If ambition is to be well regarded, the rewards of ambition — wealth, distinction, control over one’s destiny — must be deemed worthy of the sacrifices made on ambition’s behalf. If the tradition of amb i tion is to have vitality, it must be widely shared; and it especially must be highly regarded by people who are themselves admired, the educated not least among them. In an odd way, however, it is the educated who have claimed to have given up on ambition as an ideal. What is odd is that they have perhaps most benefited from ambition — if not always their own then that of their parents and grandparents. There is a heavy note of hypocrisy in this, a case of closing the barn door after the horses have escaped ― with the educated themselves riding on them.

Certainly people do not seem less interested in success and its signs now than formerly. Summer homes, European travel, BMWs — the locations, place names and name brands may change, but such items do not seem less in demand today than a decade or two years ago. What has happened is that people cannot confess fully to their dreams, as easily and openly as once they could, lest they be thought pushing, acquisitive and vulgar. Instead, we are treated to fine hypocritical spectacles, which now more than ever seem in ample supply: the critic of American materialism with a Southampton summer home; the publisher of radical books who takes his meals in three-star restaurants; the journalist advocating participatory democracy in all phases of life, whose own children are enrolled in private schools. For such people and many more perhaps not so exceptional, the proper formulation is," Succeed at all costs but avoid appearing ambitious."

The attacks on ambition are many and come from various angles; its public defenders are few and unimpressive, where they are not extremely unattractive. As a result, the support for ambition as a healthy impulse, a quality to be admired and fixed in the mind of the young, is probably lower than it has ever been in the United States. This does not mean that ambition is at an end, that people no longer feel its stirrings and promptings, but only that, no longer openly honored, it is less openly professed. Consequences follow from this, of course, some of which are that ambition is driven underground, or made sly. Such, then, is the way things stand: on the left angry critics, on the right stupid supporters, and in the middle, as usual, the majority of earnest people trying to get on in life.

27. It is generally believed that ambition may be well regarded if _____.

[A]its returns well compensate for the sacrifices

[B]it is rewarded with money, fame and power

[C]its goals are spiritual rather than material

[D]it is shared by the rich and the famous

28. The last sentence of the first paragraph most probably implies that it is____ .

[A]customary of the educated to discard ambition in words

[B]too late to check ambition once it has been let out

[C]dishonest to deny ambition after the fulfillment of the goal

[D]impractical for the educated to enjoy benefits from ambition

29. Some people do not openly admit they have ambition because____ .

[A]they think of it as immoral

[B]their pursuits are not fame or wealth

[C]ambition is not closely related to material benefits

[D]they do not want to appear greedy and contemptible

30. From the last paragraph the conclusion can be drawn that ambition should be maintained_____.

[A]secretly and vigorously

[B]openly and enthusiastically

[C]easily and momentarily

[D]verbally and spiritually

名师解析

27. It is generally believed that ambition may be well regarded if _____.

普遍认为，如果 ____, 雄心就能够受人尊重。

[A] its returns well compensate for the sacrifices

雄心的回报充分补偿了所作的牺牲

[B] it is rewarded with money, fame and power

雄心以金钱、名誉和权力作为回报

[C] its goals are spiritual rather than material

雄心的目标是精神上的而不是物质上的

[D] it is shared by the rich and the famous

它是富人和名人共享的

【答案】 A

【考点】 事实细节题。

【分析】 文章第一句指出，“雄心如果想要获得尊重，那么它的回报——财富、声望、对命运的掌控——则必须被认为值得为之牺牲”。也就是说，正确答案是 [A] 。 [B] 中的金钱、声望和对命运的控制，在第一句中，只是作为取得回报的三个例子，并非仅包括这三方面而已。因此，选择项 [A] 更加确切地表达了第一句的意思。 [C] 、 [D] 的说法显然不对。

28. The last sentence of the first paragraph most probably implies that it is____.

第一段最后一句话很可能暗示的内容是 ____ 。

[A] customary of the educated to discard ambition in words

受过教育的人习惯于口头上抛弃雄心

[B] too late to check ambition once it has been let out

雄心一旦释放，要想再阻拦就晚了

[C] dishonest to deny ambition after the fulfillment of the goal

在目标达成之后不诚实地否认雄心

[D] impractical for the educated to enjoy benefits from ambition

对受过教育的人来说，要享受雄心带来的好处是不实际的。

【答案】 C

【考点】 句意题。

【分析】 本句中出现一个比喻，意思是“他们是野心的受益者，但又虚伪地否认拥有野心的重要性”。这和 [C] 的意思是吻合的。 [A] 的错误在于它不够完整，没有提到受益这个概念。 [B] 的说法是字面意思。 [D] 选项没有根据。

29. Some people do not openly admit they have ambition because____.

一些人不公开宣称他们有雄心，是因为 ____ 。

[A] they think of it as immoral

他们认为这不道德

[B] their pursuits are not fame or wealth

他们追求的不是名声和财富

[C] ambition is not closely related to material benefits

雄心和物质利益并非紧密相连

[D] they do not want to appear greedy and contemptible

他们不想让自己看上去贪婪和可鄙

【答案】 D

【考点】 事实细节题。

【分析】 根据第二段第三句，“现在，人们不能像以前那样轻易公开地承认自己的梦想，以免别人认为自己爱出风头，贪婪和庸俗”，所以答案是 [D] 。

30. From the last paragraph the conclusion can be drawn that ambition should be maintained_____.

从最后一段可以得出雄心应该被 ____ _ 保持这一结论。

[A]secretly and vigorously 秘密并严格地

[B]openly and enthusiastically 公开和充满热情地

[C]easily and momentarily 容易并暂时地

[D]verbally and spiritually 在语言上和精神上

【答案】 B

【考点】 作者观点题。

【分析】 文章最后一段提到“本应该是一种健康的冲动，一种应该受人仰慕并扎根于青年人心灵的品质的雄心，却被人攻击，得不到支持。由于不公开，雄心转为地下，雄心变得偷偷摸摸”。由此推论，作者认为人们不应该隐瞒自己的雄心，而应该坦言。