Question

Americans Spend Their Free Time In Various Ways

America is a country of sports—of hunting，fishing and swimming，and of team sports like baseball and football．Millions of Americans watch their favorite sports on television．They also like to play in community orchestras(管弦乐队)，make their own films or recordings，go camping，visit museums，attend lectures，travel，garden，read，and join in hundreds of other activities．The people also enjoy building things for their homes，sewing their own clothes，even making their own photographs．They do these things for fun as well as for economy．

But as much as Americans enjoy their free time，the country is at the same time a“self-improvement” country．More than 25 million adults continue their education，chiefly by going to school in the evening， during their own free time，at their own expense．Added to the time spent on personal activities，Americans a1so devote a great amount of their time to the varied needs of their communities．Many hospitals，schools，libraries，museums，parks，community centers，and organizations that assist the poor depend on the many hours citizens devote to these activities，often without any pay. Why do they do it?

There are several answers．The idea of cooperating and sharing responsibility with one another for the benefit of all is as old as the country itself．

When the country was first founded in 1776，it was necessary for the settlers to work together to live．They had crossed dangerous seas and risked all they had in their struggle for political and religious freedom．There remains among many Americans a distrust of central government．People still prefer to do things themselves within their communities，rather than give the government more control．

Sometimes people offer their time because they wish to accomplish something for which no money is paid，to do something that will be of benefit to the entire community．It is true that some people use their leisure because they are truly interested in the work；or they are learning from the experience．

No matter what the reason is，hundreds of thousands of so-called leisure hours are put into hard，unpaid work on one or another community need．

1.The writer mentions the foundation of the country in order to indicate ____．

A．the reason for Americans’ willingness to cooperate and share responsibility

B．the American people’s determination to live

C．the American people’s love for freedom

D．the early history of America

2.Which of the following best explains the meaning of the underlined word “leisure”?

A．work time         B. spare time        C. energy      C. effort 

3.This passage is mainly about ________ ．

A．how Americans are devoted to their community activities

B．why America is a “self-improvement” country

C．why America is a country of sports

D．how Americans spend their free time

Answer

1.A

2.B

3.D

【解析】本文讲述了美国人利用空余时间做各种活动，尤其喜欢利用空余时间做一些公益活动。并分析了美国人喜欢相互合作分项责任的历史原因。

1.推断题。根据文章倒数第三段可知，当国家成立时，人们为了生存必须联合起来，也就是从国家成立起，人们就愿意合作，所以是为了分析美国人喜欢合作的原因。

2.猜测词义。根据文章标题和多处提及的美国人喜欢利用业余时间相互帮助，可知，leisure为“业余时间”的意思。

3.主旨大意提。根据标题可知答案为D。