考研英语阅读命题思路透析和真题揭秘(43)

Stratford-on-Avon, as we all know, has only one industry-William Shakespeare-but there are two distinctly separate and increasingly hostile branches. There is the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), which presents superb productions of the plays at the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre on the Avon. And there are the townsfolk who largely live off the tourists who come, not to see the plays, but to look at Anne Hathaway's Cottage, Shakespeare's birthplace and the other sights.

The worthy residents of Stratford doubt that the theatre adds a penny to their revenue. They frankly dislike the RSC's actors, them with their long hair and beards and sandals and noisiness. It's all deliciously ironic when you consider that Shakespeare, who earns their living, was himself an actor (with a beard) and did his share of noise - making.

The tourist streams are not entirely separate. The sightseers who come by bus- and often take in Warwick Castle and Blenheim Palace on the side - don't usually see the plays, and some of them are even surprised to find a theatre in Stratford. However, the playgoers do manage a little sight - seeing along with their playgoing. It is the playgoers, the RSC contends, who bring in much of the town's revenue because they spend the night (some of them four or five nights) pouring cash into the hotels and restaurants. The sightseers can take in everything and get out of town by nightfall.

The townsfolk don't see it this way and local council does not contribute directly to the subsidy of the Royal Shakespeare Company. Stratford cries poor traditionally. Nevertheless every hotel in town seems to be adding a new wing or cocktail lounge. Hilton is building its own hotel there, which you may be sure will be decorated with Hamlet Hamburger Bars, the Lear Lounge, the Banquo Banqueting Room, and so forth, and will be very expensive.

Anyway, the townsfolk can't understand why the Royal Shakespeare Company needs a subsidy. (The theatre has broken attendance records for three years in a row. Last year its 1,431 seats were 94 per cent occupied all year long and this year they'll do better.) The reason, of course, is that costs have rocketed and ticket prices have stayed low.

It would be a shame to raise prices too much because it would drive away the young people who are Stratford's most attractive clientele. They come entirely for the plays, not the sights. They all seem to look alike (though they come from all over) -lean, pointed, dedicated faces, wearing jeans and sandals, eating their buns and bedding down for the night on the flagstones outside the theatre to buy the 20 seats and 80 standing-room tickets held for the sleepers and sold to them when the box office opens at 10:30 a.m.

26. From the first two paragraphs , we learn that
[A] the townsfolk deny the RSC ' s contribution to the town's revenue
[B] the actors of the RSC imitate Shakespeare on and off stage
[C] the two branches of the RSC are not on good terms
[D] the townsfolk earn little from tourism

[答案] A

[解题思路]

题目给定了解题的定位范围，即文章的前两段。为了帮助选出正确答案，我们可以将选项一一对应于文中的信息。A选型对应的细节是第二段的第一句话，即"The worthy residents of Stratford doubt that the theatre adds a penny to their revenue" （斯特拉特福德的本地乡绅们都质疑剧院有没有为当地的收入贡献一点力量），也就是说，小镇的居民们否认了RSC对小镇收入的贡献，因此A选型正确。B选项对应于第二段的最后两句话，但作者仅描述了这些演员与莎士比亚的共同特征，并没有指出演员在台上台下都可以模仿莎士比亚。C选项犯了偷换概念的错误，第一段中提到的两个"branches"是指小镇的居民和RSC，而不是选项中提到的RSC两大分支。D选项显然也是错误的，因为第一段指出镇民们基本上是靠旅游业取得主要收入的，且第二段第一句描述他们是用了wealthy这个词，说明镇民们从旅游业中收入颇丰。

[题目译文]

从开头两段中，我们可以了解到
[A] 居民们否认RSC对小镇的收入有贡献
[B] RSC的演员们在台上台下都模仿莎士比亚
[C] RSC的两大分支之间关系不好
[D] 居民们从旅游业中赚不到很多的钱

27. It can be inferred from Para 3 that
[A] the sightseers cannot visit the Castle and the Palace separately
[B] the playgoers spend more money than the sightseers
[C] the sightseers do more shopping than the playgoers
[D] the playgoers go to no other places in town than the theater

[答案] B

[解题思路]

本题对应的信息在文章第三段。A选项显然是错误的，因为该段中明确说明观光者们经常去城堡和宫殿参观，并不把二者分开。关于B选项，文章认为观光者们通常不会留下来看戏，因此白天参观之后晚上就可以离开了。相比之下，来看莎剧的人们往往也会做一些旅游观光活动，而且通常留宿四、五个晚上，给当地的旅馆和酒店带来了大笔收入。因此可以推断看戏剧的人们比那些观光者们花更多的钱，B选项正确。C选项的错误在于该段中没有谈及购物，因而也无从比较。D选项的错误在于文章中谈到看莎剧的人们在看戏之外也会去观光旅游，不只是在剧院里。

[题目译文]

从第三段中可以推断
[A] 观光者不能分别参观城堡和宫殿
[B] 看演出的人比观光者花的钱更多
[C] 观光者比看演出的人更多购物
[D] 看演出的人除了剧院不去小镇的任何地方

30. From the text we can conclude that the author
[A] is supportive of both sides
[B] favors the townsfolk's view
[C]. takes a detached attitude
[D] is sympathetic to the RSC

[答案] D

[解题思路]

本题要求判断作者对于对立的双方--小镇居民和RSC--的态度。文章的二、三、四、五段在谈及小镇居民时往往用一些否定词，且批驳他们的观点，如实际上观看RSC演出的人给小镇带来了更多收入，小镇哭穷但实际上收入不菲等。在谈及剧院时总是表达支持的态度，如剧院坚持较低的票价、且专门给没有经济实力的年轻人留一部分票额等，这些都说明作者是支持RSC而反对居民态度的，因此正确答案为D。C选项"detached"意为"不偏不倚的，超然的"，要注意文科方面的文章中作者往往有自己的观点，而理科方面的文章中作者态度往往是客观的。

[题目译文]

从文中我们可以总结出，作者
[A] 支持双方
[B] 赞同小镇居民们的观点
[C] 持超然的态度
[D] 同情RSC