单选题
Looking in from abroad, much of the world has historically been baffled by America's gun laws. In no other country can a mentally unstable person access a Glock pistol as easily as suspected Arizona shooter Jared Loughner did. And in no other country is the number of people who own guns as high as in the United States, where there are 90 guns for every 100 people. The Second Amendment that guarantees the right to bear arms is part of America's founding fabric. So is senseless violence brought about by guns also American? That was the question posed at today's White House press briefing by Russian journalist Andrei Sitov, the Washington Bureau Chief for Moscow-based Itar-Tass. Predictably, the query irked (惹恼) many in the room, including White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs. "I think there's agreement on all sides of the political spectrum that violence is never, ever acceptable," Gibbs said from the podium. What happened in Tucson "was not in keeping with the important bedrock (基础的) values on which this country was founded," he said. Several other reporters scoffed (嘲笑) at the suggestion as well. But much more scoffing over the last week came from overseas, where foreign news agencies reacted to the Tucson tragedy with an element of saying "we could have predicted this". "The Tucson shooting, in which Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was shot in the head, is another tragic commentary on the poisonous political climate that has developed in the United States, allied to the country's pervasive (普遍存在的) gun culture," read an editorial published in New Zealand. In the Sydney Morning Herald, journalist Rod Tiffen stated what seems like an obvious point missed over the past Week: "There is a strong correlation between the number of guns in a society and deaths resulting from them." Ed Pilkington, a writer for the U.K.'s Guardian asked it more simply, "What is it with guns and America? Why does the most advanced democracy, which prides itself on being a bastion of reason and civilization in a brutal and ugly world, put up with this carnage in its own back yard?" Which raises the question, is Sitov right? Is occasional violent tragedy an unpleasant byproduct (副产品) of a free society? I walked out of the briefing room with Sitov, who appeared to realize the impact that his question had on the roomful of Americans. "It's an obvious question and nobody asks that question," he told me through his thick Russian accent. "This is a cost that your country pays for freedom./
单选题
What do we learn from the first paragraph? A. The use of guns has become a hot topic in the United States now. B. The U.S. is now the country with the highest rate of privately-owned guns. C. People with mental disorder are banned to use guns in the U.S. D. Many countries have followed America's example in making their gun laws.
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】[解析] 根据题干中的the first paragraph将本题出处定位到首段。该段末句提到，世界上也没有任何一个国家的民众像美国民众这样持有如此众多的枪支，在美国，平均每百人拥有多达90支枪。由此可知，美国是世界上私人枪支拥有率最高的国家，故答案为[B]。美国的枪支使用成为国外热议的话题，而非美国人热议的话题，故排除[A]。由首段第二句可知，在美国精神不稳定的人可以轻易获得手枪，故排除[C]。首句提到世界上大多数国家都一直对美国的枪支法案感到困惑，而非在制定枪支法案时效仿美国，故排除[D]。 [设题分析] 对比处/定语从句处设题。本题解题的关键是理解末句同级比较结构所表达的最高级含义。
单选题
Russian journalist Andrei Sitov suggested that ______. A. it's gun users who should be blamed for violence B. it's nothing wrong for people to bear private weapons C. for America gun violence is the cost of freedom D. Americans commit most violent crimes in the world
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】[解析] 第二段提到Andrei Sitov提的问题：保障枪支拥有权的宪法第二修正案是美国的立国之基。这么说来，难道由枪支引发的愚蠢的暴力犯罪也是美国所特有的吗？再结合末段Andrei Sitov提到的”这个问题显而易见，但就是没人提出来。这是你们这个国家为自由所付出的代价”可知，Andrei Sitov认为枪支引发的暴力犯罪是美国为自由付出的代价，故答案为[C]。[A]在文中未提及。[B]是针对The Second Amendment...guarantees the right to bear arms设的干扰项。[D]是针对第二段末句设的干扰项。 [设题分析] 设问处/观点处设题。本题需要结合Andrei Sitov提问的问题来理解末段Andrei Sitov提到的This指的是Violence brought about by guns。
单选题
How did Robert Gibbs feel in face of Andrei Sitov's question? A. He felt very annoyed. B. He thought it's ridiculous. C. He was happy that Sitov raised the question. D. He wasn't convinced about the answer.
【正确答案】
A
【答案解析】[解析] 根据题干中的Robert Gibbs和question将本题出处定位到第三段末句。该句提到，the query惹恼了在场的许多人，这其中就包括白宫新闻办公室秘书罗伯特·吉布斯，而the query指的是Andrei Sitov提出的问题，[A]中的annoyed与irked对应，故答案为[A]，同时排除[C]。[B]中的ridiculous是针对文中scoffed(嘲笑)设的干扰项。由第四段首句提到的I think there's agreement on all sides...可知，他很确定问题的答案，故排除[D]。 [设题分析] 态度处设题。本题解题的关键是根据上文理解the query指代什么，然后根据irked与annoyed之间的同义转述关系即可得出答案。
单选题
What is the view of the New Zealand editorial? A. It's impossible for the United States to prevent gun violence. B. America's dangerous political situation is connected with its gun culture. C. Foreign reporters should not comment on the Tucson tragedy thoughtlessly. D. The Tucson shooting is just an occasional incident in the democratic America.
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】[解析] 根据题干中的the New Zealand editorial将本题出处定位到第六段首句。该句讲述新西兰一篇社论的观点：……美国所形成的致命政治环境以及与其相关的泛滥的枪支文化……，[B]正是对此的同义转述， 其中的America's dangerous political situation与the poisonous political climate...United States对应，is connected with its gun culture与allied to...gun culture对应，故答案为[B]。 [A]是针对the country's pervasive gun culture设的干扰项。[C]是针对tragic commentary(悲剧性说明)设的干扰项。由文中提到的another tragic commentary可知，这不是just an occasional incident，故排除[D]。 [设题分析] 观点处设题。本题把文中解释说明political climate的that定语从句简化为前置定语America's，解题关键是理解allied to(与……有关联)的含义。
单选题
It can be inferred from the context that "carnage" (Line 3, Para. 7) refers to ______. A. the losing of the freedom B. the corruption of democracy C. the worsening political climate D. the deaths resulting from guns