单选题
Given the fact that each person is only one of approximately 90 million voters in this country, does it make sense to believe that one person"s participation, one vote, will have any impact on a major election? Simply to raise the question "What if everyone felt the same way?" does not remove the lingering impression that a single person is made to feel insignificant by the enormous number of people who do go to the polls, especially in a national election.
Supporters of the ruling elite theory insist that even though voters are given a choice among candidates, their choice is restricted to a narrow range of similar-minded individuals approved by the ruling elite. Elections do not express what most people want or need, nor do they provide guidance for politicians (even if they want it) on what policies to enact. In this view, elections are primarily just rituals that perform a symbolic function for society.
Still, since most people continue to show faces at the polls at one time or another, what arguments can be made in favor of. voting? One argument is that voting does have significance, if not in individual impact, then in group pressure. Because citizens collectively have the power to give or withhold votes, they directly control the term in office of elected officials. Even if the choice is between
Tweedledee and Tweedledum
, Tweedledee knows that one must be accountable and this is fixed by law, and that minimally he or she must strive to avoid displeasing the constituents to lose the job.
But perhaps political effectiveness and impact in voting are not the only consideration anyway. People do not vote only to influence policy. Millions go to the effort to register and vote for a variety of other reasons as well. Some people may participate just to avoid feeling guilty about not voting. They may have been taught that is their patriotic duty to vote and that they have no right to complain about the outcome if they stay at home. Still others may vote to derive satisfaction from feeling that they are somehow participants, not just spectators, in an exciting electoral contest.
Even if their one vote may not be crucial to the outcome, it nevertheless affirms their role in and support for the political process. Indeed, perhaps it is this final need that fuels the desire for full democratic participation among people in many nations of the world.
单选题
What is the true nature of elections according to the ruling elite theory?
【正确答案】
A
【答案解析】[解析] 该题为细节题。根据第二段第二、三句“Elections do not express what most people want or need, nor do they provide guidance for politicians(even if they want it) on what policies to enact. In this view, elections are primarily just rituals that perform a symbolic function for society.”可知，精英治国理论的支持者认为，选举并没有表达出大部分人想要的或需要的，也没有为政治家就颁布何种政策而提供一些指导，而主要是一种表现社会象征性功能的仪式，故选A。
单选题
According to Paragraph 3, people go to the polls because they
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】[解析] 该题为细节题。根据第三段第二、三句“One argument is that voting does have significance, if not in individual impact, then in group pressure. Because citizens collectively have the power to give of withhold votes, they directly control the term in office of elected officials.”可知，一个争论就是投票确实是有意义的，要么是个人影响力的关系，要么是集体压力。因为全体公民有权利投票或不投票，因此他们直接控制着被选上官员的条件。由此可推断出，人们之所以去投票是因为他们觉得他们的集体意愿会对选举有影响，故B选项最符合文意。A选项“人们去投票是因为他们认为他们有责任投票”在第三段中并没有提到，故A选项不正确。C选项“是因为想要表现每个个人的力量和影响”与文中“One argument is...if not in individual impact”不符，故C选项不正确。D选项“是因为人们不想冒失业的危险”与文中第三段最后一句“Even if the choice is...he or she must strive to avoid displeasing the constituents to lose the job”中he or she指代的是那些被选上的人，而非选举人，故D选项与文意不符，故选B。
单选题
"Tweedledee and Tweedledum" (Line 5, Paragraph 3) is used to refer to
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】[解析] 该题为猜测词义题。根据第三段第三句“Because citizens collectively have the power to give or withhold votes, they directly control the term in office of elected officials.”可知，因为全体公民有权利投票或不投票，因此他们直接控制着被选上官员的条件。紧接着就说“即使这个选择是在阿呆和阿瓜之间”可知，此处的Tweedledee and Tweedledum指的是选举中的任何一个候选者，故选C。
单选题
What can be learnt from the last two paragraphs?
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】[解析] 该题为推断题。根据最后一段“Even if their one vote may not be crucial to the outcome, it nevertheless affirms their role in... in many nations of the world.”可知，即使民众的一个选票对选举结果并不能产生至关重要的作用，然而，这也确认了他们在参与并支持政治进程中的角色。事实上，也许这就是激发世界上许多国家的人民对于完全参与民主欲望的最终需要。由此可以看出民众参与选举投票的意义所在，B选项符合文意。A选项“最后的结果是由过程中的每一步所决定的”文中并没有相应描述，故选B。C选项“参与选举会去除投票者的负罪感”与文意不符，根据第四段第三句“Some people may participate just to avoid feeling guilty about not voting.”可知有些人也许参与选举只是为了避免不选举的罪责，故C选项不正确。根据第四段最后一句“Still others may vote to derive satisfaction from feeling that they are somehow participants, not just spectators, in an exciting electoral contest.”可知，有的人选举也许是为了从中产生一种满足感，一种他们在一场令人激动的选举比赛中是参与者而非旁观者的感觉。故D选项不正确。A选项“最后的结果是由过程中的每一步所决定的”文中并没有相应描述，故选B。
单选题
Which of the following is the best title for the text?