2019年公共英語五級閱讀模擬題（4）
2019年公共英語五級閱讀模擬題（4）
On the 36th day after they had voted, Americans finally learned Wednesday who would be their next president: Governor George W. Bush of Texas.
Vice President Al Gore, his last realistic avenue for legal challenge closed by a U. S. Supreme Court decision late Tuesday, planned to end the contest formally in a televised evening speech of perhaps 10 minutes, advisers said.
They said that Senator Joseph Lieberman, his vice presidential running mate, would first make brief comments. The men would speak from a ceremonial chamber of the Old Executive office Building, to the west of the White House.
The dozens of political workers and lawyers who had helped lead Mr. Gore’s unprecedented fight to claw a come-from-behind electoral victory in the pivotal state of Florida were thanked Wednesday and asked to stand down.
“The vice president has directed the recount committee to suspend activities,” William Daley, the Gore campaign chairman, said in a written statement.
Mr. Gore authorized that statement after meeting with his wife, Tipper, and with top advisers including Mr. Daley.
He was expected to telephone Mr. Bush during the day. The Bush campaign kept a low profile and moved gingerly, as if to leave space for Mr. Gore to contemplate his next steps.
Yet, at the end of a trying and tumultuous process that had focused world attention on sleepless vote counters across Florida, and on courtrooms form Miami to Tallahassee to Atlanta to Washington the Texas governor was set to become the 43d U. S. president.
The news of Mr. Gore’s plans followed the longest and most rancorous dispute over a U. S. presidential election in more than a century, one certain to leave scars in a badly divided country.
It was a bitter ending for Mr. Gore, who had outpolled Mr. Bush nationwide by some 300000 votes, but, without Florida, fell short in the Electoral College by 271votes to 267-the narrowest Electoral College victory since the turbulent election of 1876.
Mr. Gore was said to be distressed by what he and many Democratic activists felt was a partisan decision from the nation’s highest court.
But at the end of five seemingly endless weeks, during which the physical, legal and constitutional machines of the U. S. election were pressed and sorely tested in ways unseen in more than a century, the system finally produced a result, and one most Americans appeared to be willing at lease provisionally to support.
The Bush team welcomed the news with an outward show of restraint and aplomb. The governor’s hopes had risen and fallen so many times since Election night, and the legal warriors of each side suffered through so many dramatic reversals, that there was little energy left for celebration.
1. The main idea of this passage is
[A]. Bush’s victory in presidential election bore a political taint.
[B]. The process of the American presidential election.
[C]. The Supreme Court plays a very important part in the presidential election.
[D]. Gore is distressed.
2. What does the sentence “as if to leave space for Mr. Gore to contemplate his next step” mean
[A]. Bush hopes Gore to join his administration.
[B]. Bush hopes Gore to concede defeat and to support him.
[C]. Bush hopes Gore to congraduate him.
[D]. Bush hopes Gore go on fighting with him.
3. Why couldn’t Mr. Gore win the presidential election after he outpolled Mr. Bush in the popular vote? Because
[A]. the American president is decided by the supreme court’s decision.
[B]. people can’t directly elect their president.
[C]. the American president is elected by a slate of presidential electors.
[D]. the people of each state support Mr. Bush.
4. What was the result of the 5-4 decision of the supreme court?
[A]. It was in fact for the vote recount.
[B]. It had nothing to do with the presidential election.
[C]. It decided the fate of the winner.
[D]. It was in essence against the vote recount.
5. What did the “turbulent election of 1876” imply?
[A]. The process of presidential election of 2000 was the same as that.
[B]. There were great similarities between the two presidential elections (2000 and 1876).
[C]. It was compared to presidential election of 2000.
[D]. It was given an example.
Vocabulary
1. avenue 通向成功/獲取成功的途徑/手段
2. running mate 競選伙伴，3. 如作為總統(tǒng)的競選伙伴，4. 獲勝后為副總統(tǒng)
5. pivotal 重要的，6. 樞紐的
7. gingerly=carefully 小心翼翼地
8. tumultuous 吵鬧的，9. 騷動的，10. 激動的
11. rancorous 充滿仇恨的
12. elector 總統(tǒng)選舉團成員
13. elector college 美國選舉總統(tǒng)的選舉團
14. leeway 風壓差，15. 余地
16. for all practical purpose 事實上，17. 實際
18. fracture 斷裂，19. 折斷
20. taint 污點，21. 敗壞，22. 感染
23. dissent 不同24. 意，25. 異議
26. provisionally 暫時的，27. 臨時的
28. aplomb 鎮(zhèn)靜，29. 沉著
30. restraint 抑制，31. 克制，32. 謹慎
難句譯注
1. stand down 退出競爭/競選，辭職，推出法庭。這里指戈爾感謝這些競爭支持者后，就退出競選。此短語的對立面是stand for 競選。 Ex: to stand for parliament 競選國會議員。
2. The Bush campaign kept a low profile and moved gingerly, as if to leave space for Mr. Gore to contemplate his next steps.
[結(jié)構(gòu)簡析] profile 外形，輪廓，外觀。Low profile 低姿態(tài)，不出頭露面，不惹人注意。High profile 鮮明的姿態(tài)。
3. recount committee 重新計算選票委員會。
4. …one certain to leave scars is a badly divided country.
[結(jié)構(gòu)簡析] election 的同位語one (election) which was certain。 Leave scar 留下傷疤。
[參考譯文] 人們可以肯定計算問題在這兩派分裂的國家上留下傷疤。
5. It was a bitter ending for Mr. Gore, who had outpolled Mr. Bush nationwide by some 300000 votes, but, without Florida, fell short in the Electoral College by 271votes to 267-the narrowest Electoral College victory since the turbulent election of 1876.
[結(jié)構(gòu)簡析] outpoll 得到的選票超過某人。Fall short (of) 缺少，不足，達不到。Electoral college 選舉團票，指每一個州人民選出一群人組成選舉團，由它們直接選舉總統(tǒng)。
6. The election of 1876
這是指1876年11月7日美國內(nèi)戰(zhàn)時少將，共和黨人，俄亥俄州州長盧瑟福·海因斯，在總統(tǒng)選舉結(jié)束后，認為自己輸給民主黨人，紐約州長薩繆爾·萊爾登而安息�？稍诘诙�，因為涉嫌欺騙行為，有爭議之州，如佛羅里達，路易斯安娜，南卡羅萊納重新計票及訴訟。那一年選舉結(jié)果爭議持續(xù)了四個月的時間。國會因爭議，不得不推遲總統(tǒng)就職時間。到第二年，1877年3月4日，總統(tǒng)就職最后期限的前兩天，國會建立了一個兩黨聯(lián)合選舉委員會：包括八名共和黨人和七名民主黨人。最后該會把所有爭議的選舉人票都給了海因斯。結(jié)果以185票對萊爾登184張選舉團票。海因斯多一票當選為美國第19任總統(tǒng)。2000年的美國總統(tǒng)選舉與1876年的很相似。所以句內(nèi)提及。
7. James Baker 3rd 貝克曾任前共和黨總統(tǒng)里根(Ronald Reagen)政府的內(nèi)閣成員和白宮辦公所主任。在小布什父親的父親George Bush任總統(tǒng)時又擔任過國務(wù)卿(1989--1993)。這次他是小布什為重新計票問題在法庭展開斗爭的律師代表，而民主黨的律師代表似乎克林頓政府中擔任過國務(wù)卿的克里斯托弗Warren Christopher (1993--1997)。
8. Dick Cheney 切尼是小布什父親執(zhí)政時的老臣。他這次出山要以輔弼大臣的資格和經(jīng)驗輔佐朝政。所以報道中提到he will act in the Bush administration as a president in a corporation while George W. Bush as the Chairman of the board of directors.
9. John Adams (1735-1848), 約翰·亞當斯，10. 美國第二任總統(tǒng)(1979--1801)，11. 聯(lián)邦黨人，12. Federalist, 是起草獨立宣言的關(guān)鍵人物。
13. John Quincy Adams (1767-1848) 美國第六任總統(tǒng)，14. 是上述亞當斯大兒子。
15. resolved and resigned 這里指16. 他的追隨者認為戈爾堅定而17. 又順從(天命)，18. 因為戈爾的演說，19. 一方面感謝他們的支持， 20. 五星期來保證每張票都應(yīng)計算的努力是捍衛(wèi)了原則問題，21. 另一方面也是號召全國支持新總統(tǒng)。
5. It was a bitter ending for Mr. Gore, who had outpolled Mr. Bush nationwide by some 300000 votes, but, without Florida, fell short in the Electoral College by 271votes to 267-the narrowest Electoral College victory since the turbulent election of 1876.
[結(jié)構(gòu)簡析] outpoll 得到的選票超過某人。Fall short (of) 缺少，不足，達不到。Electoral college 選舉團票，指每一個州人民選出一群人組成選舉團，由它們直接選舉總統(tǒng)。
6. The election of 1876
這是指1876年11月7日美國內(nèi)戰(zhàn)時少將，共和黨人，俄亥俄州州長盧瑟�！ずＲ蛩�，在總統(tǒng)選舉結(jié)束后，認為自己輸給民主黨人，紐約州長薩繆爾·萊爾登而安息�？稍诘诙�，因為涉嫌欺騙行為，有爭議之州，如佛羅里達，路易斯安娜，南卡羅萊納重新計票及訴訟。那一年選舉結(jié)果爭議持續(xù)了四個月的時間。國會因爭議，不得不推遲總統(tǒng)就職時間。到第二年，1877年3月4日，總統(tǒng)就職最后期限的前兩天，國會建立了一個兩黨聯(lián)合選舉委員會：包括八名共和黨人和七名民主黨人。最后該會把所有爭議的選舉人票都給了海因斯。結(jié)果以185票對萊爾登184張選舉團票。海因斯多一票當選為美國第19任總統(tǒng)。2000年的美國總統(tǒng)選舉與1876年的很相似。所以句內(nèi)提及。
7. James Baker 3rd 貝克曾任前共和黨總統(tǒng)里根(Ronald Reagen)政府的內(nèi)閣成員和白宮辦公所主任。在小布什父親的父親George Bush任總統(tǒng)時又擔任過國務(wù)卿(1989--1993)。這次他是小布什為重新計票問題在法庭展開斗爭的律師代表，而民主黨的律師代表似乎克林頓政府中擔任過國務(wù)卿的克里斯托弗Warren Christopher (1993--1997)。
8. Dick Cheney 切尼是小布什父親執(zhí)政時的老臣。他這次出山要以輔弼大臣的資格和經(jīng)驗輔佐朝政。所以報道中提到he will act in the Bush administration as a president in a corporation while George W. Bush as the Chairman of the board of directors.
9. John Adams (1735-1848), 約翰·亞當斯，10. 美國第二任總統(tǒng)(1979--1801)，11. 聯(lián)邦黨人，12. Federalist, 是起草獨立宣言的關(guān)鍵人物。
13. John Quincy Adams (1767-1848) 美國第六任總統(tǒng)，14. 是上述亞當斯大兒子。
15. resolved and resigned 這里指16. 他的追隨者認為戈爾堅定而17. 又順從(天命)，18. 因為戈爾的演說，19. 一方面感謝他們的支持， 20. 五星期來保證每張票都應(yīng)計算的努力是捍衛(wèi)了原則問題，21. 另一方面也是號召全國支持新總統(tǒng)。
22. It saw no such leeway. 美國高等法院認為這是沒有成功的多花時間，23. 金錢的事。和后面句內(nèi)for all practical purpose the election was over 事實上選舉已結(jié)束(已成定居)，24. 傳達了高等法院認為重新計票毫無作用之義。
25. That decision, by a court fractured along philosophical lines, left one liberal justice charging that the high court’s proceedings bore a political taint.
[參考譯文] 法院這一裁決割裂了哲學思想，使一位自由派法官(司法官)指高等法院程序沾上了政治污點。
26. But at the end of five seemingly endless weeks, during which the physical, legal and constitutional machines of the U. S. election were pressed and sorely tested in ways unseen in more than a century, the system finally produced a result, and one most Americans appeared to be willing at lease provisionally to support.
[參考譯文] 經(jīng)過5個似乎無休止的星期之后，這個制度總算產(chǎn)生了一個結(jié)果，一個大多數(shù)美國人，至少目前能暫時支持的總統(tǒng)。在這五星期內(nèi)，有形的，法律的，政體的機器都經(jīng)受了壓力(都很緊張)，也經(jīng)受了一百多年來沒有見過的這方面的沉重考驗。
寫作方法和文章大意
這是一篇報導，其特點先畫龍點睛指出中心事實，Bush當選，戈爾退出，然后以對比手法寫出勝者和敗方的處理方法，前者低調(diào)，謹慎，似乎寬容，后者似乎退讓，認命，再次選舉的經(jīng)過，特別是最高法院的裁決，決定選舉的命運點出勝敗之因(因果寫法)。小布什的險勝有點類似1876的選舉(實例佐證)。
答案祥解
1. A. 布什在總統(tǒng)選舉中獲勝沾上了政治污點。整篇文章環(huán)繞這一點而2. 寫。文章一開始就寫戈爾在高等法院裁決下退出競選，3. 再寫布什得勝后的低調(diào)行動表示對戈爾的期望。仁厚點出271--276選舉團票布什的險勝是和全國最高法院的欺詐性裁決有關(guān)，4. 這令戈爾痛心疾首，5. 令布什等感恩戴德。最后集中寫了高等法院司法程序沾上了政治污點，6. 以及當選之布什的后果--大多數(shù)美國人似乎暫時會支持。這一切7. 說明布什勝勝不8. 武，而9. 戈爾卻是雖敗尤勝。
B. 美國總統(tǒng)選舉過程，文章過程的焦點在布什獲勝之因，不單單是過程，故B. 項不對。
C. 高等法院在總統(tǒng)選舉中起著重要的作用。其作用是欺詐性裁決，偏袒布什獲勝，是政治污點，反映了布什的手段。 D. 戈爾很難受，這是事實，但不是中心思想。
10. B. 布什希11. 望戈爾(能退一步)承認失敗，12. 并支持他，而13. 戈爾確實是也這樣做了。所以他的助手稱戈爾為 “resolved and resigned.” 堅決而14. 又順從天命的人。至少在他的演講中號召人們追隨新總統(tǒng)。
A. 布什希望戈爾參與他的政府。 C. 布什希望戈爾祝賀他。 D. 布什希望戈爾繼續(xù)和他斗下去。
15. C. 美國的總統(tǒng)由選舉團提名16. 選舉產(chǎn)生。見難句譯注5和6。
