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  3. Ask most people how they define the American Dream and chances are, they’ll say, "Success." The dream of individual opportunity

Ask most people how they define the American Dream and chances are, they’ll say, "Success." The dream of individual opportunity

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问题     Ask most people how they define the American Dream and chances are, they’ll say, "Success." The dream of individual opportunity has been home in America since Europeans discovered a "new world" in the Western Hemisphere. Early immigrants like Hector St. Jean de Crevecoeur praised highly the freedom and opportunity to be found in this new land. His glowing descriptions of a classless society where anyone could attain success through honesty and hard work fired the imaginations of many European readers. In letters from an American Farmer (1782) he wrote, "We are all excited at the sprite of an industry which is unfettered and unrestrained, because each person works for himself... We have no princes, for whom we toil, starve, and bleed. We are the most perfect society now existing in the world." The promise of a land where "the rewards of a man’s industry follow with equal steps the progress of his labor" drew poor immigrants from Europe and fueled national expansion into the western territories.
    Our national mythology is full of illustration of the American success story. There’s Benjamin Franklin, the very model of the self-educated, self-made man, who rose from modest origins to become a well-known scientist, philosopher, and statesman. In the nineteenth century, Horatio Alger, a writer of fiction for young boys, became America’s best-selling author with rags-to-riches tales. The notion of success haunts us—we spend million every year reading about the rich and famous, learning how to" make a fortune in real estate with no money down", and " dressing for success". The myth of success has even invaded our personal relationships—today it’s as important to be "successful" in marriage or parenthoods as it is to come out on top in business.
    But dreams easily turn into nightmares. Every American who hopes to "make it" also knows the fear of failure, because the myth of success inevitably implies comparison between the haves and the have-nots, the stars and the anonymous crowd. Under pressure of the myth, we become indulged in status symbols: we try to live in the "right" neighborhoods, wear the "right" clothes, and eat the "right" foods. These symbols of distinction assure us and others that we believe strongly in the fundamental equality of all, yet strive as hard as we can to separate ourselves from our fellow citizens.
What is the paradox of American culture according to the author?
选项 A、The American road to success is full of nightmares.
B、Status symbols are not a real indicators of a person’s wealth.
C、The American Dream is nothing but an empty dream.
D、What Americans strive for often contradicts their beliefs.
答案D
解析 细节题。题目问的是作者认为美国文化中的矛盾点是什么?根据题目定位到第三段，原文说美国人对成功的渴望和对失败的畏惧让他们陷入到社会地位的压力中，这与他们最初信仰的自由平等相背离，因此D“通常美国人所追逐的与他们所信仰的相背离”与原文属于同义替换，故正确；A“美国人的成功之路充满噩梦”，B“个人的社会地位并不能真实反映其财富的多少”以及C“美国梦只是个幻想”都与原文不符。故选D。
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