本文為正在復(fù)習(xí)英語四級閱讀的同學(xué)準(zhǔn)備了閱讀精選練習(xí)題，供大家參考。

The tourist trade is booming. With all this coming and going, you'd expect greater understanding to develop between the nations of the world. Not a bit of it! Superb systems of communication by air, sea and land make it possible for us to visit each other's countries at a moderate cost. What was once the 'grand tour', reserved for only the very rich, is now within everybody's grasp? The package tour and chartered flights are not to be sneered at. Modern travelers enjoy a level of comfort which the lords and ladies on grand tours in the old days couldn't have dreamed of. But what's the sense of this mass exchange of populations if the nations of the world remain basically ignorant of each other?

Many tourist organizations are directly responsible for this state of affairs. They deliberately set out to protect their clients from too much contact with the local population. The modern tourist leads a cosseted, sheltered life. He lives at international hotels, where he eats his international food and sips his international drink while he gazes at the natives from a distance. Conducted tours to places of interest are carefully censored. The tourist is allowed to see only what the organizers want him to see and no more. A strict schedule makes it impossible for the tourist to wander off on his own; and anyway, language is always a barrier, so he is only too happy to be protected in this way. At its very worst, this leads to a new and hideous kind of colonization. The summer quarters of the inhabitants of the cite universitaire: are temporarily reestablished on the island of Corfu. Blackpool is recreated at Torremolinos where the traveler goes not to eat paella, but fish and chips.

The sad thing about this situation is that it leads to the persistence of national stereotypes. We don't see the people of other nations as they really are, but as we have been brought up to believe they are. You can test this for yourself. Take five nationalities, say, French, German, English, American and Italian. Now in your mind, match them with these five adjectives: musical, amorous, cold, pedantic, native. Far from providing us with any insight into the national characteristics of the peoples just mentioned, these adjectives actually act as barriers. So when you set out on your travels, the only characteristics you notice are those which confirm your preconceptions. You come away with the highly unoriginal and inaccurate impression that, say, 'Anglo-Saxons are hypocrites' of that 'Latin peoples shout a lot'. You only have to make a few foreign friends to understand how absurd and harmful national stereotypes are. But how can you make foreign friends when the tourist trade does its best to prevent you?

Carried to an extreme, stereotypes can be positively dangerous. Wild generalizations stir up racial hatred and blind us to the basic fact—how trite it sounds! – That all people are human. We are all similar to each other and at the same time all unique.

1. The best title for this passage is ______

[A] tourism contributes nothing to increasing understanding between nations.

[B] Tourism is tiresome.

[C] Conducted tour is dull.

[D] tourism really does something to one's country.

2. What is the author's attitude toward tourism?

[A] apprehensive.

[B] negative.

[C] critical.

[D] appreciative.

3. Which word in the following is the best to summarize Latin people shout a lot?

[A] silent.

[B] noisy.

[C] lively.

[D] active.

4. The purpose of the author's criticism is to point out ______

[A] conducted tour is disappointing.

[B] the way of touring should be changed.

[C] when traveling, you notice characteristics which confirm preconception.

[D] national stereotypes should be changed.

5. What is ‘grand tour’ now?

[A] moderate cost.

[B] local sight-seeing is investigated by the tourist organization.

[C] people enjoy the first-rate comforts.

[D] everybody can enjoy the ‘grand tour’.

Vocabulary

1. superb 卓越的，杰出的，第一流的

2. moderate 中庸的，中等的，適度的

3. grand tour 大旅行，指舊時英國富家子弟教育中，到歐洲大陸觀光的旅行，為學(xué)業(yè)必經(jīng)階段。

4. package tour 由旅行社代辦而費用與路線、日程固定的假日旅游。也可用package holiday。

5. chartered flight 包機航班

6. set out to do sth. = begin a job with a particular aim 開始做某事，決心/打算做……

7. cosset 寵愛，溺愛，縱容

8. conducted tour = guided tour 有人指導(dǎo)/引到下的參觀，有導(dǎo)游的旅游

9. censor 檢查

10. wander off 離開原處/正道，離群，漫步，漫游

11. quarters 住處，營

12. paella 西班牙什錦飯

13. chip 炸馬鈴薯條(土豆條)

14. amorous 多情的，色情的

15. pedantic 學(xué)究式的，賣弄學(xué)問的

16. generalization 歸納，概括

17. stir up 惹起，煽動，挑起

18. trite 陳腐的，老一套的

難句譯注

1. What was once the 'grand tour', reserved for only the very rich, is now within everybody's grasp.

【結(jié)構(gòu)簡析】within sb.'s grasp.某人理解/了解，為某人所能抓到的。

【參考譯文】一度只有最富有者專享的“大旅行”現(xiàn)在人人都可獲得。

2. The package tour and chartered flights are not to be sneered at.

【參考譯文】旅行社包辦的旅游，包機航班決不會遭人恥笑。

3. They deliberately set out to protect their clients from too much contact with the local population.

【參考譯文】旅行社有意使他們的谷底和當(dāng)?shù)鼐用裆俳佑|。

4. The modern tourist heads a cosseted sheltered life.

【參考譯文】現(xiàn)代旅行者過的使愛護(hù)有加與世隔絕的生活。

5. Conducted tours to places of interest are carefully censored.

【參考譯文】有人指導(dǎo)下參觀一些靜電收到組織者――旅行社仔細(xì)的檢查核準(zhǔn)。

6. A strict schedule makes it impossible for the tourist to wander off on his own; and anyway, language is always barrier, so he is only too happy to be protected in this way.

【結(jié)構(gòu)簡析】only too + 形容詞/分詞 = very非常。

【參考譯文】嚴(yán)格致密的計劃值得旅行者不可能自己一個人到處閑逛;再說，至少語言總是個障礙，所以他對這樣保護(hù)非常高興。

7. At its very worst, this leads to a new and hideous kind of colonization.

【結(jié)構(gòu)簡析】at one's worst 在情況最壞的時候。

【參考譯文】最糟的時候，這種保護(hù)會導(dǎo)致形成一種新型而又可怕的殖民現(xiàn)象。

8. Carried to an extreme, stereotypes can be positively dangerous.

【結(jié)構(gòu)簡析】carried to an extreme (to an excess )如果做得過分。

【參考譯文】如果走向極端，模式化的想法會非常危險。

9. Wild generalizations stir up racial hatred and blind us to the basic fact.

【參考譯文】野蠻(亂七八糟)的概括/歸納會激起種族仇恨，使我們對這基本事實視而不見。

參考答案：

1. A 　　2. C 　　3. B 　　4. B 　　5. D