例一:Directions:Readthefollowingpassageandchoosethebestanswertoeachquestion.
TheFlagoftheU.S.—TheStarsandStripes
ThehistoryoftheflagoftheU.S.hasbecomesoclutteredbymyththathardlyanyfactscanbeestablished.OnethingallagreeonisthattheStarsandStripesoriginatedastheresultofaresolutionadoptedbyCongressJune14,1777.Itread:Resolved:thattheflagoftheUnitedStatesbethirteenstripes,alternateredandwhite;thattheunionbethirteenstars,whiteinabluefield,representinganewconstellation.
Theflagof1777wasuseduntil1795.Then,ontheadmissionofVermontandKentuckytotheUnion,CongresspassedanactthatafterMay1,1795,theflagshouldhave15stripesand15stars.
Whennewstateswereadmitteditbecameevidentthattheflagwouldbecomeburdenedwithstripes.CongressthereuponorderedthatafterJuly4,1818,theflagshouldhave13stripes,symbolizingthe13originalstates;thattheunionhave20stars,andthatwheneveranewstatewasadmittedanewstarshouldbeaddedontheJuly4followingtheadmission.
The50—starflagoftheUnitedStateswasraisedforthefirsttimeofficiallyonJuly4,1960,atFortMcHenryinBaltimore.The50thstarhadbeenaddedforHawaii,ayearearlierthe49th,forAlaska.Beforethat,nostarhadbeenaddedsince1912,whenNewMexicoandArizonawereadmittedtotheUnion.
1)Since1777,theU.S.flaghaschangeditsdesign___________.
2)In1912,beforeJuly4,theU.S.flaghad___________.
3)The49thand50thstatestojointheU.S.A.were,intheircorrectorder,___________.
4)Congressdecidedin1818thattheU.S.flagshouldhave13stripesbecause___________.
(A)since1777ithadalwayshad13stripes
(B)since1777ithadalwayshadmorethan13stripes.
(C)In1818therewereonly13statesintheUnionoftheU.S.A.
(D)AtthefoundingoftheUnionoftheU.S.A.therehadbeenonly13states.
问题(1)要求回答美国国旗图案自1777年以来变化了几次。回答这样的题目须把文中所有提及1777年以来美国国旗变更次数的关键词语划出:1795;July4,1818;since1912;ayearearlierthe49th;July4,1960
文中似乎只提及5处,但是文内又提到1818年时为20颗星,以后每加入一个州增加一颗星,从文中又可看出1912年增加的是第47和48颗星。从第20颗星到47颗星之间必然还有若干次变动,因此答案应为(D),即:变动次数为5次以上。
问题(2)提问的是1912年7月4日以前的情况。由于新墨西哥和亚里桑那于1912年7月4日加入联邦,国旗上星的数目增至48颗。因此,1912年7月4日以前国旗上的星数应为46颗。正确答案为(C)。
问题(3)的答案为(A)。其根据为The50thstarhadbeenaddedforHawaii,ayearearlierthe49th,forAlaska.
问题(4)的答案为(D),其根据是symbolizingthe13originalstates