2014高考英语阅读理解训练-有详解(14)

On May 29, 1973, Thomas Bradley, a black man, was selected mayor of the Los Angeles. Los Angeles is the third largest city in the United States, with a population of three million. About sixteen percent of the city’s population are black.

News of this election appeared on the front pages of newspapers everywhere in the United States. Here is how one major newspaper reported the event:

LOS ANGELES ELECTES BRADLEY MAYOR UNSEATING YORTY

BLACKS WINS% OF VOTES

Bradley called this victory over Yorty “the fulfillment(实现) of a dream”. During his childhood and youth, people had kept telling him, “You can’t do this, you can’t go there, because you are a Negro.” Nevertheless he had won a decisive victory over a man who had been the city’s mayor for three terms. Bradley had won 43. 7 percent.

Los Angeles voters have had many opportunities to judge. Thomas Bradley had to form an opinion of him. The son of a poor farmer in Texas, he joined the Los Angeles police force in 1940. During his twenty-one years on the police force he earned a law degree by attending school at night. He was elected to the city council(市政厅) ten years ago.

At the time of the Los Angeles election, three other American cities already had black mayors, but none of those cities had as large a population as Los Angeles. Besides, the percentage of blacks in those other cities was much larger. Cleveland, Ohio, had thirty-six percent black when Carl Stokes was elected mayor of Cleveland in 1967. In the same year Richard Hatcher was elected mayor of Gary, Indiana, which have fifty-five percent black. In Neward, New Jersey 60% of the population were black when Kenneth Gibson was elected in 1970. Thus election of a black mayor in those cities was not surprising.

In Los Angeles thousands of white citizens voted for Thomas Bradley because they believed he would be a better mayor than the white candidates. Bradley had spent 48 of his 55 years in Los Angeles. Four years ago Bradley lost mayoral election to Yorty. This time Bradley won.

1. In the author’s opinion, it was surprising that _______.

A. the whites would vote for a black mayor

B. a black mayor would be elected in such a large city

C. a black from a poor farmer’s family could be elected mayor of Los Angeles

D. there would be so many black mayors

2. From the passage we can infer that people _______.

A. voted for Bradley because his black color

B. didn’t care much about his color when they voted

C. voted for him to give him a chance to fulfill his dream

D. voted for Bradley because they trust him

3. Bradley hit the front page headline for _______.

A. he was the first black mayor in history

B. he was the first black mayor in the south of USA

C. he was the first black mayor of one of the largest cities in USA

D. a poor farmer’s son could also win an important election

4. From Bradley’s victory in the election we can see that _______.

A. blacks had equal rights as whites in the USA

B. black people’s situation began to be improving much more than before

C. one can be successful through hard work in US no matter what color you are

D. it is sure that someday US will have a black president (www.nmet168.com)

【答案与解析】本文讲述的是黑人布拉德利托马斯竞选为洛杉矶市长的事情。

1. A。推断题。根据第1段Los Angeles…with a population of three million. About sixteen percent of the city’s population are black 和倒数第2段Besides, the percentage of blacks in those other cities was much larger 及Thus election of a black mayor in those cities was not surprising可以推断出令人惊讶的是白人会选一个黑人当市长。故答案选A。

2. D。推断题。根据文章最后一段In Los Angeles thousands of white citizens voted for Thomas Bradley because they believed he would be a better mayor than the white candidates可知答案为D。

3. C。推断题。根据第1段Los Angeles is the third largest city in the United States和At the time of the Los Angeles election, three other American cities already had black mayors, but none of those cities had as large a population as Los Angeles可推出答案为C。

4. B。推断题。本文通过讲叙黑人布拉德利托马斯当选为洛杉矶市长，主要说明了黑人的地位比以前有了一些改进，故答案为B。