Among the more colorful characters of Leadville’s golden age were H.A. W. Tabor and his second wife, Elizabeth McCourt, better known as “Baby Doe”. Their history is fast becoming one of the legends of the Old West. Horace Austin Warner Tabor was a school teacher in Vermont. With his first wife and two children he left Vermont by covered wagon in 1855 to homestead in Kansas. Perhaps he did not find farming to his liking, or perhaps he was lured by rumors of fortunes to be made in Colorado mines. At any rate, a few years later he moved west to the small Colorado mining camp known as California Gulch, which he later renamed Leadville when he became its leading citizen. “Great deposits of lead are sure to be found here.” he said.
As it turned out, it was silver, not lead, that was to make Leadville’s fortune and wealth. Tabor knew little about mining himself, so he opened a general store, which sold everything from boots to salt, flour, and tobacco. It was his custom to “grubstake” prospective miners, in other words, to supply them with food and supplies, or “grub”,while they looked for ore, in return for which he would get a share in the mine if one was discovered. He did this for a number of years but no one that he aided ever found anything of value.
Finally one day in the year 1878, so the story goes, two miners came in and asked for “grub”. Tabor had decided to quit supplying it because he had lost too much money that way. These were persistent, however, and Tabor was too busy to argue with them. “Oh help yourself. One more time won’t make any difference,” He said and went on selling shoes and hats to other customers. The two miners took $17 worth of supplies, in return for which they gave Tabor a one-third interest in their findings. They picked a barren place on the mountain side and began to dig. After nine days they struck a rich vein of silver. Tabor bought the shares of the other two men, and so the mine belonged to him alone. This mine, known as the “Pittsburgh Mine,” made $1 300 000 for Tabor in return for his $17 investment.
Later Tabor bought the Matchless Mine on another barren hillside just outside the town for $117000. This turned out to be even more fabulous than the Pittsburgh, yielding $35000 worth of silver per day at one time. Leadville grew. Tabor became its first mayor, and later became lieutenant governor of the state.
1.Leadville got its name for the following reasons EXCEPT( ).
2.The word “grubstake” in paragraph 2 means( ).
3.Tabor made his first fortune( ).
4.The underlying reason for Tabor’s life career is( ).
5.If this passage is the first part of an article, who might be introduced in the following part?
问题1选项
A.because Tabor became its leading citizen
B.because great deposits of lead is expected to be found there
C.because it could bring good fortune to Tabor
D.because it was renamed
问题2选项
A.to supply miners with food and supplies
B.to open a general store
C.to do one's contribution to the development of the mine
D.to supply miners with food and supplies and in return get a share in the mine, if one was discovered
问题3选项
A.by supplying two prospective miners and getting in return a one-third interest in the findings
B.because he was persuaded by the two miners to quit supplying
C.by buying the shares of the other
D.as a land speculator
问题4选项
A.purely accidental
B.based on the analysis of miner’s being very poor and their possibility of discovering profitable mining site
C.through the help from his second wife
D.he planned well and accomplished targets step by step
问题5选项
A.Tabor's life.
B.Tabor's second wife, Elizabeth McCourt.
C.Other colorful characters.
D.Tabor's other careers.
第1题:C
第2题:D
第3题:A
第4题:B
第5题:B
第1题:
【选项释义】
Leadville got its name for the following reasons EXCEPT ____. Leadville的名字来源于以下原因,除了____。
A. because Tabor became its leading citizen A. 因为Tabor成为了当地的领袖
B. because great deposits of lead is expected to be found there B. 因为那里有望发现大量的铅矿床
C. because it could bring good fortune to Tabor C. 因为它能给Tabor带来好运
D. because it was renamed D. 因为它被重新命名了
【考查点】细节事实题。
【解题思路】由第一段倒数一、二句“不管怎么说,几年后,他搬到了西部一个名为加利福尼亚峡谷的科罗拉多小采矿营地,当他成为那里的主要公民后,他把这个营地重新命名为莱德维尔。‘这里肯定能找到大量的铅矿藏。’他说。”可知,C选项“因为Leadville可以给Tabor带来财富”原文没有提及,故选项C符合题意。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“因为Tabor成为了当地的领袖”、B选项“因为那里有望发现大量的铅矿床”和D选项“因为它被重新命名了”均可定位到第一段倒数一、二句“不管怎么说,几年后,他搬到了西部一个名为加利福尼亚峡谷的科罗拉多小采矿营地,当他成为那里的主要公民后,他把这个营地重新命名为莱德维尔。‘这里肯定能找到大量的铅矿藏。’他说。”,由此可知三个选项均属于Leadville名字来源的原因,属于反向干扰。
第2题:
【选项释义】
The word “grubstake” in paragraph 2 means ____. 第二段中的“grubstake”指的是____。
A. to supply miners with food and supplies A. 为矿工提供食物和补给
B. to open a general store B. 开一家杂货店
C. to do one’s contribution to the development of the mine C. 为矿山的发展做出自己的贡献
D. to supply miners with food and supplies and in return get a share in the mine, if one was discovered D. 为矿工提供食物和其他物资,如果有矿被发现,作为回报,他们将获得矿山的股份
【考查点】推理判断题。
【解题思路】由第二段第三句“他的习惯是‘喂饱’具有潜力的矿工,换句话说,就是给他们提供食物和给养(to supply them with food and supplies)。如果发现了矿石,他可以得到一份矿石作为回报(get a share in the mine if one was discovered)。”可知,D选项是对“grubstake”的全面解释,故D项正确。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“为矿工提供食物和补给”解释不全面,根据解题思路可知还包括“可以得到一份矿石作为回报”,属于以偏概全;
B选项“开一家杂货店”可定位到第二段第二句“Tabor自己对采矿知之甚少,所以他开了一家杂货店”,与“grubstake”无关,属于出处错位;
C选项“为矿山的发展做出自己的贡献”原文没有提及,属于无中生有。
第3题:
【选项释义】
Tabor made his first fortune ____. Tabor的第一笔财富是____获得的。
A. by supplying two prospective miners and getting in return a one-third interest in the findings A. 通过提供物资给两名具有潜力的矿工,然后获得三分之一的开采权益作为回报
B. because he was persuaded by the two miners to quit supplying B. 因为他被两个矿工说服停止供应
C. by buying the shares of the other C. 通过购买对方的股份
D. as a land speculator D. 作为一个土地投机商
【考查点】细节事实题。
【解题思路】由第三段第五句“这两名矿工获得了价值17美元的补给品,作为回报,他们将他们发现的三分之一的股份给了Tabor(they gave Tabor a one-third interest)。”可知,Tabor的第一份财富来自于他给别人提供食物,然后别人给了三分之一的股份给他。故A项正确。
【干扰项排除】
B选项“因为他被两个矿工说服停止供应”可定位到第三段第二句“Tabor决定不再供应,因为他在这方面损失了太多的钱。”由此可知,是Tabor自己想停止供应,属于曲解原文;
C选项“通过购买对方的股份”,根据解题思路可知,原文是说作为回报,Tabor将获得发现矿石的矿工的股份,而不是“购买对方的股份”,属于曲解原文;
D选项“作为一个土地投机商”原文没有提及,属于无中生有。
第4题:
【选项释义】
The underlying reason for Tabor’s life career is ____. Tabor一生事业成功的根本原因是____。
A. purely accidental A. 纯属意外
B. based on the analysis of miner’s being very poor and their possibility of discovering profitable mining site B. 基于对矿工的贫困状况和发现有利可图的矿区的可能性的分析
C. through the help from his second wife C. 通过他第二任妻子的帮助
D. he planned well and accomplished targets step by step D. 他计划周密,一步一个脚印地完成目标
【考查点】推理判断题。
【解题思路】由原文可知Tabor的财富来源具有一定的偶然性,但也是基于他开创的“grubstake”模式,分析选项可知只有B选项正确。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“纯属意外”说法过于绝对,其成功还在于开创了“grubstake”模式,属于曲解原文;
C选项“通过他第二任妻子的帮助”没有根据,因为他还没有娶第二位夫人这一切就发生了,属于无中生有;
D选项“他计划周密,一步一个脚印地完成目标”由原文可知,Tabor之前的支持都没有成功,他想过放弃,后来因为两名矿工的坚持才偶然成功,属于曲解原文。
第5题:
【选项释义】
If this passage is the first part of an article, who might be introduced in the following part? 如果本文是一篇文章的第一部分,那么在文章的第二部分将介绍谁呢?
A. Tabor’s life. A. Tabor的生活。
B. Tabor’s second wife, Elizabeth McCourt. B. Tabor的第二任妻子,Elizabeth McCourt。
C. Other colorful characters. C. 其他有趣的角色。
D. Tabor’s other careers. D. Tabor的其他职业。
【考查点】推理判断题。
【解题思路】文章中心句讲“在Leadville的黄金年代,有很多多姿多彩的人物,其中包括Tabor及其第二任妻子Elizabeth McCourt。”接着,文章都在讲述有关H.A.W.Tabor发家致富的历史,如先买下匹兹堡矿,后又买下Matchless矿,最后成为市长、代理州长等等,所有涉及的全是男主人公,因此接下来行文应该描述女主人公即Tabor的第二任妻子Elizabeth McCourt了。故B选项正确。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“Tabor的生活”、C选项“其他有趣的角色”和D选项“Tabor的其他职业”均和文章中心句“在Leadville的黄金年代,有很多多姿多彩的人物,其中包括Tabor及其第二任妻子Elizabeth McCourt。”不相符,属于无中生有。