新SAT官方指南阅读第十一篇全解析
This passage is adapted from Saki,“The Schartz-Metterklume Method.”Originally published in1911.
Lady Carlotta stepped out on to the platform of the small wayside station and took a turn or two up and down its uninteresting length,to kill time till the train should be plead to proceed on its way.Then,in the roadway beyond,she saw a hor struggling with a more than ample load, and a carter of the sort that ems to bear a sullen hatred against the animal that helps him to earn 5
a living.Lady Carlotta promptly betook her to the roadway,and put rather a different complexion
on the struggle.Certain of her acquaintances were wont to give her plentiful admonition as to the undesirability of interfering on behalf of a distresd animal,such interference being“none of her business.”Only once had she put the doctrine of non-interference into practice,when one of its most eloquent exponents had been besieged for nearly three hours in a small and extremely
uncomfortable may-tree by an angry boar-pig,while Lady Carlotta,on the other side of the fence, 10
had proceeded with the water-colour sketch she was engaged on,and refud to interfere between the boar and his prisoner.It is to be feared that she lost the friendship of the ultimately rescued
lady.On this occasion she merely lost the train,which gave way to the first sign of impatience it had shown throughout the journey,and steamed off without her.She bore the dertion with
philosophical indifference;herfriends and relations were thoroughly well ud to the fact of her 15
luggage arriving without her.She wired a vague non-committal message to her destination to say that she was coming on“by another train.”Before she had time to think what her next move might
be she was confronted by an imposingly attired lady,who emed to be taking a prolonged mental inventory of her clothes and looks.
20
“You must be Miss Hope,the governess I’ve come to meet,”said the apparition,in a tone that admitted of very little argument.
“Very well,if I must I must,”said Lady Carlotta to herlf with dangerous meekness.
“I am Mrs.Quabarl,”continued the lady;“and where,pray,is your luggage?”
“It’s gone astray,”said the alleged governess,falling in with the excellent rule of life that the abnt are always to blame;the luggage had,in point of fact,behaved with perfect correctitude. 25
“I’ve just telegraphed about it,”she added,with a nearer approach to truth.
“How provoking,”said Mrs.Quabarl;“the railway companies are so careless.However, my maid can lend you things for the night,”and she led the way to her car.
During the drive to the Quabarl mansion Lady Carlotta was impressively introduced to the nature of the charge that had been thrust upon her;she learned that Claude and Wilfrid were
30
delicate,nsitive young people,that Irene had the artistic temperament highly developed,and that Viola wassomething or other el of a mould equally commonplace among children of that class and type in the twentieth century.
“I wish them not only to be TAUGHT,”said Mrs.Quabarl,“but INTERESTED in what they 35
learn.In their history lessons,for instance,you must try to make them feel that they are being
introduced to the life-stories of men and women who really lived,not merely committing a mass of names and dates to memory.French,of cour,I shall expect you to talk at meal-times veral days in the week.”
“I shall talk French four days of the week and Russian in the remaining three.”
40
“Russian?My dear Miss Hope,no one in the hou speaks or understands Russian.”
“That will not embarrass me in the least,”said Lady Carlotta coldly.
Mrs.Quabarl,to u a colloquial expression,was knocked off her perch.She was one of tho imperfectly lf-assured individuals who are magnificent and autocratic as long as they are not riously oppod.The least show of unexpected resistance goes a long way towards rendering 45
them cowed and apologetic.When the new governess failed to express wondering admiration of the large newly-purchad and expensive car,and lightly alluded to the superior advantages of one or two makes which had just been put on the market,the discomfiture of her patroness became
almost abject.Her feelings were tho which might have animated a general of ancient warfaring days,on beholding his heaviest battle-elephant ignominiously driven off the field by slingers and 50
javelin throwers.
1、Which choice best summarizes the passage?
A)A woman weighs the positive and negative aspects of accepting a new job.
B)A woman does not correct a stranger who mistakes her for someone el.
C)A woman impersonates someone el to ek revenge on an acquaintance.
D)A woman takes an immediate dislike to her new employer.
正确答案：B
分析：文章讲述的是Lady Carlotta在火车站被Mrs.Quabarl误认为她的新保姆（You must be Miss Hope,the governess I’ve come to meet.）而Lady Carlotta并没有纠正Mrs.Quabarl的错误（very well,if I must I must）
2、In line1,“turn”most nearly means
A)slight movement.
B)change in rotation.
C)short walk.
D)cour correction.
正确答案：C
分析：文章中1-3行，作者提到：Lady Carlotta走上路边车站的站台，上下走几小步，从而打发时间。
3、The passage most clearly implies that other people regarded Lady Carlotta as
A)outspoken.
B)tactful.
C)ambitious.
D)unfriendly.
正确答案：A
分析：文章6-8行，作者提到Lady Carlotta的一些熟人会告诫她，不要公开发表对别人的看法。所以大家认为她是直率的。
4、Which choice provides the best evidence for the answer to the previous question?
A)Lines6-8(“business”)
B)Lines12-13(“lady”)
C)Lines13-14(“her”)
D)Lines16-17(“ain”)
正确答案：A
分析：见第3题解释。
5、The description of how Lady Carlotta“put the doctrine of non-interference into practice”(line8)mainly rves to
A)foreshadow her capacity for deception.
B)illustrate the subtle cruelty in her nature.
C)provide a humorous insight into her character.
D)explain a surprising change in her behavior.
正确答案：C
分析：文章提到，有一位熟人因为Lady Carlotta干预别人而经常批评她。当这位熟人被大树困住时，Lady Carlotta决定用采取这位熟人平时对她的建议，袖手旁观（put the doctrine of non-interference into practice）。这说明了Lady Carlotta的幽默感。
6、In line30,“charge”most nearly means
A)responsibility.
B)attack.
C)fee.
D)expen.
正确答案：A
分析：因为Lady Carlotta假装是一名家庭教师，所以Mrs Quabarl跟Lady Carlotta讲述有关她的孩子的事情。这其实是在告诉她照顾孩子时的工作职责。
7、The narrator indicates that Claude,Wilfrid,Irene,and Viola are
A)similar to many of their peers.
B)unusually creative and intelligent.
C)hostile to the idea of a governess.
D)more educated than others of their age.
正确答案：A
分析：文章当中，Lady Carlotta了解了Mrs Quabarl的三个孩子事情之后，作者又将其中一个孩子Viola描述为20世纪孩子中普通的类型（something or other el of a mould equally commonplace among children of that class and type in the twentieth century）。
