Question

【题目】 It happened to me recently. I was telling someone how much I had enjoyed reading Barack Obama’s Dreams From My Father and how it had changed my views of our President. A friend I was talking to agreed with me that it was, in his words, “a brilliantly (精彩地) written book”. However, he then went on to talk about Mr. Obama in a way which suggested he had no idea of his background at all. I realized that I was talking to a book liar.

And it seems that my friend is not the only one. About two thirds of people have lied about reading a book which they haven’t. In the World Book Day’s “Report on Guilty Secrets”, Dreams From My Father is at number 9. The report lists ten books, and various authors, which people have lied about reading, and as I’m not one to lie too often (I’d hate to be caught out), I’ll admit (承认)here and now that I haven’t read the entire top ten. But I am pleased to say that, unlike 42 percent of people, I have read the book at number one, George Orwell’s 1984. I think it’s really brilliant.

The World Book Day report also has some other interesting information in it. It says that many people lie about having read Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, Fyodor Dostoevsky (I haven’t read him, but haven’t lied about it either) and Herman Melville.

Asked why they lied, the most common reason was to “impress” someone they were speaking to. This could be tricky if the conversation became more in-depth!

But when asked which authors they actually enjoy, people named J. K. Rowling, John Grisham, Sophie Kinsella (ah, the big sellers, in other words). Forty-two percent of people asked admitted they turned to the back of the book to read the end before finishing the story (I’ll come clean: I do this and am surprised that 58 percent said they had never done so).

【1】What does the underlined word “liar” in the first paragraph mean according to the context?

A.A bookwormB.A man who tells lies

C.A man who hates readingD.A man who has many books

【2】How did the author find his friend a book liar?

A.By judging his manner of speaking.B.By looking into his background.

C.By mentioning a famous name.D.By discussing the book itself.

【3】Which of the following is a “guilty secret” according to the World Book Day report?

A.Charles Dickens is very low on the top-ten list.

B.42% of people pretended to have read 1984.

C.The author admitted having read 9 books.

D.Dreams From My Father is hardly read.

【4】By lying about reading, a person hopes to ________.

A.control the conversationB.appear knowledgeable

C.learn about the bookD.make more friends

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】B

【2】D

【3】B

【4】B

【解析】

短文大意：本文是一篇记叙文，作者通过与朋友聊天引出本文的话题book liar书骗子，列举了大家谎称读了而实际未读的书目，以及大家喜欢的一些作家，并阐述了人们喜欢撒谎的最常见的理由。

【1】题意：根据上下文，第一段中带下划线的“liar”是什么意思？考查词义理解。根据下文And it seems that my friend is not the only one. About two thirds of people have lied about reading a book which they haven’t. 有三分之二的人谎称自己读了一本他们没有读过的书，可知他的朋友是个说谎的人A man who tells lies，故选B。

【2】题意：作者是如何发现他的朋友是个说谎的人?考查细节理解。根据第一段A friend I was talking to agreed with me that it was, in his words, “a brilliantly (精彩地) written book”. However, he then went on to talk about Mr. Obama in a way which suggested he had no idea of his background at all. I realized that I was talking to a book liar.可知作者跟他的朋友深谈有关奥巴马的那本书时，发现朋友对奥巴马的背景一无所知，这暗示出朋友其实并没有读过这本书，故选D。

【3】题意：根据世界读书日的报告，下列哪个是“罪恶的秘密”?考查细节判断。根据第二段But I am pleased to say that, unlike 42 percent of people, I have read the book at number one, George Orwell’s1984.（不像百分之四十二的人那样，我很高兴地说，我读过排在第一位的乔治·奥威尔的《1984》）可知，百分之四十二的人没有读过乔治·奥威尔的《1984》；联系“Report on Guilty Secrets”，可知42% of people pretended to have read 1984.符合“罪恶的秘密”，故选B。

【4】题意：通过在阅读上撒谎，一个人希望显得有知识。考查细节推断。根据Asked why they lied, the most common reason was to “impress” someone they were speaking to.可知人们在阅读上撒谎最普遍的理由是想给正在说话的人留下深刻的印象，appear knowledgeable符合这个目的，故选B。