阅读比赛样题

2015外研社杯全国英语阅读大赛初赛样题

In some countries where racial prejudice is acute, violence has so come to be taken for granted as a means of solving differences, that it is not even questioned. There are countries where the white man imposes his rule by brute force; there are countries where the black man protests by setting fire to cities and by looting and pillaging. Important people on both sides, who would in other respects appear to be reasonable men, get up and calmly argue in favor of violence – as if it were a legitimate solution, like any other. What is really frightening, what really fills you with despair, is the realization that when it comes to the crunch, we have made no actual progress at all. We may wear collars and ties instead of war-paint, but our instincts remain basically unchanged. The whole of the recorded history of the human race, that tedious documentation of violence, has taught us absolutely nothing. We have still not learnt that violence never solves a problem but makes it more acute. The sheer horror, the bloodshed, the suffering mean nothing. No solution ever comes to light the morning after when we dismally contemplate the smoking ruins and wonder what hit us. The truly reasonable men who know where the solutions lie are finding it harder and herder to get a hearing. They are despised, mistrusted and even persecuted by their own kind because they advocate such apparently outrageous things as law enforcement. If half the energy that goes into violent acts were put to good use, if our efforts were directed at cleaning up the slums and ghettos, at improving living-standards and providing education and employment for all, we would have gone a long way to arriving at a solution. Our strength is sapped by having to mop up the mess that violence leaves in its wake. In a well-directed effort, it would not be impossible to fulfill the ideals of a stable social programme. The benefits that can be derived from constructive solutions are everywhere apparent in the world around us. Genuine and lasting solutions are always possible, providing we work within the framework of the law.

Before we can even begin to contemplate peaceful co-existence between the races, we must appreciate each other's problems. And to do this, we must learn about them: it is a simple exercise in communication, in exchanging information. "Talk, talk, talk," the advocates of violence say, "all you ever do is talk, and we are none the wiser." It's rather like the story of the famous barrister who painstakingly explained his case to the judge. After listening to a lengthy argument the judge complained that after all this talk, he was none the wiser. "Possible, my lord," the barrister replied, "none the wiser, but surely far better informed." Knowledge is the necessary prerequisite to wisdom: the knowledge that violence creates the evils it pretends to solve.

1. What is the best title for this passage?

[A] Advocating Violence.

[B] Violence Can Do Nothing to Diminish Race Prejudice.

[C] Important People on Both Sides See Violence As a Legitimate Solution.

[D] The Instincts of Human Race Are Thirsty for Violence.

2. Recorded history has taught us

[A] violence never solves anything. [B] nothing.

[C] the bloodshed means nothing. [D] everything.

3. It can be inferred that truly reasonable men

[A] can't get a hearing. [B] are looked down upon. [C] are persecuted. [D] Have difficulty in advocating law enforcement.

4. "He was none the wiser" means

[A] he was not at all wise in listening.

[B] He was not at all wiser than nothing before.

[C] He gains nothing after listening.

[D] He makes no sense of the argument.

5. According the author the best way to solve race prejudice is

[A] law enforcement. [B] knowledge.

[C] nonviolence. [D] Mopping up the violent mess.

难句译注：

1.What is really frightening, what really fills you with despair is the realization that when it comes to the crunch, we have made no actual progress at all.

【结构简析】when it comes to the crunch = when / if the decisive moment comes.当关键时刻来到时。

【参考译文】真正令人可怖的，令人绝望的是，在关键时刻，人们意识到我们一点儿也没有进步/前进。

2.Our strength is sapped by having to mop up the mess that violence leaves in its wake.

【结构简析】in the wake of 在…之后。

【参考译文】由于我们不得不清理掉暴力之后所留下的烂摊子，我们的力量因此削弱了。

3.After listening to a lengthy argument the judge complained that after all this talk, he was none the wiser.

【结构简析】none + the + 比较级。固定用法，义：not at all 一点儿也不。EX: After the treatment, he is none the better.治疗后，他并没有因此见好，（一点儿也不见好）。

【参考译文】听了律师的长篇解释，法官抱怨说他一无所获，并不因此变得聪明些。

4. Knowledge is the necessary prerequisite to wisdom.

【参考译文】知识是智慧的必要的先决条件。结合上下文这里意思是：了解情况是解决问题的先决条件。句子后面的解释：知识是指了解它欲以解决暴力制造的恶行。

答案详解：

1.B 暴力难以消除种族偏见。文章一开始就提出有些国家种族偏见严重，而暴力却是公认的一种解决方法。白人采用暴力镇压，黑人以防火、掠抢为反抗。而双方的大人物平静地论及暴力，似乎这是一种合法的解决方案。作者就此指出人类的进步只在于表面――衣饰等，人类的本能没有改变。整个有记录历史的文件没有教会人类任何东西。这是真正令人可怕的事件。第二段论及真正有理智的懂得解决方案所在的人鼓吹法制，人们不停。他们反而收到轻视、迫害。作者就此提出假设，答出真正的解决方案嗜法制，以法治理。

第三段进一步说明“交流、对话”是了解双方问题的前提，即使暴力者不同意，但知道暴力制造它假装要解决的罪恶，是智慧聪明的必要前提。

A. 鼓吹暴力。C. 双方重要人物都把暴力作为合法的解决方案。D. 人类的本性是嗜暴性。

2.B 没有什么。第一段中就明确提出整个人类有记录历史又长又臭的暴力文件记录，一点都没有教给我们任何东西。

A. 暴力解决不了任何事情。C. 杀戮（流血）没有任何意义。D. 一切。

3.D 在鼓吹法制方面有困难。答案在第二段，真正有理智的人鼓吹法制，遭到同类们的轻视、不信任和迫害。他们发现要人倾听他们的意见越来越困难。

A. 人们不听。B. 遭人轻视。C. 遭人迫害。这三项都包含在D 项内。

4.C 听后无所得。None the wiser一点也不比以前聪明（这是按字面翻译）。实际就是C 项。

A. 在倾听别人上他一点也不聪明。B. 他和以前一个样。D. 他听不懂论点。

5.A 法制。第二段最后一句，如果我们在法律的构架中进行工作，真正的持久的解决总是能实现的。第二段第二句，他们遭到迫害是因为他们鼓吹法制这种显然令人不能容忍的事。

B. 知识。C. 非暴力。D. 处理暴力带来的混乱。

The tourist trade is booming. With all this coming and going ， you'd expect greater understanding to develop between the nations of the world. Not a bit of it！ Superb systems of communication by air， sea and land make it possible for us to visit each other's countries at a moderate cost. What was once the 'grand tour'， reserved for only the very rich， is now within everybody's grasp？ The package tour and chartered flights are not to be sneered at. Modern travelers enjoy a level of comfort which the lords and ladies on grand tours in the old days couldn't have dreamed of. But what's the sense of this mass exchange of populations if the nations of the world remain basically ignorant of each other？

Many tourist organizations are directly responsible for this state of affairs. They deliberately set out to protect their clients from too much contact with the local population. The modern tourist leads a cosseted， sheltered life. He lives at international hotels， where he eats his international food and sips his international drink while he gazes at the natives from a distance. Conducted tours to places of interest are carefully censored. The tourist is allowed to see only what the organizers want him to see and no more. A strict schedule makes it impossible for the tourist to wander off on his own； and anyway， language is always a barrier， so he is only too happy to be protected in this way. At its very worst， this leads to a new and hideous kind of colonization. The summer quarters of the inhabitants of the cite universitaire：are temporarily reestablished on the island of Corfu. Blackpool is recreated at Torremolinos where the traveler goes not to eat paella， but fish and chips.

The sad thing about this situation is that it leads to the persistence of national stereotypes. We don't see the people of other nations as they really are， but as we have been brought up to believe they are. You can test this for yourself. Take five nationalities， say ， French ， German ， English ， American and Italian. Now in

your mind， match them with these five adjectives： musical ， amorous ， cold ， pedantic ， native. Far from providing us with any insight into the national characteristics of the peoples just mentioned， these adjectives actually act as barriers. So when you set out on your travels， the only characteristics you notice are those which confirm your preconceptions. You come away with the highly unoriginal and inaccurate impression that ， say ， 'Anglo-Saxons are hypocrites' of that 'Latin peoples shout a lot'. You only have to make a few foreign friends to understand how absurd and harmful national stereotypes are. But how can you make foreign friends when the tourist trade does its best to prevent you？

Carried to an extreme， stereotypes can be positively dangerous. Wild generalizations stir up racial hatred and blind us to the basic fact〞how trite it sounds！That all people are human. We are all similar to each other and at the same time all unique.

1. The best title for this passage is

[A] Tourism contributes nothing to increasing understanding between nations.

[B] Tourism is tiresome.

[C] Conducted tour is dull.

[D] Tourism really does something to one's country.

2. What is the author's attitude toward tourism？

[A] apprehensive. [B]negative. [C] critical. [D] appreciative.

3. Which word in the following is the best to summarize Latin people shout a lot？

[A] silent. [B] noisy. [C] lively. [D] active.

4. The purpose of the author's criticism is to point out

[A] conducted tour is disappointing.

[B]the way of touring should be changed.

[C] when traveling， you notice characteristics which confirm preconception.

[D] national stereotypes should be changed.

5. What is 'grand tour' now？

[A] moderate cost.

[B]local sight-seeing is investigated by the tourist organization.

[C] people enjoy the first-rate comforts.

[D] everybody can enjoy the 'grand tour'。

答案详解

1.A 旅游对增进民族了解毫无建树。第二段开始点出，许多旅游组织直接负责旅游事宜，他们有意识不让旅游者接触当地居民，让他们过着一种关怀备至又与世隔绝的生活。住的是国际饭店，吃的是国际食品，喝的是国际饮料，在原处观看当地居民。严格有序的计划使旅游者难以自己一人闲逛，语言的障碍，又使他们乐意接受保护。第三段涉及坚持民族模式化――老一套的想法，所以一开始旅游，你见到的民族特性就只是证实了你自己设想的基本事实――所有人民都是人类。只有交朋友才能知道民族模式是多么荒谬、有害，可是旅行社竭力制止，你又怎么能交上外国朋友呢？这一切说明A 项对。

B. 旅游很累。C. 导游观光很单调乏味。D. 旅游确实对国家有贡献。

2.C 批评。

3.B 吵吵闹闹的。

4.B 旅游的方式应改变。整篇文章（除第一段外）都环绕旅游方式不理想来进行批评。

第二段集中在导游观光使旅游者难以和当地人民接触。第三段，见到的只是证实了旅游者本人事先形成的思想/先入之见，旅游根本达不到了解对方的目的。第四段讲了民族固定模式（先入之见的模式）的可怕后果。要使人懂得所有的人们都是人类，彼此相似，又各具特点，就得改变旅游的方式。

A. 导游观光令人失望。C. 旅游时，你见到的特性证实了你的先入之见。D. 民族模式应当改变。这三条都是批评的具体内容。

5.D 人人都能享受大旅游。大旅行是专指英国富家子弟上学中的一门课程－到欧洲大陆观光。不是人人都能享受。这里用grand tour表示人人都能享受类似 grand tour的一切，甚至超过，如第一段指出：现代旅游者享受的舒适设施，达到了大旅行中老爷、小姐们做梦都没有想到的水平。海陆空高级交流联络通讯系统，使人们有可能钱花得不多就能访问、观光别的国家。所以说，曾是有钱人专享的大旅行，普通人也能领略。“grand tour”

有引号，表明作为比喻。A. 费用不高。文内是费用合适、中等、恰当。B. 当地观光受组织审查。C. 人们喜欢一流舒适设施。

California is a land of variety and contrast. Almost every type of physical land feature， sort of arctic ice fields and tropical jungles can be found within its borders. Sharply contrasting types of land often lie very close to one another.

People living in Bakersfield， for instance， can visit the Pacific Ocean and the coastal plain， the fertile San Joaquin Valley， the arid Mojave Desert， and the high Sierra Nevada， all within a radius of about 100 miles. In other areas it is possible to go snow skiing in the morning and surfing in the evening of the same day， without having to travel long distance.

Contrast abounds in California. The highest point in the United States （outside Alaska ）isin California， and so is the lowest point （including Alaska）。 Mount Whitney， 14，494 feet above sea level， is separated from Death Valley， 282 feet below sea level， by a distance of only 100 miles. The two areas have a difference in altitude of almost three miles.

California has deep，clear mountain lakes like Lake Tahoe， the deepest in the country，but it also has shallow ， salty desert lakes. It has Lake Tulainyo，12，020 feet above sea level， and the lowest lake in the country ，the Salton Sea， 236 feet below sea level. Some of its lakes，like Owens Lake in Death Valley， are not lakes at all：they are dried up lake beds.

In addition to mountains， lakes ， valleys ， deserts ， and plateaus， California has its Pacific coastline， stretching longer than the coastlines of Oregon and Washington combined.

26. Which of the following is the lowest point in the United States？

A. Lake Tulainyo B. Mojave desert

C. Death Valley D. The Salton Sea

27. Where is the highest point in the United States located？

A. Lake Tahoe. B. Sierra Nevada.

C. Mount Whitney. D. Alaska.

28. How far away is Death Valley from Mount Whitney？

A. About 3 miles. B. Only 100 miles.

C. 282 feet. D. 14，494 feet.

29. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage as being within a radius of about 100 miles of Bakersfield ？

A. The Pacific Ocean. B. San Joaquin Valley.

C. Mojave Desert. D. Oregon and Washington.

30. Which statement best demonstrates that California is a land of variety and contrast？

A. The highest lake in California is Lake Tulainyo.

B. It is possible to go surfing and snow skiing in some parts of California without having to travel long distance.

C. Sierra Nevada， San Joaquin Valley， Mojave Desert and the Pacific Ocean all lie within a radius of about 100 miles.

D. Owens Lake， in Death Valley， is not really a lake at all.

答案及解析：

26. C）这是一道细节题。根据第三段所给的海拔高度，可知美国最低点在death valley.

27. D ）此题很容易误选为C ，这是因为第三段提到Mount Whitney 的海拔高度；但是要注意此段第二句提到美国最高点时在括号中补充说明这个最高点是在 Alaska 以外的。这就说明美国的海拔最高点不是Mount Whitney ，而是位于Alaska.

28. B）这是一道细节题。根据第三段可找出答案。

29. D）根据第二段可知答案。

30. C）文中说加利福尼亚是一个地貌多样，富于变化的地方，而选项C 是一个最突出的例子。