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  3. Just 10 years into a new century, more than two-thirds of the country sees the past decade as a period of decline for the U. S.

Just 10 years into a new century, more than two-thirds of the country sees the past decade as a period of decline for the U. S.

admin2014-09-05  0
问题     Just 10 years into a new century, more than two-thirds of the country sees the past decade as a period of decline for the U. S. , according to a new TIME poll that probed Americans on the decade since the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001. The poll confirms that the country is going through one of its longest sustained periods of unhappiness and pessimism ever. Today’s teenagers hardly remember a time before 9/11, the war on terrorism, the war in Iraq and constant economic upheaval. Baby boomers, the generation known for continuous reinvention, are filled with worry and doubt about their future and the future of their children.
    It is hard to overstate what a fundamental change this represents. A country long celebrated for its optimism amid adversity is having trouble finding the pluck and the spirit that have seen it through everything from world wars to nuclear threats to space races. The U. S. usually bounces back after a few years of difficulty, such as the Vietnam War, Watergate or recessions. After two or three years of anxiety and worry, the electorate normally returns to its innate optimism. Yet the forces now aligned against the American people seem much more formidable to those we surveyed.
    According to the poll, only 6% of more than 2,000 Americans believe the country has completely recovered from the events of 9/11. Some of this pessimism can be tied to fears of more terrorist attacks. Despite the death of Bin Laden, most Americans think another terrorist attack in the U. S. is likely. Americans generally supported the post-9/11 measures to secure the homeland, like those in the Patriot Act, and have confidence in the military to deal with terrorists—and yet they see an attack coming anyway. America’s feelings of invincibility have been replaced by a new sense of inevitable vulnerability.
    Post-9/11 Americans also take a " leave-me-alone" attitude toward the rest of world. Most respondents have no desire to be more involved in global affairs. Almost two-thirds(62%)believe the U. S. today is too involved overseas. But whatever the U. S.’s worries about external forces, the biggest threats today are widely regarded as self-made. It’s the enemy within that Americans register the most concern about: runaway deficits, political conflicts, skyrocketing health care costs and other structural problems.
    If there is widespread agreement that the U.S. is in bad shape, there is also a perception that not everyone has experienced the difficult decade in exactly the same way. Those surveyed say middle- and working-class Americans, followed by seniors and younger people, have borne the brunt of the decline. Yet those surveyed said some demographic groups were better off than they were a decade ago; they say the quality of life has improved most for gays and lesbians, the affluent, Hispanics and immigrants. And while overall the U. S. is seen as becoming more socially and politically tolerant in the past decade, the majority agreed that 9/ 11 set off a wave of suspicion against Muslim Americans.
    President Jimmy Carter rather famously gave a speech in mid-1979 suggesting that a crisis of confidence had befallen America. It took several years and a new President to return the country to its optimistic ways. President Bill Clinton faced a similar moment in 1995 and turned the mood of the country around a year later. This poll suggests we are at another malaise moment, one even longer and deeper than the mid-1970s’, presenting even greater challenges—and opportunities—for leadership.
It can be inferred from Paragraph 5 that people whose conditions have improved since 9/11 are______.
选项 A、the minority
B、the mainstream of society
C、the disadvantaged
D、non-religious
答案A
解析 本题考查对第五段内容的理解。第五段提到，并不是所有人在过去的10年中生活都发生了倒退。受衰退影响最深的是中产阶级、工薪阶层、老年人和年轻人。而同性恋、西班牙裔和移民，以及富有阶层生活境遇得到了改善。生活在美国的穆斯林也受9·11事件的牵连成为美国社会中不受欢迎的人。据此可判断，生活境遇得到改善的都不是社会中的主流团体，而是少数派。[A]正确。[B]错误，同性恋、西班牙裔都不是社会主流群体。[C]错误，因为原文提到富有阶层生活境遇也得到了改善，他们不能说是社会地位低下的人。[D]以偏概全，原文只说穆斯林境遇变糟，并没有提到其他宗教信仰的人。而且无宗教信仰的人有很多生活水平也并没有提高，而是下降了。
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