
第二篇:
The national interest in keeping government secrets will always 36 the public interest in transparency. Just as
a leak-proof government breeds abuses, so too can excessive leaks, particularly when involving other countries’ matters,
destroy international alliances and mutual trust, making every nation 37 . Instead of asking the media to withhold
publication, the best way for the U.S. government to prevent damaging leaks is to 38 . It’s utterly unbelievable that
a staggering 3 million military personnel had access to the information contained in the first round of documents from
WikiLeaks’ release of more than 250,000 U.S. embassy cables. 39 is that a single person, Bradley Manning, a
23-year-old Army intelligence analyst, boasted in an online chat that he had downloaded an astonishingly large number
of 40 documents, which should never have been obtained in any forms by any persona less than the Secretary of
Defense.
【4】36. necessitate sustain coincide with conflict with
【1】37. an island a partner a gem a wonder
【2】38. mend fences tighten security train spies execute dissidents
【3】39. Somewhat fortunate Similarly comforting More absurd Less influential
【1】40. classified classical confident compulsive
四、閱讀測驗【請在下列各題中選出最適當的答案】
第一篇:
Approximately 450 years after the June 19, 1566, birth of King James I of England, one achievement of his reign still
stands above the rest: the 1611 English translation of the Old and New Testaments that bears his name. The King James Bible,
one of the most printed books ever, transformed the English language.
King James I inherited a contentious religious situation. Just about 50 years before he came to power, Queen Elizabeth
I’s half-sister, Queen Mary I, a Catholic, had executed nearly 250 Protestants during her short reign. As her successor,
Elizabeth affirmed the legitimacy of her father Henry VIII’s Anglican Church, but maintained a settlement by which
Protestants and Puritans were allowed to practice their own varieties of the religion. The Anglican Church was thus under
attack from Puritans and Calvinists seeking to do away with bishops and their hierarchy. Eventually, in the 1640s, these bitter
disputes would become catalysts of the English Civil War. But during James’ reign, they were expressed in a very different
forum: translation.
Translations of ancient texts exploded in the 15th century. Scholars in Italy, Holland and elsewhere perfected the Latin of
Cicero and learned Greek and Hebrew. The “rediscovery” of these languages and the advent of printing allowed access to
knowledge not only secular (the pagan Classics) but also sacred (the Bible in its original languages). The new market for
translated texts created an urgent demand for individuals capable of reading the ancient languages. Protestant scholars used
their new learning to render the Bible into common tongues, meant to give people a more direct relationship with God. The
result, in England, was the publication of translations starting with William Tyndale’s 1526 Bible and culminating in the
so-called “Geneva Bible” completed by Calvinists whom Queen Mary had exiled to Switzerland.
In 1604, King James sought to unite these factions through one universally accepted text. The idea was proposed by a
Puritan, John Rainolds who hoped that James would turn his face against the Bishops’ Bible, but his plan backfired when the
King insisted that the new translation be based on it and condemned the notes of the Geneva translation. Though disappointed,
Rainolds pressed on and was charged with producing a translation of the Prophets. He set about his work with a committee, as
five similar committees elsewhere rendered different books of the Bible. These scholars examined every word to determine the
most suitable turns of phrase before sending their work to colleagues for confirmation. Rainolds, dying in 1607, never saw the
publication of his great work four years later.
【1】41. What is the passage mainly about?
How the King James Bible came to be.
Why King James I fought the religious wars.
What King James I did for the Anglican Church.
Where the original King James Bible was kept.
【4】42. Which of the following statements was true before King James I’s accession?
Catholic Queen Mary I was preceded by Queen Elizabeth I legitimizing the Anglican Church.
Quarrels between the Puritans and Calvinists during King James I’s period later led to the English Civil War.
The Anglican Church was considered Protestants and their believers were once executed by Queen Elizabeth I.
The father of Queen Mary I and Queen Elizabeth I was Henry VIII who might have established the Anglican Church.
【4】43. Which of the following reasons was NOT true regarding the making of King James Bible?
European scholars had already mastered the ancient Latin of Cicero.
Printing technologies had made copies of books, in general, possible.
Two different existing English versions of the Bible had created religious circles in England.
King James I was about to fight Switzerland in order to arrest the Calvinists exiled by Queen Mary.
【3】44. What does it in the fourth paragraph refer to?
King James Bible. The Geneva Bible. The Bishops’ Bible. William Tyndale’s Bible.
【3】45. What was the role of Rainolds in the making of King James Bible?
He started to translate the Bible into English based upon the Geneva Bible.
He set about translating King James Bible and demanded similarity of the Bishops’ version.
He proposed the idea of a unified English version of the Bible and was asked to translate a part of it.
He was assigned to translate the Bible and to evaluate the correctness of the translation by himself.
第二篇:
Wherever you find people, you’ll find festivals. Most of these cultural events involve fairly normal activities such as
sharing specific cuisines, dancing or gift-giving. However, some consist of truly bizarre rituals, and here’s a selection of some
really odd ones.
Hadaka Matsuri
The name of this festival translates from Japanese as “naked festival.” However, it should be noted that this is not a
completely accurate description, as most of the participants in this all-male event wear a loincloth. The annual Hadaka Matsuri
in the city Okayama on the third Saturday of February is the most famous mainly because the festival originated there 500
years ago. If you’re thinking of attending, bear in mind that it’s not the most comfortable situation, as things get really hot and
sweaty when 9,000 semi-nude men squeeze into the well-known Saidaiji Temple. The men must catch a pair of lucky sticks
that are thrown into the crowd by a monk, and place them in a box of rice, and the person who achieves this will earn a year of
happiness.
Monkey Buffet Festival
For many tourists in Thailand, monkeys can be a nuisance. They jump all over you and grab anything they can get their
hands on, including jewelry, so wearing earrings is potentially dangerous. However, it is notable that Thai people don’t view
monkeys as a menace. In fact, they believe the cheeky creatures are relatives of a divine monkey named Hanuman. For this
reason, giving the monkeys an annual feast each November is thought to bring good luck. There is music and dance at the
festival, and youngsters dress up like monkeys, while the key feature is the buffet, which offers over 4,000 kilograms of fruits
and vegetables!
El Colacho
This strange festival takes place in a small village in northern Spain. With unclear origins, it dates back to at least the 17th
century, and is held annually in May or June as part of a larger Catholic celebration. The main activity involves men jumping
over babies less than one year old who are lying on a mattress. The men are dressed in devil costumes, and the act of jumping
over the babies is supposed to cleanse their souls of evil. To many foreigners, however, this eccentric event does not make
much sense.
【1】46. What is the best title for this article?
Weird Celebrations around the World Believe It or Not: Funny Traditions in Asia
The Dark Side of Global Superstitions When Odd Rituals Went Wrong
【2】47. What is the order of time for the three cultural events to take place in a year?
Hadaka Matsuri, Monkey Buffet Festival, El Colacho
Hadaka Matsuri, El Colacho, Monkey Buffet Festival
Monkey Buffet Festival, Hadaka Matsuri, El Colacho
El Colacho, Hadaka Matsuri, Monkey Buffet Festival
【3】48. Which of the following aspects is NOT mentioned about El Colacho in the paragraph?
Where it is celebrated. How long it has existed.
Who started or invented it. Why local people observe it.
【2】49. Which of the following is true about Hadaka Matsuri?
It is a Japanese tradition which literally means “naked truth.”
It first began in the city of Okayama around half of a millennium ago.
As many as 9,000 men would try to grab a pair of sticks without any clothes on.
Hadaka Matsuri is the name of the first monk that hosted this event and threw the sticks.
【3】50. Which of the following is NOT true about Monkey Buffet Festival?
Thai people hope to become fortunate by giving monkeys a good treat.
The foods offered in the buffet are mostly thousands of kilos of produce.
It is held to direct monkeys elsewhere so that they would not bother or attack tourists.
People celebrate it with pleasant sounds and joyful movements as well as monkey costumes.