备考指导#考研究生倒计时#阅读模拟练习[5]

Whenyouthinkofthetremendoustechnologicalprogresswehavemade,it’samazinghowlittlewehavedevelopedinotherrespects.WemayspeakcontemptuouslyofthepooroldRomansbecausetheyrelishedtheorgiesofslaughterthatwentonintheirarenas.Wemaydespisethembecausetheymistookthesegoingsonforentertainment.Wemayforgivethemcondescendinglybecausetheylived2000yearsagoandobviouslyknewnobetter.Butareourfeelingsofsuperiorityreallyjustified?Areweanylessblood-thirsty?Whydoboxingmatches,forinstance,attractsuchuniversalinterest?Don’tthespectatorswhoattendthemhopetheywillseesomeviolence?Humanbeingsremainsasbloodthirstyasevertheywere.TheonlydifferencebetweenourselvesandtheRomansisthatwhiletheywerehonestenoughtoadmitthattheyenjoyedwatchinghungeylionstearingpeopleapartandeatingthemalive,wefindallsortsofsophisticatedargumentstodefendsportswhichshouldhavebeenbannedlongage;sportswhicharequiteasbarbarousas,say,publichangingsorbearbaiting.

Itreallyisincrediblethatinthisdayandageweshouldstillallowhuntingorbull-fighting,thatweshouldbepreparedtositbackandwatchtwomenbattereachothertopulpinaboxingring,thatweshouldberelativelyunmovedbythesightofoneoranumberofracingcarscrashingandburstingintoflames.Letusnotdeceiveourselves.Anytalkof‘thesportingspirit’issheerhypocrisy.Peopletakepartinviolentsportsbecauseofthehighrewardstheybring.Spectatorsarewillingtopayvastsumsofmoneytoseeviolence.Aworldheavyweightchampionshipmatch,forinstance,isfrontpagenews.Millionsofpeoplearedisappointedifabigfightisoverintworoundsinsteadoffifteen.Theyfeeldisappointmentbecausetheyhavebeendeprivedoftheexquisitepleasureofwitnessingprolongedtortureandviolence.

Whyshouldwebanviolentsportsifpeopleenjoythemsomuch?Youmaywellask.Theanswerissimple:theyareuncivilized.Forcenturiesmanhasbeentryingtoimprovehimselfspirituallyandemotionally-admittedlywithlittlesuccess.Butatleastwenolongertoleratethesightmadmencoopedupincages,orpublicfloggingsofanyofthecountlessotherbarbaricpracticeswhichwerecommoninthepast.Prisonsarenolongerthegrimforbiddingplacestheyusedtobe.Socialwelfaresystemsareinoperationinmanypartsoftheworld.Bigeffortsarebeingmadetodistributewealthfairly.Thesechangeshavecomeaboutnotbecausehumanbeingshavesuddenlyandunaccountablyimproved,butbecausepositivestepsweretakentochangethelaw.Thelawisthebiggestinstrumentofsocialchangethatwehaveanditmayexertgreatcivilizinginfluence.Ifwebanneddangerousandviolentsports,wewouldbemovingonestepfurthertoimprovingmankind.Wewouldrecognizethatviolenceisdegradingandunworthyofhumanbeings.

21.Itcanbeinferredfromthepassagethattheauthor’sopinionofnowadays’humanbeingsis

A.notveryhigh.

B.high.

C.contemptuous.

D.critical.

22.Themainideaofthispassageis

A.viciousanddangeroussportsshouldbebannedbylaw.

B.peoplearewillingtopayvastsumsmoneytoseeviolence.

C.tocomparetwodifferentattitudestowardsdangeroussports.

D.peoplearebloodthirstyinsports.

23.ThattheauthormentionstheoldRomansis

A.TocomparetheoldRomanswithtoday’speople.

B.togiveanexample.

C.toshowhumanbeingsinthepastknownothingbetter.

D.toindicatehumanbeingsareusedtobloodthirsty.

24.Howmanydangeroussportsdoestheauthormentioninthispassage?

A.Three.

B.Five.

C.Six.

D.Seven.

25.Thepurposeoftheauthorinwritingthispassageis

A.that,bybanningtheviolentsports,wehumanbeingscanimproveourselves.

B.that,bybanningthedangeroussports,wecanimprovethelaw.

C.thatwemusttakepositivestepstoimprovesocialwelfaresystem.

D.toshowlawisthemaininstrumentofsocialchange.

参考答案：AADBA