阅读模拟

　　SAT阅读练习题:Reading Comprehension Test 4

　　10 mins - 7 questions

　　The excerpt is taken from a novel. Mr. Harding, now an old man, has lost his position as the Warden of a hospital for old men. He has just come from an unsuccessful interview with Mr. Slope concerning his reappointment to the position.

　　Mr. Harding was not a happy man as he walked down

　　the palace pathway, and stepped out into the close. His

　　position and pleasant house were a second time

　　gone from him; but that he could endure. He had been

　　5 schooled and insulted by a man young enough to be

　　his son; but that he could put up with. He could even

　　draw from the very injuries which had been inflicted

　　on him some of that consolation which, we may

　　believe, martyrs always receive from the injustice of

　　10 their own sufferings. He had admitted to his daughter

　　that he wanted the comfort of his old home, and yet he

　　could have returned to his lodgings in the High Street,

　　if not with exultation, at least with satisfaction, had

　　that been all. But the venom of the chaplain's

　　15 harangue had worked into his blood, and sapped the

　　life of his sweet contentment.

　　'New men are carrying out new measures, and

　　are carting away the useless rubbish of past centuries!'

　　What cruel words these had been- and how often are

　　20 they now used with all the heartless cruelty of a

　　Slope! A man is sufficiently condemned if it can only

　　be shown that either in politics or religion he does not

　　belong to some new school established within the last

　　score of years. He may then regard himself as rubbish

　　25 and expect to be carted away. A man is nothing now

　　unless he has within him a full appreciation of the

　　new era; an era in which it would seem that neither

　　honesty nor truth is very desirable, but in which

　　success is the only touchstone of merit. We must

　　30 laugh at everything that is established. Let the joke be

　　ever so bad, ever so untrue to the real principles of

　　joking; nevertheless we must laugh - or else beware

　　the cart. We must talk, think, and live up to the spirit

　　of the times, or else we are nought. New men and new

　　35 measures, long credit and few scruples, great success

　　or wonderful ruin, such are now the tastes of

　　Englishmen who know how to live! Alas, alas! Under

　　such circumstances Mr. Harding could not but feel

　　that he was an Englishman who did not know how to

　　40 live. This new doctrine of Mr. Slope and the rubbish

　　cart sadly disturbed his equanimity.

　　'The same thing is going on throughout the

　　whole country!' 'Work is now required from every

　　man who receives wages!' And had he been living all

　　45 his life receiving wages, and doing no work? Had he

　　in truth so lived as to be now in his old age justly

　　reckoned as rubbish fit only to be hidden away in

　　some huge dust-hole? The school of men to whom he

　　professes to belong, the Grantlys, the Gwynnes, are

　　50 afflicted with no such self-accusations as these which

　　troubled Mr. Harding. They, as a rule, are as satisfied

　　with the wisdom and propriety of their own conduct

　　as can be any Mr. Slope, or any Bishop with his own.

　　But, unfortunately for himself, Mr. Harding had little

　　55 of this self-reliance. When he heard himself

　　designated as rubbish by the Slopes of the world, he

　　had no other resource than to make inquiry within his

　　own bosom as to the truth of the designation. Alas,

　　alas! the evidence seemed generally to go against him.

阅读理解第二页

　　1. The main cause of Mr. Harding’s unhappiness as he leaves the Bishop’s Palace is

　　A. the loss of his house

　　B. the loss of his position

　　C. the need to live with his daughter

　　D. the thought-provoking words of the chaplain

　　E. the injustice he has suffered

　　2. It can be inferred that Slope is

　　A. the chaplain

　　B. the Bishop

　　C. a foreigner

　　D. a politician

　　E. a young writer

　　3. The word ‘equanimity’ (line 41) most nearly means

　　A. status

　　B. happiness

　　C. justice

　　D. complacency

　　E. composure

　　4. It can be inferred that Mr Harding is especially disturbed because he

　　A. does not feel himself to be old

　　B. is offended by the young man’s impertinence

　　C. believes no one else feels as he does

　　D. believe his life’s work has been worthwhile

　　E. feels there may be some truth in regarding himself as ‘rubbish’

　　5. Mr. Harding differs from others of his ‘school’ (line 49) because they

　　A. do not believe Slope

　　B. have never been called ‘rubbish’

　　C. are sure their conduct is irreproachable

　　D. have already examined their consciences sat

　　E. feel that Mr. Harding is not one of them

　　6. The tone of the sentence 'New men....live' (lines 34-37) is

　　A. objective

　　B. ironic

　　C. derogatory

　　D. expository

　　E. ambivalent

　　7. The first two sentences of paragraph 3 relate the

　　A. words of Mr. Slope

　　B. thoughts of Mr. Harding

　　C. view of the old school of men

　　D. viewpoint of the author

　　E. opinions of all young men

　　SAT阅读参考答案与详细解答在下一页

答案及解析

　　SAT阅读:Reading Comprehension Test3 参考答案

　　1.Correct Answer: D

　　Explanation:

　　The main cause of Mr. Harding’s unhappiness is to be found in the first paragraph. At the end of the paragraph we find, "But the venom of the chaplain's harangue had worked into his blood, and sapped the life of his sweet contentment." This clearly indicates that it is the chaplain’s harangue (harsh words) that has upset him. Hence answer D.

　　2.Correct Answer: A

　　Explanation:

　　From the first paragraph we learn that the chaplain has upset Mr. Harding (line 14). As we read paragraph two it becomes clear that Mr. Slope, who must be the chaplain, spoke the offending words. (Line 40, is one instance.)

　　3.Correct Answer: E

　　Explanation:

　　‘Equanimity’ as used in line 41, refers to Mr. Harding’s peace of mind. He is no longer satisfied with his own conduct. His composure has been disturbed. Hence, answer E.

　　4.Correct Answer: E

　　Explanation:

　　Mr. Harding is more disturbed than other people in a similar position might have been because, on examining his own conduct, he feels that there might be some truth in Slope’s words. (Read from line 48 to the end to confirm this view.)

　　5.Correct Answer: C

　　Explanation:

　　Other members of his ‘school’, " as a rule, are satisfied with the wisdom and propriety of their own conduct.....". (Line 51). From this we learn that they are always sure that they have not done anything that needs to be criticized. Hence we can say that they feel their conduct is irreproachable.

　　6.Correct Answer: B

　　Explanation:

　　The tone of the sentence (New men and newmeasures, long credit and few scruples, great success or wonderful ruin, such are now the tastes of Englishmen who know how to live!) is partly indicated by the exclamation mark. We are not expected to believe that ‘few scruples’ is a trait to be admired. The tone is ironic because it implies something different from what it says.sat

　　7.Correct Answer: A

　　Explanation:

　　The first two sentences are in inverted commas. They are part of the ‘harangue’ delivered by the chaplain, Mr. Slope.