八级阅读练习.docx
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八级阅读练习
Insomecountrieswhereracialprejudiceisacute,violencehassocometobetakenforgrantedasameansofsolvingdifferences,thatitisnotevenquestioned.Therearecountrieswherethewhitemanimposeshisrulebybruteforce;therearecountrieswheretheblackmanprotestsbysettingfiretocitiesandbylootingandpillaging.Importantpeopleonbothsides,whowouldinotherrespectsappeartobereasonablemen,getupandcalmlyargueinfavorofviolence–asifitwerealegitimatesolution,likeanyother.Whatisreallyfrightening,whatreallyfillsyouwithdespair,istherealizationthatwhenitcomestothecrunch,wehavemadenoactualprogressatall.Wemaywearcollarsandtiesinsteadofwar-paint,butourinstinctsremainbasicallyunchanged.Thewholeoftherecordedhistoryofthehumanrace,thattediousdocumentationofviolence,hastaughtusabsolutelynothing.Wehavestillnotlearntthatviolenceneversolvesaproblembutmakesitmoreacute.Thesheerhorror,thebloodshed,thesufferingmeannothing.Nosolutionevercomestolightthemorningafterwhenwedismallycontemplatethesmokingruinsandwonderwhathitus.
Thetrulyreasonablemenwhoknowwherethesolutionsliearefindingitharderandherdertogetahearing.Theyaredespised,mistrustedandevenpersecutedbytheirownkindbecausetheyadvocatesuchapparentlyoutrageousthingsaslawenforcement.Ifhalftheenergythatgoesintoviolentactswereputtogooduse,ifoureffortsweredirectedatcleaninguptheslumsandghettos,atimprovingliving-standardsandprovidingeducationandemploymentforall,wewouldhavegonealongwaytoarrivingatasolution.Ourstrengthissappedbyhavingtomopupthemessthatviolenceleavesinitswake.Inawell-directedeffort,itwouldnotbeimpossibletofulfilltheidealsofastablesocialprogramme.Thebenefitsthatcanbederivedfromconstructivesolutionsareeverywhereapparentintheworldaroundus.Genuineandlastingsolutionsarealwayspossible,providingweworkwithintheframeworkofthelaw.
Beforewecanevenbegintocontemplatepeacefulco-existencebetweentheraces,wemustappreciateeachother'sproblems.Andtodothis,wemustlearnaboutthem:
itisasimpleexerciseincommunication,inexchanginginformation."Talk,talk,talk,"theadvocatesofviolencesay,"allyoueverdoistalk,andwearenonethewiser."It'sratherlikethestoryofthefamousbarristerwhopainstakinglyexplainedhiscasetothejudge.Afterlisteningtoalengthyargumentthejudgecomplainedthatafterallthistalk,hewasnonethewiser."Possible,mylord,"thebarristerreplied,"nonethewiser,butsurelyfarbetterinformed."Knowledgeisthenecessaryprerequisitetowisdom:
theknowledgethatviolencecreatestheevilsitpretendstosolve.
1.Whatisthebesttitleforthispassage?
[A]AdvocatingViolence.
[B]ViolenceCanDoNothingtoDiminishRacePrejudice.
[C]ImportantPeopleonBothSidesSeeViolenceAsaLegitimateSolution.
[D]TheInstinctsofHumanRaceAreThirstyforViolence.
2.Recordedhistoryhastaughtus
[A]violenceneversolvesanything.
[B]nothing.
[C]thebloodshedmeansnothing.
[D]everything.
3.Itcanbeinferredthattrulyreasonablemen
[A]can'tgetahearing.
[B]arelookeddownupon.
[C]arepersecuted.
[D]Havedifficultyinadvocatinglawenforcement.
4."Hewasnonethewiser"means
[A]hewasnotatallwiseinlistening.
[B]Hewasnotatallwiserthannothingbefore.
[C]Hegainsnothingafterlistening.
[D]Hemakesnosenseoftheargument.
5.Accordingtheauthorthebestwaytosolveraceprejudiceis
[A]lawenforcement.
[B]knowledge.
[C]nonviolence.
[D]Moppinguptheviolentmess.
TEXTA
Wehadbeenwantingtoexpandourchildren'shorizonsbytakingthemtoaplacethatwasunlikeanythingwe'dbeenexposedtoduringourtravelsinEuropeandtheUnitedStates.InthinkingaboutwhatwaspossiblefromGeneva,wherewearebased,wedecidedonatriptoIstanbul,atwo-hourplaneridefromZurich.
Weenvisionedthetripasapreludetomoreexoticones,perhapstoNewDelhiorBangkoklaterthisyear,butthoughtour11-and13-year-oldsneededafirststepawayfrommanicuredboulevardsandpristinemonuments.
Whatwedidn'tforeseewasthereactionoffriends,whowarnedthatwewereputtingourchildren"indanger,"referringvaguely,andmostincorrectly,todisease,terrorismorjusttheunknown.TohelpusgetacquaintedwiththepeculiaritiesofIstanbulandtogiveourchildrenachancetochoosewhattheywereparticularlyinterestedinseeing,weboughtanexcellentguidebookandreaditthoroughlybeforeleaving.Friendlywarningsdidn'tchangeourplanning,althoughwemighthavemoreprudentlycheckedwiththeU.S.StateDepartment'slistoftroublespots.Wedidn'tseealotofchildrenamongtheforeignvisitorsduringoursix-daystayinIstanbul,butwefoundthetouristareasquitesafe,veryinterestingandvariedenougheventosuitourson,whoseoft-repeatedrequestisthatwenotsee"everysingle"churchandmuseuminagivencity.
Vaccinationsweren'tneededforthecity,butwewereconcemedaboutadaptingtothewaterforashortstay.Soweusedbottledwaterfordrinkingandbrushingourteeth,aprecautionthatmayseemexcessive,butweallstayedhealthy.Takingtheadviceofafriend,webookedahotela20-minutewalkfrommostofIstanbul'smajortouristsites.Thisnotonlygotussomemorningexercise,strollingovertheKarakoyBridge,buttookuspastacolorfulassortmentoffishermen,vendorsandshoeshiners.Fromateenagerandpre-teen'sview,Istanbulstreetlifeisfascinatingsincealmosteverythingcanbeboughtoutdoors.TheywereatagoodagetospendtimewanderingthelabyrinthoftheSpiceBazaar,whereshopsdisplaymoundsofpungentherbsinsacks.Doingthiswithyoungerchildrenwouldbehardersimplybecausethestreetsaresopackedwithpeople;itwouldbeeasytogetlost.
Forourtwo,whosebuyingexperienceconsistedofdepartmentstoresandshoppingmallboutiques(13题答案D的出处),itwasamazingtodiscoverthatyoucouldbargainoverpriceandperhapsendupwithtwoofsomethingforthepriceofone.TheyalsolearnedtofigureouttherelativevalueoftheTurkishlira,notasmallmatterwithitsmanyzeros.
BeingexposedtoIslamwasanimportantpartofourtrip.Visitingthemosques,especiallytheenormousBlueMosque,wasourfirstglimpseintohowthismajorreligionispracticed.Ourchildren'scuriosityalreadyhadbeenpiquedbythefivedailycallstoprayeroverloudspeakersineverycornerofthecity,andthescarvescoveringtheheadsofmanywomen.Navigatingmealscanbetroublesomewithchildren,butakebab,boughtonthestreetorinrestaurants,wasunfailinglypopular.Sincewehaddecidedthistripwasnotforgourmets,kebabssparedustheagonyoftryingtofindarestauranteachdaythatwouldsuittheadults'desiretotrysomethingnewamidchildren'sinsistencethatthefoodbeservedimmediately.Gradually,webranchedouttotrysomeotherTurkishspecialties.AlthoughoursonhadstudiedIslambriefly,itisimpossibletobepreparedforeveryawkwardquestionthatmightcomeup,suchasduringourvisitstotheTopkapiSarayi,theOttomanSultans'palace.Noguideswereavailablesoitwasdo-it-yourself,usingourguidebook,whichcheatedusofalotofinterestinghistoryandanecdotesthataprofessionalguidecouldprovide.Nexttime,weresolvedtomakesucharrangementsinadvance.
Onthistrip,wewanderedthroughthemagnificentcomplex,withitsimperialtreasures,itscourtyardsanditsharem.Thelastrequiredabitofexplanationthatwewouldhavehappilylef~toalearnedthirdparty.
11.ThecouplechoseIstanbulastheirholidaydestinationmainlybecause
A.thecityisnottoofarawayfromwheretheylived.
B.thecityisnotonthelistoftheU.S.StateDepartment.
C.thecityisbetweenthefamiliarandtheexotic.
D.thecityismorefamiliarthanexotic.
12.WhichofthefollowingstatementsisINCORRECT?
A.Thefamilyfoundthecitywasexactlywhattheyhadexpected.
B.Theirfriendswereopposedtotheirholidayplan.
C.Theycouldhavebeenmorecautiousaboutbringingkidsalong.
D.Theywereabitcautiousaboutthequalityofwaterinthecity.
13.Welearnfromthecouple'sshoppingexperiencebackhomethat
A.theywereusedtobargainingoverprice.
B.theypreferredtobuythingsoutdoors.
C.streetmarketsweretheirfavourite.
D.theypreferredfashionandbrandnames.
14.ThelasttwoparagraphssuggestthattovisitplacesofinterestinIstanbul
A.guidebooksareveryuseful.
B.aprofessionalguideisamust.
C.onehastobepreparedforquestions.
D.onehastomakearrangementsinadvance.
15.ThefamilyhaveseenorvisitedallthefollowinginIstanbulEXCEPT
A.religiousprayers.
B.historicalbuildings.
C.local-stylemarkets.
D.shoppingmallboutiques.
TEXTB
Lastmonththefirstbaby-boomersturned60.Thebulkygenerationbornbetween1946and1964isheadingtowardsretirement.Thelooming"demographiccliff"willseevastnumbersofskilledworkersdispatchedfromthelabourforce.
Theworkforceisageingacrosstherichworld.WithintheEUthenumberofworkersagedbetween50and64willincreaseby25%overthenexttwodecades,whilethoseaged20-29willdecreaseby20%.InJapanalmost20%ofthepopulationisalreadyover65,thehighestshareintheworld.AndintheUnitedStatesthenumberofworkersaged55-64willhaveincreasedbymorethanhalfinthisdecade,atthesametimeasthe35-to44-year-oldsdeclineby10%.
Giventhatmostsocietiesaregearedtoretirementataround65,companieshavealoomingproblemofknow