题文
The issue of privacy versus openness is a paradox, particularly when it comes to the American home. “Lots” or “yards” (gardens) can be large and many are not enclosed by the walls, fences or hedges so popular in other cultures. Similarly, “window treatments” frame the window. but the use of European-style net curtains to screen out nosy neighbors is rare. In the same style, first-time visitors to an American home may be proudly given the full tour; even walk-in closets and en suite bathrooms are not considered off-limits. They may also be encouraged to help themselves to a soda from the fridge. All this gives an impression of openness.Yet Americans do value their personal space and privacy. A Brazilian expatriate (侨民) who dropped in on her usually friendly Connecticut neighbors unannounced got the clear impression she should have called first. Similarly while a typical suburban home features large, shared areas, such as an open-plan kitchen and family room or “den”, ample private space is also allowed in the floor plan. A visit to a family home in the evening would likely find the family members dispersed, each independently watching TV, on the phone, surfing the Internet, or otherwise recharging batteries in the privacy of their own bedroom.
American individualism, expansiveness, and abundance are expressed in lifestyle. Despite the fact that the average household size has declined over the past thirty years from3.1 people to 2.6 people per household, the average size of a new family home increased during the same period from 1,500 to 2,200 square feet.
A common observation is just how outsized everything is. The beds are king-sized, the TVs have giant screens, the burgers are “whoppers (庞然大物),” appliances are “industrial” size. The largest popcorn or soda at the movies can be “supersized.” Closets are “walk in,” and some cars are the size of a military vehicle.
小题1:The passage suggests that Americans__________.A．are rich enough to afford large size houses and luxurious electricity appliancesB．are very shy when talking about keeping their privacy and their personal spaceC．would like to express their lifestyles in public to show them offD．enjoy openness as well as individualism although they seem to contradict each other小题2:Why can we say that American individualism, expansiveness, and abundance are expressed in their lifestyle?A．Because the average size of a new house has increased during the past thirty years.B．Because Americans often use European-style net curtains to screen out nosy neighbors.C．Because many houses are equipped with walk-in closets.D．Because the house size, outsized household furniture and independent living habits have proved it.小题3:The underlined phrase in the passage means________.A．filling a battery with electrical power B．recovering your strength and energy by resting for a whileC．changing your batteries againD．obtaining new batteries because old ones are running out小题4:According to the passage, if you drop in on an American family which is usually friendly to you in the evening, you________.A．will be deeply impressed by their family get-together sceneB．will be invited to a party which is well-preparedC．will find family members scattered, and enjoying themselves individuallyD．will be warmly welcomed even if they don’t get informed of your visit earlier 题型：未知 难度：其他题型
答案
小题1:D
小题2:D
小题3:B
小题4:C
解析
隐私权与开放性问题是一个悖论，这在美国人身上表现得淋漓尽致。然而，美国人就是美国人，他们还是看重他们的个人空间和隐私。本文围绕这个问题展开了议论。
小题1:D推理判断题。根据文章第一句话“The issue of privacy versus openness is a paradox, particularly when it comes to the American home.(隐私权与开放性问题是一个悖论，尤其是谈到美国家庭)”可以推知D选项正确。
小题2:D推理判断题。根据最后两段可以推断D选项正确。美国人在独立性、夸张性和丰富性在生活
上的具体表现为：household size，A common observation is just how outsized everything is等。
小题3:B词义猜测题。“recharging batteries”的原意是“给电池再充电”，这儿用其转意“休息一会儿
恢复你的体力和精力”。跟上文联系起来就可以知道该词组与“休息有关”。晚上去美国家庭拜访你可能会
发现家庭成员分开各有各的事：看电视的有，打电话的有，上网的有。要么还有在自己房间里休息以恢复
体力和精力的。故B选项正确
小题4:C推理判断题。根据上题的分析，我们可以知道“晚上美国家庭成员分散开来，各自享受生活”。故C选项正确。
考点
据考高分专家说，试题“The issue of privacy.....”主要考查你对 [社会现象类阅读 ]考点的理解。社会现象类阅读
社会现象类阅读概念：
这类文章通过写人记事来揭示文章的主题，显示其社会意义，一般采用顺序或倒叙来叙述。题目经常是一些细节问题。考查的方面可以是原因和其中引发的思考。
社会现象类阅读解题技巧：
这类文章通过写人记事来揭示文章的主题，显示其社会意义，一般采用顺序或倒叙来叙述。题目经常是一些细节问题。考查的方面可以是原因和其中引发的思考。阅读这类文章要理清思路。
1、浏览试题，明确要求。
在阅读文章前，最好先浏览一下文章后面的题干和选项。知道了问题后再去看文章，可使思路更敏捷，而且也便于阅读时留意文中出现的与选项有关的信息。
2、通读全文，抓住主要内容。
在不影响理解的前提下，尽可能地阅读以便在尽可能短的时间内理解文章或段落的内容。阅读时，如遇到不熟悉的单词、词组或一时看不懂的句子，不要停下来苦思冥想，继续读下去，通过上下文的词语和句子可能就理解了。
3、抓住中心思想和段落大意。
通读全文时，要特别注意主题句。每篇文章或每个段落都有与文章有关的句子，尤其是科技、政论性文章的主题句一般都在文章的开头或结尾，插在中间的很少。所以，文章的第一段或开头的第一、二个句子往往包含着文章的中心思想、作者的意图或全文的概述，因此要特别注意，彻底理解。
4、有针对性地仔细阅读，找寻所需信息。
在前面的基础上，可进行有针对性地阅读了。把与问题无关的内容一扫而过，而对于和问题有关的内容认真阅读，还可以用笔在下面做出记号。再把这些信息与问题的要求结合起来，逐条分析，综合判断，找出正确答案。
5、进行合理的推理判断。
对文章有了全面的了解之后，可以按照文章要求以及上下文之间的关系，做出推理判断。在进行推理判断的时候，需要综合考虑句型、语法、句子之间的逻辑关系、文化背景等方面的因素。
6、认真复读，验证答案。
要用全文的中心思想统帅各个题目，研究其内在联系和逻辑关系，并依次审核那些还未打上的题目，确保理解无误。
