Question

Like many of my generation, I have a weakness for hero worship. At some point, however, we all begin to question our heroes and our need for them. This leads us to ask: What is a hero?
Despite immense differences in cultures, heroes around the world generally share a number of characteristics that instruct and inspire people.
A hero does something worth talking about. A hero has a story of adventure to tell and community who will listen. But a hero goes beyond mere fame.
Heroes serve powers or principles larger than themselves. Like high-voltage transformers, heroes take the energy of higher powers and step it down so that it can be used by ordinary people.
The hero lives a life worthy of imitation. Those who imitate a genuine hero experience life with new depth, enthusiasm, and meaning. A sure test for would-be heroes is what or whom do they serve? What are they willing to live and die for? If the answer or evidence suggests they serve only their own fame, they may be famous persons but not heroes. Madonna and Michael Jackson are famous, but who would claim that their fans find life more abundant?
Heroes are catalysts (催化剂) for change. They have a vision from the mountaintop. They have the skill and the charm to move the masses. They create new possibilities. Without Gandhi, India might still be part of the British Empire. Without Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King, Jr., we might still have segregated (隔离的) buses, restaurants, and parks. It may be possible for large-scale change to occur without leaders with magnetic personalities, but the pace of change would be slow, the vision uncertain, and the committee meetings endless.
【小题1】Although heroes may come from different cultures, they __________.

A．generally possess certain inspiring characteristics

B．probably share some weaknesses of ordinary people

C．are often influenced by previous generations

D．all unknowingly attract a large number of fans

【小题2】 According to the passage, heroes are compared to high-voltage transformers in that _______.

A．they have a vision from the mountaintop

B．they have warm feelings and emotions

C．they can serve as concrete examples of noble principles

D．they can make people feel stronger and more confident

【小题3】Madonna and Michael Jackson are not considered heroes because __________.

A．they are popular only among certain groups of people

B．their performances do not improve their fans morally

C．their primary concern is their own financial interests

D．they are not clear about the principles they should follow

【小题4】The author concludes that historical changes would __________.

A．be delayed without leaders with inspiring personal qualities

B．not happen without heroes making the necessary sacrifices

C．take place if there were heroes to lead the people

D．produce leaders with attractive personalities

Answer 1

【小题1】A
【小题2】C
【小题3】B
【小题4】A

解析试题分析：文章阐述了什么是英雄，什么样的人才能被称作英雄，同时也讲述了英雄的作用即英雄是改变的催化剂。
【小题1】细节题。从 Despite immense differences in cultures, heroes around the world generally share a number of characteristics that instruct and inspire people.可知，尽管英雄来自不同的文化，但是他们都表现出某种激励人的品质，故选A
【小题2】细节题。从文章Heroes serve powers or principles larger than themselves. Like high-voltage transformers, heroes take the energy of higher powers and step it down so that it can be used by ordinary people.可知，英雄所表现出的力量和情操比他们本身要大的多，英雄讲像高压变压器，将电压逐步降低供给普通人使用，故可知他们能够作为一种高尚情操的具体的例子，故选C
【小题3】细节题。从Madonna and Michael Jackson are famous, but who would claim that their fans find life more abundant?可知，他们不被视为英雄，因为他们并没有使歌迷们的道德上得以提高，只能称得上著名的人。故选B
【小题4】细节题。最后一段，作者举了几个实例进行阐述，从而得出t may be possible for large-scale change to occur without leaders with magnetic personalities, but the pace of change would be slow，没有激励别人品质的进步的领导者的话，历史性的改变将会推迟。故选A
考点：人生百味类议论文
点评：文章较难，首先把握好作者的写作中心思想，对何谓英雄展开论述。对于细节题，学生在理解全文的基础上要对题目中关键字在文章中迅速定位，找到相对应的出处，答题比较备选答案的区别及和文章信息最相关的是哪个，即那个就为正确答案。