Question

Between ten and midnight the United States is politically leaderless—there is no center of information anywhere in the nation except in the New York headquarters of the great broadcasting companies and two wire services. No candidate and no party can afford the investment on election night to match the news-gathering resources of the mass media; and so as every citizen sits in his home watching his TV set or listening to his radio, he is the equal of any other in knowledge. There is nothing that can be done in these hours, for no one can longer direct the great strike for America’s power; the polls have closed. Good or bad, whatever the decision, America will accept the decision—and cut down any man who goes against it, even though for millions the decision runs contrary to their own votes. The general vote is an expression of national will, the only substitute for violence and blood. Its decision is to be defended as one defends civilization itself.

There is nothing like this American expression of will in England or France, India or Russia. Only one other major nation in modern history has tried to elect its leader directly by mass, free, popular vote. This was the Weiman Republic of Germany, which modeled its unitary vote for national leaders on the American practice. Out of its experiment with the system it got Hitler. Americans have had Lincoln, Wilson and two Roosevelts. Nothing can be done when the voting returns are flooding in; the White House and its power will move to one or another of the two candidates, and all will know about it in the morning. But for these hours history stops.

Between ten P.M. and midnight the United States is politically leaderless because ________.

A. the president has been murdered          

B. the general strike for power has ended

C. the government has resigned             

D. the general vote is being held

“The great strike for America’s power” in Paragraph 1 refers to ________.

A. the strike of the government members

B. the great vote

C. the election campaign

D. the strike of the government employees

The author believes that the decision at the polls will ________.

A. lead to a civil war             B. result in a general strike

C. cause violence and blood     D. be defended by all Americans

Without the general vote, the author implies ________.

A. there would be a civil war    B. there would be a general strike

C. there would be an election campaign    D. there would be a fierce debate

Answer 1

【小题1】D

【小题2】C

【小题3】D

【小题4】A

解析:

【小题1】D  推理判断题。本题应从全文来看。从大选完毕到结果尚未公布之间为权力空白期。

【小题2】C  推理判断题。由文章第 1 段第 1 句和第 3、4 句可以推断，此处的 The greatest strike for America’s Power 指美国大选。

【小题3】D  事实细节题。由第 1 段最后几句可知：不管大选的结果是否与他们的投票一致，美国人都会赞成并支持这一结果。

【小题4】A  推理判断题。由第 1 段倒数第 2 句 The general vote is…the only substitute for violence and blood 可知，言下之意，没有大选，就可能导致因争夺权力而发生战争。