复合题

Directions: There are 4 reading passages in this part. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A., B., C. and D. You should decide on the best choice and then blacken the corresponding letter. 

Passage Two

Like many of my generation, I have a weakness for hero worship. At some point, however, we all begin to question our heroes and our need for them. This leads us to ask: What is a hero? 

Despite immense differences in cultures, heroes around the world generally share a number of characteristics that instruct and inspire people. 

A hero does something worth talking about. A hero has a story of adventure to tell and a community who will listen. But a hero goes beyond mere fame. 

Heroes serve powers or principles larger than themselves. Like high voltage transformers, heroes take the energy of higher powers and step it down so that it can be used by ordinary people. 

The hero lives a life worthy of imitation. Those who imitate a genuine hero experience life with new depth, enthusiasm, and meaning. A sure test for would-be heroes is what or whom do they serve. What are they willing to live and die for? If the answer or evidence suggests they serve only their own fame, they may be famous persons but not heroes. Madonna and Michael Jackson are famous, but who would claim that their fans find life more abundant? 

Heroes are catalysts（催化剂） for change. They have a vision from the mountain top. They have the skill and the charm to move the masses. They create new possibilities. Without Gandhi, India might still be part of the British Empire. Without Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King, Jr., we might still have segregated（分离， 隔离） buses, restaurants, and parks. It may be possible for large scale change to occur without leaders with magnetic personalities, but the pace of change would be slow, the vision uncertain, and the committee meetings endless. 

单选题 Although heroes may come from different cultures, they _____.
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】根据第二段中“Despite immense differences in cultures, heroes around the world generally share a number of characteristics that instruct and inspire people”可推知， 虽然不同文化对英雄的概念略有不同， 但英雄都应该有能感化、 激励他人的性格特征。 因此B选项正确。
单选题 According to the passage, heroes are compared to high-voltage transformers in that _____.
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】定位到第四段， 根据前一句中“Heroes serve powers or principles larger than themselves”， 可知英雄被比喻成高压转化器的原因是因为他们为更崇高的原则而奋斗， 同时又把这种原则转化为普通人可以感受的程度， 就像是转化器一样。 因此C选项正确。
单选题 Madonna and Michael Jackson are not considered heroes because _____.
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】由倒数第二段第一句“Madonna and Michael Jackson are famous, but who would claim that their fans find life more abundant”可推知， 麦当娜也好， 迈克尔杰克逊也好， 都不能称之为英雄， 因为他们并未给自己的观众带来更多关于人生的思考， 并没有给他们关于道德上的感化。 因此D选项正确。
单选题 Gandhi and Martin Luther King are typical examples of outstanding leaders who _____.
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】定位到最后一段开头部分， “They have a vision from the mountain top. They have the skill and the charm to move the masses. They create new possibilities”， 可知作者举圣雄甘地与马丁路德金的事迹是想要说明， 英雄有更高的视野， 更强的大局观， 能为自己的人民带来解决问题的办法。 因此B选项正确。
单选题 The author concludes that historical changes would _____.
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】根据全文末句“It may be possible for large scale change to occur without leaders with magnetic personalities,but the pace of change would be slow, the vision uncertain, and the committee meetings endless”内容可知， 作者认为如果缺少了英雄， 大的社会变革也会发生， 但时间会不可避免的延长， 结合四个选项来看， A更贴合题意， 故A选项正确。