研究近几年全国各省市中考英语试题，我们发现“阅读理解”题呈现出这样几个特点：①题材新颖，原汁原味，趣味性强；②贴近生活实际，极具可读性；③反映社会热点，富于时代气息；④题目设计巧妙，匠心独运；⑤考查能力综合化；⑥选材广泛，信息量大。所涉及内容包罗万象，不仅涉及生活百科，自然科学，而且也触及天文地理，异域风情等。

　　兵法有云：知彼知己，百战不殆。下面就从2003年全国重点省市中考英语试题中精选出具有代表性、权威性的试题，并辅之以解题思路点拨。相信将对同学们决胜中考大有裨益。

　　(1)“选择填空”式

　　Passage 1

　　In the summer of 1978 an English man named Steven was driving his tractor through a field of wheat when he discovered something strange. Some of his wheat was lying on the ground. The flattened wheat formed(形成)a circle about six meters across . Around this circle were four smaller circles of flattened wheat.

　　Three years later a farmer who lived nearby discovered almost the same circles in one of his fields. These circles were larger—nearly 15 meters across . That same year , another English farmer discovered three circles of flattened wheat on his land—one large circle between two small circles. During the following years, farmers in England found circles in their fields more and more often.

　　The circles are called “crop circles” because they usually appear in fields of wheat or corn. The wheat in the circles lies on the ground but is never broken; it keeps on growing, and the farmers can later harvest it. Farmers always discover the crop circles in the morning, so the circles probably form at night. They appear only in the months from May to September. What causes the crop circles?

　　At first, people thought that some kids were making them as a joke, or that farmers were making them to attract tourists.(In fact, in 1991, two men said they made the circles themselves, but many scientists don’t believe them.) People tried to copy them: They tried to make circles exactly like the ones the farmers had found. They couldn’t do it. They couldn’t enter a field of wheat without leaving tracks, and they couldn’t flatten the wheat without breaking it.

　　Several times people reported seeing stranger objects near the fields where crop circles later appeared. Many people believe that these crop circles are the messages sent by living things from outer space(外层空间)or the marks left by their spaceships.

　　Scientists who have studied the crop circles try to find out what causes them. In the summer of 1990 some scientists spent three weeks in the part of England where many circles have appeared. They had all the latest high-tech equipment(最新高科技设备). The equipment—worth 1.8 million dollars—got nothing. But one night, as the scientists were watching a field, crop circles formed in the field behind them, which were quite different from the others. The scientists had neither seen nor heard anything.

　　When Steven discovered the crop circles on his land in 1978, he said, “It was just like something that had landed in the field from the air and gone back up again. I don’t know what to make of these things.”

　　Crop circles have appeared in England, Japan, the United States and Russia. Experts from all over the world have studied them, and they say what Steven said: They don’t know what to make of these things.

　　1. Which picture is probably the one formed in the field behind the scientists?

　　2. “Flattened wheat” means ___________.

　　A. broken wheat B. lying wheat

　　C. harvested wheat D. growing wheat

　　3. The passage is mainly about something ___________ .

　　A. that is done by living things from outer space

　　B. that cannot be solved but found all around the world

　　C. that cannot be made clear or understood

　　D. that is discovered and copied by the farmers

　　(选自2003年北京西城区试题)

　　【解题思路点拨】这篇阅读材料属于难度较大的拉档题，介绍了“庄稼圆圈”这个尚未揭开的世界之谜。1978年，一位名叫Steven的英国农民在麦田里发现倒伏的小麦形成的一个直径6米的大圆圈，而且在它的周围还环绕着四个小圆。后来，其它农民陆续发现类似情况，只不过圆的大小和分布不同而已。据目击者称，“庄稼圆圈”通常在6月至9月份出现，且在早上被发现。更让人感到惊讶的是，倒伏的小麦并未折断，还在继续生长。有人猜测这是外星人所为，或许是他们的飞船留下的痕迹。后来，在日本、美国和俄罗斯等国家也发现了“庄稼圆圈”。科学家们使用最新的设备进行了跟踪调查和研究，结果一无所获。

　　1. A。解答此题，必须依次弄清田地里留下的圆圈的形状。1978年发现的是中间有一个直径约为6米的大圆，周围分布着4个小些的圆。即如图B中的样子。三年后另一农民发现的几个直径约为15米的大圆，他们几乎差不多大，即如图D所示的那样。就在同一年，又有一个农民发现三个圆，一个大些，另两个小，大圆在小圆的中间，如图C所示。而科学家身后的圆圈与别的都不同，由此可以找到答案A。

　　2. B。只有真正理解短文所述的内容之后，才能判断出短语“Flattened wheat”的确切意思。实际上，文中第三自然段中“The wheat in the circles lies on the ground but is never broken; it keeps on growing, and the farmers can later harvest it.”一句已对此短语的意思有所暗示。由这几句话，可知小麦既不是折断了的，也不是在生长的，更不是已收获的小麦。

　　3. C。短文中提到很多人相信这是外星人所为 (Many people believe that these crop circles are the messages sent by living things from outer space or the marks left by their spaceships.)，但是他们并没有证据。因此A项不对。虽然很多地方都发现过“庄稼圆圈”，但并不是在全世界都有，短文中列举了三个国家。故B项不对。短文中提到有的农民声称是他们干的，但也予以了否定。由此，C项是最佳答案。通盘考虑全篇的意思，人们不懂得为什么麦田里会出现这种现象，科学家们也没有弄清原因。短文的最后一段说的也是这个意思。

　　Passage 2

　　Winter is dangerous because it’s so difficult to know what is going to happen and accidents take place so easily. Fog can be waiting to meet you over the top of a hill. Ice might be hiding under the melting (融化) snow, waiting ahead (前面) to send you off the road. The car coming to you may suddenly slip across the road.

　　Rule Number One for driving on icy roads is to drive smoothly (平稳地). Sudden movements can make a car very difficult to control. So every time you either start or stop your car, increase or reduce your speed, you must be as gentle and slow as possible. Suppose you are driving with a full cup of hot coffee on the seat next to you. Drive so that you wouldn’t spill (溅) it.

　　Rule Number Two is to pay attention to what might happen. The more ice there is, the further down the road you have to look. Test how long it takes to gently stop your car. Remember that you may be driving more quickly than you think. Generally, allow twice of your usual stopping distance when the road is wet, three times this distance on snow, and even more on ice. Try to stay in control of your car at all time and you will not get into trouble.

　　1.The writer tries to _____ in this passage.

　　A. show his dislikes about bad winter weather

　　A.give information about winter weather

　　B.ask people not to drive in winter

　　C.advise people about safe driving in winter

　　2.People can _____ after reading this passage.

　　A. find out about the weather

　　B.get some information on driving lessons

　　C.learn about better driving

　　D.decide which is the best season for traveling

　　3.According to the passage, the writer thinks that _______.

　　A. people should not drive in the snow

　　B. drivers should think more about problems in winter driving

　　C. people drive too fast in winter

　　D. winter drivers should stop their cars less

　　4.In the passage he writer talks about a cup of coffee ______.

　　A. to show how important smooth movements are

　　B. to ask the drivers to bring some soft drinks with them

　　C. to tell the drivers to be more relaxed

　　D. to show how it an be spilled

　　5.Which of the following is NOT true?

　　A. Traffic accidents take place easily in winter.

　　B. Fog and melting snow often cause car accidents.

　　C. The stopping distance on ice is as long as the usual one.

　　D. In winter you should drive your car with great care.

　　6.Which traffic sign shows the main idea of the passage?

　　(选自2003年上海市试题)

　　【解题思路点拨】这篇说明文的大体意思是：由于受山顶上弥漫的大雾或者融雪下面的冰等等因素的影响，冬季是易发生事故的危险季节。为了行驶安全，要遵循两个原则：一是平稳驾驶。加速或煞车时，动作要尽可能地轻缓一些。二是提防可能会发生的任何事情。路面上的雪越多，就应该把视线放得更远些。当路面出现潮湿，有雪、冰等情况时，将车停下来所需要的时间是不同的。随时准备控制车辆的运行，驾驶员就不会遇到麻烦。

　　1.D.根据文中的“Rule Number One for driving on icy roads is…”和“Rule Number Two is to pay attention to…”这两句句不难看出，短文的主要内容是就如何在冬季安全驾驶这一问题，向司机们提出的两点建议。故答案为D。

　　2.C.考虑到安全问题，作者提出了在各种恶劣天气条件下开车的注意事项。读完本文后，人们自然可以更好地驾驶自己的汽车了。所以答案是C。

　　3.B.由短文所讲述的内容可知，作者教给人们如何在冰雪上谨慎驾驶及如何平稳地煞车。由此，可以将A、C、D三项予以排除。本题的答案亦可直接从“Rule Number Two is to pay attention to what might happen.”一句中判断出来。

　　4.A.作者在短文中说到平稳驾驶时，让人们启动、停车或加速、减速时，动作要轻缓。并举了一个例子，即在座位上放一杯热咖啡，以溅不出来咖啡为宜。用这个例子借以告诉人们平稳驾驶的重要性。

　　5.C.A、B两项的意思在短文的首段可以找到。由短文大意可知，冬季是交通事故容易发生的季节，因此冬季开车应格外小心，故D项也是正确的。实际上，由“Generally, allow twice of your usual stopping distance when the road is wet, three times this distance on snow, and even more on ice.”可以排除C项。另外，通过常识，也可以判断C项(煞车后，车在冰上向前滑行的距离与在平常路面上是一样的)是明显错误的。

　　6.B.短文主要是讲如何在冰雪天气里安全驾驶的。由此可将C项(前方有交通事故，减速慢行)和D项(前方修路，谨慎驾驶)筛选掉。而文中也没有提及A项(前方有雾，减速慢行)所表达的意思。故答案非B莫属。

　　Passage 3

　　Four men who would become fathers were in a hospital waiting room while their wives were in labor (分娩). The nurse arrived and proudly said to the first man, “Congratulations, sir. You’re the father of twins!”

　　“What a coincidence (巧合)! I work for the Minnesota Twins Baseball teams!”

　　Later the nurse returned and congratulated the second father on the birth of his triplets (三胞胎).

　　“Wow! That’s unbelievable! I work for the 3M Company.”

　　An hour later, the nurse returned to congratulate the third man on the birth of his quadruplets (四胞胎). Surprised, he only could answer, “I don’t believe it! I work for the Four Seasons Hotel!”

　　After this, everyone turned to the fourth man who had just fainted (晕). The nurse ran fast to his side. As he slowly came to himself, they could hear him speak in a very low voice over and over, “I should never have taken that job at 7-Eleven. I should never have taken that job at 7-Eleven. I should never have taken that job at 7-Eleven.”

　　1.Why were the fathers there?

　　A. They were waiting for their wives.

　　B. They were seeing doctors.

　　C. They were waiting for their babies to be born.

　　D. They were working at men nurses there.

　　2.Which of the following is true about the third man?

　　A. He thought the nurse made a mistake.

　　B. He was very surprised at the nurse’s words.

　　C. He didn’t want to have these babies.

　　D. He should never have worked at 7-Eleven.

　　3.Why did the fourth man faint when he heard what the nurse told the third man?

　　A. Hew was afraid of having so many babies.

　　B. He was seriously ill.

　　C. He was too excited.

　　D. He was very glad to have 7 babies.

　　4.At least how many babies would be born according to the story?

　　A. 9. B. 10. C. 11. D. 14.

　　(选自2003年湖北省黄石市试题)

　　【解题思路点拨】这个趣味短篇讲述了这样一件事：四个男子在产房外等待各自的妻子生孩

　　子。结果，在the Minnesota Twins棒球队效力的男人的妻子生下了一对双胞胎。在the 3M Company上班的男人的妻子生下了三胞胎。而在四季旅馆工作的男人的妻子生下了四胞胎。听到护士的介绍之后，那个在7-Eleven公司做事的男人晕了过去。原来，联想到前三人的工作单位和他们的妻子所生孩子的数目，第四个人生怕自己的妻子生下七个孩子。等他苏醒过来之后，不住地唠叨，“我真不该在7-Eleven上班。”读罢全文，让人捧腹大笑。

　　1.C。短文首句的意思是“在一所医院的候诊室里，四个即将做爸爸的男人等待着各自的妻子分娩(孩子的降生)。”所以答案是C。

　　2.B。“Surprised, he only could answer…”一句是解题的依据。因为这个人在四季旅馆工作，D项明显是错误的；此人的话语中也没有体现C项的意思；综合考虑上面两个人的经历，及“I don’t believe it! I work for the Four Seasons Hotel!”可知A项也不能入选。

　　3.A。如果是很高兴拥有七个孩子的话，第四个人就不至于说出“I should never have taken that job at 7-Eleven.”这句话。这个人是在听到第三则消息的时候才晕倒的，并不是病得厉害。由“As he slowly came to himself…”(苏醒过来)也可以将B项排除。根据这个人再三重复的那句话，不难推测出他是害怕拥有那些么多的孩子。

　　4.B。根据前面三个人的经历，第四个人便依次类推，认为自己的妻子会生下七个孩子。如果事情真的巧合的话，也许会是这样。但依据生活常识，这个人的妻子至少会生下一个妻子，算上已经降生的九个孩子，总共是十个。所以答案非D莫属。本题是一道考查学生推断能力的好题目，但选项设计不够合理，通读全文就会很容易排除前三个选项。所以如果将四个选项设计成：A. 9. B. 10. C. 11. D. 16. 这样会增加题目的迷惑性，更能考查学生的逻辑推理能力。

　　Passage 4

　　It is sometimes said that the English are polite people. This can make life difficult for foreigners. Suppose a foreign boy asks an English girl to go out with him and she says, “If I finish my work, I’ll meet you in the cafe at 7 o’clock.” Is she saying “ yes ” or “ no ” to his invitation?

　　In grammatical terms, she is using the conditional structure. By using the conditional, speakers of English can avoid giving a “yes ” or “no ” answer to a question. It enables people to be diplomatic. If the girl doesn’t want to go out with the boy, she won’t turn up at the cafe. She will let him understand she is still working. If she wants to go out with him, but doesn’t want to appear too easy to catch, she has achieved that with her reply. But in this case, as she uses the first conditional that shows probability; she is quite likely to turn up at the cafe. Being polite can make life very difficult!

　　The conditional is often used by people in the news—politicians, for example—who wish to avoid speaking out their ideas. This is very important if they are on their way to discuss an agreement. No one wants to give away his or her points before he or she starts. A government spokesman might say to a group of workers, “If we could pay you more, we would.” The use of the conditional here makes room for argument although the speaker is using the second conditional form, which shows improbability. So it is unlikely the workers will get their rise.

　　“If ” is a small word, which appears often in the English language. It can show politeness, reported speech and conditionals such as the First -- probability -- if I can come to your party, I will; the Second -- improbability -- if I saw you tomorrow, I’d give you the book; and the Third -- impossibility (meaning it is too late to change something that has happened) -- if you have told me, I would have helped you.

　　注：conditional structure 表示条件的句式 avoid 避免 diplomatic 婉转的

　　achieve 达到 politician 政客

　　1. The using of the conditional can make a speech _________.

　　A. clearerB. quickerC. more politeD. more exciting

　　2. Which of the following is true according to the passage?

　　A. Language used in the news should make room to argue.

　　B. Usually English girls are not easy to catch.

　　C. English people never speak out their ideas in public.

　　D. The word “if” can show different meanings.

　　3. In the passage, “If we could pay you more, we would.” probably means __________.

　　A. the workers will make more money

　　B. the spokesman doesn’t give any promise

　　C. the spokesman keeps his word

　　D. the workers’ problems aren’t difficult

　　4. This passage is mainly talking about _________.

　　A. the conditional in communication

　　B. how to invite a girl in Britain

　　C. British people and their life

　　D. some language points in daily English

　　(选自2003年北京海淀区试题)

　　【解题思路点拨】这篇夹叙夹议的小品文难度颇大。短文就条件句在人际交往中的运用这一内容展开。在日常生活中，英国人是很讲礼貌的，他们通常使用表示条件的句式，以便使说出的话更委婉些。条件句的使用固然能使双方都不失体面，但它实际上非但不能使谈话的内容更加清楚，而且使得生活变得困难起来。条件句通常为政客所用，这样可以给他们的谈话留有商量的余地。文章最后讲到“if”这个词的众多含义，它不仅表示委婉和可能性，还能表示不大可能，甚至表示不可能。

　　1.C。短文首句就说英国人很有礼貌。在接下来的第二自然段中，作者举例说明了英国人使用条件句的目的，那就是为了使自己的谈话委婉些。考虑到“…as she uses the first conditional that shows probability.”和“Being polite can make life very difficult!”这两句话的含义，可知条件句的使用并不能使谈话的内容更加清楚。恰恰相反，它使得生活变得困难起来。由此，迷惑性较大的A项可予以排除。

　　2. D。由短文第三自然段所举的例子，可以推断出作者对政客们的这种做法是持否定态度的，所以选项A是错误的。选项B仅仅从短文中举的一个例子就得出结论，未免太片面了些。而C项所讲的意思以偏概全，也是不合文意的。短文第四自然段详细说明了if一词的不同含义，它不仅仅可以表示礼貌，用在间接引语中，而且也可以表示可能性、不大可能，或者不可能。故D项是正确的。

　　3. B。由“The use of the conditional here makes room for argument although the speaker is using the second conditional form, which shows improbability.”这句话，可以看出条件句的使用给政客们所说的话留有商量的余地。换句话说，政客们表面上好像答应了工人们的请求，实际上并没有给出什么承诺。因此，只有B才是正确的答案。

　　4. A。短文从一个英国女孩被邀请时的答语，说到政客们的所谓许诺。我们从中不难看出短

　　文的主旨，那就是条件句在日常交际中的运用。不言而喻，答案非A莫属。

　　Passage 5

　　Do you know why different animals or pests (昆虫) have their special colors? Colors in them seem to be used mainly to protect themselves.

　　Some birds like eating locusts (蝗虫), but birds cannot easily catch them. Why? It is because locusts change their colors together with the change of the colors of crops. When crops are green, locusts look green. But as the harvest time comes, locusts change to the same brown color as crops have. Some other pests with different colors from plants are easily found and eaten by others. So they have to hide themselves for lives and appear only at night.

　　If you study the animal life, you’ll find the main use of coloring is to protect themselves. Bears, lions and other animals move quietly through forests. They cannot be easily seen by hunters (猎人). This is because they have the colors much like the trees.

　　Have you ever noticed an even stranger act? A kind of fish in the sea can send out a kind of very black liquid (液体)when it faces danger. While the liquid spreads over (散开), its enemies (敌人)cannot find it. And it immediately swims away. So it has lived up to now though it is not strong at all.

　　1.From the passage we learn that locusts________.

　　A. are small animals B. are easily found by birds

　　C. are dangerous to their enemies D. change their colors to protect themselves

　　2.How can pests with different colors from plants keep out of danger?

　　A. They run away quickly.

　　B. They have the colors much like their enemies.

　　C. They hide themselves by day and appear at night.

　　D. They have to move quietly.

　　3.Bears and lions can keep safe because _________.

　　A. they have the colors much like the trees B. they move quietly

　　C. they like brown and gray colors D. they live in forests

　　4.Why can the kind of fish live up to now?

　　A. Because it is very and strong.

　　B. Because the liquid it sends out can help it escape from its enemies.

　　C. Because the liquid it sends out can kill its enemies.

　　D. Because it swims faster than any other fish.

　　5.Which is the best title for this passage?

　　A. The Change of Colors for Animals and Pests

　　B. Colors of Different Animals and Pests

　　C. The Main Use of Colors for Animals and Pests

　　D. Some Animals and Pests

　　(选自2003年河北省试题)

　　【解题思路点拨】这是一篇科技小品文。其主要内容是：许多昆虫的颜色十分奇特，其主要用途是用来保护自己。蝗虫身体的颜色随庄稼颜色的改变而做相应变化，这样就不易被捕食它们的鸟儿发现。有的动物与周围的植物颜色差别很明显，容易被捕食者察觉，只好夜间出来活动。更奇特的是，有一种鱼，在遇到危险时，会喷射出黑色液体，以掩护自己逃走。

　　1.D。短文第二自然段一开始讲述的是蝗虫随庄稼颜色的改变而改变自身的颜色。联系“…but birds cannot easily catch them.”这句话即可得出答案。

　　2. C。本题所设的问题是：与周围植物颜色差别明显的昆虫如何逃避危险？第二自然段最后的“So they have to hide themselves for lives and appear only at night.”这句话是答案的出处。

　　3. A。这也是一道考查表层理解能力的题目。由第三自然段最后的“This is because they have the colors much like the trees.”这句话可以找到答案。

　　4.B.根据“While the liquid spreads over, its enemies cannot find it. And it immediately swims away.”这两句话可知，这种鱼喷射出黑色液体的目的是让对方看不清自己，然后乘势逃走。另外，由“…its enemies cannot find it.”可知，这种液体并不是用来杀伤对手的。所以答案是B。

　　5.C.根据短文的叙述和列举的例子，显然可以看出它主要讲的是不同昆虫和动物身上的颜色的用途。换句话说，该短文是关于动物是如何用颜色来保护自己的。而A项中说的动物身上颜色的改变，B项中讲的不同动物身上的颜色，这两项虽然也是短文表达的意思，但并不能概括作者向我们表达的主要意思。故不可入选。

　　Passage 6

　　It’s important to learn about protecting our environment. Here is a 5R rule for us:

　　1. Reduce

　　If you want to reduce waste, you should use things wisely (明智地). A large number of trees are being cut down to make paper. If everyone uses a little paper carelessly and throw it out, soon we would not have any trees left. Other things are also being wasted, and people don’t know what to do with the waste in big cities. So it is necessary to reduce the waste.

　　2.Reuse

　　You should always think of reusing the usable things before throwing them out. Give your clothes you do not use or the ones which too small to the poor. In a family, you may pass on such clothes to younger brothers or sisters.

　　3.Recycle

　　Bottles, cans (罐子) and paper can easily be recycled. By doing so we save lots of time and money. For example, coke cans are sent to a factory, where they are smashed flat (压平) and melted (融化) and the metal things are made for new coke cans.

　　4.Recover

　　When you buy a box of apples, there may be few rotten (腐烂的) apples, you have two choices: one is to throw the whole apples away, or you could cut off the rotten parts and use the good parts. In this way, you are recovering the eatable parts of food.

　　5.Repair

　　If one of the begs of your table is broken, you can repair it. If you want to change for better ones, it is better for you to sell the old things or give them to other people who can use them after doing some repair. It is true that North America is a “throw-away” society, but the time has come to change our way of life so that we can protect our environment. Every one of us should try our best.

　　1.The “Reduce” rule mainly requires (要求) us _______.

　　A. to use things wisely B. to cut down many trees

　　C. to use a lot of paper D. to throw away your old clothes

　　2.What’s the right order (顺序) of recycling coke cans?

　　a. collect the used cans b. melt them

　　c. smash them flat d. send them to a factory

　　A. a b c d B. a d c b C. d b c a D. c a b d

　　3.The “Recover” rule mainly requires us _______.

　　A. to throw waste things away B. to cover waste things with earth

　　C. to get back the useful parts D. to throw the whole things away

　　5.Which is the best way to do with your broken tables?

　　A. Throwing them away. B. Requiring them.

　　C. Selling them. D. Putting them away.

　　(选自2003年湖北省黄冈市试题)

　　【解题思路点拨】对生存在地球上的人类来说，保护环境是非常重要的。这篇短文贴近生活，富有时代气息。全文详细介绍了“5R”方法的具体内容和做法。对增强青少年学生的环保意识具有十分重要的意义。

　　1.A.显然，这道题是关于“Reduce”的。根据这段话的首句“If you want to reduce waste, you should use things wisely (明智地).”可知答案是A。

　　2.B.题目的要求是，根据回收易拉罐的程序，选出正确的顺序。那么回收易拉罐的具体步骤是什么呢？根据“Recycle”这部分的内容，我们可以知道：首先要将易拉罐送到工厂去，然后在那儿将其压平、融化，最后再制成新的易拉罐。联系生活常识，可知在将易拉罐送往工厂之前，是由人专门将其收集到一起的。因此，正确的顺序应该是：收集旧的易拉罐---送到工厂---压平---融化。显然答案非B莫属。

　　3.C.“Recover”这部分的主要意思是说：如果食物存在部分变质的情况，要及早采取措施，扔掉已经坏掉的部分，保留可以吃的部分。根据这层意思，可知C为正确答案。

　　4.B.本题难度不大，可以从短文中直接找出答案。答案就在“If one of the begs of your table is broken, you can repair it.”一句中。

　　Passage 7

　　To: President Bush, the White House

　　From: Saddam Hussein, in Baghdad

　　Dear President Bush,

　　Well, you sure ruined (毁掉) my birthday…. OK, you won, and your prize is Iraq. Are you ready

　　for it? I don’t think so. Truth is, I hope you fail.

　　Yes, Iraq was the way it was, in part, because I was the way I was---and I was a bad boy. But what you’re seeing now is that I was the way I was, in part, because Iraq was what it is---a very difficult place to rule (统治) without an iron fist (铁拳). You see, I know the Iraq people didn’t want me. And you will soon find they don’t want you. The big question here has always been: Do they want each other? Can Kurds, Shiite and Sunnis (库尔德人，会叶派，逊尼派) find a way to live together without an iron fist holding them together?

　　If you want to build a self-governing (自治的)country here, you had better understand that “shock and awe (威慑)” is not just for war-making. It’s an everyday tool for running this place. Your powerlessness (无能为力)will make people more afraid than your power.

　　Mr. Bush, I know you are wondering why I didn’t do more to keep away from the war, which ended my political (政治的) life. What in the world was I thinking? Who was I listening to? The answer is: I was listening to myself. Don’t make my mistakes.

　　1.Who do you think is the real writer of the letter?

　　A. Kurds. B. Saddam. C. A news reporter. D. Bush

　　2.What ended Saddam’s political life according to the letter?

　　A.That he didn’t do more to keep away from the war.

　　B.That Iraq was what it is.

　　C.That Kurds, Shiite and Sunnis found a way to live together.

　　D.That Iraq was a very difficult place to rule without an iron fist.

　　3.What advice (建议) does Saddam give to Bush if Bush wants to build a self-governing country?

　　A.Bush should know “Shock and awe” is not just for war making.

　　B.The Iraq people want Bush.

　　C.Bush was only listening to himself.

　　D.Let Iraq be the way it was.

　　4.The last sentence of the letter “Don’t make my mistakes” suggests (暗示)that _______.

　　A. Bush should not do as Saddam did B. Saddam was correct

　　C. Bush is right D. Saddam was a bad boy

　　(选自2003年湖北省黄石市试题)

　　【解题思路点拨】这是一篇与时事紧密相连的书信体阅读材料。信中，“萨达姆”向布什总统分析了伊拉克国内的现状，诉说自己在政治上的苦恼，并告诫布什不要重蹈他的覆辙。

　　1.C。本小题尤其具有迷惑性。由书信开始的“To: President Bush, the White House”、“From: Saddam Hussein, in Baghdad”，好像很容易就能得出结论：这是萨达姆写给布什的一封信。然而，在审题时，一定要特别注意并理解题干中的“real”(真正的)一词，再结合实际，萨达姆这么强硬的人怎能推心置腹地与势不两立的布什谈自己的真心话呢？由此，可推测这很可能是某一新闻记者以萨达姆的口吻分析伊拉克战争前后的局势。

　　2.A。根据“萨达姆”的分析，导致他的政治生涯结束的根本原因是，他没有让伊拉克人民摆脱战争的苦难。答案即在短文末段的“Mr. Bush, I know you are wondering why I didn’t do more to keep away from the war, which ended my political life.”这一句话之中。

　　3.A。本题源自于“If you want to build a self-governing country here, you had better understand that “shock and awe” is not just for war-making.”一句，答案非常明显。

　　4.A。在分析了伊拉克国内政局和自己从政的失误之后，“萨达姆”给布什提出了一点忠告，即“Don’t make my mistakes”(不要重蹈我的覆辙)。答案显然是A。