大學英語六級閱讀理解練習

　　The 4 th of July is the most important holiday in the USA, for it commemorates that famous dayin 1776 when the Americans declared their independence . Congress2 made the declarationin Philadelphia, and that night in the city there were joyful celebrations that soon becamenationwide. Ever since, the 4 th of July has been marked in the American calendar asIndependence Day, and there are parades and festivities of all kinds.

　　The basic cause of the Americans’ struggle for independence against the mother country,England, was too much interference and intolerance from London and very littleunderstanding of American problems and pride. Most galling to the Americans was theassumption by the English Government and the King that they had a right to tax theirsubjects overseas without their consent and without giving them anything in return. 3

　　The British were divided. It was a war inspiring no patriotism.

　　As for the troops which the Government sent to fight the rebels, they were unenthusiastic andincompetent, especially their leaders.

　　The Americans had no army. In fact, it is quite possible that but for the extraordinary faithand leadership of George Washington, the revolution might have come to nothing. 4 He builtan army that remained loyal to him until the end, despite terrible hardships. He was a truefrontiersman. He had seen lands that he knew would make an independent America a mightynation. He was given valuable support by the two great patriots — Thomas Jefferson andBenjamin Franklin. 5 It was Franklin who helped persuade the French to come into the waragainst the British.

　　In 1781 a British army commanded by an exceptionally incompetent general, Lord Cornwallis,surrendered to the Americans at Yorktown6 , Virginia , and the war was over. Not longafterward, the 13 colonies became States and joined together in a Union.

　　The effect of the American Revolution was far-reaching. The Declaration of Independence drawnup by Thomas Jefferson is one of the most important documents ever published, and itdropped like a bombshell on the western world. Here are the two sentences which shook theruling classes of Europe.“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are createdequal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among theseare life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. ”7 The second sen048 tence was even moredisturbing to them:“That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men,deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. ”

　　閱讀自測

　　Ⅰ. Chan ge the following verbs in parentheses into the irnoun forms:

　　1. Their ________( assume ) that their project under way was something entirely new provedto be untrue .

　　2. He showed strong ________( lead) during his first term in office.

　　3. The whole book is produced and edited in the ________( pursue) of excellence .

　　4. If your neighbors are too noisy then you have cause for ________( complain ) .

　　Ⅱ. Are these sta tements True or False according to the article ?

　　1. The 4 th of July is a day for rejoicing because Christopher Columbus discovered the NewWorld on this day.

　　2. In the British Parliament, there has achieved a consensus on fighting against the Americancolony.

　　3. The United States is originally composed of thirteen colonies.

　　4. It was Jefferson who persuaded the French to stand with themselves to fight against theBritish together.

　　參考答案 Ⅰ. 1. assumption 2 . leadership 3 . pursuit 4 . complaint Ⅱ. 1. F 2. F 3 . T 4 . F

　　參考譯文

　　7 月4 日———歡慶的一天

　　7 月4 日是美國最重要的節日, 因為它紀念了1776 年美國人宣告獨立的那個非常重要 的日子。就在那天, 大陸會議在費城發表《獨立宣言》, 那天晚上該城還舉行了各種歡慶活 動, 不久這些活動很快就遍及全國。從那以后, 7 月4 日在美國的日歷上就被標為獨立日。 在獨立日那天, 美國各地會有形式多樣的游行和慶祝活動。

　　美國人反對母國英國、爭取獨立的根本原因是倫敦方面干涉太多, 過于固執, 而且很少 理解美國人的種種問題和自尊心。最使美國人惱火的是英國政府和國王傲慢地認為他們 有權不經他們海外臣民的同意征收稅款, 卻不給予任何回報。

　　英國人對這場戰爭意見分歧。這場戰爭并沒有激起愛國熱情。

　　至于英國政府派去與反叛者作戰的部隊, 他們并不熱心, 也無力作戰, 他們的頭目更是 如此。

　　美國人沒有自己的軍隊。事實上, 要是沒有喬治· 華盛頓異常的忠誠和非凡的領導, 049 這 場革命本來是很可能會一事無成的。盡管條件十分艱苦, 他仍然創建了一支始終忠于他 的軍隊。他是個名副其實的邊疆開拓者。他已經看出他所熟悉的那些土地將會使獨立的 美國成為一個強大的國家。他還得到了兩位杰出的愛國志士托馬斯· 杰斐遜和本杰明· 富蘭克林的寶貴支持。正是富蘭克林說服了法國人同英國人交戰。

　　1781 年, 異常無能的康沃利斯勛爵指揮下的英國軍隊在弗吉尼亞的約克敦向美 國人投降了, 于是戰爭宣告結束。之后不久, 13 個殖民地變成了13 個州, 共同組成一個 聯邦。

　　美國獨立戰爭的影響是深遠的。由托馬斯· 杰斐遜起草的《獨立宣言》是有史以來發 表過的最重要的文獻之一, 它像一顆炸彈一樣扔向西方世界。下面兩句話震撼了歐洲統治 階級———“ 我們認為這些真理不言自明: 所有人都是生來平等的, 他們都有上帝賦予的某些 不可剝奪的權利, 其中包括生存權、自由權和追求幸福的權利。”第二句話甚至更使他們感 到不安,“ 為了保護這些權利, 人們便設立政府, 政府的正當權力來自被統治者的同意。”

　　閱讀導評

　　西方世界的民主與自由的思想源于歐洲。但是, 歐洲大陸以及英倫島上的王權與貴族 實力過于強大, 一時間不可能形成典型的民主與自由權。而美國歷史短暫, 擁有歐洲人所不具備的樸實上進的民風, 并且從來沒經歷過長期的封建莊園制度, 因而合乎歐洲人口味 的民主、自由的理想制度最終在美國成為現實。可以說, 西方的民主自由的思想源于歐洲, 而大成于美國

　　閱讀導釋

　　1. 7 月4 日是美國獨立紀念日。歷史上1776 年這一天, 北美洲十三個殖民地發表《獨立宣 言》, 宣告脫離英國, 建立美利堅合眾國。

　　2. 即Continental Congress 大陸會議, 是獨立戰爭期間召開的代表大會。在這個會上簽署過 1776 年的《獨立宣言》以及1781 年的《聯邦條例》。

　　3. 該句為同位語從句, that 引導的從句是用于說明assumption 的內容。tax v. 對……征稅; in return 作為回報。

　　4. 主語從句。因主語太長, 謂語太短, 為避免頭重腳輕, 用it 作為形式主語, 替代that 從句。 but for 的意思是“ 要不是, 如果沒有”。come to nothing 的意思是“ 毫無結果, 失敗”。喬 治·華盛頓( GeorgeWashington, 1732—1799) , 美國首任總統。他謝絕接任第三屆總 統, 樹立了美國總統任期不超過兩屆的先例, 一直以來只有羅斯福打破過這個慣例。

　　5. 托馬斯·杰斐遜( 1743—1826) , 美國第三任總統,《獨立宣言》主要起草人, 他所成立的 反聯邦黨是現代民主黨的前身。本杰明·富蘭克林( 1706—1790) , 美國政治家、科學 家, 發明了避雷針等。

　　6. 約克鎮( 位于美國弗吉尼亞州東南部的一個城鎮) 。 7. 三個that 從句均為同位語從句, 說明truths 的具體內容。to be self-evident 為賓語truths 的補語, 為了句子平衡起見被提前。