Question

In Europe, people hold the fork in the left hand and the knife in the right throughout the meal, a system that is generally agreed to be more efficient than the American zigzag（曲折的）method. Americans hold both the fork and the knife in their right hands throughout the meal, so they continually change their forks to the left hand when they have to cut their meat. It seems to be funny for the Europeans to see Americans busy changing their dinner sets, making a lot of noises.
A few explanations for this American style are as follows:
(1) Americans are practical and efficient. Since most of us are right-handed, it is reasonable to keep our working tools at all times in the right hand that can use them most efficiently.
(2) Americans, the master of the New World are rebels（叛逆者）.They use the zigzag method to break the rules in the Old World and in this way they are thumbing their nose at Mother England. Americans are a restless kind. They do not like to sit in one spot for very long when dining.
(3) Forced to do so, they respond by “playing” with the silver.
Whatever the reason for the practice, it is now certainly as American as apple pie. Europeans recognize this and are quick to attack it as evidence of American innocence（無知）of form. Arguments against the zigzag method rest not only on grounds of efficiency but also on those of tradition. In Old World dining, the knife is held in the right hand continually because it can serve as an instant defense against the uninvited intruders（入侵者）.However, such alertness（警覺） is out of place in the New World, as every American believes that this is the home of the brave. Americans juggle their silverware, perhaps, to show that they are not afraid and that one of them holding a fork is worth any number of them holding blades（刀）.
【小題1】Americans use _______ to hold their fork to pick up the salad.

A．the right hand	B．the left hand
C．both hands	D．either of the two hands

【小題2】As the masters of the New World, Americans use a different cutting method from that in the Old World to _________________.

A．show their independence of Mother England

B．show their disrespect to Mother England

C．a(chǎn)dd a new tradition to those in Mother England

D．show off their creativeness to Mother England

【小題3】In the last sentence, the word “juggle” probably means ____________.

A．hold

B．play with

C．pick up

D．lay down

【小題4】Also in the last sentence, the two “them” refer to ____________.

A．Americans

B．Europeans and Americans separately

C．Americans and Europeans separately

D．Europeans

【小題5】Which of the following statements is NOT true?

A．European people hold the fork in the left hand and the knife in the right hand.

B．The zigzag eating method is related to American characteristics.

C．The zigzag eating method has become an American feature.

D．European people will use the American method because of its efficiency.

Answer 1

【小題1】A
【小題2】B
【小題3】B
【小題4】C
【小題5】D

解析試題分析：本文敘述了美國(guó)人和英國(guó)人都使用刀叉，他們各自使用方式不同。美國(guó)人是把刀叉都放在右手使用的,因此他們不得不不斷地把叉換到左手使用；右手只拿刀的是英國(guó)人，這些又能說明什么問題呢？
【小題1】推理判斷題。根據(jù)第一自然段“Americans hold both the fork and the knife in their right hands throughout the meal”可知。故選A.
【小題2】細(xì)節(jié)理解題。根據(jù)文章中的三個(gè)解釋中的第二條“They use the zigzag method to break the rules in the Old World and in this way they are thumbing their nose at Mother England.”可知。thumb one's nose at是“嘲笑、輕視某人”的意思。故選B。
【小題3】詞意猜測(cè)題。根據(jù)上文可知,美國(guó)人是把刀叉都放在右手使用的,因此他們不得不不斷地把叉換到左手使用,這樣像耍把戲一樣,由此可推斷出正確的詞義。故選B。
【小題4】推理判斷題。根據(jù)上文可知,用右手拿叉的是美國(guó)人,而右手只拿刀的是英國(guó)人,因而這兩個(gè)them前一個(gè)是美國(guó)人,而后一個(gè)是英國(guó)人。這句話的意思是:他們像耍把戲一樣玩著銀質(zhì)的刀叉是為了表示他們勇敢,而且他們一個(gè)持叉的人就可以敵得過任何一個(gè)拿刀的人。故選C。
【小題5】推理判斷題。根據(jù)最后一段“Europeans recognize this and are quick to attack it as evidence of American innocence（無知）of form.”可知英國(guó)人是極力反對(duì)美國(guó)人的這個(gè)做法的,并把它作為一個(gè)證據(jù)來證明美國(guó)人的無知,所以它們是不會(huì)使用美國(guó)的這個(gè)做法的。故選D。
考點(diǎn)：文化類短文閱讀。
點(diǎn)評(píng)：做這種類型的題，要根據(jù)詞、詞組、句子所在的語境上下文來判斷其意義。因此熟練掌握一些猜詞技巧是做好這類題的關(guān)鍵。命題者在出這類題時(shí)慣用常規(guī)詞義來麻痹考生，我們要特別注意熟詞生義，切不可脫離語境主觀臆斷。