题目
How's this for a coincidence （巧合）？ Charles Darwin and Abraham Lincoln were born in the same year， on the same day： Feb． 12， 1809． Although people hardly think of them together， yet we want to say that they belong together． It's not just because they were both great men， and not because they happen to live at the same time． Rather， it's because the scientist and the politician each started a revolution that changed the world． They were both revolutionaries in the sense that both men changed the realities when they were born． They seem and sound modern to us， because the world they left behind them is more or less the one we still live in． So， considering the joint greatness of their contributions and the coincidence of their birthdays ---- it is hard to wonder： who was the greatest man？ It's an apples and oranges--- or Superman vs． Santa---comparison． But if you limit the question to influence， very quickly the balance tips in Lincoln's favor． As great as his book on evolution is， it does no harm to remember that Darwin hurried to publish The Origin of Species because he thought he was about to be scooped （抢先） by his fellow naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace． Lincoln， however， is unique． True， his election as the president did cause the recession （衰退） and the war， but that war seems certain to happen---not a question of if but when． Certainly we know what happened after he was murdered： Reconstruction was organized and then abandoned， leaving the issue of racial （种族的） equality unsolved for another century． Surely we should not deny Darwin's accomplishment． But their same birthdays gave us a great opportunity to observe these men of their time．（1）Why does the author say Charles Darwin and Abraham Lincoln belong together？ ____ A． They were born on the same day．B． They lived in the same period of time．C． They started revolutions changing the world．D． They were both great men in the history．（2）What does the author mean by "an apples and oranges---- or Superman vs． Santa --comparison" ？ ____ A． It is hard to tell which one is greater as they are both outstanding．B． The comparison between Darwin and Lincoln is easy and obvious．C． It is difficult to compare them as they are as famous as Superman and Santa．D． There is no point comparing them because they were born on the same day．（3）Lincoln's contribution to the world can be best described as ____ A． narrow．B． aggressive．C． independent．D． ground-breaking．（4）What can we learn from the passage？ ____ A． Lincoln's success in election caused reconstruction．B． Lincoln had tried to solve the racial problem．C． Darwin was unique compared with Lincoln．D． Darwin's theory is similar to Lincoln's belief．
How's this for a coincidence （巧合）？ Charles Darwin and Abraham Lincoln were born in the same year， on the same day： Feb． 12， 1809． Although people hardly think of them together， yet we want to say that they belong together． It's not just because they were both great men， and not because they happen to live at the same time． Rather， it's because the scientist and the politician each started a revolution that changed the world．
They were both revolutionaries in the sense that both men changed the realities when they were born． They seem and sound modern to us， because the world they left behind them is more or less the one we still live in． So， considering the joint greatness of their contributions and the coincidence of their birthdays ---- it is hard to wonder： who was the greatest man？ It's an apples and oranges--- or Superman vs． Santa---comparison． But if you limit the question to influence， very quickly the balance tips in Lincoln's favor．
As great as his book on evolution is， it does no harm to remember that Darwin hurried to publish The Origin of Species because he thought he was about to be scooped （抢先） by his fellow naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace． Lincoln， however， is unique． True， his election as the president did cause the recession （衰退） and the war， but that war seems certain to happen---not a question of if but when． Certainly we know what happened after he was murdered： Reconstruction was organized and then abandoned， leaving the issue of racial （种族的） equality unsolved for another century．
Surely we should not deny Darwin's accomplishment． But their same birthdays gave us a great opportunity to observe these men of their time．
（1）Why does the author say Charles Darwin and Abraham Lincoln belong together？ ____
A． They were born on the same day．
B． They lived in the same period of time．
C． They started revolutions changing the world．
D． They were both great men in the history．
（2）What does the author mean by "an apples and oranges---- or Superman vs． Santa --comparison" ？ ____
A． It is hard to tell which one is greater as they are both outstanding．
B． The comparison between Darwin and Lincoln is easy and obvious．
C． It is difficult to compare them as they are as famous as Superman and Santa．
D． There is no point comparing them because they were born on the same day．
（3）Lincoln's contribution to the world can be best described as ____
A． narrow．
B． aggressive．
C． independent．
D． ground-breaking．
（4）What can we learn from the passage？ ____
A． Lincoln's success in election caused reconstruction．
B． Lincoln had tried to solve the racial problem．
C． Darwin was unique compared with Lincoln．
D． Darwin's theory is similar to Lincoln's belief．
They were both revolutionaries in the sense that both men changed the realities when they were born． They seem and sound modern to us， because the world they left behind them is more or less the one we still live in． So， considering the joint greatness of their contributions and the coincidence of their birthdays ---- it is hard to wonder： who was the greatest man？ It's an apples and oranges--- or Superman vs． Santa---comparison． But if you limit the question to influence， very quickly the balance tips in Lincoln's favor．
As great as his book on evolution is， it does no harm to remember that Darwin hurried to publish The Origin of Species because he thought he was about to be scooped （抢先） by his fellow naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace． Lincoln， however， is unique． True， his election as the president did cause the recession （衰退） and the war， but that war seems certain to happen---not a question of if but when． Certainly we know what happened after he was murdered： Reconstruction was organized and then abandoned， leaving the issue of racial （种族的） equality unsolved for another century．
Surely we should not deny Darwin's accomplishment． But their same birthdays gave us a great opportunity to observe these men of their time．
（1）Why does the author say Charles Darwin and Abraham Lincoln belong together？ ____
A． They were born on the same day．
B． They lived in the same period of time．
C． They started revolutions changing the world．
D． They were both great men in the history．
（2）What does the author mean by "an apples and oranges---- or Superman vs． Santa --comparison" ？ ____
A． It is hard to tell which one is greater as they are both outstanding．
B． The comparison between Darwin and Lincoln is easy and obvious．
C． It is difficult to compare them as they are as famous as Superman and Santa．
D． There is no point comparing them because they were born on the same day．
（3）Lincoln's contribution to the world can be best described as ____
A． narrow．
B． aggressive．
C． independent．
D． ground-breaking．
（4）What can we learn from the passage？ ____
A． Lincoln's success in election caused reconstruction．
B． Lincoln had tried to solve the racial problem．
C． Darwin was unique compared with Lincoln．
D． Darwin's theory is similar to Lincoln's belief．
题目解答
答案
1．C． 细节理解题．根据第一段中的"yet we want to say that they belong together． It's not just because they were both great men， and not because they happen to live at the same time． Rather， it's because the scientist and the politician each started a revolution that changed the world．"可知，我们想说达尔文和亚伯拉罕林肯属于彼此，这不仅仅是因为他们都是伟人， 也不是因为他们碰巧同时生活在同一时代，而是因为他们各自发起了一场改变世界的革命，故C项正确．
2．A． 句意理解题．根据画线句前的"So， considering the joint greatness of their contributions and the coincidence of their birthdays --- it is hard to wonder： who was the greatest man？"可知，考虑到他们共同的伟大贡献和生日的巧合，很难说他俩谁更伟大，由此可知，作者说"这是一个苹果和橘子，或者超人和圣诞老人之间的比较"的意思是很难说他俩谁更伟大，因为他们都很杰出，故A项正确．
3．D． 推理判断题．根据第三段中的"Lincoln， however， is unique． "可知，林肯的贡献是独一无二 的，也就是说林肯的贡献是开创性的，故D项正确．
4．B． 推理判断题．根据第三段中的"Certainly we know what happened after he was murdered： Reconstruction was organized and then abandoned， leaving the issue of racial （种族的） equality unsolved for another century． "呵知，当然，我们知道在林肯被谋杀后发生了什么：重建被组织起来，然后被放弃，使得（林肯曾致力于解决的）种族平等这一问题在下一个世纪也没有得到解决，由此可知，林肯曾试图解决种族问题，故B项正确．
2．A． 句意理解题．根据画线句前的"So， considering the joint greatness of their contributions and the coincidence of their birthdays --- it is hard to wonder： who was the greatest man？"可知，考虑到他们共同的伟大贡献和生日的巧合，很难说他俩谁更伟大，由此可知，作者说"这是一个苹果和橘子，或者超人和圣诞老人之间的比较"的意思是很难说他俩谁更伟大，因为他们都很杰出，故A项正确．
3．D． 推理判断题．根据第三段中的"Lincoln， however， is unique． "可知，林肯的贡献是独一无二 的，也就是说林肯的贡献是开创性的，故D项正确．
4．B． 推理判断题．根据第三段中的"Certainly we know what happened after he was murdered： Reconstruction was organized and then abandoned， leaving the issue of racial （种族的） equality unsolved for another century． "呵知，当然，我们知道在林肯被谋杀后发生了什么：重建被组织起来，然后被放弃，使得（林肯曾致力于解决的）种族平等这一问题在下一个世纪也没有得到解决，由此可知，林肯曾试图解决种族问题，故B项正确．