英语专八阅读练习

In some countries where racial prejudice is acute,violence has so come to be taken for granted as ameans of solving differences, that it is not evenquestioned. There are countries where the white manimposes his rule by brute force; there are countrieswhere the black man protests by setting fire tocities and by looting and pillaging. Important peopleon both sides, who would in other respects appear to be reasonable men, get up and calmly arguein favor of violence – as if it were a legitimate solution, like any other. What is reallyfrightening, what really fills you with despair, is the realization that when it comes to thecrunch, we have made no actual progress at all. We may wear collars and ties instead of war-paint, but our instincts remain basically unchanged. The whole of the recorded history of thehuman race, that tedious documentation of violence, has taught us absolutely nothing. Wehave still not learnt that violence never solves a problem but makes it more acute. The sheerhorror, the bloodshed, the suffering mean nothing. No solution ever comes to light the morningafter when we dismally contemplate the smoking ruins and wonder what hit us.

The truly reasonable men who know where the solutions lie are finding it harder and herder toget a hearing. They are despised, mistrusted and even persecuted by their own kind because theyadvocate such apparently outrageous things as law enforcement. If half the energy that goes intoviolent acts were put to good use, if our efforts were directed at cleaning up the slums andghettos, at improving living-standards and providing education and employment for all, we wouldhave gone a long way to arriving at a solution. Our strength is sapped by having to mop up themess that violence leaves in its wake. In a well-directed effort, it would not be impossibleto fulfill the ideals of a stable social programme. The benefits that can be derived fromconstructive solutions are everywhere apparent in the world around us. Genuine and lastingsolutions are always possible, providing we work within the framework of the law.

Before we can even begin to contemplate peaceful co-existence between the races, we mustappreciate each other's problems. And to do this, we must learn about them: it is a simpleexercise in communication, in exchanging information. "Talk, talk, talk," the advocates ofviolence say, "all you ever do is talk, and we are none the wiser." It's rather like the storyof the famous barrister who painstakingly explained his case to the judge. After listening to alengthy argument the judge complained that after all this talk, he was none the wiser. "Possible, my lord," the barrister replied, "none the wiser, but surely far better informed."Knowledge is the necessary prerequisite to wisdom: the knowledge that violence creates theevils it pretends to solve.

1. What is the best title for this passage?

[A] Advocating Violence.

[B] Violence Can Do Nothing to Diminish Race Prejudice.

[C] Important People on Both Sides See Violence As a Legitimate Solution.

[D] The Instincts of Human Race Are Thirsty for Violence.

2. Recorded history has taught us

[A] violence never solves anything.

[B] nothing.

[C] the bloodshed means nothing.

[D] everything.

3. It can be inferred that truly reasonable men

[A] can't get a hearing.

[B] are looked down upon.

[C] are persecuted.

[D] Have difficulty in advocating law enforcement.

4. "He was none the wiser" means

[A] he was not at all wise in listening.

[B] He was not at all wiser than nothing before.

[C] He gains nothing after listening.

[D] He makes no sense of the argument.

5. According the author the best way to solve race prejudice is

[A] law enforcement.

[B] knowledge.

[C] nonviolence.

[D] Mopping up the violent mess.

1.What is really frightening, what really fills youwith despair is the realization that when it comes tothe crunch, we have made no actual progress at all.

when it comes to the crunch = when / ifthe decisive moment comes.当关键时刻来到时。

真正令人可怖的，令人绝望的是，在关键时刻，人们意识到我们一点儿也没有进步/前进。

2.Our strength is sapped by having to mop up the mess that violence leaves in its wake.

in the wake of 在…之后。

由于我们不得不清理掉暴力之后所留下的烂摊子，我们的力量因此削弱了。

3.After listening to a lengthy argument the judge complained that after all this talk, he wasnone the wiser.

none + the + 比较级。固定用法，义：not at all 一点儿也不。EX: After the treatment, heis none the better.治疗后，他并没有因此见好，(一点儿也不见好)。

听了律师的长篇解释，法官抱怨说他一无所获，并不因此变得聪明些。

4. Knowledge is the necessary prerequisite to wisdom.

知识是智慧的必要的先决条件。结合上下文这里意思是：了解情况是解决问题的先决条件。句子后面的解释：知识是指了解它欲以解决暴力制造的恶行。

1.B

暴力难以消除种族偏见。文章一开始就提出有些国家种族偏见严重，而暴力却是公认的一种解决方法。白人采用暴力镇压，黑人以防火、掠抢为反抗。而双方的大人物平静地论及暴力，似乎这是一种合法的解决方案。作者就此指出人类的进步只在于表面――衣饰等，人类的本能没有改变。整个有记录历史的文件没有教会人类任何东西。这是真正令人可怕的事件。第二段论及真正有理智的懂得解决方案所在的人鼓吹法制，人们不停。他们反而收到轻视、迫害。作者就此提出假设，答出真正的解决方案嗜法制，以法治理。第三段进一步说明“交流、对话”是了解双方问题的前提，即使暴力者不同意，但知道暴力制造它假装要解决的罪恶，是智慧聪明的必要前提。

A.鼓吹暴力。C.双方重要人物都把暴力作为合法的解决方案。D. 人类的本性是嗜暴性。

2.B

没有什么。第一段中就明确提出整个人类有记录历史又长又臭的暴力文件记录，一点都没有教给我们任何东西。

A.暴力解决不了任何事情。C.杀戮(流血)没有任何意义。D.一切。

3.D

在鼓吹法制方面有困难。答案在第二段，真正有理智的人鼓吹法制，遭到同类们的轻视、不信任和迫害。他们发现要人倾听他们的意见越来越困难。

A.人们不听。B.遭人轻视。C.遭人迫害。这三项都包含在D项内。

4.C

听后无所得。None the wiser一点也不比以前聪明(这是按字面翻译)。实际就是C项。

A.在倾听别人上他一点也不聪明。B.他和以前一个样。D.他听不懂论点。

5.A

法制。第二段最后一句，如果我们在法律的构架中进行工作，真正的持久的解决总是能实现的。第二段第二句，他们遭到迫害是因为他们鼓吹法制这种显然令人不能容忍的事。

B.知识。C.非暴力。D.处理暴力带来的混乱。