Question

Between ten and midnight the United States is politically leaderless—there is no center of information anywhere in the nation except in the New York headquarters of the great broadcasting companies and two wire services. No candidate and no party can afford the investment on election night to match the news-gathering resources of the mass media; and so as every citizen sits in his home watching his TV set or listening to his radio, he is the equal of any other in knowledge. There is nothing that can be done in these hours, for no one can longer direct the great strike for America’s power; the polls have closed. Good or bad, whatever the decision, America will accept the decision—and cut down any man who goes against it, even though for millions the decision runs contrary to their own votes. The general vote is an expression of national will, the only substitute for violence and blood. Its decision is to be defended as one defends civilization itself.

There is nothing like this American expression of will in England or France, India or Russia. Only one other major nation in modern history has tried to elect its leader directly by mass, free, popular vote. This was the Weiman Republic of Germany, which modeled its unitary vote for national leaders on the American practice. Out of its experiment with the system it got Hitler. Americans have had Lincoln, Wilson and two Roosevelts. Nothing can be done when the voting returns are flooding in; the White House and its power will move to one or another of the two candidates, and all will know about it in the morning. But for these hours history stops.

Between ten P.M. and midnight the United States is politically leaderless because ________.

A. the president has been murdered          

B. the general strike for power has ended

C. the government has resigned             

D. the general vote is being held

“The great strike for America’s power” in Paragraph 1 refers to ________.

A. the strike of the government members

B. the great vote

C. the election campaign

D. the strike of the government employees

The author believes that the decision at the polls will ________.

A. lead to a civil war             B. result in a general strike

C. cause violence and blood     D. be defended by all Americans

Without the general vote, the author implies ________.

A. there would be a civil war    B. there would be a general strike

C. there would be an election campaign    D. there would be a fierce debate

Answer 1

【小題1】D

【小題2】C

【小題3】D

【小題4】A

解析:

【小題1】D  推理判斷題。本題應從全文來看。從大選完畢到結果尚未公布之間為權力空白期。

【小題2】C  推理判斷題。由文章第 1 段第 1 句和第 3、4 句可以推斷，此處的 The greatest strike for America’s Power 指美國大選。

【小題3】D  事實細節題。由第 1 段最后幾句可知：不管大選的結果是否與他們的投票一致，美國人都會贊成并支持這一結果。

【小題4】A  推理判斷題。由第 1 段倒數第 2 句 The general vote is…the only substitute for violence and blood 可知，言下之意，沒有大選，就可能導致因爭奪權力而發生戰爭。