2015年考研英语阅读理解考前专项训练（34）
发布时间：2012/10/31 12:56:51 来源：城市网学院 编辑：admin
In one way, paranoia is one of Americas great strengths--part of its long-standing suspicion of government.America was born in a revolution against George IIIs tyranny.Hostility towards central government has been a constant of American history.Most periods of heightened executive power during wartime have been followed by sharp reactions.Abraham Lincoln, who suspended habeas corpus, was accused of dictatorship and his Republican Party lost seats in 1862; Richard Nixons abuses of power spawned a host of reforms, including the wiretapping-oversight system that Mr Bush has tangled with.
But there is something less healthy at work on both the left and the right.Hofstadter argued that the politics of paranoia is fuelled by a sense of dispossession--by fury at your loss of relative power to rising groups, In the 1960s, the right was driven by a sense that it was being eclipsed by cosmopolitans and intellectuals.Now the left thinks it is losing power to businessmen and suburbanites.It cannot believe that the north-east--the vortex of civilised America---is losing influence to the South and the West, to people who believe in God and guns, to Mr Bush.
That does not let the president off the hook.Put simply, a man who claimed he would unite the country has given his enemies far too much to be paranoid about.There may well be a case for wire- tapping people in contact with al-Qaeda;but what about refusing to reveal who is on the energy task- force, let alone the （possibly legal but ghastly） treatment of inmates at Guantdnamo? There may be a case for asking people to rally around the flag at a time of war,but how does that square with Mr Bush using terrorism to divide his opponents and advance his partys political interests, as he did in 2002 and 2004?
Hofstadter argued that the paranoid style has more to do with the way in which ideas are believed than with the truth or falsity of their content.The problem for America's left is not the lack of justified #plaints about Mr Bush.It is that their paranoid style--with its propensity to exaggeration and conspiracy-mongering and its inability to distinguish between justified #plaints and hysteria-- means that their cries are seldom listened to except by people who suffer from the same affliction.Which is sometimes a pity.[392 words]
1.Americas constant suspicion of government can be illustrated by______
A.George IIUs tyranny
B.heightened executive power during wartime
C.the suspension of habeas corpus by Abraham Lincoln
D.a host of reforms following Richard Nixons abuses of power
2.Hofstadter believes that______
A.the anger at the loss of relative power may cause mania
B.the north-east is losing influence to the South and the West
C.the government has lost its relative power to rising groups
D.the government is losing power to businessmen and suburbanites
3.Which of the following can prove Mr Bush's paranoia?
A.Mr Bush using terrorism to divide his opponents.
B.A case for wire-tapping people in contact with al-Qaeda.
C.A case for asking people to rally around the flag at a time of war.
D.The claim that he would unite the country to fight against the enemy.
4.According to Hofstadter, ______
A.Mr Bush tends to exaggerate and monger conspiracy
B.Normal people are not interested in Mr Bushes cries at all
C.Americas left is not short of justified #plaints about Mr Bush
D.Mr Bush has no ability to distinguish between justified #plaints and hysteria
5.The author believes that______
A.paranoia is healthy
B.paranoia is less healthy
C.the left is more paranoid than the right
D.both the left and the right manifest paranoid[NextPage] 难句透析
①Abraham Lincoln，[who suspended habeas corpus]，was accused of dictatorship and。his Republican Party lost seats in l862；Richard Nixon's abuses of power spawned a host of reforms，including the wiretapping-over— sight system[that Mr Bush has tangled with].
【结构】本句是由分号连接的两个分句组成的并列句。第一个分句是由“and”连接的两个次级分句组成的并列句。每个分句中的方括号部分都是后置定语从句。
【释义】亚伯拉罕·林肯曾因废止人身保护权而被指责为专政，也使得1862年他领导的共和党失去了议会席位。理查德·尼克松因滥用职权引发一系列改革，其中就包括和布什纠缠不清的电话窃听监督系统。
②Hofstadter argued[that the politics of paranoia is fuelled by a sense of dispossession--by fury at your loss of rel— ative power to rising groups].
【结构】其中，“Hofstadter”是着名文章“The Paranoid Style in American Politics”的作者。方括号部分是“argued”的宾语从句。破折号后面的部分是对介词短语“by a sense of dispossession”的补充说明。
【释义】霍夫斯塔特论证说，偏执狂政治源于一种被剥夺感，源于权利被新兴群体相对剥夺而产生的愤怒。
③It cannot believe[that the north—east—the vortex of civilised America--is losing influence to the South and the West，to people（who believe in God and guns），to Mr Bush].
【结构】其中，主语“It”指前一句中的“the left”。方括号部分是“believe”的宾语从句。“is losing influence”后面跟有三个并列的介词短语。
【释义】美国文明的核心在东北部地区。左派不相信，那里的影响力在下降，正在输给南部和西部，正在输给相信上帝和枪炮的人，正在输给布什。
④There may well be a case for wire—tapping people in contact with al Qaeda；but what about refusing to reveal[who is on the energy task—force]，let alone the（possibly legal but ghastly）treatment of inmates at Guantanamo?
【结构】本句是由“but”连接的两个分句组成的并列句。第二个分句是无须回答的疑问句。方括号部分是“reveal”的宾语从句。
【释义】很可能有窃听到与基地组织进行电话联系的案例。但是，为什么不能说能源特别工作组都有谁呢？更何况不能说如何（可能合法但却极其可怕地）对待关塔那摩的囚犯了。
⑤Hofstadter argued[that the paranoid style“has more to d0”with the way（in which ideas are believed）than2'with the truth or falsity of their content“].
【结构】方括号部分是”argued“的宾语从句。圆括号部分是”the way“的后置定语从句。
【释义】霍夫斯塔特论证说，与其说偏执类型”与观念的内涵真伪有关，倒不如说与用什么方式来相信这些观念相关“。
⑥It is[that their paranoid style—with”its propensity to exaggeration and conspiracy—mongering and its inability to distinguish between justified #plaints and hysteria--means（that their cries are seldom listened to except by people<who SUffer from the same affliction））].
【结构】代词“lt”是全句主语，指“The problem for America'S left”。方括号部分是表语从句。圆括号部分是“means”的宾语从句。尖括号部分是“people”的后置定语从句。破折号之间的介词短语是对“their paranoid style”的补充说明。介词“with”后跟有两个并列的宾语。
【释义】美国左派的问题在于，他们的偏执类型意味着，除了那些同样偏执的人之外，几乎没人去听他们的叫喊。他们的偏执类型体现在他们倾向于夸大其词，并倾向于制造阴谋；还体现在他们不能区分正当抱怨和歇斯底里发作。 [NextPage] 全文翻译
从某种意义上说，偏执狂执政历来就是美国拥有强大力量的原因之一——这都城市网于长期以来对政府的猜忌。美国诞生于反抗乔治三世专制独裁的革命浪潮之中。对中央集权政府的敌对一直是美国历史上恒久不变的旋律。战争时期如果出现高度集权的情况，那多数情况下它都会受到强烈的回应。亚伯拉罕。林肯曾因废止人身保护权而被指责为专政，也使得l862年他领导的共和党失去了议会席位；理查德。尼克松因滥用职权引发一系列改革，其中就包括和布什纠缠不清的电话窃听监督系统。
但实际上不论是左翼还是右翼政党在现实中都存在一些不太健康的倾向。霍夫斯塔特论证说，偏执狂政治源于一种被剥夺感，源于权利被新兴群体相对剥夺而产生的愤怒。@20世纪60年代时，右翼政党被一种感觉驱使着，他们认为自己已经被游历甚广的人和知识分子所超越了。现在左翼政党则认为他们手中的权力正逐步流失到商人和郊区居民手中去了。美国文明的核心在东北部地区。左派不相信，那里的影响力在下降，正在输给南部和西部，正在输给相信上帝和枪炮的人，正在输给布什。
但这并不足以使总统先生摆脱干系。简而言之，这位曾声称能团结整个国家的人已经为他的敌人们提供了太多口实了。很可能有窃听到与基地组织进行电话联系的案例。但是，为什么不能说能源特别工作组都有谁呢？更何况不能说如何（可能合法但却极其可怕地）对待关塔那摩的囚犯了。虽然确实在战争时有号召人们在国旗下聚集的需要；但这难道可以开脱布什在2002年和2004年，打着对付恐怖主义的旗号来分裂他的对手而为自己的政党牟利的行为吗？
霍夫斯塔特论证说，与其说偏执类型“与观念的内涵真伪有关，倒不如说与用什么方式来相信这些观念相关”。美国左翼政党的问题并不是缺少对布什的义正词严的抗议。美国左派的问题在于，他们的偏执类型意味着，除了那些同样偏执的人之外，几乎没人去听他们的叫喊。他们的偏执类型体现在他们倾向于夸大其词，并倾向于制造阴谋；还体现在他们不能区分正当抱怨和歇斯底里发作。有时看来这实在可悲。
超纲词汇
affliction n.痛苦，苦恼
cosmopolitan n.见多识广的人，游历四方的人
Eclipse vt.使…黯然失色，超过
Falsity n.虚伪，虚假，不老实，不忠实，谎言
Fury n.狂怒，狂暴，激烈；狂怒的人
Ghastly adv.可怖地，可怕地，惊人地
habeas corpus n.人身保护权
hostility n.敌意，恶意，不友善，敌对，对抗
hysteria n.歇斯底里，不正常的兴奋；癔病
inmate n.同住者，同室者（特指在医院、监狱），居民
mongering n.／adj.（常用以构成复合词）兜售（的），散布（的），制造（的）
oversight n.严密监视，监督，失察，误差
paranoia n.偏执狂，妄想狂
paranoid adj.像患偏执狂的，患偏执狂的
propensity n.习性，倾向，嗜好
spawn vt.产卵，大量生产
suburbanite n.郊区居民
tangle vi.（与with连用）（与人）争论，吵架，较量
tyranny n.暴政，苛政，专制
vortex n.旋涡，旋风，涡流，（动乱、争论等的）中心
参考答案：1.D 2.A 3.A 4.C 5.D
