【原文】
People traveling long distances frequently have to decide whether they would prefer to go by land. sea, or air. Hardly can anyone positively enjoy sitting in a train for mort than a few hours. Train compartments soon get cramped and stuffy. Reading is only a partial solution. for the monotonous rhythm of the wheels clicking on the rails soon lulls you to sleep. During the day, sleep comes in snatches. At night when you really wish to go to sleep you rarely manage to do so. Inevitably you arrive at your destination almost exhausted. Long car journey are even less pleasant. for it is quite impossible even to read. On motorways you can. at least, travel fairly safely at high speeds, but more often than not, the greater pan of the journey is spent on narrow. bumpy roads which are crowded wich traffic. By comparison, trips by sea offer a great variety of civilized comforts. You can stretch your legs on the spacious decks, play games, swim, meet interesting people and enjoy good food-always assuming, of course, that the sea is calm. If it is not and you are likely to get seasick; no form of transport could be worse. Even if you travel in ideal weather, sea journeys take a long time. Relatively few people are prepared to sacrifice up to a third of their holidays for the pleasure of traveling on a ship.
Airplanes have the reputation of being dangerous and expensive. But nothing can match them for speed and comfort. Traveling at a height of 30,000 feet. far above the clouds, and at over 500 miles an hour is an exhilarating experience. For a few hours, you settle back in a deep armchair to enjoy the flight. The real escapist can watch a free film show and sip champagne on some services. But even when such refinements are not available, there is plenty to keep you occupied. An airplane offers you an unusual and breathtaking view of the world. You soar effortlessly over high mountains and deep valleys. You really see the shape of the land. If the landscape is hidden from the view. you can enjoy the extraordinary sight of unbroken cloud plains that stretch om for miles before you, while the sun shines brilliantly in a clear sky. The journey is so smooth that there is nothing to prevent you from reading or sleeping. However you decide to spend your time, one thing is certain: you will arrive at your destination fresh and uncrumpled.
【參考譯文】
[5]人們長途旅行的時候通常都要做出決定,選擇究竟走陸路、走海路還是坐飛機。[l]幾乎很少有人真正喜歡坐超過幾個鐘頭的火車?;疖囓噹芸炀蛿D滿人,讓人感到氣悶!讀書并不能解決所有問題,因為車輪在軌道上單調(diào)而有節(jié)奏的咔嗒咔嗒聲會催人入眠。白天睡眠斷斷續(xù)續(xù),晚上你真的想睡時卻很難入睡。你到達目的地的時候,幾乎不可避免地精疲力竭。[2]坐長途汽車的樂趣更少,因為你幾乎不可能在車上讀書。車子走高速公路的時候,至少車速快而且安全,但往往旅程的大半得走狹窄、顛簸而又交通擁擠的路。相對而言,坐郵輪旅行就優(yōu)雅舒適得多了。你可以在寬敞的甲板上伸展雙腳,你可以玩游戲、游泳、碰上各種有趣的人和享用美食——當然,這些的前提都得是:海洋是平靜的。[3]否則,你很可能暈船,那將是最糟糕的。但是,即使是天氣很好,走海路也要花很長時問。相對而言,很少有人打算犧牲三分一以上的假期來享受海上旅行的快樂。
人人都知道坐飛機既危險又花錢。但沒有什么比坐飛機旅行來得更快捷更舒適了。在3萬英尺高空的云層之上,以超過500英里的時速旅行是很令人愜意的。你可以舒舒服服地深深地靠在扶手椅上飛行幾個小時。真正想擺脫俗務的人在旅途中能享受些服務,看一出免費電影,或者是啜飲香檳酒。即使沒有這么高檔的享受,也有許多辦法讓你打發(fā)時光。在飛機上你可以看到不同尋常、令人驚詫的世界風景。你毫不費力地飛過高山和深谷。你真切看到大地的形狀。如果你看不到風景,你也可以欣賞到非常特別的、無邊無際的云海,在你的眼前延綿數(shù)英里,太陽在晴朗的天空上發(fā)出耀眼的光芒。航程非常平穩(wěn),你可以安心閱讀和睡覺。[4]不管你怎樣安排你的時間,有一件事是確定無疑的:你將會精神煥發(fā)、毫無倦意地到達目的地。
【試題】
1. The author indicates that reading can help lessen_______________.
A) the boredom of being in the train
B) the tiresome clicking of the wheels
C) the sleeplessness during the journey
D) the poor ventilation of the compartment
2. what can we leam about the long distance journey by car?
A) It is safe because the car usually goes at high speeds.
B) It is monotonous because reading is quite impossible.
C) It is exhausting because you seldom manage to sleep.
D) It is dangerous because the traffic is always too dense.
3. Trips by sea is regarded as the worst means of traveling when______________.
A) the weather is terrible B) the traveler has little time
C) the traveler feels seasick D) the sea is not calm
4. What is the greatest difference between traveling by air and the other means of traveling?
A) Traveling by air is not so tiring as the others.
B) Traveling by air brings more fun than the others.
C) Traveling by air is much more expensive than the others.
D) Traveling by air offers more time for sleep than the others.
5. By writing the passage the author intends to_______________.
A) introduce diverse ways of traveling
B) points out the best mode of traveling
C) emphasize the advantages of traveling by air
D) compare the means of relaxing when traveling
【選項翻譯與答案】
1. 作者指出,閱讀可以幫助緩解________________。
A) 坐火車時的無聊 B) 車輪令人疲憊的聲音
C) 旅程中的睡意 D)車廂中通風不良的情況
[A]原文該段第4句表明閱讀是a partial solution,這表明閱讀有助于解決某個問題,而這個問題就是該段第2句和第3句提到的坐長途火車會讓人覺得煩悶,由此可見,本題答案應為選項A。
2.關于長途汽車旅行,我們了解到什么信息?
A)很安生,因為汽車通常速度很快。 B)很單調(diào),因為不可能看書。
C) 很辛苦,因為根本難以入睡。 D)很危險,因為總是太多車。
[B]首段第8句中的for引出一個原因從句,表明一種因果關系,而選項B表達的因果關系與此相同,因此為本題答案。原文該段第9句提到了safely at high speeds,但安全和高速之間并不存在因果關系,因此選項A不正確;選項C沒在原文提及,建項D的因果關系也不正確。
3. 海上旅行是最糟糕的旅行方式,當_____________。
A) 天氣很差的時候 B) 旅行者時間很少的時候
C) 旅行者暈船的時候 D)海上不平靜的時候
[C]首段倒數(shù)第3句指出了兩種因果關系:第一,海洋不平靜會導致你暈船;第二,暈船會讓你覺得坐船是最糟糕的交通方式,由此可見,本題應選C。在原文雖有提及weather,但與題干關系不大,故A不對;時間的問題雖在下一句提及,但與題干不構成因果關系,故B不正確;D是因其暈船的原因,與題干之間的因果關系不直接,故也不對。
4. 坐飛機旅行與采用其他交通方式旅行的最大差別是什么?
A) 坐飛機不像其他交通工具那么累。
B) 坐飛機比其他的交通工具更有樂趣。
C) 坐飛機比其他的變通工具更貴。
D) 坐飛機時的睡眠時間可以比乘坐其他交通工具更長。
[A]雖然文章沒有明顯地比較飛機與其他交通方式,但是從首段的內(nèi)容來看,可以知道當作者描述其他交通方式時,都提到它們很累人,而第2段末句中的fresh and uncrumpled表明坐飛機旅行不會讓旅行者覺得累,由此可見,本題應選A。
5. 作者寫本文的目的是_______________________.
A) 介紹旅游的各種方式 B)指出旅游的最佳方式
C) 強調(diào)坐飛機旅游的好處 D)比較旅游時各種放松的方式
[A]作者在原文首句提到了三種交通方式,然后分別描述了三種方式各自的特點,由此可見,作者寫本文是為了介紹三種不同的交通方式,故選A。作者只是描述三種交通方式的特點,沒有突山哪一個是最好的,困此選項B不正確;選項C只是第2段的內(nèi)容,并非全文主題,因此也不是正確答案;本文的主題是交通方式,并非relaxing(放松的方式),因此選項D不正確。