考研英语阅读命题思路透析和真题揭秘(44)
In 1784, five years before he became president of the United States, George Washington, 52, was nearly toothless. So he hired a dentist to transplant nine teeth into his jaw- having extracted them from the months of his slaves.
That's far different image from the cherry-tree-chopping George most people remember from their history books. But recently, many historians have begun to focus on the roles slavery played in the lives of the founding generation. They have been spurred in part by DNA evidence made available in 1998, which almost certainly proved Thomas Jefferson had fathered at least one child with his slave Sally Hemings. And only over the past 30 years have scholars examined history from the bottom up. Works of several historians reveal the moral compromises made by the nation's early leaders and the fragile nature of the country's infancy. More significantly, they argue that many of the Founding Fathers knew slavery was wrong and yet most did little to fight it.
More than anything, the historians say, the founders were hampered by the culture of their time. While Washington and Jefferson privately expressed distaste for slavery, they also understood that it was part of the political and economic bedrock of the country they helped to create.
For one thing, the South could not afford to part with its slaves. Owning slaves was "like having a large bank account," says Wiencek, author of An Imperfect God: George Washington, His Slaves, and the Creation of America. The southern states would not have signed the Constitution without protections for the "peculiar institution," including a clause that counted a slave as three fifths of a man for purposes of congressional representation.
And the statesmen's political lives depended on slavery. The three-fifths formula handed Jefferson his narrow victory in the presidential election of 1800 by inflating the votes of the southern states in the Electoral College. Once in office, Jefferson extended slavery with the Louisiana Purchase in 1803; the new land was carved into 13 states, including three slave states.
Still, Jefferson freed Hemings's children- though not Hemings herself or his approximately 150 other slaves. Washington, who had begun to believe that all men were created equal after observing the bravery of the black soldiers during the Revolutionary War, overcame the strong opposition of his relatives to grant his slaves their freedom in his will. Only a decade earlier, such an act would have required legislative approval in Virginia.
37. We may infer from the second paragraph that
[A] DNA technology has been widely applied to history research.
[B] in its early days the U.S. was confronted with delicate situations.
[C] historians deliberately made up some stories of Jefferson's life.
[D] political compromises are easily found throughout the U.S. history.
[答案] D
[解题思路]
本题可以采取排除法。关于A选项，文章第二段谈到了DNA技术，但是只提到了一个例子，至于该技术是否已经在历史研究中广泛利用则不得而知，因此可以首先排除A选项。B选项对应于该段倒数第二句的"the fragile nature of the country's infancy"（最不稳固的建国初期），delicate situation与原文的意思有所出入。C选项则完全错误，不符合原文。而最后一段对应于最后两句话"Works of several historians reveal the moral compromises made by the nation's early leaders and the fragile nature of the country's infancy. More significantly, they argue that many of the Founding Fathers knew slavery was wrong and yet most did little to fight it"（一些历史学家的著作揭示了美国的早期领导人在最不稳固的建国初期作出的道德妥协。更加重要的是，他们认为很多开国元勋们知道奴隶制是错误的--但是他们很少用实际行动来进行反抗），因此D选项符合原文。
[题目译文]
我们可以从第二段中推断出
[A] DNA技术已经广泛运用到了历史研究中
[B] 美国早期面临着非常微妙的状况
[C] 历史学家们故意编造了杰弗逊的故事
[D] 政治上的妥协在美国历史上的例子比比皆是
38. What do we learn about Thomas Jefferson?
[A] His political view changed his attitude towards slavery.
[B] His status as a father made him free the child slaves.
[C] His attitude towards slavery was complex.
[D] His affair with a slave stained his prestige.
[答案] C
[解题思路]
文章第三段最后一句话指出"While Washington and Jefferson privately expressed distaste for slavery, they also understood that it was part of the political and economic bedrock of the country they helped to create"（当华盛顿和杰弗逊在私底下表达他们对于奴隶制不满时，他们也知道奴隶制是他们创建的这个国家的政治经济基础的一部分），第五段进一步指出了正式由于奴隶制才使得他能够入主白宫。因此，虽然Jefferson知道奴隶制是错误的，但是他又作出了compromise(妥协)，他对待奴隶制的态度是非常复杂的"complex"，所以正确答案为C。
[题目译文]
我们可以了解托马斯·杰弗逊的什么情况？
[A] 他的政治观点改变了他对奴隶制的态度。
[B] 他最为父亲的身份使得他解放了所有的儿童奴隶。
[C] 他对于奴隶制的态度是复杂的。
[D] 他与一个奴隶的绯闻玷污了他的名声。
39. Which of the following is true according to the text?
[A] Some Founding Fathers benefit politically from slavery.
[B] Slaves in the old days did not have the right to vote.
[C] Slave owners usually had large savings accounts.
[D] Slavery was regarded as a peculiar institution.
[答案] A
[解题思路]
文章第五段第二句话中提到"The three-fifths formula handed Jefferson his narrow victory in the presidential election of 1800 by inflating the votes of the southern states in the Electoral College"（正是由于这个五分之三公式扩大了选举团中南方州的选票，从而帮助杰弗逊在1800年的总统选举中险胜），可见杰弗逊是从奴隶制中获益的，因此A为正确选项。B和D选项在文章中没有具体涉及。C选项对应于文章第四段第一句话"For one thing, the South could not afford to part with its slaves. Owning slaves was "like having a large bank account,""（一方面，南方的各个州无法承担废除奴隶制带来的损失。拥有奴隶"就像拥有一张数额巨大的银行存折"），原文只是将拥有奴隶比作拥有很多银行存款，并不是奴隶主们真正有很多存款，因此该选项也是错误的。
[题目译文]
下面哪一项符合这篇文章？
[A] 一些建国元勋从奴隶制中获得了政治上的利益
[B] 过去奴隶没有选举权
[C] 奴隶主通常由很多的银行存款
[D] 奴隶制被认为是一种特殊的制度
