B. Because he was told not to do so.

C. Because he considered it too gentle.

　　D. Because he thought it spun too fast.

25. How did the author most probably react while riding the roller-coaster?

A. He really enjoyed himself. B. He was very worried at first.

C. He couldn't think much about it. D. He got frightened as it started moving.

26. What do you know about the author from Paragraph 4?

A. He was the oldest person in the world. B. He set a record the year before last year.

C. He disliked showing off his success. D. He was eager to get certificates.

27. What does the underlined word "daft" in the last paragraph probably mean?

A. healthy. B. strong. C. crazy. D. funny.

The American dream is the faith held by many people in the United States of America that through hard work, courage, creativity and determination, they can achieve a better life for themselves. More specifically, they agree on how to get ahead in America: get a college education, find a reliable job, and buy their own house. But do Americans still believe in that path, and if they do, is it attainable?

The most recent National Journal poll asked participants about the American dream, what it takes to achieve their goal, and whether or not they felt the control over their ability to be successful. Obviously, the results show that today, the idea of the American dream and what it takes to achieve it looks quite different from it did in the late 20th century. Generally speaking, people felt that their actions and hard work - not outside force - deciding their lives. But the participants had definitely mixed feelings about what actions make for a better life in the current economy.

In the last seven years, Americans have grown more pessimistic（悲观的） about the power of education to lead to success. Even though they see going to college as a