A
(衡水模拟)
“Heaven is where the police are English, the cooks are French, the mechanics are German, the lovers are Italian and everything is organized by the Swiss. Hell is where the police are German, the cooks are English, the mechanics are French, the lovers are Swiss, and everything is organized by the Italian.”
Obviously the national stereotypes (模式化的思想) in this old joke are generalizations, but such stereotypes are often said to “exist for a reason”. Is there actually a sliver of truth in them? Not likely, an international research team now says.
“National and cultural stereotypes do play an important role in how people see themselves and others, and being aware that these are not dependable is a useful thing，” said study author Robert McCrae of the National Institute on Aging. “These are in fact unfounded stereotypes. They don't come from looking around you，” McCrae said.
If national stereotypes aren't rooted in real experiences, then where do they come from? One possibility is that they reflect national values, which may become known from historical events. For example, many historians have argued that the spirit of American individualism has its origins in the experiences of the pioneers on the Old West.
Social scientists such as psychologist Richard Robins have given several other possible explanations for stereotypes and why they may be incorrect. Robins notes that some stereotypes may have been correct at one point in history and then remained unchanged while the culture changed.
We may be “hardwired”， to some degree, to keep incorrect stereotypes, since we are less likely to notice and remember information that is different from our stereotypes. Generally, according to Robins, when we meet people who are different from our stereotypes, we see them as unique individuals rather than typical national or cultural groups.
本文主要谈论的是对不同国家的成见或民族定式这一现象。
1．What is the function of the first paragraph?
A．To introduce the topic of national stereotypes.
B．To make a comparison between the characters of different countries.
C．To exemplify the argument against stereotyping.
D．To analyze the strengths and weaknesses of people in different countries.
答案：A
解析：推理判断题。第一段用笑话的方式引出本文的话题：国家模式化的思想，故选A。
2．Which of the following best describes McCrae's attitude towards national stereotypes?
A．Supportive. B．Indifferent.
C．Critical. D．Uncertain.
答案：C
解析：观点态度题。根据第三段McCrae所说的话可知，他既认为模式化的思想是重要的，又觉得不能完全依赖，所以他的态度是批判性的，故选C。
3．According to social scientists, why aren't national stereotypes always correct?
A．Because they are formed by individual historians.
B．Because people tend to have false idea about other cultures.
C．Because generalizations are made through personal experience.
D．Because what was true in the past may not be true at present.
答案：D
解析：推理判断题。根据倒数第二段．..some stereotypes may have been correct at one point in history and then remained unchanged while the culture changed.可知，在历史上模式化思想在某种程度上是对的，但是当文化发生变化了，模式化思想却没有发生变化，因此就会出现错误，故选D。
4．What does the underlined word “hardwired” in the last paragraph probably mean?
A．Forgetful. B．Fixed.
C．Anxious. D．Helpless.
答案：B
解析：词义猜测题。根据后面的since we are less likely to notice and remember information that is different from our stereotypes可知，既然是我们不愿意做出改变，那就是比较固定不变的，故答案为B。
