Within hours of appearing on television to announce the end of conscription, President Jacues Chirac moved quickly to prevent any dissent from within the military establishment. Addressing more than 500 military staff officers at the military academy in Paris yesterday, Mr. Chirac said clearly that he “expected” their loyalty in the work of rebuilding France’s national defense.
He understood their “legitimate concerns, questions and emotions” at the reforms, but added, “You must understand that there is not and never has been any rigid model for French defense. Military service has been compulsory for less than a century. Realism required that our armed forces should now be professional.”
The President’s decision to abolish conscription over a period of six years removes a rite of passage for young Frenchmen that has existed since the Revolution, even though obligatory national service only became law in 1905. As recently as 1993, an opinion poll showed that more than 60% of French people said they feared the abolition of conscription could endanger national security. A poll conducted this month, however, showed that 70% of those asked favored ending of practice, and on the streets and in offices yesterday, the response to Mr. Chirac’s announcement was generally positive.
Among people who completed their 10-month period of national service in the last few years or were contemplating the prospect, there was almost universal approval. Tempered by a sense that something hard to define—mixing with people from other backgrounds, a formative experience, a process that encouraged national or social cohesion—might be lost.
Patrick, who spent his year in the French city of Valance assigning and collecting uniforms, and is now a computer manager, said he was in tears for his first week, and hated most of his time. He thought it was “useless” as a form of military training—“I only fired a rifle twice”—but, in retrospect, useful for learning how to get on with people and instilling patriotism.
As many as 25% of those liable for military service in France somehow avoid it—the percentage is probably much greater in the more educated and higher social classes.
According to Geoffroy, a 26-year-old reporter, who spent his time in the navy with the information office in central Paris, the injustice is a good reason for abolishing it. People with money or connections, he said, can get well-paid assignments abroad. “It’s not fair: some do it, some don’t.”
Several expressed support for the idea of a new socially-oriented voluntary service that would be open to both men and women. But the idea seemed less popular among women. At present, women have the option of voluntary military service and a small number choose to take it.
1. President Chirac’s decision, announced on TV, on ending conscription seemed to ____.
2. In place of military service, President Chirac proposed the establishment of ____.
3. When Patrick considered his time in the army “in retrospect”, he ____.
4. We learn from the passage that French women ____.
5. Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?
问题1选项
A.have curbed disagreement among the officers
B.be an apology made to the military academy
C.have an understanding of all military officers
D.have got no consensus from military officers
问题2选项
A.a new military academy
B.a rite of passage for young Frenchmen
C.conscription over a period of six years
D.professional armed forces
问题3选项
A.regretted his waste of time serving in the army
B.corrected his previous view on military service
C.still felt sorrow for those under a forced service
D.revealed his failure to get on with people
问题4选项
A.are greeting the reform with enthusiasm
B.are not eligible to serve in the army
C.do not face compulsory military service
D.hate to be exempted from military service
问题5选项
A.Fairness in Conscription Is Desirable.
B.Chirac’s Administration Meets Objections.
C.Soul of France Is to Be Kept with Arms.
D.Few French Regret the Farewell to Arms.
第1题:D
第2题:D
第3题:B
第4题:C
第5题:D
第1题:
【选项释义】
President Chirac’s decision, announced on TV, on ending conscription seemed to ____. 希拉克总统在电视上宣布的结束征兵的决定似乎____。
A. have curbed disagreement among the officers A. 制止了政府官员之间的分歧
B. be an apology made to the military academy B. 是向军事院校的道歉
C. have an understanding of all military officers C. 得到了所有军官的理解
D. have got no consensus from military officers D. 没有得到军官的一致认同
【答案】D
【考查点】推理判断题
【解题思路】根据题干关键词TV和ending conscription定位到原文第一段第一句，该句提到“在电视上（on television）宣布结束征兵（the end of conscription）的几个小时内，法国总统希拉克迅速采取行动以防止军队内部出现任何异议（to prevent any dissent from within the military establishment）。”由此可知，法国总统在电视上宣布结束征兵后，担心军队内部出现任何异议，所以迅速采取了有关行动，这说明结束征兵的这一决定极有可能引起军队内部的异议。由此推断，D选项“（这一决定）没有得到军官的一致认同”符合原文。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“制止了政府官员之间的分歧”，由【解题思路】定位句可知，法国总统为了防止这一决定可能导致军队内部出现的异议而迅速采取行动；原文第一段第二句提到“希拉克在巴黎军事学院对500多名军官发表了讲话”，因此，法国总统采取的行动是前往军事学院发表讲话，以消除军官们的异议。所以，“通过电视宣布结束征兵的决定”这件事并没有制止政府官员之间的分歧，反而可能是引起分歧的事，另外，法国总统采取的制止分歧的行动是“前往军事学院发表讲话”，总而言之，该选项表述错误，属于曲解原文；
B选项“是向军事院校的道歉”，虽然原文提到了法国总统前往巴黎军事学院发表讲话，但并不是在向他们道歉；另外题干说的是“通过电视宣布结束征兵的决定”这件事，这是可能引起军事院校的军官们出现异议的原因，不可能是向军事院校道歉，总之，该选项表述错误，属于曲解原文；
C选项“得到了所有军官的理解”，如果该决定得到了军官们的一致认同，法国总统就不需要迅速采取行动以防止军队内部可能出现异议了，该选项表述与原文相反，属于反向干扰。
第2题:
【选项释义】
In place of military service, President Chirac proposed the establishment of ____. 希拉克总统提议设立____来代替服兵役。
A. a new military academy A. 一所新的军事学院
B. a rite of passage for young Frenchmen B. 法国年轻人的成年仪式
C. conscription over a period of six years C. 六年的征兵
D. professional armed forces D. 专业的武装部队
【答案】D
【考查点】事实细节题
【解题思路】根据题干关键词In place of military service定位到原文第二段最后一句。该句提到“现实要求我们现在的武装部队应该是专业的（our armed forces should now be professional）。”由此可知，法国总统决定取消征兵制度，他认为法国应该建立专业的武装部队，D选项“专业的武装部队”符合原文。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“一所新的军事学院”，原文只是提到法国总统到巴黎军事学院发表讲话，并没有说要建立一所新的军事学院来取代服兵役的制度，该选项属于无中生有；
B选项“法国年轻人的成年仪式”，可定位到原文第三段第一句，该句提到“总统计划六年时间内废除征兵制度的决定（The President’s decision to abolish conscription），取消了（removes）自大革命以来就存在的法国年轻人的成年仪式（a rite of passage for young Frenchmen）。”由此可知，自大革命以来，法国年轻人的成年仪式指的就是服兵役，因此，不可能是用法国年轻人的成年仪式来取代服兵役，因为它们指的是同一件事情，该选项属于偷换概念；
C选项“六年的征兵”，可定位到原文第三段第一句，该句提到“总统计划六年时间内废除征兵制度（abolish conscription over a period of six years）的决定”，由此可知，原文“六年的时间”是废除征兵制度的时间，而不是选项中表达的服兵役的时间，并且这也不是总统希望用来取代服兵役的事情，该选项表述错误，属于曲解原文。
第3题:
【选项释义】
When Patrick considered his time in the army “in retrospect”, he ____. 当Patrick“回顾”他在军队的时光时，他____。
A. regretted his waste of time serving in the army A. 为他浪费时间服兵役感到后悔
B. corrected his previous view on military service B. 纠正了他以前对服兵役的看法
C. still felt sorrow for those under a forced service C. 仍然为那些被迫服役的人感到悲伤
D. revealed his failure to get on with people D. 揭露了自己不善于与人相处
【答案】B
【考查点】事实细节题
【解题思路】根据题干关键词Patrick和in retrospect定位到原文第五段最后一句。该句提到“他认为这作为一种军事训练形式是‘无用的’（it was ‘useless’）”，“但回想起来（but, in retrospect），这对于学习如何与人相处和宣传爱国主义是有用的（useful）。”由此可知，Patrick以前认为服兵役是无用的，后来回忆的时候，则认为在别的方面，服兵役还是有用的，修正了他之前的观念。因此，B选项“纠正了他以前对服兵役的看法”符合原文。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“为他浪费时间服兵役感到后悔”，Patrick在回忆的时候认为服兵役还是有点用处的，因此，他不会认为服兵役是浪费时间，也不会因此而后悔，该选项表述错误，属于反向干扰；
C选项“仍然为那些被迫服役的人感到悲伤”，Patrick在回忆的时候认为服兵役还是有点用处的，因此，说他仍然为那些被迫服兵役的人感到悲伤不符合原文，该选项属于曲解原文；
D选项“揭露了自己不善于与人相处”，原文只是提到Patrick认为服兵役对于学习如何与人相处是有用的，并不是说他以前服兵役的时候不善与人相处，该选项表述错误，属于无中生有。
第4题:
【选项释义】
We learn from the passage that French women ____. 我们可以从文章中得知，法国女性____。
A. are greeting the reform with enthusiasm A. 对这项改革充满热情
B. are not eligible to serve in the army B. 没有资格去军队服役
C. do not face compulsory military service C. 没有服兵役的义务
D. hate to be exempted from military service D. 讨厌被免除兵役
【答案】C
【考查点】事实细节题
【解题思路】根据题干关键词French women定位到原文最后一段。该段第一句提到“一些代表表示支持建立一个面向社会的新的自愿服务的想法，这将向男性和女性开放。”本段最后一句提到“目前，女性可以选择是否服兵役（the option of voluntary military service），少数女性选择服兵役。”由此可知，目前，服兵役对于法国女性来说并不是义务，她们有权利选择是否进行志愿兵役服务。因此，C选项“没有服兵役的义务”符合原文。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“对这项改革充满热情”，原文最后一段第二句提到“但这一想法在女性中似乎没那么受欢迎（less popular among women）”，由此可知，法国女性对于这一改革并没有什么热情，该选项表述与原文矛盾，属于反向干扰；
B选项“没有资格去军队服役”，原文提到法国女性是可以选择志愿服兵役的，该选项表述错误，属于反向干扰；
D选项“讨厌被免除服兵役”，原文提到只有少数法国女性选择志愿服兵役，由此可知，她们并不喜欢服兵役，因此，她们不会讨厌被免除服兵役，该选项表述与原文矛盾，属于反向干扰。
第5题:
【选项释义】
Which of the following would be the best title for this passage? 下列哪一项最适合做本文标题？
A. Fairness in Conscription Is Desirable. A. 征兵需要公平。
B. Chirac’s Administration Meets Objections. B. 希拉克政府遭到反对。
C. Soul of France Is to Be Kept with Arms. C. 法国的灵魂是与军队保持联系。
D. Few French Regret the Farewell to Arms. D. 很少有法国人对告别军队感到遗憾。
【答案】D
【考查点】主旨大意题
【解题思路】分析文章行文结构：本文的行文逻辑大致为“提出‘取消征兵制度’的话题——介绍各方的反应”。第一、二段：法国总统前往巴黎军事学院发表讲话以消除军事院校可能存在的异议；第三段：最新的民调显示，70%的受访者支持这一决定；第四、五、六段：服过兵役的人普遍认为服兵役还是有用的，但并未表示反对取消征兵制度，还有人认为征兵制度不公平；第七段：有人提出法国男性和女性志愿服兵役的建议，但该建议在女性群体中，不那么受欢迎。综上所述，大部分法国人还是支持取消征兵制度的，D选项“很少有法国人对告别军队感到遗憾”符合原文。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“征兵需要公平”，虽然“征兵”的确是原文涉及的内容，但原文的话题是“取消征兵制度”，“征兵公平”只是文章倒数第二段的内容，该选项属于以偏概全；
B选项“希拉克政府遭到反对”，根据原文内容，大部分法国民众支持希拉克政府取消征兵制度的决定，该选项表述与原文矛盾，属于反向干扰；
C选项“法国的灵魂是与军队保持联系”，原文话题是“取消征兵制度”，并且大部分法国民众持支持意见，与“跟军队保持联系”矛盾，该选项属于反向干扰。
