英语阅读理解中级篇
The Causes of European Separation in 16th Century
For a thousand years and more, the people of Europe had fought about many things, but they had been united in believing one thing: that there existed a single “Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church” of which the Bishop of Rome, under the title of the Pope, was the visible and recognizable head in succession to St. Peter. But in 1517 a German monk, Martin Luther, challenged certain Catholic teachings and renounced his obedience to the papacy. Others had followed him, including Henry VIII.
Thus Europe was divided in every which way, the southern and eastern two-thirds still Catholic, the northern and western one-third what was coming to be called Protestant, though English-ruled Ireland solidly Catholic and the Spanish-ruled Netherlands, particularly the northern part approximating to modern Holland, grew increasingly Protestant; while in virtually every country, whether officially Catholic or Protestant, those of the contrary faith fiercely attempted to convert their neighbors and equally fiercely resisted their neighbor’s attempts to convert them. For this there was no simple, friendly solution to be reached on the principle of live-and-let-live. Each party believed that it had hold of the truth, the only truth that mattered, the one that led to eternal salvation, and its adversaries clung to falsehood which must necessarily head to eternal damnation: not only for themselves but for all who should permit them to survive and infect others with their errors. Toleration, even reasonable discussion, was impossible. God and the devil could not mix. Just as Elizabeth was to ardent Catholics that Jezebel, so to earnest Protestants the Pope was “that wolfish bloodsucker,” and their Catholic fellow-creatures mad dogs, toads and other such vermin to be cleansed off the face of the earth.
These feelings, dangerous enough in themselves, were made more so by questions of geography and money. The Catholic countries bordering on the Mediterranean were by far the richest. From the beginning of the Middle Ages the Republic of Venice had controlled the trade routes to the East, bringing the wares carried out of Persia, China and the Indies by camel to her depots in Syria and reloading them in her high, gorgeously painted vessels for transshipment to Italy and beyond. Since the end of the fifteen century, first Portugal by sailing round Africa to India, then Spain by the discovery of America, had likewise been in a position to bring for sale to Europe all the rare and wonderful things for which Europe longed—silks and precious woods, sugar and spices, gold and silver, works of exquisite art and strange animals from peacock to tigers. In 1494, two years after Columbus’s first voyage to America, Pope Alexander VI had divided the unexplored world beyond the seas between Spain and Portugal as reward for their enterprise and to keep them from fighting. The other countries had respected this division so long as they remained Catholic.
1. The best title for this passage is
[A]. The History of Europe in 16th Century.
[B]. The Religious History of Europe in 16th Century.
[C]. The Causes of European Separation in 16th Century.
2. What does we learn from the passage?
[A]. The Pope had the supreme power in religion before reform.
[B]. The Pope had the greatest power in every thing outside religion.
[C]. The Pope was the real king in Europe then.
[D]. The Pope was the real ruler in Europe then.
3. What did the sentence “The other countries had respected this division so long as they remained Catholic” imply?
[A]. It implied this division could not be respected long.
[B]. It implied this division would not face a challenge.
[C]. It implied this division would be respected forever.
[D]. It implied the power of the Pope would never decline.
4. Which of the following is not mentioned as a cause to deepen the dangerous feelings?
[A]. Money. [B]. Geology. [C]. Religion. [D]. Geography.
Vocabulary
1. Apostolic 罗马教皇的，使徒的
2. in succession to 继承，接班
3. Martin Luther 马丁·路德 1483——1546德国宗教改革家
4. teachings 教义
5. renounce 抛弃，摈弃，否认
6. papacy 罗马教皇职位/制度，这里指罗马教皇
7. cling to 坚持
8. damnation 诅咒，永远的处罚
9. bloodsucker 吸血鬼
10. depot 仓库，补给站
11. gorgeous 华丽的，灿烂的，辉煌的
12. spice 香料
13. enterprise 事业，业绩，功勋
难句译注
1. Thus Europe was divided in every which way, the southern and eastern two-thirds still Catholic, the northern and western one-third what was coming to be called Protestant, though English-ruled Ireland solidly Catholic and the Spanish-ruled Netherlands, particularly the northern part approximating to modern Holland, grew increasingly Protestant; while in virtually every country, whether officially Catholic or Protestant, those of the contrary faith fiercely attempted to convert their neighbors and equally fiercely resisted their neighbor’s attempts to convert them.
[结构简析] every which way. 四面八方，散乱。这里指四分五裂。EX : Railroads cross the country in every which way. 铁路四通八达，纵横全国。
[参考译文] 就这样欧洲四分五裂：东南部2/3仍然是天主教，西北部1/3是后来被称为的基督教，虽然英国统治的爱尔兰是稳固的天主教，而西班牙统治的荷兰，特别是靠近现代荷兰的北部地区越来越变成基督教。事实上，在每个国家，不论官方声称是天主教还是基督教，相反信仰的人都拼命想把他的邻居变过来，也同样强烈的抵制他们的邻居企图把他们变过去。
2. Each party believed that it had hold of the truth, the only truth that mattered, the one that led to eternal salvation, and its adversaries clung to falsehood which must necessarily head to eternal damnation: not only for themselves but for all who should permit them to survive and infect others with their errors.
[结构简析] believed 有两个宾语从句，用and连接。第一个宾语从句that it had hold of the truth中，the only… the one…都说明truth,是它的同位语。And 后的宾语从句省略了连词that，句中有定语从句which must 修饰falsehood，后面的who定从修饰all.
[参考译文] 每一派都认为他掌握了真理，唯一的至关重要的这里，通向永恒获救解脱，而它的对手（敌人）死抓住错误不放，这必然导致永恒的诅咒；不仅诅咒他们自己，还诅咒那些让他们生存下去，让他们错误感染别人的人。
3. Just as Elizabeth was to ardent Catholics that Jezebel, so to earnest Protestants the Pope was “that wolfish bloodsucker,” and their Catholic fellow-creatures mad dogs, toads and other such vermin to be cleansed off the face of the earth.
[结构简析] 注意just as…so …句型，so 后是部分倒装。To cleanse off消减，清除出。Jezebel耶西别古代以色列国王亚哈的妻子，残忍放荡。后指无耻放荡的女人，胭脂虎。这里指英国女王伊丽莎白。
[参考译文] 就像伊丽莎白女王对狂热的天主教徒来讲那是个耶西别；对基督教徒来说罗马教皇是那个残忍的吸血鬼。天主教徒是疯狗，蛤蟆，其他种种恶魔，应从地球表面上清除出去。
写作方法与文章大意
这是一篇论述“宗教改革后的'欧洲形势”的文章。（16世纪欧洲的情况）。作者从三方面论及其分裂的原由，欧洲在宗教改革后的信仰分裂，造成新旧教势不两立的局面，地理位置和金钱两个因素加剧了分裂的局面。
答案祥解
1. D. 16世纪欧洲分裂的因素。上面文章大意中作者是从三方面论及其分裂。见难句译注1和第三段第一句：“这些情感，本身就危险，再加上地理和金钱两个问题，情况就更加不妙了。”
A. 欧洲史。 B. 欧洲宗教史。这两项涉及面更广。 C. 宗教改革对16世纪欧洲的影响。和标题有些接近。但第三段却是和宗教无关的两个因素。
2. C. 在改革前，罗马教皇是欧洲真正的帝王。这在第一段中有明确的叙述“一千多年来，欧洲人们虽然在许多事情彼此斗争过，可是在信仰上团结一致，都信只有一个神圣的天主教和罗马教皇的教会。那里的罗马大主教，称为教皇，是继承圣·彼德之后有形的公认领袖。可是，1517年德国僧侣，马丁·路德向某些天主教教义提出挑衅，拒绝服从罗马教皇，其他追随他，其中包括亨利八世（英王）”。
A. 在改革前，罗马教皇在宗教上具有至高无上的权利。似乎很有道理。实际上，教皇虽是宗教领袖，管的事情远远超出宗教范畴。这在最后一段倒数第二句话可见一般。结合第三题谈。 B. 教皇在宗教之外的许多事情有着最高的权利。是明显不对的。 D. 教皇是那时欧洲的真正统治者。Then 一词可以指改革前后。
3. A. 这种分割不可能长期得到尊重。最后一段的最后两句话“1494年，哥伦布首次远航美洲后的两年，教皇亚历山大六世就把这块大洋彼岸未曾勘探的世界分给西班牙和葡萄牙作为对他们业绩的褒奖（赏赐）和制止他们彼此开仗。其它国家只要他们依然信仰天主教，他们就会尊重这个瓜分。”as long as 是一个条件。一旦这个条件不存在，那就不会再尊重。另一方面也说明教皇不仅管宗教，见第2题A注释，因此并不正确。
B. 不会面临挑战。 C. 永远得到尊重。 D. 教皇权力永不衰退。
4. B. 地质学。其他三项：
A. 钱。 C. 宗教。 D. 地理位置。都提到。
【英语阅读理解中级篇】相关文章：
英语阅读理解中级难度03-14
英语阅读理解中级篇：Religion and Rationality03-13
英语阅读理解02-23
小升初英语阅读理解04-13
高考英语阅读理解03-17
小学英语阅读理解02-25
英语阅读理解参阅02-24
英语阅读理解练习02-23
英语阅读理解示例02-23