The Plot Against America is a novel by Philip Roth published in 2004. Instead of reconstructing real
historical events, Philip Roth offers something bolder: a reconstruction of imagined events, a "what if...?"
that reads like a "what really happened".
     Just suppose...that the air hero Charles Lindbergh, the man who made the first solo transatlantic flight
in 1927, who earned huge sympathy when his baby son was kidnapped and murdered five years later,
who called Hitler "a great man", just suppose that he'd run for president in November 1940, and took
advantage of the feelings that undoubtedly existed then (No more war! Never again will young Americans die on foreign soil!), and that instead of Roosevelt being elected for a third term and taking America into
Europe to fight the Nazis, Lindbergh won a landslide victory. And then he signed non-aggression treaties
with Germany and Japan, and introduced a set of anti-semitic(反犹太人的) measures which were a
betrayal of the rights and liberties in the constitution(宪法) and yet they were accepted by the mass of
ordinary citizens and even by some Jews.
     The narrator is Philip Roth, aged seven, and the family at the book's centre are his family-father
Herman, mother Bess and brother Sandy. The Roths understand the threat posed by Lindbergh, but
each member of the family responds differently. Early on, there's a trip to see the sights of Washington,
where the Roths find their pre-booked hotel room has become mysteriously unavailable. An obvious
case of anti-semitism, Herman shouts, and a violation of the principle that "All men are created equal".
But his loudmouth protests embarrass Bess. Already there's a pressure to pretend not to see what's
going on. Further disagreements arise when Sandy disappears for the summer for an "apprenticeship"(学徒期) with a Kentucky tobacco farmer. Worse, after he successfully encourages other Jewish city boys
to follow his example, he's invited to a reception at the White House through his aunt, Bess's sister
Evelyn. While Herman refuses Sandy permission to attend, Evelyn defends Lindbergh as a freely elected
democrat.

1.Which of the following is true in history according to the passage?

A.Lindbergh’s son was kidnapped and killed in 1933.
B.Lindbergh was elected president of America in 1940.
C.There were antiwar feelings in America during the 1940s.
D.America didn’t fight the Nazis during the World War Two.

2. Lindbergh could be elected President mainly because ___________. 

A. Americans felt sympathy for his son
B. his antiwar policy was welcome
C. Hitler supported his measures against Jews
D. he was a great air hero in America

3.What can we infer from the passage?

A. The Roths at the book's centre are Jewish.
B. Herman is a strong supporter to Lindbergh.
C. Sandy dislikes his experience in Kentucky.
D. Jewish boys are encouraged to go to the war.

4. What can we learn from the Roths' experience in Washington?

A. We shouldn't protest loudly when faced with problems.
B. All men were equally treated in America at that time.
C. The Roths had a happy time when touring Washington.
D. Jews suffered from unfair treatment due to anti-semitism.

5. In which column of the newspaper do you probably find the article?

A. Book review                  
B. Travel journal    
C. National news                
D. Family life

     I first went to Harrow in the summer term. The school had the biggest swimming pool I had even seen. It was a good joke to come up behind a naked boy, and push him into the pool. I made quite a habit of
this with boys of my own size or less.
     One day I saw a boy wrapped in a towel on the side of the pool. He was no bigger than I was, so I
thought him a fair game. Coming secretly behind, I pushed him in, holding on to his towel so that it would not get wet. I was surprised to see an angry face come out from the water, and a being of great strength
making its way by fierce strokes(猛力地划) to the shore. I fled, but in vain. He overtook me, seized me
violently, and threw me into the deepest part of the pool. I soon climbed out on the other side, and found myself surrounded by a crowd of younger boys. "Do you know what you have done?" they said. "It's
Amery; he is in Grade Six. He is champion at gym；he has got his football honor. "
     I was frightened and felt ashamed. How could I tell his position when he was wrapped in a bath towel and so small. He didn't seem pleased at all, so I added in a most brilliant word, "My father, who is a great man, is also small." At this he laughed, and after some general words about my rude behavior and how I
had better be careful in the future, signified the incident was closed.

1. The writer thought Amery "a fair game" because the boy_______.

A. looked like an animal  
B. was fond of games
C. was of similar size
D. was good at sports

2. The writer felt "ashamed" because _____________.

A. he was laughed at by other boys    
B. Amery turned out to be in the same grade
C. he pushed Amery hard and hurt him  
D. he played a joke on an outstanding athlete

3. By saying "My father, who is a great man, is also small. "the writer __________.

A. tried to please Amery  
B. challenged Amery  
C. threatened Amery  
D. admired his father

4. Which of the following is TRUE?

A. The writer could run faster than Amery.  
B. The writer liked playing on boys of all sizes.
C. Amery was a student in Grade Four.    
D. Amery forgave the writer for his rude behavior.

5. What does the underlined word "overtook" in the second paragraph mean?

A. Catch hold of.      
B. Catch up with.    
C. Take a look at.      
D. Shout at .

     When I was six, Dad brought home a dog one day, who was called "Brownie". My brothers and I all
loved Brownie and did different things with her. One of us would walk her, another would feed her, then
there were baths, playing catch and many other games. Brownie, in return, loved each and every one of us. One thing that most touched my heart was that she would go to whoever was sick and just be with them. We always felt better when she was around.
     One day, as I was getting her food, she chewed up(咬破)one of Dad's shoes, which had to be thrown away in the end. I knew Dad would be mad and I had to let her know what she did was wrong. When I
looked at her and said, "Bad girl, "she looked down at the ground and then went and hid. I saw a tear in
her eyes.
     Brownie turned out to be more than just our family pet. She went everywhere with us. People would
stop and ask if they could pet her. Of course she'd let anyone pet her. She was just the most lovable dog. There were many times when we' d be out walking and a small child would come over and pull on her hair. She never barked(吠) or tried to get away. Funny thing is she would smile. This frightened people because they thought she was showing her teeth. Far from the truth, she loved everyone.        .
     Now many years have passed since Brownie died of old age. I still miss the days when she was with
us.

1. What would Brownie do when someone was ill in the family?

A. Look at them sadly.
B. Keep them company.
C. Play games with them
D. Touch them gently.

2. We can infer from Paragraph 2 that Brownie _____________.

A. would eat anything when hungry          
B. felt sorry for her mistake
C. loved playing hide-and-seek              
D. disliked the author's dad

3. Why does the author say that Brownie was more than just a family pet?

A. She was treated as a member of the family.  
B. She played games with anyone she liked.
C. She was loved by everybody she met.      
D. She went everywhere with the family.

4. Some people got frightened by Brownie when she_______.

A. smiled        
B. barked      
C. rushed to them    
D. tried to be funny

5. Which of the following best describes Brownie?

A. shy.          
B. polite.      
C. Brave.            
D. Caring.