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 dont 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 UKs Guardian newspaper.

　　One Virginia resident, who had a permit to carry a concealed firearm, told the Guardian that　it was　　14　　Americans responsibility to have a gun.

　　Each person, he said, should not rely solely　　15　　the government for　protection.

　　詞匯：

　　mourn v.致哀

　　lobby n.院外活動集團

　　electoral adj.選舉的

　　firearm n.火器

　　massacre n./v.大屠殺

　　練習：

　　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

　　答案與題解：

　　1.D share the grief是同悲。share是跟他人擁有同樣的情感的意思。整個句子說的是，總統和州長兩人都趕到那里跟大家一樣悲痛。

　　2.B 這四個選項填入后，四個句子在句法和語義上都是成立的。但是，從整個文章來考察，只有0wn是合適的選擇，全文主要討論美國公民是否有權擁有槍支。

　　3.C 該句子的從句本身是一個完整的事件，如果還要附加一些東西的話，只能是事件發生的地點，因此用where。整個句子說的是：嚴格說來，美國是唯一一個每天都會發生槍支暴力摧毀生命、家庭和社區的國家。

　　4.A But引入的命題跟上一個句子表達的命題構成反比，因此需用few。

　　5.D 本文討論槍支，因此knife和bullet可以排除。rilfe是來復槍，即步槍gun是槍支，比rifle的覆蓋面大，因此用gun是對的。

　　6.B to be held hostage是扣為人質。整個句子說的是：然而，美國領導人受制于槍支院外活動集團和選舉制度。

　　7.C 本文討論的就是槍支擁有權，因此填入rights是對的。這個句子有點難。take Oil是斗爭。整個句子說的是：強大的國家來復槍協會，是美國槍支擁有權的主要支持者，它太強大了，沒有一個政黨敢于跟它斗爭的。

　　8.A the years是一段時間。0ver表示跨越，因此在語義上是協調的。合起就是在過去的一些年里。since起始的時間狀語也是一個段時間狀語，但是它要求出現的是一個時間點，如2001年，指從2001年到現在。因此0ver是對的。

　　9.A 特別提請注意的是：對于or的意義語言學家是有爭議的，一種意見認為0r是不兼容的，另一種意見認為0r是兼容的。所謂不兼容，就是說，要么是gun control，要么是win power，而不可能是gun control and win power所謂兼容，就是，gun control、win power和gun control and win power這三種情況都可以。可以看出，在本文作者看來，0r是兼容的，所以才有后一句話：not both。

　　10.C account作動詞時，后面跟for。

　　11.D 此處應該用一個狀態動詞，只有keep是狀態動詞。

　　12.B stop在這里是最合適的詞。整個句子說的是：在一次專訪中他說，如果弗吉尼亞事件中有位教授帶了一支合法的槍支的話，他們就有可能阻止所有這一切的發生。

　　13.A mistrust是不信任。

　　14.C very和all意思相近，但every是對的，因為American用的是單數。

　　15.A rely和on是固定搭配。

　　Freezing to Death for Beauty

　　People in Beijing wear a lot of clothing during winter to fend off the cold. In the United States, however, people wear　　1　　, partly because the car is the primary mode of　transportation. Cars take　　2　　straight to their workplaces, which are heated well. The American diet is full of calories, so their　　3　　can afford to burn heat more quickly.

　　Fewer layers of clothing give people the opportunity to stay　　4　　.Lots of Yale girls wear skirts　　5　　when its 10 degrees Centigrade outside. Some of them at least wear　boots, tights, and leg-warmers1. Some, however, really just go for the look　　6　　the risk of　health2. These girls have nothing to prevent their legs　　7　　the wind, and no socks to　protect their feet. A mini skirt and a pair of stilettos are all that they wear.

　　Typically, the ones pursuing fashion are　　8　　, with little body fat. Just by the nature　of their bodies, they are already at a disadvantage compared with normal people in　　9　　weather. I have always　　10　　, whenever I pass these girls, how they manage to refrain　from shivering and just smile like spring had arrived3.

　　And then there are the guys. The girls can be said to　　11　　health for beauty. But　why do guys　　12　　so little? It is not like, once they shed some layers, they suddenly　become better-looking. They are not exactly being fashionable when they　　13　　 wear　sporty shorts and shower slippers in the midst of winter. Its not cute.

　　Of course, people have the freedom to look whatever　　14　　hey want. I am just　surprised that, given the vast difference between winter and summer temperatures in Connecticut,　they can still　　15　　like they are partying on the beach in the middle of February.

　　詞匯：

　　fend v.抵御

　　mode n.方式

　　Centigrade adj.攝氏溫度的

　　tights n.褲襪

　　stiletto n.細高跟鞋

　　shed v.脫掉

　　sporty adj.花哨的

　　cute adj.喜人的

　　注釋：

　　1.1eg-warmers暖腿套。

　　2.Some，however, really just go for the look at the risk of heath.然而，有些真是只是為了漂亮而犧牲健康。注意：go for是選擇的意思，因此go for the look是選擇漂亮。

　　3.I have always wondered，whenever I pass these girls，how they manage to refrain from shivering and just smile like spring had arrived.每當我走過這些女孩的時候，我總是想，她們怎么能做得到不哆嗦，并且還能帶著似乎春天已經來臨的微笑。like spring had arrived是反事實條件句。

　　練習：

　　1. A) scarce B) less C) little D) least

　　2. A) people B) students C) shoppers D) them

　　3. A) arms B) heads C) legs D) bodies

　　4. A) bony B) thin C) fashionable D) hungry

　　5. A) even B) sometimes C) frequently D) occasionally

　　6. A) in B) for C) at D) on

　　7. A) with B) against C) above D) under

　　8. A) fat B) ugly C) short D) skinny

　　9. A) warm B) cold C) cool D) hot

　　10. A) dreamed B) stated C) claimed D) wondered

　　11. A) sacrifice B) devote C) suffer D) endure

　　12. A) bear B) carry C) wear D) put on

　　13. A) only B) seldom C) rarely D) hardly

　　14. A) method B) road C) way D) avenue

　　15. A) see B) resemble C) show D) look

　　答案與題解：

　　1.B 上一個句子說北京人冬天要穿許多衣服以抵御寒冷。這后一個句子是跟上一個句子做比較，因此要用little的比較級形式less。

　　2.D 把people填入后生成的句子同樣是正確的，但是跟前一個句子放在一起時是不連貫的。這是因為在前一個句子中已經有了一個people。them是一個代詞，代詞的作用就是照應，這也就是為什么語言中需要代詞。在這個句子中them就是照應前面的people。

　　3.D body是身體，指人的物質結構。是身體產生熱。

　　4.C stay是系動詞，跟形容詞連用，說明某種狀態的存在。四個選項都是形容詞，但只有fashionable是最佳選擇。如果穿得少是一種時尚的話，那么只穿幾件衣服當然是很時髦的。填入bony、thin、hungry在語義上句子都是不成立的，因為一種瘦的狀態是營養差、節食或疾病造成的，跟穿多少衣服沒有關系。保持饑餓狀態跟穿衣服也沒有關系。

　　5.A Fewer layers of clothing give people the opportunity to stay fashionable.是主題句。跟在主題句后面的句子是對這一命題的證明，這就需要有具體的事實。even誘發的是一組可能性，而它引入的詞語所指的可能性是在這一組可能性中最最不容易發生的。盡管如此，它還是發生了。這樣的證據是非常有力的。因此even是最佳選擇。

　　6.C at the risk of health是有損健康的危險。什么詞跟什么介詞連用有時候是沒有道理的，所有需要死記硬背。

　　7.B prevent是防止，跟against連用。

　　8.D 該問題問：典型的追求時髦的人是什么樣的人?丑和矮個顯然跟追求時髦沒有關系。有關系的是fat和skinny。fat可以排除，因為它跟后面的with little body fat相矛盾。因此只有skinny是正確的選擇。

　　9.B 四個選項都是有關不同溫度的天氣。由于本文討論的主題是為了漂亮凍得要死，因此合適的選項是cold。

　　10.D 這四個動詞后面都可以跟從句，但只有wondered可以跟疑問從句。

　　11.A sacrifice health for beauty是為了漂亮而犧牲健康。中英語表達差不多。

　　12.C wear和put on翻成中文都是穿的意思。前者是狀態動詞;后者由于其動作能瞬間完成而不具備延續性，因此不可能表達某種狀態。而這個句子表達的完全是一種狀態，因此wear是合適的選擇。

　　13.A 前面句子講到男人脫掉幾層衣服并不突然顯得更好看，那么下面的句子應該進一步具體化，因此用only是對的。填入該詞后，句子說的是當他們僅僅穿著花哨的短褲和洗澡用的拖鞋時在確切意義上并不顯得更時髦。

　　14.C way有多種意思，包括道路、途經、方向、方法、方式、樣子等。整個句子說的是：當然，人們有選擇自己外表樣子的自由。

　　15.D just like是好像是。整個句子說的是：我只是覺得驚訝，在康涅狄格州冬夏溫度相差很大的情況下，他們仍然看上去像似在二月中旬的海灘上聚會。

　　13.B must：必須;might：可能have to：必須;should：應該。女人根據男人的特征選擇伴侶這只是一個因素，因此下結論應該留有余地，用might是比較合適的。

　　14.A show：顯出;tell：告訴;state：陳述;say：說。除shown之外，told、stated或said填入后生成的句子都是錯的。

　　15.B spouse：配偶;fan：狂熱仰慕者;partner：配偶;mate：伴侶。我們的世界知識告訴我們，任何人都不可能有數百萬的配偶，所以只有fans是合適的選擇。

　　New Ideas

　　Icelands President Olafur Grimsson is trying to drive carbon dioxide1 underground to　　1　　its release into the air.

　　Over the next two years, a team of scientists will try to　　2　　carbon dioxide-charged　water2 into the rock underground. Scientist theory says this should work3. The CO2 will react　with the rock to form a stable mineral that remains in the　　3　　for millions of years.

　　If the experiment succeeds, Iceland could give the world a new　　4　　to reduce CO2 emissions.

　　Sigurdur Gislason, a university professor in Iceland, says his country has an　　5　　over other countries: We have enormous amounts of clean　　6　　and a small society.　You can do experiments here that you cant do anywhere else.

　　In an attempt to cut back on the use of air conditioners during summer, the Japanese　government in 2005　　7　　a campaign to keep office temperatures at 28C degrees in　summer. Men were also encouraged to change business suits for　　8　　wear. In other　words, no more ties.

　　The　　9　　is meant to show the governments resolve to achieve Japans target of　reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 6 percent, said Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroyuki Hosoda.　The　　10　　has cut an estimated 79,000 tons of carbon dioxide gas emissions each year.

　　As the countrys 2005 Energy Policy Act　　11　　into force this year, more

　　Americans will be encouraged to use　　12　　cars and energy sources.

　　According to the new law, those who buy hybrid cars such as the Toyota Prius can earn tax　credits; or rebates, of　　13　　to $2,600 a year. Homemakers can also save when they　renovate, claiming tax rebates　　14　　 up to $500 simply by fitting their homes with　energy-saving insulation. If they.　　15　　in solar water heating, the payoff at tax time is　equal to 30 percent of the appliances cost or a maximum of $2,000.

　　詞匯：

　　dioxide n.二氧化物

　　greenhouse n.溫室

　　hybrid adj.混合

　　homemaker n.主婦

　　rebate n.退款

　　insulation n.絕緣

　　注釋：

　　1. carbon dioxide二氧化碳

　　2.carbon dioxide.charged water充滿了二氧化碳的水

　　3.Scientist theory says this should work.科學家的理論說這樣做應該行得通。work是行得通或有效的意思。