阅读理解

阅读下列短文,从每篇短文后所给各题的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中,选出最佳选项。

  An “apple polisher” is one who gives gifts to win friendship or special treatment.It is not exactly a bribe(贿赂),but is close to it.

  All sorts of people are apple polishers, including politicians and people in high offices-just about everybody.Oliver Cromwell, the great English leader, offered many gifts to win the support of George Fox and his party, but failed.

  There are other phrases meaning the same thing as “apple-polishing”-“soft-soaping” or “butter-up”.A gift is just one way to “soft-soap” somebody, or to “butter him up”.Another that is just as effective is flattery, giving someone high praise-telling him how good he looks, or how well he speaks, or how talented and wise he is.

  Endless are the ways of flattery.Who does not love or hear it ? Only an unusual man can resist the thrill of being told how wonderful he is.In truth, flattery is good medicine for most of us, who gets so little of it.

  We need it to be more sure of ourselves.It cannot hurt unless we get carried away by it.But we just lap it up for its food value and nourishment, as a cat laps up milk, then we can still remain true to ourselves.

  Sometimes, however, flattery will get you nothing from one who has had too much of it.A good example is the famous 12 th century legend of King Canute of Denmark and England.The king got tired of listening to the endless sickening flattery of his courtiers(朝臣).They overpraised him to the skies, as a man of limitless power.

  He decided to teach them a lesson.He took them to the seashore and sat down.Then he ordered the waves to stop coming in.The tide was too busy to listen to him.The king was satisfied.This might show his followers how weak his power was and how empty their flattery.

(1)

Which of the following activities has nothing to do with “apple-polishing” ?

[  ]

A.

A boy tells his girlfriend how pretty she looks

B.

An employee tells his boss how good he is at management

C.

A knight(骑士)is said to be of limitless power by his followers

D.

A teacher praised his students for their talent and wisdom.

(2)

Which of the following statement about flattery is TRUE according to the author ?

[  ]

A.

Too much flattery can carry us away

B.

Flattery is too empty to do people any good

C.

Flattery can get nothing but excessive(过度的)pride

D.

Flattery is one of the ways to apple-polish people.

(3)

King Canute of Denmark and England took his followers to the seashore because ________.

[  ]

A.

he was sick of his normal

B.

he disliked being overpraised any more

C.

he wanted them to realize how wise he was

D.

he wanted them to see how weak he was as a king

(4)

The author thinks that flattery can do good to those who ________.

[  ]

A.

are really excellent

B.

lack confidence

C.

are politicians or in high offices

D.

think highly of themselves

As the railroads and the highways shaped the American West in the past centuries, a new electrical generating(发电)and transmission (输送) system for the 21st century will leave a lasting mark on the West, for better or worse. Much of the real significance of railroads and highways is not in their direct physical effect on the scenery, but in the ways that they affect the surrounding community. The same is true of big solar plants and the power lines that will be laid down to move electricity around.
The 19 th century saw land grants(政府拨地) offered to railroad companies to build the transcontinental railroads, leaving public land in between privately owned land. In much of the West, some of the railroad sections were developed while others remained undeveloped, and in both cases the landownership has presented unique challenges to land management. With the completion of the interstate highway system, many of the small towns, which sprang up as railway stops and developed well, have lost their lifeblood and died.
Big solar plants and their power lines will also have effects far beyond their direct footprint in the West. This is not an argument against building them. We need alternative energy badly, and to really take advantage of it we need to be able to move electricity around far more readily than we can now.
So trade-offs will have to be made. Some scenic spots will be sacrificed. Some species(物种) will be forced to move, or will be carefully moved to special accommodations. Deals will be struck to reduce the immediate effects.
The lasting effects of these trade-offs are another matter. The 21st century development of the American West as an ideal place for alternative energy is going to throw off a lot of power and money in the region. There are chances for that power and money to do a lot of good. But it is just as likely that they will be spent wastefully and will leave new problems behind, just like the railroads and the highways.
The money set aside in negotiated trade-offs and the institutions that control it will shape the West far beyond the immediate footprint of power plants and transmission lines. So let’s remember the effects of the railroads and the highways as we construct these new power plants in the West.
【小题1】What was the problem caused by the construction of the railways?

A.Small towns along the railways became abandoned.
B.Land in the West was hard to manage.
C.Some railroad stops remained underused.
D.Land grants went into private hands.
【小题2】What is the major concern in the development of alternative energy according to the last two paragraphs?
A.The use of money and power.
B.The transmission of power.
C.The conservation of solar energy.
D.The selection of an ideal place.
【小题3】What is the author’s attitude towards building solar plants?
A.Disapproving.B.Approving.C.Doubtful.D.Cautious.
【小题4】Which is the best title for the passage?
A.How the Railways Have Affected the West
B.How the Effects of Power Plants Can Be Reduced
C.How Solar Energy Could Reshape the West
D.How the Problems of the Highways Have Been Settled

As the railroads and the highways shaped the American West in the past centuries, a new electrical generating(发电)and transmission (输送) system for the 21st century will leave a lasting mark on the West, for better or worse. Much of the real significance of railroads and highways is not in their direct physical effect on the scenery, but in the ways that they affect the surrounding community. The same is true of big solar plants and the power lines that will be laid down to move electricity around.
The 19 th century saw land grants(政府拨地) offered to railroad companies to build the transcontinental railroads, leaving public land in between privately owned land. In much of the West, some of the railroad sections were developed while others remained undeveloped, and in both cases the landownership has presented unique challenges to land management. With the completion of the interstate highway system, many of the small towns, which sprang up as railway stops and developed well, have lost their lifeblood and died.
Big solar plants and their power lines will also have effects far beyond their direct footprint in the West. This is not an argument against building them. We need alternative energy badly, and to really take advantage of it we need to be able to move electricity around far more readily than we can now.
So trade-offs will have to be made. Some scenic spots will be sacrificed. Some species(物种) will be forced to move, or will be carefully moved to special accommodations. Deals will be struck to reduce the immediate effects.
The lasting effects of these trade-offs are another matter. The 21st century development of the American West as an ideal place for alternative energy is going to throw off a lot of power and money in the region. There are chances for that power and money to do a lot of good. But it is just as likely that they will be spent wastefully and will leave new problems behind, just like the railroads and the highways.
The money set aside in negotiated trade-offs and the institutions that control it will shape the West far beyond the immediate footprint of power plants and transmission lines. So let’s remember the effects of the railroads and the highways as we construct these new power plants in the West.
【小题1】What was the problem caused by the construction of the railways?

A.Small towns along the railways became abandoned.
B.Land in the West was hard to manage.
C.Some railroad stops remained underused.
D.Land grants went into private hands.
【小题2】What is the major concern in the development of alternative energy according to the last two paragraphs?
A.The use of money and power.
B.The transmission of power.
C.The conservation of solar energy.
D.The selection of an ideal place.
【小题3】What is the author’s attitude towards building solar plants?
A.Disapproving.B.Approving.C.Doubtful.D.Cautious.
【小题4】Which is the best title for the passage?
A.How the Railways Have Affected the West
B.How the Effects of Power Plants Can Be Reduced
C.How Solar Energy Could Reshape the West
D.How the Problems of the Highways Have Been Settled

As the railroads and the highways shaped the American West in the past centuries, a new electrical generating(发电)and transmission (输送) system for the 21st century will leave a lasting mark on the West, for better or worse. Much of the real significance of railroads and highways is not in their direct physical effect on the scenery, but in the ways that they affect the surrounding community. The same is true of big solar plants and the power lines that will be laid down to move electricity around.

The 19 th century saw land grants(政府拨地) offered to railroad companies to build the transcontinental railroads, leaving public land in between privately owned land. In much of the West, some of the railroad sections were developed while others remained undeveloped, and in both cases the landownership has presented unique challenges to land management. With the completion of the interstate highway system, many of the small towns, which sprang up as railway stops and developed well, have lost their lifeblood and died.

Big solar plants and their power lines will also have effects far beyond their direct footprint in the West. This is not an argument against building them. We need alternative energy badly, and to really take advantage of it we need to be able to move electricity around far more readily than we can now.

So trade-offs will have to be made. Some scenic spots will be sacrificed. Some species(物种) will be forced to move, or will be carefully moved to special accommodations. Deals will be struck to reduce the immediate effects.

The lasting effects of these trade-offs are another matter. The 21st century development of the American West as an ideal place for alternative energy is going to throw off a lot of power and money in the region. There are chances for that power and money to do a lot of good. But it is just as likely that they will be spent wastefully and will leave new problems behind, just like the railroads and the highways.

The money set aside in negotiated trade-offs and the institutions that control it will shape the West far beyond the immediate footprint of power plants and transmission lines. So let’s remember the effects of the railroads and the highways as we construct these new power plants in the West.

1.What was the problem caused by the construction of the railways?

A.Small towns along the railways became abandoned.

B.Land in the West was hard to manage.

C.Some railroad stops remained underused.

D.Land grants went into private hands.

2.What is the major concern in the development of alternative energy according to the last two paragraphs?

A.The use of money and power.

B.The transmission of power.

C.The conservation of solar energy.

D.The selection of an ideal place.

3.What is the author’s attitude towards building solar plants?

A.Disapproving.      B.Approving.         C.Doubtful.          D.Cautious.

4.Which is the best title for the passage?

A.How the Railways Have Affected the West

B.How the Effects of Power Plants Can Be Reduced

C.How Solar Energy Could Reshape the West

D.How the Problems of the Highways Have Been Settled

 

As the railroads and the highways shaped the American West in the past centuries, a new electrical generating(发电)and transmission (输送) system for the 21st century will leave a lasting mark on the West, for better or worse. Much of the real significance of railroads and highways is not in their direct physical effect on the scenery, but in the ways that they affect the surrounding community. The same is true of big solar plants and the power lines that will be laid down to move electricity around.

The 19 th century saw land grants(政府拨地) offered to railroad companies to build the transcontinental railroads, leaving public land in between privately owned land. In much of the West, some of the railroad sections were developed while others remained undeveloped, and in both cases the landownership has presented unique challenges to land management. With the completion of the interstate highway system, many of the small towns, which sprang up as railway stops and developed well, have lost their lifeblood and died.

Big solar plants and their power lines will also have effects far beyond their direct footprint in the West. This is not an argument against building them. We need alternative energy badly, and to really take advantage of it we need to be able to move electricity around far more readily than we can now.

So trade-offs will have to be made. Some scenic spots will be sacrificed. Some species(物种) will be forced to move, or will be carefully moved to special accommodations. Deals will be struck to reduce the immediate effects.

The lasting effects of these trade-offs are another matter. The 21st century development of the American West as an ideal place for alternative energy is going to throw off a lot of power and money in the region. There are chances for that power and money to do a lot of good. But it is just as likely that they will be spent wastefully and will leave new problems behind, just like the railroads and the highways.

The money set aside in negotiated trade-offs and the institutions that control it will shape the West far beyond the immediate footprint of power plants and transmission lines. So let’s remember the effects of the railroads and the highways as we construct these new power plants in the West.

1.What was the problem caused by the construction of the railways?

A.Small towns along the railways became abandoned.

B.Land in the West was hard to manage.

C.Some railroad stops remained underused.

D.Land grants went into private hands.

2.What is the major concern in the development of alternative energy according to the last two paragraphs?

A.The use of money and power.

B.The transmission of power.

C.The conservation of solar energy.

D.The selection of an ideal place.

3.What is the author’s attitude towards building solar plants?

A.Disapproving.      B.Approving.         C.Doubtful.          D.Cautious.

4.Which is the best title for the passage?

A.How the Railways Have Affected the West

B.How the Effects of Power Plants Can Be Reduced

C.How Solar Energy Could Reshape the West

D.How the Problems of the Highways Have Been Settled

 

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