Passage Four Questions 36 to 40 are based on the following passage:
Is it possible to persuade mankind to live without war War is an ancient institution which has existed for at least six thousand years. It was always wicked and usually foolish, but in the past the human race managed to live with it. Modern ingenuity1 has changed this. Either Man will abolish war, or war will abolish Man. For the present, it is nuclear weapons that cause the , but bacteriological or chemical weapons may, before long, offer an even greater threat. If we succeed in abolishing nuclear weapons, our work will not be done. It will never be done until we have succeeded in abolishing war. To do this, we need to persuade mankind to look upon international questions in a new way not as contests of force, in which the victory goes to the side which is most skillful in killing2, but by arbitration3 in accordance with agreed principles of law. It is not easy to change age old mental habits, but this is what must be attempted.There are those who say that the adoption4 of this or that ideology5 would prevent war. I believe this to be a profound error. All ideologies6 are based upon dogmatic assertions which are, at best, doubtful, and at worst, totally false. Their supporters believe in them so fanatically that they are willing to go to war in support of them.The movement of world opinion during the past two years has been very largely such as we can welcome. It has become a commonplace that nuclear war must be avoided. Of course very difficult problems remain in the international sphere, but the spirit in which they are being approached is a better one than it was some years ago. It has begun to be thought, even by the powerful men who decide whether we shall live or die, that negotiations8 should reach agreements even if both sides do not find these agreements wholly satisfactory. It has begun to be understood that the important conflict nowadays East and West, but between Man and the H-bomb.
36.This passage implies that war is now ____.
A) more wicked than in the past
B) as wicked as in the past
C) less wicked than in the past
D) what people try to live with
37.According to the author ____.
A) it is impossible to live without war
B) war is the only way to settle international disagreements
C) war must be abolished if man wants to survive
D) war will be abolished by modern ingenuity
38.The author says that modern weapons ____.
A) will help abolish war
B) make mankind live in a greater threat.
C) will gradually become part of mans life
D) need further improving
39.The author believes that the only way to abolish war is to ____.
A) abolish nuclear weapons
B) let the stronger side take over the world
C) improve bacteriological and chemical weapons
D) settle international issues through negotiation7
40.The last paragraph suggests that ____.
A) nuclear war will definitely not take place
B) international agreements are now reached more and more easily
C) man is beginning to realize that nuclear war is his greatest enemy
D) world opinion is in favor of nuclear war
内容概要:本文讨论了现代社会中能否防止战争与大家一般觉得的没战争就不可以解决根本性的社会矛盾或国家之间的冲突等问题。
36.A。
现代的战争比过去更险恶。
总结推论题。
依据文章中提到的两点入手：1. 核武器带来的最大的危险；2.生化武器给人类带来的威胁，对全文进行总结可得出A为正确答案。
37.C。
人类假如想存活下去，就需要抛弃战争。
判断作者的态度。
依据文中Either man will abolish war, or war will abolish man（要么人类摒弃战争，要么战争摒弃人类）这句话，大家可判断C是这句话的翻版，故选C。
38.B。
人类生活在危险中。
判断作者的看法。
本题需要考生理解作者关于现代武器谈论的要素。从全文的内容看，作者是激烈反对现代战争的。故选B。
39.D。
通过谈判来解决国际争端。
事实细节题。
本文中一直以客观的态度探讨问题。文中提到：negotiation should reach agreements even if both sides do not find these agreements wholly satisfactory.。依据这句话，可知D是最好答案。
40.C。
人类开始意识到核武器是人类最大的敌人。
段落大意理解题。
依据文中所提到的the movement of world opinion during the past two years has been very largely such as we can welcome 表明人类在核问题上已经渐渐达成了一些共识。因此选C。
