly when viewed against America's turbulent past, today's social indices hardly suggest a dark and deteriorating social environment.
婚。

Arnold Schwarzenegger 罗得⾥格斯写道，即使那些住 在世界各地偏僻村庄的的孩⼦们都是诸如阿诺·施瓦⾟格和加思·布鲁克斯等明星的星迷，然⽽ “⼀些美国⼈担⼼居住在美国的移⺠依然对这个国家的同化⼒量免疫。

”
在美国是否存在不和以及潜在的不安？
答案是肯定的。

因为这个国家⾜够⼤以⾄于什么现象都存在。

但是与美国动荡狂暴的过去相⽐，如今的社会基本不能说明美国的社会环境正在恶化，变得⿊暗。