Nelson Mandela is respected and admired across the
world. And to South Africans he is a superstar. He is a hero who shocked the
world by fighting for peace between races(种族), despite
the 27 years he spent in the prison of the South Africa’s white, racist government.
Mandela who won the nation’s first
all-race elections in 1994, retired 1999. But he remains as popular as ever.
“He’s loved by all people,
whether you’re while or black, whether you’re young or old,” said Ali Bacher,
South Africa’s famous cricket (板球) athlete.
His popularity has inspired
an entire national industry. His portrait(肖像) has
appeared at many places, including on some goods. His face has appeared on a
South African coin and some business leaders hope to build a statue(雕像) for him --- the Statue of Freedom. It would stand
taller than New York’s Statue of Liberty.
His popularity is similar to
that of John F. Kennedy with US or Winston Churchill in Britain, but few
politicians in this times have achieved his level of admiration, said Tom
Lodge, head of the political science department of the University of the
Witwatersrand.
“Sometimes it isn’t
completely appreciated what a skilled performer Mandela has been throughout his
political career. He’s a very, very clever man.”
“Through the ages, the human race
has had its icons --- men and women who rose above ordinary people to inspire
their generations,” The Mail and Guardian Weekly said. “In our generation,
the gods presented us Nelson Mandela.”
1.Nelson Mandela is loved by all the people of South
Africa because ________.
A. he’s as popular as Kennedy and
Churchill
B. he has kept in prison for 27 years
C. he’s a great fighter against the racialism
D. he’s the first all-race elections president
2. Which of the following statements about Mandela’s
portrait is true?
A. It helps develop business.
B. It appears on the Statue of Freedom.
C. It is used to raise money for the Statue of
Freedom.
D. It is similar to that of John F. Kennedy or Winston
Churchill.
3.The underlined sentence in the last paragraph means
“________.”
A. Mandela is as great as a god
B. We are proud to live in Mandela’s time
C. Mandela lives together with us all
D. We are proud to know Mandela.