考研英语历年真题与解析——E1-2015Text1
?? 真题来源：E1-2015Text1 King Juan Carlos of Spain once insisted "kings don't abdicate, they die in their sleep." But embarrassing scandals and the popularity of the republican left in the recent...
??
真题来源：E1-2015Text1
King Juan Carlos of Spain once insisted "kings don't abdicate, they die in their sleep." But embarrassing scandals and the popularity of the republican 
left in the recent Euro-elections have forced him to eat his words and stand down. So, does the Spanish crisis suggest that monarchy is seeing its last days? Does that mean the writing is on the wall for all European royals, with their magnificent uniforms and majestic lifestyles?
?
The Spanish case provides arguments both for and against monarchy. When public opinion is particularly polarised, as it was following the end of the Franco regime, monarchs can rise above "mere" politics and "embody" a spirit of national unity.
?
It is this apparent transcendence of politics that explains monarchs' continuing popularity as heads of state. And so, the Middle East excepted, Europe is the most monarch-infested region in the world, with 10 kingdoms (not counting Vatican city and Andorra). But unlike their absolutist counterparts in the Gulf and Asia, most royal families have survived because they allow voters to avoid the difficult search for a non-controversial but respected public figure.
?
Even so, kings and queens undoubtedly have a downside. Symbolic of national unity as they claim to be, their very history - and sometimes the way they behave today - embodies outdated and indefensible privileges and inequalities. At a time when Thomas Piketty and other economists are warning of rising inequality and the increasing power of inherited wealth, it is bizarre that wealthy aristocratic families should still be the symbolic heart of modern democratic states.
?
The most successful monarchies strive to abandon or hide their old aristocratic ways. Princes and princesses have day-jobs and ride bicycles, not horses (or helicopters). Even so, these are wealthy families who party with the international 1%, and media intrusiveness makes it increasingly difficult to maintain the right image.
While Europe's monarchies will no doubt be smart enough to survive for some time to come, it is the British royals who have most to fear from the Spanish example.
?
It is only the Queen who has preserved the monarchy's reputation with her rather ordinary (if well-heeled) granny style. The danger will come with Charles, who has both an expensive taste of lifestyle and a pretty hierarchical view of the world. He has failed to understand that monarchies have largely survived because they provide a service - as non-controversial and non-political heads of state. Charles ought to know that as English history shows, it is kings, not republicans, who are the monarchy's worst enemies.
?
21. According to the first two paragraphs, King Juan Carlos of Spain __________.
[A] eased his relationship with his rivals
[B] used to enjoy high public support
[C] was unpopular among European royals
[D] ended his reign in embarrassment
?
22. Monarchs are kept as heads of state in Europe mostly __________.
[A] to give voters more public figures to look up to
[B] to achieve a balance between tradition and reality
[C] owing to their undoubted and respectable status
[D] due to their everlasting political embodiment
?
23. Which of the following is shown to be odd, according to Paragraph 4?
[A] Aristocrats' excessive reliance on inherited wealth
[B] The role of the nobility in modern democracies
[C] The simple lifestyle of the aristocratic families
[D]The nobility's adherence to their privileges
?
24. The British royals "have most to fear" because Charles __________.
[A] fails to adapt himself to his future role
[B] fails to change his lifestyle as advised
[C] takes republicans as his potential allies
[D] takes a tough line on political issues
?
25. Which of the following is the best title of the text?
[A] Carlos, Glory and Disgrace Combined
[B] Charles, Anxious to Succeed to the Throne
[C] Carlos, a Lesson for All European Monarchs
[D]Charles, Slow to React to the Coming Threats
答案解析：
21.[D]?
首二段中关于King Juan Carlos的描述集中在首段首二句。第二句提到“尴尬的丑闻以及共和的风行”(embarrassing scandals and the popularity of the republican)“迫使King Juan Carlos食言并退位”(forced him to eat his words and stand down)，被改写为D选项的“在尴尬中结束了他的君主统治”(ended his reign in embarrassment)。
A：未提及King Juan Carlos过去享有民众很高的支持。
B：未提及King Juan Carlos缓和了与对手之间的关系。
C：未提及King Juan Carlos在欧洲王室中不受欢迎。
?
22.[C]?
注意本题问的是欧洲国家的君主被保留为国家领袖的原因或目的。heads of states出现在三段首句，第二句紧接着描述欧洲国家君主多，但第三段起才开始具体分析欧洲国家保留君主的原因。这句话中，通过与海湾国家与亚洲国家的对比，作者点明了欧洲国家王室存留下来的原因是：他们可以“让选民们不用去艰苦地寻找一个不受争议、受到尊敬的公众人物”(they allow voters to avoid the difficult search for a non-controversial but respected public figure);换言之，欧洲的王室就是这样一个“不受争议、受到尊敬的公众人物”的形象，给选民以精神寄托。non-controversial和respected对应C选项的undouted和respectable，status对应public figure。
A：据文章意，王室的存在是为了让选民们不用寻找更多公众人物。C与原文相反。
B：作文并未将王室的存在定义为“传统与现实的平衡”。
D：三段首句明确提到王室的存在已经“超越了政治”，即不只是政治意义上的代表。D与原文相反。
?
23.[B]?
本题问的是第四段中作者提到的一件奇怪的事情。odd同义对应第四段末句的bizarre，意为“奇怪的”;这是该题定位的关键。该句明确提到一件很奇怪的事情是“有钱的贵族家庭居然仍然是现代民主国家的核心象征”(wealthy aristocratic families should still be the symbolic heart of modern democratic states)，这被改写为了B选项提到的“贵族阶级在现代民主中扮演的角色”。wealthy aristocratic families与the nobility同义。
A：贵族家庭的财富并非是作者觉得奇怪的事情。
C：据文中描述，贵族家庭的生活并不简单。C与原文相反。
D：贵族家庭依附特权并非是作者觉得奇怪的事情。
?
24.[A]
本题问到的have most of fear出现在倒数第二段，末段详细分析Charles是英国王室一大危险的原因。注意到在描述Charles之前，作者还专门描述了他的母亲the Queen，并指出目前英国王室中“只有女王在保存着王室的声誉”(It is only the Queen who has preserved the monarchy’s reputation)，暗指其他王室成员(包括Charles)都没有做到身为王室成员该做的。之后，作者详细列举Charles“生活方式品味昂贵”(an expensive taste of lifestyle)“等级制的世界观”(a pretty hierarchical view of the world)“没能理解王室的存在是由于其提供了服务”(failed to understand that monarchies have largely survived because they provide a service);所有这些都意在表明，Charles作为当今英国王子、今后的继位国王，并没有真正扮演好自己应当扮演的角色。末句，作者更是恨铁不成钢，批评Charles“本应懂得英国历史所表明的的道理：王室最大的敌人就是国王们、而非共和党人”(ought to know that as English history shows, it is kings, not republicans, who are the monarchy’s worst enemies);暗指Charles该懂的基本道理都不懂。这都对应了D选项，即Charles还没有准备好适应未来的角色(接女王的位、成为英国国王和王室代言人)。
B：作者并未提到任何人给Charles的建议。
C：作者并没有要求Charles将共和党人视为自己的盟友。
D：末段没有体现Charles对政治事务态度强硬。take a tough line on“对……态度强硬”。
?
25.[C]
全文用西班牙国王Carlos退位一事开篇，展开了对君主制是否穷途末路的探讨，并着重分析了欧洲各国当下君主的优劣势。C很好地概括了这些要素。
A：Carlos的故事只是开篇的引子，并非是全文主人公。
B、D：Charles只是文末的例子，并非是全文主人公。
全文翻译：
西班牙国王胡安·卡洛斯曾坚称“国王不会退位，他们只会在睡梦中死去。”但最近几次欧洲选举中报出的种种尴尬的丑闻、以及共和党人大受欢迎，迫使他食言并退位。如此说来，西班牙的危急是不是表明君主制已时日不多了？是否意味着所有衣着华丽、生活高贵的欧洲皇室成员将有大难了？
?
西班牙这一事例给支持和反对君主制的双方提供了论据。而公众对此精神“象征”的意见两极分化严重，佛朗哥政权的终结后，君主可能超越“纯粹的”政治，成为国家统一的精神“象征”。
?
正是这次明显的超越政治，解释了君主作为国家元首会继续受到欢迎的原因。正因如此，除中东外，欧洲是世界上君主制最盛行的地区——它有十个王国（这还不算梵蒂冈和安道尔）。但不像海湾地区和亚洲的专制国家，大多数欧洲皇室家族得以留存，是因为他们让选民们不用去艰苦地寻找一个不受争议、受人尊重的公众人物。
?
即使如此，国王和女王毫无疑问有其不足之处。尽管他们宣称自己是国家统一象征，但他们的历史和今日的行为都代表着他们享有的特权已经过时、且站不住脚，以及在他们身上体现出的不公平。托马斯·皮克提和其他经济学家曾警告，皇室享受的特殊待遇和财产继承权在增强，贵族家族居然仍然是现代民主制国家的核心象征就很荒唐了。
?
最成功的君主在力图抛弃或隐匿他们老套的贵族做派。王子和公主白天上班，他们骑自行车出行，而不是骑马（或乘直升飞机）。尽管如此，他们是世界上百分之一的富裕家族，媒体的侵扰让他们难以在公众面前维持良好的形象。
?
尽管欧洲君主们毫无疑问将很明智地留存一时，但看到西班牙皇室的下场，最担惊受怕的还是英国皇室。
?
只有英国女王以她平易近人、“老奶奶”式的行为方式（要是穿着考究的话）保住了王室的声誉。给英国王室带来危险的会是查尔斯亲王，他既有奢侈的生活品味，又有浓重的等级制世界观。他没能明白君主之所以得以保存是因为他们能提供服务，他们是既无争议，又不涉及政治的国家元首。查尔斯亲王本应懂得英国历史所表明的道理：国王才是君主制的死敌，而非共和党人。
感谢阅读！
Thanks for reading!
????
留言与评论（共有 7 条评论）