Passage 10

By definition,heroes and heroines are men and women distinguished by uncommon courage,achievements,and self-sacrifice made most for the benefits of others-they are people against whom we measure others.They are men and women recognized for shaping our nation’s consciousness and development as well as the lives of those who admire them.Yet,some people say that ours is an age where true heroes and heroines are hard to come by,where the very idea of heroism is something beyond us–an artifact of the past.Some maintain,that because the Cold War is over and because America is at peace,our age is essentially an unheroic one.Furthermore,the overall crime rate is down,poverty has been eased by a strong and growing economy,and advances continue to be made in medical science.

就定义而言，英雄之所以与众不同是因为他们有非凡的勇气、取得了卓着的成就、常常为他人的利益而做出牺牲——他们是我们评价别人的标准。他们是大家公认的对我们国家意识的形成和我们国家的发展，还有对他们的崇拜者的一生起了重大作用的人。可是，有人说，我们的时代是很难出现真正英雄的时代，英雄主义这一概念本身我们就难以理解——它已经成为历史。有些人坚持说，由于冷战的结束和美国对外的和睦，我们的时代本质上不是一个英勇豪壮的时代。更进一步地说，总体犯罪率正在降低，经济的发展与增长已经缓解了贫困，医疗科学也在不断的进步。

Cultural icons are hard to define,but we know them when we see them.They are people who manage to go beyond celebrity（明星）,who are legendary,who somehow manage to become mythic.But what makes some figures icons and others mere celebrities?That’s hard to answer.In part,their lives have the quality of a story to tell.For instance,the beautiful young Diana Spencer who at 19 married a prince,renounced marriage and the throne,and died at the moment she found true love.Good looks certainly help.So does a special indefinable charm,with the help of the media.But nothing confirms an icon more than a tragic death–such as Martin Luther King,Jr.,John F.Kennedy,and Princess Diana.

给文化偶像下定义就更难了，但是我们看到他们就认识了他们。他们超越了名流，成为传奇式人物，甚至在某种程度上已是神话式的人物。但究竟是哪些因素使有些人成为偶像，另一些人仅成了名流呢？这就太难说了。部分原因是他们的生平带有传奇故事的色彩。比如说，年轻貌美的戴安娜·史宾塞，19岁时嫁给了王子，放弃了婚姻与王权，却在找到真爱的那一刻死去了。漂亮的长相当然有用，另外，在媒体的炒作下某种难以描述的、特殊的个人魅力也起作用。然而悲剧性地过早离开这个世界，却是造成偶像最重要的因素——例如：小马丁·路德·金、约翰·F·肯尼迪和戴安娜王妃。

11.The passage mainly deals with _______.这段主要讲述_______

A.life and death B.heroes and heroines

C.heroes and icons英雄与偶像D.icons and celebrities

12.Heroes and heroines are usually _______.英雄通常是_______

A.courageous B.good example to follow

C.self-sacrificing D.all of the above以上三个都是

13.Which of the following statements is wrong?下列哪个陈述是错误的？

A.Poverty in America has been eased with the economic growth.

B.Superstars are famous for being famous.

C.One’s look can contribute to being famous.

D.Heroes and heroines can only emerge in war times.英雄只能出现在战争时代。

14.Beautiful young Diana Spencer found her genuine love _______.

年轻貌美的戴安娜·史宾塞找到了她的真爱_______.

A.when she was 19 B.when she became a princess

C.just before her death刚好在她死之前D.after she gave birth to a prince

15.What is more likely to set an icon’s status?有什么更能说明偶像的地位？

A.Good looks.B.Tragic and early death.悲剧和英年早逝

C.Personal attraction.D.The quality of one’s story.