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第1页共3页北京外国语大学2011年硕士研究生入学考试英语语言文学专业能力测试试卷（样题）I.Summarizethetwoviews(thatoftheauthorandthathecriticizes)inthefollowingpassageandthenwriteacommentary.Youranswershouldnotexceed1000words(50%)AsianAmericanshaveincreasinglycometobeviewedasa“modelminority”.Butaretheyassuccessfulasclaimed?Andforwhomaretheysupposedbemodel?Themodelminoritythesisfirstsurfacedinthemid-1960swhenjournalistsbeganpublicizingthehigheducationalattainmentlevels,highmedianincomes,lowcrimerates,andabsenceofjuveniledelinquencyandmentalhealthproblemsamongAsianAmericans.Thispublicityservedanimportantpoliticalpurposeattheheightofthecivilrightsmovement:proponentsofthethesiswereinfacttellingBlackandChicanoactiviststhattheyshouldfollowingexamplessetbyAsianAmericanswhoworkhardtopullthemselvesupbythebootstrapsinsteadofusing,militantproteststoobtaintheirrights.Untiltoday,similarpoliticalrhetoriccanstillbeheard.Manypoliticiansandpunditsask:“IfAsianAmericanscanmakeitwiththeirstressonhardworkandeducation,whycan’tAfricanAmericans?”SuchcomparisonspitminoritiesagainsteachotherandgenerateAfricanAmericanresentmenttowardAsianAmericans.Thevictimsareblamedfortheirplight,ratherthanracismoraneconomythathasmademanyyoungAfrican-Americanworkerssuperfluous.Withoutquestion,thesocioeconomicstatusofAsianAmericansasawholehasimprovedsincetheearly1940s.ThemedianfamilyincomeofAsianAmericansin1990($42,240)stoodabovethenationalaverage($35,225).AsianAmericanhouseholdsaremoreaffluentthananyotherracialorethnicgroupincludingWhites.AsianAmericansalsohaveanenviablerecordofeducationalachievement,withalmosttwicethenationalaverageofcollegegraduates.Thefigures,however,canbemisleading.ThecelebrationofAsianAmericansuccesshasobscuredreality.First,mostAsian-AmericansliveinCalifornia,HawaiiandNewYork–stateswithhigherincomesandhighercostsoflivingthanthenationalaverage.Thus,whileAsianAmericanslivingtheremayearnmore,theyalsohavetospendmore.Theso-calledhighearningsofAsian-AmericansrelativetoCaucasiansarereallydeceptive.Comparingfamilyincomesisevenmoretricky.SomeAsian-AmericangroupsdohavehigherfamilyincomesthanCaucasians.Buttheyhavemoreworkersperfamily.Forexample,in60%ofChineseAmericanfamilies(comparedtoonly51%amongtheUSpopulationasawhole),morethanonepersonworked,whichhelpstoaccountfortheirhigherfamilyincome.Ifpercapitaincome,ratherthan第2页共3页familyincome,hadbeenusedasthemeasure,thenChineseAmericansaremakingconsiderablylessthanthenationalaverage.Second,adetailedstudyoftheSanFrancisco-OaklandStandardMetropolitanStatisticalAreashowedthatAsianAmericanswereunevenlydistributedintheeconomy.Professionalsclusteredinaccounting,dentistry,nursing,healthtechnology,andengineeringandwereunderrepresentedinlaw,teaching,administration,socialservices,andhigherlevelsofthemedicalprofessions.Managersweremorelikelytobeself-employedthanemployeesoflargefirms.Salespersonswereretailclerksbutseldombrokersorinsuranceagents.Clericalworkersweremostlyfileclerk,typists,orofficemachineoperators,andnotsecretariesorreceptionists.FewAsianAmericanheldjobsintheheavymachine,electrical,paper,chemical,orconstructionindustries.Mostfemaleoperativesweregarmentworkers.Inshort,AsianAmericanswereconcentratedinoccupationsthatdidnotpayaswellasotherjobsinthesameindustry.Third,thelowunemploymentrateofAsianAmericans–anothermeasureoftenusedtodepicttheireconomicsuccess–merelycamouflageshighunderemployment.Waryofbeingonwelfare,manyAsianAmericanworkersapparentlywouldratherholdlow-paid,part-time,orseasonaljobsthanreceivepublicassistance.Fourth,thehighlaborforceparticipationrateofAsianAmericanwomen–supposedlyasignoftheirreadyacceptancebyemployers–isinrealityareflectionofthefactthatmoreAsianAmericanwomenarecompelledtoworkbecausethemalemembersoftheirfamiliesearnsuchlowwages.ItistruethatworkingAsianAmericanwomenearnahighermedianincomethandowhiteworkingwomen,alargerpercentageofthemworkfulltime,whichhelpstodrivetheirmedianincomeupward.Butdespitetheirhigheducationallevel,theyreceivelowerreturnstotheireducationthandowhitewomen,whilethedisparitybetweentheirreturnsandthoseofwhitemenisevengreater.Inotherwords,theyarenotreceivingearningsthatarecommensuratewiththeiryearsofschooling.Fifth,withregardtotheeducationalattainmentofAsianAmericans,thesizableinfluxofhighlyeducatedprofessionalsafter1965hasinflatedtheaverageyearsofschoolingcompleted。Criticsofthemodelminoritystereotypepointoutthatthemostimportantconsiderationshouldnotbeeducationallevel,butreturnstoeducation,whichmoreclearlyrevealtheexistenceofdiscrimination.ForAsianAmericans,theirreturnsarestillnotonaparwiththosereceivedbywhitemen.Forexample,sincesomeAsianprofessionalshaven’tbeenabletofindprofessionaljobs,theyhaveboughtsmallbusinesses,therebyincreasingthenumberof“managers”intheAsianAmericans–particularlytheKoreanAmerican–population.In1988,morethanthree-quartersofKoreangreengrocers,thoseso-calledparagonsofbootstrapentrepreneurialism,cametoAmericawithacollegeeducation.Engineers,teachersoradministratorswhileinKorea,theybecameshopkeepersaftertheirarrival.Formanyofthem,thegreengroceryrepresentsdasheddreams,astepdownwar