Charles Kettering didn't like the idea of cranking a car to make it start, so he invented the electric starter. Henry Ford figured out the assembly-line technique and made it possible to mass-produce automobiles. Lewis Waterman saw no need to go on dipping a pen into an inkwell, so he put the ink into the pen. George Westinghouse told the world how to stop a train, and Elisha Otis, inventor of the elevator, indirectly created the city skyline. These people understood that individualism means working at the top of one's capacity.

　　Fortunately, enough Americans have been inspired to do something with their uniqueness that we have developed in less than three centuries from a frontier outpost into not only a country of freedom but a country strong enough to protect that freedom. These people prized the notions of individuality and excellence above all things and thus kept the great machine functioning. The ones with the purple hair and the horrorable jewelry are just along for the ride, trying to be "different" and not knowing how to go about it.

　　The student who earns A's on his report card has grasped the idea and has found the real meaning of individuality. So has the youngster who has designed his own spaceship, who paints pictures of the world around him, or who can name all the states and their capitals.

　　1. According to the author unique individuals are persons who ______.

　　A. do something better than other people

　　B. know more about a subject than other people

　　C. excel others in work

　　D. all of the above

　　2. People who regard individuality as a surface thing always do the following EXCEPT ______.

　　A. wearing bright clothes

　　B. coloring their hair

　　C. doing better than others

　　D. decorating their skin with tattoos

　　3. Which is NOT TRUE according to the passage?

　　A. Henry Ford invented assembly-line technique.

　　B. Elisha Otis was the inventor of the lift

　　C. George Westinghouse created cranks.

　　D. Lewis Waterman put the ink into the pen.

　　4. It can be inferred from the passage that ______.

　　A. the real secret to being unique lies in our excellent work

　　B. if we want to be different we'd gain more profit

　　C the student who earns A's on the report card has not grasped the real meaning of　individuality

　　D. all Americans work miracles

　　5. In the writer's opinion who has understood the sense of individuality?

　　A. The youngster who designed his own spaceship.

　　B. The youngster who painted worthy pictures.

　　C. The youngster who was interested in wearing strange clothes.

　　D. Both A and B.

　　參考答案：

　　1-5 DCCAD

　　英語六級閱讀理解模擬練習二：

　　At some time in your life you may have a strong desire to do something strange or terrible. However, chances are that you don't act on your impulse, but let it pass instead. You know that to commit the action is wrong in some way and that other people will not accept your behavior.

　　Perhaps the most interesting thing about the phenomenon of taboo(禁忌的) behavior is how it can change over the years within the same society, how certain behavior and attitudes once considered taboo can become perfectly acceptable and natural at another point in time. Topics such as death, for example, were once considered so upsetting and unpleasant that it was a taboo to even talk about them. Now with the publication of important books such as On Death and Dying and Learning to Say Goodbye, people have become more aware of the importance of expressing feelings about death and, as a result, are more willing to talk about this taboo subject.

　　One of the newest taboos in American society is the topic of fat. Unlike many other taboos, fat is a topic that Americans talk about constantly. It's not taboo to talk about fat; it's taboo to be fat. The "in" look is thin, not fat. In the work world, most companies prefer youthful-looking, trim executives to sell their image as well as their products to the public. The thin look is associated with youth, vigor, and success. The fat person, on the other hand, is thought of as lazy and lacking in energy, self-discipline, and self-respect. In an image-conscious society like the U. S. , thin is "in", fat is "out".

　　It's not surprising, then, that millions of Americans have become obsessed (著迷) with staying slim and "in shape". The pursuit of a youthful physical appearance is not, however, the sole reason for America's obsession with diet and exercise. Recent research has shown the critical importance of diet and exercise for personal health. As in most technologically developed nations, the life-style of North Americans has changed dramatically during the course of the last century. Modern machines do all the physical labor that people were once forced to do by hand. Cars and buses transport us quickly from point to point. As a result of inactivity and disuse, people's bodies can easily become weak and vulnerable to disease. In an effort to avoid such a fate, millions of Americans are spending more of their time exercising every day.

　　1. From the passage we can infer taboo is _____.

　　A. a strong desire to do something strange or terrible

　　B. a crime committed on impulse

　　C. behavior considered unacceptable in society's eyes

　　D. an unfavorable impression left on other people

　　2. Based on the ideas presented in the passage we can conclude "being fat"_____.

　　A. will always remain a taboo 　　　B. is not considered a taboo by most people

　　C. has long been a taboo 　　　　　D. may no longer be a taboo some day

　　3. The topic of fat is _____ many other taboo subjects.

　　A. the same as 　　　　　B. different from

　　C. more popular than　　 D. less often talked about than

　　4. In the U. S. , thin is "in", fat is "out", this means _____.

　　A. thin is "inside", fat is "outside"

　　B. thin is "diligent", fat is "lazy"

　　C. thin is "youthful", fat is "spiritless"

　　D. thin is "fashionable", fat is "unfashionable"

　　5. The main reason the passage gives for why so many Americans are exercising regularly is _____.

　　A. their changed life-style

　　B. their eagerness to stay thin and youthful

　　C. their appreciation of the importance of exercise

　　D. the encouragement they have received from their companies

　　參考答案：

　　1-5 CDBDB