单选题
A strange thing about humans is their capacity for blind rage. Rage is presumably an emotion resulting from survival instinct, but the surprising thing about it is that we do not deploy it against other animals. If we encounter a dangerous wild animal——a poisonous snake or a wildcat——we do not fly into a temper. If we are unarmed, we show fear and attempt to back away; if we are suitably armed, we attack, but in a rational manner not in a rage. We reserve rage for our own species. It is hard to see any survival value in attacking one's own, but if we take account of the long competition which must have existed between our own subspecies and others like Neanderthal man——indeed others still more remote from us than Neanderthal man——man rage becomes more comprehensible. In our everyday language and behavior there are many reminders of those early struggles. We are always using tile words "us and them". "Our" side is perpetually trying to do down the "other" side. In games we artificially create other subspecies we can attack. The opposition of "us" and "them" is the touchstone of the two-party system of "democratic" politics. Although there are no very serious consequences to many of this modem psychological representation of the "us and them" emotion, it is as well to remember that the original aim was not to beat the other subspecies in a game but to exterminate it. The readiness with which human beings allow themselves to be regimented has permitted large armies to be formed, which, taken together with the "us and them" blind rage, has led to destructive clashes within Our subspecies itself. The First World War is an example in which Europe divided itself into two imaginary subspecies. And there is a similar extermination battle now in Northern Ireland. The idea that there is a religious basis for this clash is illusory, for not even the pope has been able to control it. The clash is much more primitive than the Christian religion, much older in its emotional origin. The conflict in Ireland is unlikely to stop until a greater primitive fear is imposed from outside the community, or until tile combatants become exhausted.
单选题
A suitable title for this passage would be ______. A. Wily Human Armies Are Formed B. Man' s Anger Against the World C. The Human Capacity for Rage D. Early Straggles of Angry Mail
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】capacity for blind rage在第一段中出现，但人类的愤怒并不针对动物，只针对人类自身。第二段说在我们的语言和行为中，有许多词提醒着我们注意到人类早期的斗争，如“我们”和“她们”，最初，我们在游戏中，会人为制造一个亚群体作为攻击的对象。第三段讲到愤怒使人们集结成军队，导致了人类亚群体之间的破坏性冲突。因而，全片都是围绕rage来展开的。
单选题
According to the author, the surprising aspect of human anger is ______. A. its lengthy and complex development B. a conflict such as is now going on in Northern Ireland C. that we do not fly into a temper more often D. that we reserve anger for mankind
【正确答案】
D
【答案解析】文中第一段“but the surprising thing about it is that we do not deploy it against other animals． It we…We reserve rage for our own species．”说明人类盲目的怒气从不指向其他的生物，而是保留在人类自身之间。
单选题
The passage suggests that ______. A. historically, we have created an "us" versus "them" society B. humans have had a natural disinclination toward formal grouping C. the First World War is an example of how man has always avoided domination D. the emotional origin of the war in Ireland is lost in time
【正确答案】
A
【答案解析】一直以来人类社会都将我们(us)与他们(them)分得很清楚。从文中可知，“but if we take account of the long competition…existed between our own subspecies and others like Neanderthal man”“In our everyday language and behavior there are many reminders of those early struggles”“… the original aim…to exterminate it”人类从穴居甚至更早的时候就存在着竞争，这种竞争是以我们消灭他们为目标的。其他选项在文中皆找不到依据。
单选题
From the passage we can infer that ______. A. the artificial creation of a subspecies unlike us is something that never happens B. games are psychologically unhealthy C. any artificially created subspecies would be our enemy D. the real or imagined existence of an opposing subspecies is inherent in man's activities
【正确答案】
D
【答案解析】意为在人类的活动中总有与人类相对立的或真实或假想的亚种(subspecies)的存在。本文一直在讲的就是人们的“us and them blind rage”，而这一种情结的重要表现就是人们总是会找到或想像出与其相对立的subspecies，例如第一次世界大战以及爱尔兰争端。
单选题
The author believes that a religious explanation for the war in Northern Ireland is ______. A. founded in historical fact B. deceptive C. apparent D. accurate
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】从文中最后一段倒数第二句话“The idea that there is a religious basis for this clash is illusory…much older in its emotional origin．”表明用宗教的方法解释爱尔兰争端是不能让人信服的，带有一定的错觉。B．deceptive欺骗性；C．apparent明显的；D．accurate精确的，准确的。