第一段
In spite of "endless talk of difference," American society is an amazing machine forhomogenizing people. There is “the democratizing uniformity of dress and discourse,and the casualness and absence of deference” characteristic of popular culture. Peopleare absorbed into “a culture of consumption” launched by the 19th-century departmentstores that offered “vast arrays of goods in an elegant atmosphere. Instead of intimateshops 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 mass media, advertising and sports are other forces for homogenization.
单词&词组搭配
homogenize [hoʊˈmɑdʒəˌnaɪz] v.使统一，使均匀
democratize [dɪˈmɑːkrətaɪz] v.使大众化
discourse [dɪsˈkɔːrs] （出现1次）论文; 演讲; 语篇; 言语
casualness [ˈkæʒəwəlnɛs]（出现5次）n.随意，随便
launch [lɔːntʃ]（出现4次）v/n.发射；v.开展，发动
elegant [ˈelɪɡənt]（出现4次）adj.优雅的，体面的；[僻义]adj.简练的，简明的
department [dɪˈpɑːrtmənt]（出现14次）n.部门，系；与store连用翻译为大型百货超市
intimate [ˈɪntɪmeɪt（出现5次）adj.亲密的，密切的，私人的；n.熟人
elite [eɪˈliːt]（出现7次）上层精英
class（出现23次）等级，阶级；[僻义]n.高质量；v.分类
In spite of（尽管）
popular culture（大众文化，流行文化）
be absorbed into（被。。。同化/吸收）
cater to（迎合）
regardless of（尽管）
turne...into（由....转向...）
mass media（大众传媒）
本段翻译
尽管无休止的谈论美国社会的差异，美国社会却是一部使人们同化的惊人机器。大众文化有着“服饰和言语上大众化的一致，以及随意和不拘礼节”的特征。人们被一种由19世纪的百货商场掀起的“消费文化”所同化，这些商店“在体面的环境中供应琳琅满目的商品”。这些不是迎合知识精英的私密商店，而是“不论阶层或是背景，任何人都可以进入的百货商店。这使得购物转变为一种公共和大众行为”。大众传媒，广告和体育赛事是同化的其他推动力。
第二段
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 1998 immigrants were 9.8 percent of the population; in 1900, 13.6 percent. In the 10 years prior to 1990, 3.1 immigrants arrived for every 1,000residents; in the 10 years prior to 1890, 9.2 for every 1,000. Now, consider three indicesof assimilation—language, home ownership and intermarriage.
单词&词组
poisonous [ˈpɔɪzənəs]（出现4次）有毒的，极端讨厌的，有害的
unprecedented [ʌnˈpresɪdentɪd] adj.空前的
resident [ˈrezɪdənt]（出现4次）居民，住户；adj.居住的.
indice [ˈɪndɪsiːz] （index的复数形式）（出现4次）n.索引，指标，指数；[僻义]使。。。与物价水平挂钩
assimilation [əˌsɪməˈleɪʃn] n.吸收，同化
fitting into（融入）
prior to（在...之前）
本段翻译
移民正在快速融入这种共同文化，这也许不太具有提升作用，但也几乎不会用有什么害处。在为“国家移民论坛”撰稿时，格雷戈里写道，如今的移民既未达到前所未有的水平也没有拒斥同化。1998年移民占人口总数的百分之9.8,1900年占13.6%。在1900年之前的10年中，每有1000个居民，便有3.1个移民初次来到美国；在1890年之前的10年中，二者比值为9.2:1000。现在，考虑一下同化的三个指标——语言、住房自由和异族通婚。
第三段
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 original language 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.
单词&词组
Census [ˈsensəs]（出现6次）n.人口普查，官方统计
reveal [rɪˈviːl]（出现14次）v.揭示，揭露
bilingual [ˌbaɪˈlɪŋɡwəl] adj.会说两种语言的
be proficient in （精通于。。。）
本段翻译
1990年人口普查结果显示，“来自于15个最常见原籍国的大多数移民在居住十年后英语都讲得不错或是非常好”。移民的子女往往通晓双语并精通英语。“到了第三代，族裔语言在大多数移民家庭中已经消失”。因此美国被形容为语言的“坟地”。到1996年止，1970年前到达的、外国出生的移民住房自有率达到75.6%，高于本国出生的美国人69.8%的比例。
第四段
Foreign-born Asians and Hispanics “have higher rates of intermarriage than do U.S.-born whites and blacks.” By the third generation, one third of Hispanic women are married to non-Hispanics, and 41 percent of Asian-American women are married to non-Asians.
单词&词组
无
本段翻译
外国出生的亚裔和西班牙裔移民的“异族通婚率比美国本土出生的黑人和拜仁的异族通婚率要高”。到了第三代，三分之一的西班牙裔女性嫁给了非西班牙裔，41%的亚裔美国女性嫁个了非亚裔。
第五段
Rodriguez notes that children in remote villages around the world are fans of superstars like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Garth Brooks, yet “some Americans fear that immigrants living within the United States remain somehow immune to the nation’s assimilative power.”
单词&词组
note（出现23次）n.笔记，便条;v.提及，指出；[僻义]n.特征，含义；重要的，引人注目的
somehow（出现3次）adv.以某种方式
be/remian immune to （对.。。。免疫）
本段翻译
罗德里格兹指出，世界各地偏远乡村的儿童都是施瓦辛格和布鲁克斯这样超级明星的粉丝，然而“有些美国人担心，居住在美国境内的移民依然以某种方式不受这个国家同化力量的影响”
第六段
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’sturbulent past, today’s social indices hardly suggest a dark and deteriorating social environment.
单词&固定搭配
divisive [dɪˈvaɪsɪv] adj.引起分歧的
pocket [ˈpɑːkɪt]（出现2次）n.口袋，少量；adj.袖珍的；v.将......占为己有；[僻义]n.钱，财产
seethe [siːð] v.翻滚，涌动
turbulent [ˈtɜːrbjələnt]（出现2次）动荡的，混乱的
deteriorating [dɪˈtɪriəreɪtɪŋ]（出现2次）退化的
social indices（社会指标）
本段翻译
在美国存在引起分歧的问题和小范围涌动的怒火吗？确实存在，美国太大，什么情形都会有一点。但是，尤其在美国动荡过去的背景下来看，今天的社会指标几乎并未显示出一种暗淡退化的社会环境。
五道题
21. The word"homogenizing"(Line 2, Paragraph 1) most probably means.
[A] identifying[B] associating
[C] assimilating[D] monopolizing
22. According to the author, the department stores of the 19th century.
[A] played a role in the spread of popular culture
[B] became intimate shops for common consumers
[C] satisfied the needs of a knowledgeable elite
[D] owed its emergence to the culture of consumption
23. The text suggests that immigrants now in the U.S..
[A] are resistant to homogenization
[B] exert a great influence on American culture
[C] are hardly a threat to the common culture[D] constitute the majority of the population
24. Why are Arnold Schwarzenegger and Garth Brooks mentioned in Paragraph 5?
[A] To prove their popularity around the world.
[B] To reveal the public's fear of immigrants.[C] To give examples of successful immigrants.
[D] To show the powerful influence of American culture.
25. In the author's opinion, the absorption of immigrants into American society is.
[A] rewarding
[B] successful
[C] fruitless
[D] harmful
单词&搭配
monopolizing [məˈnɑːpəlaɪzɪŋ] （出现8次）v.垄断
emergence [iˈmɜːrdʒəns]（出现2次）n.突发事件
constitute [ˈkɑːnstɪtuːt]（出现12次）v.组成，构成，成立；[僻义]被认为是.。。。
fruitless [ˈfruːtləs] 毫无成果的
owe to（把…归功于）
play a role in（在。。。发挥作用）
文章简述
这篇文章讲的是美国社会的同化现象问题，是一篇典型的结论论证型的文章与我们05年T1（动物的公平意识）和05年T3（梦可以被控制）属于同一行文逻辑范畴，没看出是一类的同学，要复习了哦！再说一次，这类文章一个最大的特点就是结论在开头就给出了。比如本文开头以用美国社会的无休止谈论差异，用in spite of这个短语转折的方式引出本文的结论，美国是一个大熔炉的的结论。大家都知道的，转折后必是重点，也是爱考点，大家解题的关键就是通过转折词抓住事情的前后对比的两面性，再结合转折后是重点，前面所说差异，那么后面必定是说“同”的部分，这个就是21题的思路，后面就围绕美国文化如何具有同化能力进行展开。
参考答案
CACDB
