阅读理解 A self-described socialist and former shop steward, Sir Alex was an odd fit with the centrist Mr Blair. Yet he was much less impressed by Blair's successor, Gordon Brown—though he was also born in Glasgow and is a lifelong football fan. Nor could Sir Alex quarrel with New Labour's embrace of the market. English football has become the world's best because it pays the most: the average weekly wage in the premiership rose by 1,500% between 1992 and 2010. Sir Alex was well rewarded, too; he named his mansion Fairfields, after the ship-making factory where his father once laboured.
Sir Alex's success was based on his enthusiastic embrace of globalisation, something too many people in Labour are still uncomfortable with. He inherited a team that contained two Danes, four Irishmen and 18 Britons. He leaves a squad with players from a dozen countries, including Serbia, Ecuador and Japan. In public-policy terms, United runs both a superb domestic education system and a liberal immigration policy. This is a lesson Labour's current leader, Ed Miliband, badly needs to learn—having expressed regret, in a vague but toe-curling(令人厌恶的)way, that his New Labour forebears let so many foreigners in.
Oddly, perhaps the politician Sir Alex most resembles was not of Labour at all; but rather its Tory female, Margaret Thatcher. He claimed to dislike her. Yet they are similar. Both won global successes through a combination of simple truths and constant drive. Both shared aspiration and opportunity. Both made Britain great.
Sir Alex would now do well to avoid Lady Thatcher's biggest mistake: by lingering at the scene of his triumph. He plans to stay on at United as a director and perhaps instructor to his successor, David Moyes, another able manager and working-class Scot. But such arrangement rarely works. It would be better, after such a glorious career, if he conceded that Fergie time is now over.
单选题 16.Which of the following is true according to the first paragraph?
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】选项[A]对应原文：Sir Alex was an odd fit with the centrist Mr Blair．原文提到MrBlair是中立派，而非保守党派。故该项错误。选项[B]对应原文：He was much less impressedby Blair’s successor，Gordon Brown—though he was also born in Glasgow and is a lifelong footballfan．文章说到Gordon是Blair的继承者，而非Alex的队员，故错误。[C]项对应原文：Sir Alexwas well rewarded，too．故该选项是对的。[D]项对应原文：Nor could Sir Alex quarrel with NewLabour's embrace of the market．Nor一词表否定，选项[D]与原文表述相反，故错误。综上所述，本题答案为选项[C]。
单选题 17.Alex's mansion was named after______.
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】考点在于第一段最后一句：．．．he named his mansion Fairfields，after the ship-makingfactory where his father once laboured．可见他的宅邸的命名是来自他父亲工作过的造船厂，选项[D]是正确的。
单选题 18.Alex's success depends on______.
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】根据题干对应到第二段首句：Sir Alex’s success was based on his enthusiastic em—brace of globalisation…答案很明显，为[C]项，[C]项是该句话的同义转换。其中enthusiastic对应enthusiasm；embrace对应accept。而在文中未能找到其余三项的对应内容，故错误。
单选题 19.Margaret Thatcher and Sir Alex share all these common points EXCEPT______.
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】题目问的是Thatcher和Alex的共同点，体现在第三段的“Yet they are similar”这一转折句之后。之后的连续三个both体现了两者的共同点，其中global success=worldwide tri—umph；constant drive=continuous endeavor；aspiration and opportunity=ambition and chance。故选项[A]未提及，选项[A]为答案。
单选题 20.What is the author's attitude on Alex's decision to stay at United?
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】根据题干定位到文章尾段。前两句中的do well to avoid mistake，triumph等词似乎都表明作者对亚历克斯的做法是赞成的。但观点态度题要特别注意虚拟情态以及转折处，文章but之后才体现了作者的态度，关键词是rarely works，if he conceded以及is now over，这些词都表明作者对于亚历克斯决定留在曼联队是否定的。所以[A]和[C]两项明显是错误的。作者的态度也并非选项[D]的“有点冷漠”，而是选项[B]的“有点反对”。