Presidents come and go, but for more than half a century, the queen has always been the queen. So it was perhaps no surprise that Washington went a little gaga Monday, as Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, began an official two-day visit to the capital.
Across the Atlantic, Helen Mirren, who won an Academy Award for her portrayal of Elizabeth in “The Queen,” shocked the British conscience over the weekend by turning down an invitation to dine at Buckingham Palace. But on the other side of the Atlantic, the queen was making Americans go weak in the knees.
The White House was decorated to perfection for an exclusive white-tie dinner on Monday evening, with President George W. Bush and the first lady, Laura Bush, playing host to the royal couple and 130 other A-list guests. But the morning was reserved for the masses—or, at least, the masses with the kind of connections that warrant an invitation to the formal arrival ceremony on the South Lawn.
It was a day for pomp and circumstance—a military color guard, a fife and drum band in white wigs, red jackets and tri-cornered hats—punctuated by a presidential slip of the tongue that lightened the moment during Mr. Bush’s welcoming remarks. Mr. Bush reminded the 81-year-old queen that she had already dined with 10 American presidents.
“You helped our nation celebrate its bicentennial in 17—” he went on, stopping to correct himself before 1776 could slip out. The crowd erupted in laughter, and the president and the queen turned to each other for a long, silent gaze. Then, Mr. Bush turned back to the crowd with an explanation. “She gave me a look,” he said, “that only a mother could give a child.”
Mr. Bush had been the recipient of such a look once before in the queen’s presence—from his own mother, back in 1991, when the first President and Mrs. Bush played host to their own state dinner for the queen. By several different accounts, including Mr. Bush’s own, Barbara Bush told the queen that she had seated her son far away from Her Majesty, for fear he might make a wisecrack.
Then, to his mother’s horror, he did, telling the queen that he was his family’s blacksheep and asking, “Who’s yours?” The queen, apparently not amused, replied tartly, “None of your business.”
If the queen was not amused on Monday, she did not show it. “I’m sure she accepted it for what it was—a slip of the tongue,” said her press secretary, Penny Russell-Smith.
1. It may be inferred from the passage that ____.
2. Helen Mirren shocked the British conscience because she ____.
3. What happened at Mr. Bush’s welcoming remarks?
4. We may infer from the context that the bicentennial of American nation celebration is held in ____.
5. We may infer from the context that “blacksheep” (Line 1, Para.7) probably means ____.
问题1选项
A.U.S. presidents like to come and go
B.the queen has always been in power
C.the queen was much esteemed by U.S. people
D.Queen Elizabeth II began an official visit to the capital
问题2选项
A.refused to dine at Buckingham Palace with the Queen
B.won an Academy Award for her portrayal of Elizabeth
C.sailed cross the Atlantic alone
D.Her Majesty was making Americans go weak in the knees
问题3选项
A.He made a serious mistake.
B.He made a slip of the tongue.
C.He played joke with the Queen.
D.He made a laugh stalk himself.
问题4选项
A.1776
B.1876
C.1976
D.1991
问题5选项
A.a sheep of black color
B.a very strange person
C.a valuable member of the family
D.a worthless member of a respectable group
第1题:D
第2题:A
第3题:B
第4题:C
第5题:D
第1题:
【选项释义】
It may be inferred from the passage that ____. 从文章中可以推断出____。
A. U.S. presidents like to come and go A. 美国总统喜欢来了又走
B. the queen has always been in power B. 女王一直掌权
C. the queen was much esteemed by U.S. people C. 女王深受美国人民的尊敬
D. Queen Elizabeth II began an official visit to the capital D. 英国女王伊丽莎白二世开始对首都进行正式访问
【答案】D
【考查点】细节事实题。
【解题思路】根据Para.1的内容可知,“美国总统一直是换了又换,而大半个世纪以来,英国女王还是英国女王。所以当伊丽莎白二世和她的丈夫菲利普亲王,也就是爱丁堡公爵,于周一开始对美国首都进行为期两天的正式访问时(began an official two-day visit to the capital),华盛顿陷入一阵狂热也就不足为奇了。”由此可知,选项D与原文表述一致,所以正确。
【干扰项排除】
A选项中的like表述错误,属于偷换概念;
B选项缺少条件“for more than half a century”,属于以偏概全;
C选项中“esteem”在原文中没有体现,属于无中生有。
第2题:
【选项释义】
Helen Mirren shocked the British conscience because she ____. 海伦•米伦震惊了英国人的良心,因为她____。
A. refused to dine at Buckingham Palace with the Queen A. 拒绝在白金汉宫与女王共进晚餐
B. won an Academy Award for her portrayal of Elizabeth B. 因扮演伊丽莎白而获得奥斯卡奖
C. sailed cross the Atlantic alone C. 独自横渡大西洋
D. Her Majesty was making Americans go weak in the knees D. 女王陛下让美国人膝盖发软
【答案】A
【考查点】细节事实题。
【解题思路】根据关键词“Helen Mirren”定位到Para.2第一句“凭借在《女王》中扮演伊丽莎白一角而获得奥斯卡奖的海伦•米伦上周末拒绝了邀请她去白金汉宫吃饭的邀请(by turning down an invitation to dine at Buckingham Palace),这让英国人感到震惊。”由此可知,句子中的“turn down(拒绝)”与选项A中的“refuse(拒绝)”属于同义替换,故选项A正确。
【干扰项排除】
B选项“因扮演伊丽莎白而获得奥斯卡奖”是Para.2第一句中的插入语,不是“海伦•米伦震惊了英国人的良心”的原因,属于出处错位;
C选项“独自横渡大西洋”文中没有提及,属于无中生有;
D选项可定位到Para.2最后一句,该句是说“在大西洋的另一边,女王却让美国人膝盖发软。”这并不是“海伦•米伦震惊了英国人的良心”的原因,属于出处错位。
第3题:
【选项释义】
What happened at Mr. Bush’s welcoming remarks? 布什先生的欢迎辞上发生了什么?
A. He made a serious mistake. A. 他犯了一个严重的错误。
B. He made a slip of the tongue. B. 他犯了口误。
C. He played joke with the Queen. C. 他和女王开了个玩笑。
D. He made a laugh stalk himself. D. 他自己也成了笑柄。
【答案】B
【考查点】细节事实题。
【解题思路】根据Para.4第一句“其间还穿插着总统的口误(a presidential slip of the tongue),为布什先生的欢迎词增添了轻松的气氛。”以及最后一段的内容“她(女王)的新闻秘书佩妮•拉塞尔•史密斯说,我肯定她(女王)接受了这一事实,那只是一时口误(a slip of the tongue)。”由此可知,布什先生在欢迎致辞的时候犯了口误,选项B符合原文。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“他犯了一个严重的错误”、C选项“他和女王开了个玩笑”和D选项“他自己也成了笑柄”文中均无法体现,属于无中生有。
第4题:
【选项释义】
We may infer from the context that the bicentennial of American nation celebration is held in ____. 我们可以从上下文推断,美国二百周年庆祝是在____。
A. 1776 A. 1776年
B. 1876 B. 1876年
C. 1976 C. 1976年
D. 1991 D. 1991年
【答案】C
【考查点】推理判断题。
【解题思路】1776年是美国成立的时间,题目问的是庆祝美国建国200周年的时间,由此可以推断,时间应该是1976年,所以选项C正确。
【干扰项排除】
A选项的时间是美国独立的时间,属于张冠李戴;
B选项1876年文中没有提及,属于无中生有;
D选项1991年可定位到Para.6第一句,该句是说“布什以前也有过这样的表情,那是在1991年,时任美国总统布什和夫人亲自为女王举行国宴时,布什的母亲给他这样的表情。”由此可知,选项D属于出处错位。
第5题:
【选项释义】
We may infer from the context that “blacksheep” (Line 1, Para.7) probably means ____. 我们可以从上下文推断“blacksheep”(第7段第1行)可能的意思是____。
A. a sheep of black color A. 一只黑色的绵羊
B. a very strange person B. 一个非常奇怪的人
C. a valuable member of the family C. 家庭中有价值的成员
D. a worthless member of a respectable group D. 一个值得尊敬的团体中的无用成员
【答案】D
【考查点】词汇推断题。
【解题思路】布什总统小的时候跟女王说他是自己家里的“blacksheep”,从上下文推断出blacksheep是害群之马的意思,选项D与之意思相近,所以选项D正确。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“一只黑色的绵羊”和B选项“一个非常奇怪的人”在文中均无法体现,属于无中生有;
C选项“家庭中有价值的成员”与其意思正好相反,属于反向干扰。