5.King Juan Carlos of Spain once insisted"kings don't give up the throne(王位),they die in their sleep."But embarrassing scandals and the popularity of the republican left in the recent Euro-elections have forced him to eat his words and stand down.So does the Spanish crisis suggest that monarchy(君主制) is seeing its last days?Does that mean the writing is on the wall for all European royals,with their magnificent uniforms and majestic lifestyles?
The Spanish case provides arguments both for and against monarchy.When public opinion is particularly polarized,as it was following the end of the Franco regime,monarchs can rise above mere politics and symbolize a spirit of national unity.
It is this apparent transcendence(超越) of politics that explains monarchs continuing popularity as heads of state.And so,the Middle East excepted,Europe is the most monarch-filled region in the world,with 10kingdoms (not counting Vatican City and Andorra).Most royal families have survived because they allow voters to avoid the difficult search for a non-controversial but respected public figure.
Even so,kings and queens undoubtedly have a downside.Symbolic of national unity as they claim to be,their very history and sometimes the way they behave today symbolizes outdated and indefensible privileges and inequalities.At a time when Thomas Piketty and other economists are warning of rising inequality and the increasing power of inherited wealth,it is strange that wealthy noble families should still be the symbolic heart of modern democratic(民主的)states.
The most successful monarchies try their best to abandon or hide their old noble ways.Princes and princesses have day-jobs and ride bicycles,not horses (or helicopters).Even so,these are wealthy families who party with the international 1%,and media interference makes it increasingly difficult to maintain the right image.
32.According to the first two paragraphs,King Juan Carlos of SpainD
A.used to enjoy high public support
B.was unpopular among European royals
C.eased his relationship with his rivals
D.gave up his throne in embarrassment
33.Monarchs are kept as heads of state in Europe mostlyA
A.owing to their undoubted and respectable status
B.to achieve a balance between tradition and reality
C.to give voters more public figures to look up to
D.due to their everlasting political symbolizing
34.Which of the following is shown to be strange,according to Paragraph 4?B
A.The noble families'excessive dependence on inherited wealth
B.The role of the nobility in modern democracies
C.The simple lifestyle of the noble families
D.The nobility's sticking to their privileges
35.Which of the following is the best title of the text?C
A.Carlos,a good example of All European Monarchs
B.Europe,the most monarch-filled region in the world
C.Carlos,a Lesson for All European Monarchs
D.Europe,symbolic heart of modern democracy.
分析 本文屬于議論文,用西班牙國王Carlos退位一事開篇,展開了對君主制是窮途末路的探討,并著重分析了歐洲各國當(dāng)下君主制的優(yōu)劣勢.
解答 32-35 DABC
32 D 細節(jié)題. 根據(jù)文章第一 段 embarrassing scandals and the popularity of the republican left in the recent Euro-elections have forced him to eat his words and stand down.可知尷尬的丑聞和共和的風(fēng)行結(jié)束了Carlos退位,故選D.
33 A 細節(jié)題. 根據(jù)文章第三 段 they allow voters to avoid the difficult search for a non-controversial but respected public figure.可知歐洲國家王室留下來的原因是他們可以讓選民們不用去艱苦地尋找一個不受爭議、受到尊敬的公眾人物的形象,給選民以精神寄托,故選A.
34 B 細節(jié)題. 根據(jù)文章第四 段wealthy noble families should still be the symbolic heart of modern democratic(民主的)states. 可知有錢的貴族家庭居然仍然是現(xiàn)代民主國家的核心象征,故選B.
35 C 主旨大意題. 通讀全文可知全文用西班牙國王Carlos退位一事開篇,展開了對君主制是窮途末路的探討,并著重分析了歐洲各國當(dāng)下君主制的優(yōu)劣勢.故選C.
點評 細節(jié)事實理解題主要考查考生對文章中某一些特定細節(jié)或文章的重要實事的理解能力.它一般包括直接理解題和語義理解題兩種.直接理解題的答案與原文直接掛鉤,從閱讀材料中可以找到.這種題難度低,只要學(xué)生讀懂文章,就能得分,屬于低層次題.而語義理解題須將題目信息與原文相關(guān)信息進行語義上的轉(zhuǎn)換才能得出結(jié)論.這類題目要求考生能理解原文中某個短語或句子的含義,從而找到與答案意思相同的詞語和句子.