第六部分 完形填空(共四篇)
第六篇
Gun Rights in the US
Immediately after the shooting at Virginia Tech University, Americans gathered to mourn the dead. The president and the state governor both hurried there to share the 1 . But the majority of Americans still cling to their right to 2 weapons.
Strictly speaking, the US is not the only country 3 gun violence has destroyed lives, families and communities in everyday circumstance. But the US is one of the 4 countries that seems unwilling and politically incapable of doing anything serious to stop it.
In countries like Britain and Canada, the government adopted stricter 5 control soon after serious gun violence incidents. US leaders, however, are held 6 by the gun lobby and the electoral system.
The powerful National Rifle Association, the major supporter of gun 7 in the US, is too strong for any party to take on. Most Republicans oppose gun controls anyway. 8 the years; the Democrats have found that they can either campaign for gun control or win power, not 9 ; they prefer power.
According to the US Bureau of Justice Statistics, firearm incidents accounted 10 nine percent of the 4.7 million violent crimes in 2005. So, although opinion polls show most Americans want stricter gun laws, many don't want to give up their arms they 11 to protect themselves.
Dave Hancock, a Virginia gun lover, is one example. In an interview he said. "If one professor in Virginia incident had been carrying a legal weapon they might have been able to 12 all this." In his opinion, the massacre is an argument for more people to carry weapons, not fewer.
But at the root of Americans' clinging to the fight to bear arms is not just a fear of crime, but a mistrust of 13 , commented UK's Guardian newspaper.
One Virginia resident, who had a permit to carry a concealed firearm, told the Guardian that it was 14 American's responsibility to have a gun.
"Each person," he said, "should not rely solely 15 the government for protection."
词汇:
mourn v.致哀
lobby n.院外活动集团
electoral adj.选举的
firearm n.火器
massacre n./v.大屠杀
练习:
1. A) ceremony B) funeral C) tears D) grief
2. A) make B) own C) destroy D) trade
3. A) while B) which C) where D) that
4. A) few B) some C) much D) little
5. A) rifle B) knife C) bullet D) gun
6. A) prisoner B) hostage C) person D) home
7. A) fire B) attacks C) rights D) violence
8. A) Over B) Since C) Till D) Until
9. A) both B) either C) each D) one
10. A) of B) off C) for D) out
11. A) hide B) buy C) sell D) keep
12. A) control B) stop C) handle D)treat
13. A) government B) guards C) students D) professors
14. A) many B) few C) every D) all
15. A) on B) in C) at D) from
答案与题解:
1.D “share the grief”是“同悲”。share是“跟他人拥有同样的情感”的意思。整个句子说的是,总统和州长两人都赶到那里跟大家一样悲痛。
2.B 这四个选项填入后,四个句子在句法和语义上都是成立的。但是,从整个文章来考察,只有“0wn”是合适的选择,全文主要讨论美国公民是否有权拥有枪支。
3.C 该句子的从句本身是一个完整的事件,如果还要附加一些东西的话,只能是事件发生的地点,因此用“where”。整个句子说的是:严格说来,美国是唯一一个每天都会发生枪支暴力摧毁生命、家庭和社区的国家。
4.A “But”引入的命题跟上一个句子表达的命题构成反比,因此需用“few”。
5.D 本文讨论枪支,因此“knife”和“bullet”可以排除。“rilfe”是来复枪,即步枪“gun”是枪支,比“rifle”的覆盖面大,因此用“gun”是对的。
6.B “to be held hostage”是“扣为人质”。整个句子说的是:然而,美国领导人受制于枪支院外活动集团和选举制度。
7.C 本文讨论的就是“枪支拥有权”,因此填入“rights”是对的。这个句子有点难。“take Oil”是“斗争”。整个句子说的是:强大的国家来复枪协会,是美国枪支拥有权的主要支持者,它太强大了,没有一个政党敢于跟它斗争的。
8.A “the years”是一段时间。“0ver”表示“跨越”,因此在语义上是协调的。合起就是“在过去的一些年里”。“since”起始的时间状语也是一个段时间状语,但是它要求出现的是一个时间点,如2001年,指从2001年到现在。因此“0ver”是对的。
9.A 特别提请注意的是:对于“(either)…or…”的意义语言学家是有争议的,一种意见认为“0r”是不兼容的,另一种意见认为“0r”是兼容的。所谓不兼容,就是说,要么是“gun control”,要么是“win power”,而不可能是“gun control and win power”;所谓兼容,就是,“gun control”、“win power”和“gun control and win power”这三种情况都可以。可以看出,在本文作者看来,“0r”是兼容的,所以才有后一句话:not both(不是二者兼有)。
10.C “account”作动词时,后面跟“for”。
11.D 此处应该用一个状态动词,只有“keep”是状态动词。
12.B “stop”在这里是最合适的词。整个句子说的是:在一次专访中他说,如果弗吉尼亚事件中有位教授带了一支合法的枪支的话,他们就有可能阻止所有这一切的发生。
13.A “mistrust”是“不信任”。
14.C “very”和“all”意思相近,但“every”是对的,因为“American”用的是单数。
15.A “rely”和“on”是固定搭配。