英語四級難度提升閱讀訓(xùn)練 Text 25

Text 25

If ambition is to be well regarded, the rewards of ambition — wealth, distinction, control over one's destiny — must be deemed worthy of the sacrifices made on ambition's behalf. If the tradition of ambition is to have vitality, it must be widely shared; and it especially must be highly regarded by people who are themselves admired, the educated not least among them. In an odd way, however, it is the educated who have claimed to have given up on ambition as an ideal. What is odd is that they have perhaps most benefited from ambition — if not always their own then that of their parents and grandparents. There is a heavy note of hypocrisy in this, a case of closing the barn door after the horses have escaped — with the educated themselves riding on them.

Certainly people do not seem less interested in success and its signs now than formerly. Summer homes, European travel, BMWs — the locations, place names and name brands may change, but such items do not seem less in demand today than a decade or two years ago. What has happened is that people cannot confess fully to their dreams, as easily and openly as once they could, lest they be thought pushing, acquisitive and vulgar. Instead, we are treated to fine hypocritical spectacles, which now more than ever seem in ample supply: the critic of American materialism with a Southampton summer home; the publisher of radical books who takes his meals in three-star restaurants; the journalist advocating participatory democracy in all phases of life, whose own children are enrolled in private schools. For such people and many more perhaps not so exceptional, the proper formulation is, "Succeed at all costs but avoid appearing ambitious."

The attacks on ambition are many and come from various angles; its public defenders are few and unimpressive, while they are not extremely unattractive. As a result, the support for ambition as a healthy impulse, a quality to be admired and fixed in the mind of the young, is probably lower than it has ever been in the United States. This does not mean that ambition is at an end, that people no longer feel its stirrings and promptings, but only that, no longer openly honored, it is less openly underground, or made sly. Such, then, is the way things stand: on the left angry critics, on the right stupid supporters, and in the middle, as usual, the majority of earnest people trying to get on in life.

1.It is generally believed that ambition may be well regarded if_______.

A.its returns well compensate for the sacrifices

B.it is rewarded with money, fame and power

C.its goals are spiritual rather than material

D.it is shared by the rich and the famous

2.The last sentence of the first paragraph most probably implies that it is_______.

A.customary of the educated to discard ambition in words

B.too late to check ambition once it has been let out

C.dishonest to deny ambition after the fulfillment of the goal

D.impractical for the educated to enjoy benefits from ambition

3.Some people do not openly admit they have ambition because_______.

A.they think of it as immoral

B.their pursuits are not fame or wealth

C.ambition is not closely related to material benefits

D.they do not want to appear greedy and contemptible

4.From the last paragraph the conclusion can be drawn that ambition should be maintained_______.

A.secretly and vigorously　B.openly and enthusiastically

C.easily and momentarily　D.verbally and spiritually

5.Which is the attitude of the author to the ambition?

A.Indifferent.　B.Critical.　C.Positive.　D.Neutral.

長難例句分析

［長難例句］What has happened is that people cannot confess fully to their dreams, as easily and openly as once they could, lest they be thought pushing, acquisitive and vulgar.

［結(jié)構(gòu)分析］主語從句What has happened在句中充當(dāng)主語成分。that引導(dǎo)了一個表語從句。lest引導(dǎo)的狀語從句常用“should+動詞原形”或動詞原形。

［參考譯文］有所改變的就是，人們不能夠像過去那樣輕松地、公開地表露自己的理想，以免別人說自己愛出風(fēng)頭、貪得無厭以及沒有品味。

全文參考譯文

壯志雄心若要受到重視，那它所帶來的回報——財富、榮譽以及對命運的掌握——必須讓人們認為為之作出犧牲是值得的。壯志雄心的傳統(tǒng)若要散發(fā)活力，那就應(yīng)當(dāng)?shù)玫饺藗兊膹V泛認可；尤其應(yīng)得到那些受人羨慕之士的高度重視，特別是受過良好教育的人。可正是那些受過良好教育的人卻奇怪地聲稱，他們已經(jīng)不再把豪情壯志當(dāng)做理想。但奇怪的是，他們已從豪情壯志中獲得很大好處，如果不是自己的壯志雄心，就是他們父母的和祖父母的。這話中顯然透著虛偽，如同馬跑后再讓大家關(guān)上馬房的門一樣，但那些受過良好教育的人卻正騎在那些逃跑的駿馬上。

情況是肯定的，現(xiàn)在人們對成功及其標(biāo)志的興趣好像并未比從前減少。避暑別墅、歐洲旅行及德國寶馬汽車——它們的位置、地點和商標(biāo)可能變化，但對這些東西的需求好像沒比十年前或兩年前減少。有所改變的就是，人們不再像過去那樣輕松地、公開地坦承自己的理想，害怕別人認為自己愛出風(fēng)頭、貪得無厭、俗不可耐。與之相反，我們?nèi)缃窨吹搅吮冗^去任何時候都多的虛假情況：美國物欲主義批評家在南安普敦擁有避暑別墅；激進圖書的出版商到三星級賓館吃飯；鼓吹分享民主制的新聞記者卻把自己的孩子送入私立學(xué)校。對于這些的人，還有很多與之相似的其他人來說，恰當(dāng)?shù)慕忉屖恰耙幌б磺写鷥r獲得成功，但避免顯示出野心勃勃”。

對壯志雄心的攻擊是很多的，并來自不同的角度；它的公開捍衛(wèi)者雖然并非特別沒有吸引力，但由于人數(shù)很少，所以并未給人們留下多深的印象。因此，人們不再像美國以前那樣稱贊豪情壯志是一種健康動力 ——一種應(yīng)該受人羨慕并在年輕人心中扎下根來的品質(zhì)。但這并不代表著豪情壯志已經(jīng)走投無路，人們不再感覺到它對人們的振蕩和激勵作用，只是，人們不再公開地引以為豪，更不愿坦然地承認了。當(dāng)然，這就導(dǎo)致了不良后果，其中一些就是要么豪情壯志被趕到了地下，要么埋在心底。因此，情況就成了這樣：左邊是氣憤的批評家，右邊是愚蠢的支持者，而中間通常是大多數(shù)認真而努力地在生活中追求成功的人。

題目答案與解析

1.大眾普遍認為，抱負可能受到高度重視，如若________。

A.它帶來的回報充分地補償了它所作出的犧牲

B.它以金錢、名譽和權(quán)勢作為回報

C.它的目標(biāo)是精神上的，不是物質(zhì)上的

D.它被富人和有名望者共同分享

【答案】A

【解析】本題可參照文章的第一段。從中可知，如果雄心壯志要受到重視的話，那么它所帶來的回報——財富、榮譽以及對自己命運的主宰——必須讓人們認為為它作出犧牲是值得的；雄心壯志的傳統(tǒng)若要激發(fā)活力，那么它就應(yīng)該得到人們的廣泛認可；尤其應(yīng)該得到那些受人羨慕之士的高度重視，特別是應(yīng)該得到那些受過教育的人們的高度重視。據(jù)此可知，要想雄心壯志受到高度重視，除非它所帶來的回報值得為它作出犧牲。A項與文中的意思相符，因此為正確答案。

2.第一段的最后一句話最可能暗示的是________。

A.口頭上摒棄抱負是受過教育者的習(xí)慣　B.一旦抱負被表露，要想抑制為時已晚

C.達到目的后否認抱負是不誠實的　　　D.受過教育者享受抱負帶來的好處不實際

【答案】C

【解析】本題可參照文章的第一段。從中可知，令人奇怪的是，正是那些受過教育的人聲稱，他們不再把抱負當(dāng)做理想了；而他們中的大部人可能已經(jīng)從抱負中獲得了利益——如果不是從他們自己的抱負中獲得了利益，那么就是從他們的父輩和祖父輩的抱負中獲得了利益；這話中顯然透著虛偽，如同馬跑后才讓大家去關(guān)馬廄門，而受過教育者自己正騎在馬上。據(jù)此可知，實現(xiàn)了理想后就否認自己有過抱負，顯然是虛偽之舉。C項與文章的意思相符，因此為正確答案。

3.一些人不公開承認他們有抱負的原因是________。

A.他們認為抱負不道德　　　　　　B.他們追求的不是名譽或財富

C.抱負與物質(zhì)利益沒有緊密的聯(lián)系　D.他們不希望顯得貪婪可鄙

【答案】D

【解析】本題可參照文章的第二段。從中可知，與過去相比，現(xiàn)在的人們對成功以及成功標(biāo)志的興趣似乎并沒有減少；別墅的位置、旅游的景點以及轎車的品牌可能會改變，但是，對這類東西的需求似乎并沒有減少；有所改變的就是，人們不再像過去那樣輕松、公開地坦承自己的夢想，他們這樣做是怕別人說自己愛出風(fēng)頭、貪得無厭、俗不可耐；于是，我們現(xiàn)在看到的虛偽現(xiàn)象似乎比以前任何時候都多；對于這樣的人以及更多類似的其他的人來說，恰當(dāng)?shù)慕忉屖恰安幌б磺写鷥r獲得成功，但避免顯示出野心勃勃”。據(jù)此可知，人們雖然有抱負，但卻不敢表露出來，因為他們擔(dān)心受到別人的指責(zé)。D項與文章的意思相符，因此為正確答案。

4.我們從最后一段可以總結(jié)出：應(yīng)該_______擁有抱負。

A.秘密、精力充沛地　B.公開、熱情地　C.輕松、暫時地　D.口頭、精神上地

【答案】B

【解析】本題可參照文章的最后一段，從中可知，對抱負的攻擊很多，這些攻擊來自于不同的角度；結(jié)果，在美國，人們不再像以前那樣把抱負看成是一種健康的動力，看成是一種應(yīng)該受到羨慕、應(yīng)該深深地扎根于年輕人心目中的品質(zhì)，因而對它的支持可能比以前少了；但這并不意味著人們沒有了抱負，并不意味著人們感受不到它對人的鼓舞和啟發(fā)了，只不過是人們不再公開以它為榮了，更不愿意公開表白它了；當(dāng)然，由此產(chǎn)生了一些后果，抱負或被迫轉(zhuǎn)入地下，或是被暗藏心中；于是，情況就成了這樣——左邊是憤怒的批評家，右邊是愚笨的支持者，而中間，通常是大多數(shù)認真而努力地在生活中追求著成功的人們。據(jù)此可知，作者認為人們應(yīng)該大膽、公開地追求自己的理想。B項的與文章的意思相符，因此為正確答案。

5.作者對“雄心勃勃”的態(tài)度是什么？

A.冷靜的。　B.批判的?！.肯定的?！.中立的。

【答案】C

【解析】作者客觀描述了人們對野心的追求和態(tài)度，肯定了野心的積極作用，解釋了人們反對它的根由。由此可見作者對“野心”的態(tài)度。