单选题 Many countries have a tradition of inviting foreigners to rule them. The English called in William of Orange in 1688, and, depending on your interpretation of history, William of Normandy in 1066. Both did rather a good job. Returning the compliment, Albania asked a well-bred Englishman called Aubgrey Herbert to be their king in the 1920s. He refused-and they ended up with several coves called Zog.
America, the country of immigrants, has no truck with imported foreign talent. Article two of the constitution says that "no person except a natural-born citizen.., shall be eligible to the office of the president". This is now being challenged by a particularly irresistible immigrant: Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Barely a year has passed since the erstwhile cyborg swept to victory in California's recall election, yet there is already an Amend-for-Arnold campaign collecting signatures to let the Austrian-born governor have a go at the White House. George Bush senior has weighed in on his behalf. There are several "Arnold amendments" in Congress. one allows foreigners who have been naturalized citizens for 20 years to become president. (The Austrian became American in 1983.)
It is easy to dismiss the hoopla as another regrettable example of loopy celebrity politics. Mr. Schwarzenegger has made a decent start as governor, but he has done little, as yet, to change the structure of his dysfunctional state. Indeed, even if the law were changed, he could well be elbowed aside by another incomer, this time from Canada. the Democratic governor of Michigan, Jennifer Granholm, who appears to have fewer skeletons in her closet than the hedonistic actor.
Moreover, changing the American constitution is no doddle. It has happened only 17 times since 1791 (when the first ten amendments were codified as the bill of rights). To change the constitution, an amendment has to be approved by two-thirds of both houses of Congress, and then to be ratified by three-quarters of the 50 states. The Arnold amendment is hardly in the same category as abolishing slavery or giving women the vote. And, as some wags point out, Austrian imports have a pretty dodgy record of running military superpowers.

单选题 The author of the text makes a contrast in ______.
[A] Paragraph Ⅲ and Paragraph Ⅳ
[B] the opening paragraph
[C] Paragraph t and Paragraph Ⅱ
[D] the concluding paragraph
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】[考点解析] 本题是一道细节题,测试考生对原文段落关系之间细节能的识别、把握与理解能力。本题的答案信息来源在第一、二段,尤其是这两段的首句。第一段首句讲:“许多国家有邀请外国人管理其国家的传统”。第二段首句讲:“美国这个移民国家不与引进的外国天才打交道”。由此,我们可以看出作者在原文第一、二段进行了比较,故本题的正确选项应该是C,“Paragraph Ⅰ and Ⅱ”(第一、二段)。考生在阅读时要注意段落之间的关系。
单选题 The phrase "has no truck with" (Line 1, Paragraph 2) most probably means ______.
[A] lacks means of transportation for
[B] never discriminate
[C] have no vehicle to
[D] refuses to consider
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】[考点解析] 这是一道词汇题,测试考生对原文词语的正确理解能力。本题的答案信息来源在第二段。“has/have no truck with...”这一固定结构的含义是“不与……打交道,不与……来往;同……毫无关系”,故本题的正确选项应该是D,“refuse to consider”(不予考虑)。考生在阅读时如果遇到生词可以根据上下文和中心主旨思想去推断。本题通过第二段的第二句也可以推导出来。
单选题 Compared with Jennifer Granholm, Mr. Schwarzenegger is at disadvantage due to ______.
[A] more embarrassing secrets
[B] previous actor background
[C] excessive garment decoration
[D] less slender figure
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】[考点解析] 这是一道细节题,测试考生识别和准确理解原文信息的能力。本题的答案信息来源在第四段的尾句,该句的大意是:“实际上,即使法律进行了相关修改,史瓦辛格也大有可能被其他新人排挤掉,这次的新人来自加拿大,密歇根州的民主党州长Jennifer Granholm。与享乐主义者的演员(即史瓦辛格)相比,Jennifer的家丑似乎少一些”。由此可以推断本题的正确选项是A“more embarrassing secrets”(更多令人为难的秘密)。
单选题 The word "cyborg" (Line 1, Paragraph 3) most probably refers to ______.
[A] Aubgrey Herbert
[B] George Bush senior
[C] William of Orange
[D] Arnold Schwarzenegger
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】[考点解析] 这是一道细节题,测试考生识别和推断原文的重要信息。本题的答案信息来源在第三段首句,该句的主语是“cyborg”(靠机械装置维持生命的人)。本句的大意是:“虽然自从史瓦辛格(cyborg)取得加州选举的全胜为期还不到一年,但是已经有为史瓦辛格修改宪法的签名运动,旨在让这位奥地利出生的州长有机会入主白宫”。在这句话中“cyborg:一词指代是“史瓦辛格”,故本题的正确选项应该是D。考生在阅读时如果一时推导不出来相关正确信息,可利用上下文的提示,本题通过上段尾句也可推导出本题的正确选项D,“Arnold Schwarzenegger”(阿诺·史瓦辛格)。
单选题 It can be inferred from the concluding paragraph that ______.
[A] the American constitution is changeable and falls into a vicious cycle
[B] there is a faint chance that legal adjustments are made for Arnold running
[C] abolishing slavery and granting women the vote given an impetus to Arnold running
[D] both houses of Congress hold whether he deserves to win is another matter
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】[考点解析] 这是一道细节推导题。测试考生准确理解并且进行相应推导的能力。本题的答案信息来源在尾段,尤其是第一句,该句的大意是:“修改美国宪法决非易事(doddle)”。由此可以推断:为史瓦辛格个人去修改宪法机率渺茫,故本题的正确选项应该是B“there is a faint chance that legal adjustments are made for Arnold running”(为阿诺·史瓦辛格竞选而进行法律调整的机率不大)。考生在阅读时一定要抓住全文叙述的中心点,并且进行相应的引申推导,推导出作者叙述时的弦外之音。