英语100篇精读荟萃.doc

英语100篇精读汇粹（基础篇）【type by simon（8029）】Passage one（The only way to travel is on foot）The past ages of man have all been carefully labeled by anthropologists. Descriptions like Palaeolithic Man, Neolithic Man, etc., neatly sum up whole periods. When the time comes for anthropologists to turn their attention to the twentieth century, they will surely choose the label Legless Man. Histories of the time will go something like this: in the twentieth century, people forgot how to use their legs. Men and women moved about in cars, buses and trains from a very early age. There were lifts and escalators in all large buildings to prevent people from walking. This situation was forced upon earth dwellers of that time because of miles each day. But the surprising thing is that they didnt use their legs even when they went on holiday. They built cable railways, ski-lifts and roads to the top of every huge mountain. All the beauty spots on earth were marred by the presence of large car parks. The future history books might also record that we were deprived of the use of our eyes. In our hurry to get from one place to another, we failed to see anything on the way. Air travel gives you a birds-eye view of the world or even less if the wing of the aircraft happens to get in your way. When you travel by car or train a blurred image of the countryside constantly smears the windows. Car drivers, in particular, are forever obsessed with the urge to go on and on: they never want to stop. Is it the lure of the great motorways, or what? And as for sea travel, it hardly deserves mention. It is perfectly summed up in the words of the old song: I joined the navy to see the world, and what did I see? I saw the sea. The typical twentieth-century traveler is the man who always says Ive been there. You mention the remotest, most evocative place-names in the world like El Dorado, Kabul, Irkutsk and someone is bound to say Ive been there meaning, I drove through it at 100 miles an hour on the way to somewhere else. When you travel at high speeds, the present means nothing: you live mainly in the future because you spend most of your time looking forward to arriving at some other place. But actual arrival, when it is achieved, is meaningless. You want to move on again. By traveling like this, you suspend all experience; the present ceases to be a reality: you might just as well be dead. The traveler on foot, on the other hand, lives constantly in the present. For him traveling and arriving are one and the same thing: he arrives somewhere with every step he makes. He experiences the present moment with his eyes, his ears and the whole of his body. At the end of his journey he feels a delicious physical weariness. He knows that sound. Satisfying sleep will be his: the just reward of all true travellers.1、Anthorpologists label nowadays men Legless becauseA people forget how to use his legs.B people prefer cars, buses and trains.C lifts and escalators prevent people from walking.D there are a lot of transportation devices.2、Travelling at high speed meansA peoples focus on the future.B a pleasure.C satisfying drivers great thrill.D a necessity of life.3、Why does the author say we are deprived of the use of our eyes ?A People wont use their eyes.B In traveling at high speed, eyes become useless.C People cant see anything on his way of travel.D People want to sleep during travelling.4、What is the purpose of the author in writing this passage?A Legs become weaker.B Modern means of transportation make the world a small place.C There is no need to use eyes.D The best way to travel is on foot.5. What does a birds-eye view mean?A See view with birds eyes.B A bird looks at a beautiful view.C It is a general view from a high position looking down.D A scenic place.VOCABULARY1. Palaeolithic 旧石器时代的2. Neolithic 新石器时代的3. escalator 自动电梯，自动扶梯4. ski-lift 载送滑雪者上坡的装置5. mar 损坏，毁坏6. blur 模糊不清，朦胧7. smear 涂，弄脏，弄模糊（尤指画面、轮廓等）8. evocative 引起回忆的，唤起感情的9. El Dorado (由当时西班牙征服者想象中的南美洲)黄金国，宝山，富庶之乡10. Kabul 喀布尔（阿富汗首都）11. Irkutsk 伊尔库茨克（原苏联亚洲城市）难句译注与答案详解The only way to travel is on foot 旅游的唯一方法是走路难句译注1. Air travel gives you a birds-eye view of the world or even if the wing of the aircraft happens to get in your way.【参考译文】飞机旅行，你只可俯视世界如果机翼碰巧挡住了你的视线，就看得更少了。2. When you travel by car or train a blurred image of the country-side constantly smears the windows.【参考译文】如果乘车或火车旅行，郊外模糊朦胧的景象不断地掠过窗口。写作方法与文章大意文章以因果写作方法，写出了由于种种现代化交通设施、人们不需用脚走路，甚至也不需要用眼看景，出门就坐汽车、公交车、地铁、飞机，车、机速度飞快，外边的景物难以看清，最终导致人们忘记用脚、用眼成为“无脚之人”。一切都经历不到。作者建议最佳的旅游方法是徒步经历现实。答案详解1 A 人们忘了用脚。答案在第一段：人类学家把以往年代的人们分别标上旧石器时代、新石器时代人，等等。干脆利落地总结了一个时期。当他们转向20世纪，他们肯定会标上“无脚的人”。因为在20世纪，人们忘了如何用脚走路。男人女人早年外出就坐车、公共汽车、火车。大楼里由电梯、自动扶梯，不需要人们走路。即使度假期间，他们也不用脚。他们筑有缆车道、滑雪载车和路直通山顶。所有的风景旅游区都有大型的汽车停车场。B 人们喜欢汽车、公交车、火车等。 C 电梯、自动扶梯制止人们走路。 D 有许多交通运输工具。2 A 人们的注意力在未来。见最后一段第一句话：当你高速旅行，现在等于零，你主要生活在未来，因为你大部分时间盯在前面到达的某个地方。真到了，又没有意义了，你还要再向前进。B 是一种欢乐。 C 满足司机强烈的渴望。第二段中提及死机醉心于开车、不停车但不是快速前进着眼于未来。 D 生活的需要。这一条在第一段中提及这种情况是因为他们那异常的生活方法强加给时代的居民。这是指不用脚走路，而用一切代步器交通运输工具，不是开快车。3 C 人们在旅行途中什么都见不到。答案在第二段，由一地转向另一地，路上你什么都没有见到。乘飞机你只能俯视世界，火车，汽车，只见外界朦胧景象掠过窗子。海上旅游，只见到海。“我到过那里”此话含义就是“我以一小时一百英里在去某某地方时经过那里”。正因为如此，作者指出将来的历史书上会记录下：我们被剥夺了眼睛的应用。A 人们不愿用眼睛。 B 在高速旅行中，眼睛没有用了。 D 旅行中，人们想睡觉。4 D 旅行的最佳方式是走路。文章第一段、第二段分别讲述了旅行可不用脚、不用眼等情况。第三段，在讲述了人们只知向前向前，一切经历都停滞，现实不再是现实，还不如死的好。而用脚走路的旅行者总是生活再现实，对他来说旅行和到达是一回事，他一步一步走到某地，他用眼睛、耳朵，以至整个身体去体验现在时刻、旅行终点，他感到全身舒坦愉悦的疲劳，美美享受满足的酣睡；一切真正旅行者的真实报偿。这一段就是作者写文章的目的走路是旅行的最佳方式。A 脚变得软弱无力。 B 现代交通工具把世界变小。 C 没有必要用眼睛。5 C 从高出向下看的景致：俯视。A 用鸟的眼睛看景点。 B 鸟在看美景。 D 风景点。Passage two (Vicious and Dangerous Sports Should be Banned by Law)When you think of the tremendous technological progress we have made, its amazing how little we have developed in other respects. We may speak contemptuously of the poor old Romans because they relished the orgies of slaughter that went on in their arenas. We may despise them because they mistook these goings on for entertainment. We may forgive them condescendingly because they lived 2000 years ago and obviously knew no better. But are our feelings of superiority really justified? Are we any less blood-thirsty? Why do boxing matches, for instance, attract such universal interest? Dont the spectators who attend them hope they will see some violence? Human beings remains as bloodthirsty as ever they were. The only difference between ourselves and the Romans is that while they were honest enough to admit that they enjoyed watching hungey lions tearing people apart and eating them alive, we find all sorts of sophisticated arguments to defend sports which should have been banned long age; sports which are quite as barbarous as, say, public hangings or bearbaiting.It really is incredible that in this day and age we should still allow hunting or bull-fighting, that we should be prepared to sit back and watch two men batter each other to pulp in a boxing ring, that we should be relatively unmoved by the sight of one or a number of racing cars crashing and bursting into flames. Let us not deceive ourselves. Any talk of the sporting spirit is sheer hypocrisy. People take part in violent sports because of the high rewards they bring. Spectators are willing to pay vast sums of money to see violence. A world heavyweight championship match, for instance, is front page news. Millions of people are disappointed if a big fight is over in two rounds instead of fifteen. They feel disappointment because they have been deprived of the exquisite pleasure of witnessing prolonged torture and violence.Why should we ban violent sports if people enjoy them so much? You may well ask. The answer is simple: they are uncivilized. For centuries man has been trying to improve himself spiritually and emotionally admittedly with little success. But at least we no longer tolerate the sight madmen cooped up in cages, or public floggings of any of the countless other barbaric practices which were common in the past. Prisons are no longer the grim forbidding places they used to be. Social welfare systems are in operation in many parts of the world. Big efforts are being made to distribute wealth fairly. These changes have come about not because human beings have suddenly and unaccountably improved, but because positive steps were taken to change the law. The law is the biggest instrument of social change that we have and it may exert great civilizing influence. If we banned dangerous and violent sports, we would be moving one step further to improving mankind. We would recognize that violence is degrading and unworthy of human beings.1. It can be inferred from the passage that the authors opinion of nowadays human beings is A. not very high. B. high.C. contemptuous.D. critical.2. The main idea of this passage is A. vicious and dangerous sports should be banned by law.B. people are willing to pay vast sums money to see violence.C. to compare two different attitudes towards dangerous sports.D. people are bloodthirsty in sports.3. That the author mentions the old Romans isA. To compare the old Romans with todays people.B. to give an example.C. to show human beings in the past know nothing better.D. to indicate human beings are used to bloodthirsty.4. How many dangerous sports does the author mention in this passage?A. Three.B. Five.C. Six.D. Seven.5. The purpose of the author in writing this passage isA. that, by banning the violent sports, we human beings can improve our selves.B. that, by banning the dangerous sports, we can improve the law.C. that we must take positive steps to improve social welfare system.D. to show law is the main instrument of social change.Vocabulary1. relish 从获得乐处，享受2. orgy 狂欢，放纵3. arena 竞技场，活动或斗争的场所4. blood-thirsty 残忍的，嗜血的 5. bear-baiting 逗熊游戏6. bull-fight 斗牛7. batter 猛击，连续地猛打/捶，乱打8. pulp 成纸浆，成软块9. burst into flames 突然燃烧起来/着火10. grim 令人窒息的，简陋的11. coop up 把关起来难句译注1. bear-baiting 逗熊游戏。这是一种十六、十七世纪流行于英国的游戏驱狗去咬绑着的熊，很残忍，后被禁止。2. two men batter each other to pulp in the boxing ring. 【结构简析】batter one to pulp = beat one to a pulp 狠揍某人，打瘫某人 【参考译文】两个人在拳击场内彼此狠揍，知道一个人被打倒在地，爬不起来。3. unmoved by the sight of one or a number of racing cars crashing and bursting into flames. 【参考译文】眼见一辆或多辆赛车相互撞击，突然烧起来而无动于衷。4. A world heavy weight championship match is front page news. 【参考译文】世界重量级冠军赛总是头版头条新闻。写作方法与文章大意 作者采取先对比、后分析的写作手法。先是今人和古罗马人对暴虐体育上对此两者都欣赏。后者坦率成人“欣赏暴力体育”，前者施以各种接口、实际都是嗜血成性者。第二段进一步剖析今人欣赏暴虐体育的种种实例，最后指出改善“暴虐”的根本嗜为改善法律采取积极的步骤，法律才能施以巨大的文明影响，否则人类很难改变。答案详解1. A. 不太高。文章一开始就点出科技巨大进步，而其他方面进展很少。人们以轻蔑的口气谈及可怜的古罗马人，因为他们欣赏竞技场上的屠杀。我们轻视他们，因为他们把这些屠杀视为娱乐。我们可以降阶/屈尊地谅解他们，因为他们生活在2000年前，显然，对好的东西不知道。在这里作者反问，我们的优越感是否正确呢？我们的嗜血性是不是少一些？为什么拳击比赛吸引那么许多人？在场的观赏者（观众）是不是也希望看到一些暴力呢？结论是：人类和过去一样残忍。唯一的不同点在于古罗马人很诚实，他们承认他们欣赏观看饥饿的狮子把人撕碎，活生生吃掉，而我们会找出各种精辟的理由来保卫早该制止的运动。第二段举出具体例子，如斗牛、拳击中把人打瘫在地、车赛中，车子碰撞起火，人们就坐在那里观看欣赏，参赛者是为了高报酬，观众付出大笔钱财是为了看到暴力。作者指出任何体育精神的说法纯粹是虚伪。如果一场打比赛（世界重量级冠军赛），两轮而不是十五轮就告结束，成千上百万人们会感到失望这些都证明人的卑下，不文明。这两段似乎也证明作者的观点应该是C项蔑视的。但在第三段谈及，好几个世纪以来，人们一直试图在精神上和情感上改善自己，又得承认不怎么成功。可至少我们不再容忍疯人禁锢于笼中，当众鞭挞，以及其他许多过去普遍存在的野蛮行径。监狱也不再是过去那种令人窒息的禁锢之地，社会福利制度在全世界许多地方推行。在财富公平分配上也作了很大的努力。这些变化的出现不是因为人突然改善，而是在改变法律上采取了 积极的步骤。如果我们禁止危险的暴力体育项目，那么我们在改善人类方面又前进了一步。我们会认识暴力是人类的堕落和卑下（人类不应有的）。从这段来看，作者对人类还抱有希望，不是很蔑视。所以选A项。2. A. 法律应禁止堕落而又危险的体育项目。见第一题注释。作者从古罗马人欣赏残忍的体育项目说起，点出现代人也是嗜血成性，喜欢暴力体育项目。这是不文明，是堕落。必须制止，而法律是我们社会改革最强大的工具，它可应用，发挥强大的文明影响（第三段倒数第三句）B. 人们愿意支付巨大款项来观看暴力。这是作者说明“嗜血成性”的具体内容之一。C. 对比对危险体育项目不同的态度。这里没有对比。D.人类嗜血成性。这是作者认为人们为什么欣赏危险残忍体育项目的根源。3. D. 人们在体育上习惯于“嗜血成性”，过去是，现在仍然是，不同点只是前者坦直承认，后者婉转掩饰。见第一题注释。A. 把古罗马人和现代人对比。这项没有说明对比什么。B. 给出一个例子。太抽象。C. 说明过去人类不太知道更美好的东西，这两项都没有到位。4. B. 5个。作者提到逗熊游戏；斗牛；车赛；拳击；人狮斗。至于当众鞭挞和绞刑不能称作体育活动。5. A. 通过制止野蛮体育项目，我们能改善人类自身。这在第三段讲的最透彻，见第一题和第二题注释。B. 通过制止野蛮体育活动，我们能改善法律，不完全对。作者明确指出要用法律来禁止野蛮体育项目。C. 我们必须采取积极步骤来改善社会福利体制。D. 去表明法律是社会变革的主要工具。Passage three(Advertisers Perform a Useful Service to the Community)Advertisers tend to think big and perhaps this is why theyre always coming in for criticism. Their critics seem to resent them because they have a flair for self-promotion and because they have so much money to throw around. Its iniquitous, they say, that this entirely unproductive industry (if we can call it that) should absorb millions of pounds each year. It only goes to show how much profit the big companies are making. Why dont they stop advertising and reduce the price of their goods? After all, its the consumer who paysThe poor old consumer! Hed have to pay a great deal more if advertising didnt create mass markets for products. It is precisely because of the heavy advertising that consumer goods are so cheap. But we get the wrong idea if we think the only purpose of advertising is to sell goods. Another equally important function is to inform. A great deal of the knowledge we have about household goods derives largely from the advertisements we read. Advertisements introduce us to new products or remind us of the existence of ones we already know about. Supposing you wanted to buy a washing machine, it is more than likely you would obtain details regarding performance, price, etc., from an advertisement.Lots of people pretend that they never read advertisements, but this claim may be seriously doubted. It is hardly possible not to read advertisements these days. And what fun they often are, too! Just think what a railway station or a newspaper would be like without advertisements. Would you enjoy gazing at a blank wall or reading railway byelaws while waiting for a train? Would you like to read only closely printed columns of news in your daily paper? A cheerful, witty advertisement makes such a difference to a drab wall or a newspaper full of the daily ration of calamities.We must not forget, either, that advertising makes a positive contribution to our pockets. Newspapers, commercial radio and television companies could not subsist without this source of revenue. The fact that we pay so little for our daily paper, or can enjoy so many broadcast programmes is due entirely to the money spent by advertisers. Just think what a newspaper would cost if we had to pay its full price!Another thing we mustnt forget is the small ads. which are in virtually every newspaper and magazine. What a tremendously useful service they perform for the community! Just about anything can be accomplished through these columns. For instance, you can find a job, buy or sell a house, announce a birth, marriage or death in what used to be called the hatch, match and dispatch column but by far the most fascinating section is the personal or agony column. No other item in a newspaper pr