考研英语阅读理解B型题(八)

　　Directions:

　　In the following article, some sentences have been removed. For Questions 1-5, choose the most suitable one from the list A―G to fit into each of the numbered blank. There are two extra choices, which do not fit in any of the gaps.

　　From the seventeenth-century empire of Sweden, the story of a galleon that sank at the start of her maiden voyage in 1628 must be one of the strangest tales of the sea. For nearly three and a half centuries she lay at the bottom of Stockholm harbour until her discovery in 1956. 1）

　　2） Triple gun-decks mounted sixty-four bronze cannon. She was intended to play a leading role in the growing might of Sweden.

　　As she was prepared for her maiden voyage on August 10,1628, Stockholm was in a ferment. From the Skeppsbron and surrounding islands the people watched this thing of beauty begin to spread her sails and catch the wind. They had laboured for three years to produce this floating work of art; she was more richly carved and ornamented than any previous ship. The high stern castle was a riot of carved gods, demons, knights, kings, warriors, mermaids, cherubs; and zoomorphic animal shapes ablaze with red and gold and blue, symbols of courage, power, and cruelty, were portrayed to stir the imaginations of the superstitious sailors of the day.

　　3）4）

　　As the wind freshened there came a sudden squall and the ship made a strange movement, listing to port. The Ordnance Officer ordered all the port cannon to be heaved to starboard to counteract the list, but the steepening angle of the decks increased. Then the sound of rumbling thunder reached the watchers on the shore, as cargo,ballast, ammunition and 400 people went sliding and crashing down to the port side of the steeply listing ship. 5）In that first glorious hour, the mighty Vasa, which was intended to rule the Baltic, sank with all flags flying - in the harbour of her birth.

　　[A]All gun-ports were open and the muzzles peeped wickedly from them.

　　[B]Vasa sailed majesticly out of the bay.

　　[C]This was the Vasa, royal flagship of the great imperial fleet.

　　[D]King Gustavus Adolphus, 'The Northern Hurricane', then at the height of his military success in the Thirty Years' War, had dictated her measurements and armament.

　　[E]The lower gun ports were now below water and the inrush sealed the ship's fate.

　　[F] As soon as her discovery, the world became shocken.

　　[G]Then the cannons of the anchored warships thundered a salute to which the Vasa fired in reply. As she emerged from her drifting cloud of gun smoke with the water churned to foam beneath her bow, her flags flying, pennants waving, sails filling in the breeze, and the red and gold of her superstructure ablaze with colour, she presented a more majestic spectacle than Stockholmers had ever seen before.

　　答案及详解

　　1.C.文章开篇介绍一艘瑞典皇家大船1628年在处女航中沉船，直到1956年才被人们发现。选C整个第一段才把事件交待清楚。干扰项是F因为下段也没有再提船的名字，所以第一段要交待出主要“人物”。

　　2.D.第二段交待事情的缘由，1498~1632年之间，瑞典新教势力与波兰天主都势力之间的战争及王室之间联姻带来的积怨使战争时断时续。古斯塔夫斯（Gustavus） 二世接替王位后（1594~1632），瑞典雄踞上风，准备再一次出海远征，Vasa （瓦萨）战舰就是为出征建造的。

　　3.G.前两段介绍背景，第三段后由背景转入1628年8月10日战船启航前的雄姿。第四、五两段很紧凑地叙述了启航那一刻的热闹场面及它突然倾叙下沉的悲剧。

　　4.A.muzzles peeped wickedly 中，用 wickedly 这个词预示着这次航行的厄运。与上一句中 in a majestic spectacle 及 the red and gold of her superstructure 形成一种强烈的反差，干扰项为选项B.

　　5.E.最后一段写了沉船时的情形，描写船身向左倾斜，无论用什么方法也没有人能止住这种倾斜，船最终下沉没顶，从此躺在波罗的海海底300余年之久。

　　中心思想

　　本文描写了“瓦萨”号出航前的雄风英姿及刹那间船体倾斜，货物、装备及船上400人顷刻葬身海底的海难悲剧。Vasa （瓦萨）是瑞典17世纪，更确切地说，是1628年一艘皇家大帆船的名字。这艘耗时三年建成的帆船工艺精细、装饰雄伟华丽，是一艘规模空前的战舰，它象征着17世纪上半叶以瑞典为代表的北欧新教势力与中欧波兰天主教势力之间的多年战乱结束时，瑞典的军事力量已达到鼎盛时期。