四级真题2023年12月第三套 Passage One
四级真题2023年12月第三套 Passage One


①In the history of horse racing, few horses have captured the affection of the British public like Red Rum. Today, three decades after his retirement, he is still one of the best-known and most beloved racehorses of all time.

②Red Rum was passed around to several owners before being purchased for Noel Le Mar. The agent who made the purchase was the now-legendary horse trainer Donald “Ginger” McCain.
③It wasn’t apparent at the time, but Red Rum had a serious bone disease in his foot. For many horses (and many trainers) this would mean the end of a racing career before it even began. For Ginger and Red Rum, though, it was just an obstacle to greatness that had to be overcome.
④Red Rum’s true talent came out in steeplechases (障碍赛马). His power, speed and jumping ability carried him to his first Grand National title in 1973. The very next year, Red Rum returned to take his second title. He was the first horse to take successive firsts since Reynoldstown in 1935-1936. Red Rum’s spirit and grace had already begun to charm the leagues of Grand National fans.
⑤In the following two years, Red Rum lost out on the title, coming in second both times. When he returned in 1977 to try again, he was largely regarded as past his prime. He was 12 years old and not expected to place highly. He surprised sporting fans around the world when he came in a remarkable 25 lengths ahead of the nearest horse, taking his third Grand National win. To this day, Red Rum’s third win is known as one of the greatest moments in horse racing history.
⑥Red Rum was headed for the Grand National once again in 1978 but suffered an injury in one of his heels shortly before the race. He was retired soon after, but his public life and fame by no means decreased with the end of his career. Red Rum traveled all over the country for various engagements. He often led pre-race parades at Aintree Racecourse and was a popular guest at charity benefits and public events.

1.1. What do we learn from the passage about Red Rum the racehorse?

A He captured public affection long before he won national titles.

B He won enormous fame and love from British people.

C He became a myth three decades after his retirement.

D He owed his great success to several well-known horse trainers.

解析：选B。B细节理解题。由题干中的 Red Rum the racehorse 定位到第一段。定位段指出,在赛马史上,很少有马匹能像红朗姆一样赢得英国公众的喜爱，在退役 30年后的今天,他仍然是最知名、最受喜爱的赛马之一。由此可见,他赢得了巨大的声誉和英国人民的喜爱,故答案为 B。

2.2. What did the serious bone disease in Red Rum’s foot mean to himself and his trainer?

A It was simply a hindrance they had to get over to excel.

B It was surely a disadvantage though not considered fatal.

C It was actually the end of a racing career that had just begun.

D It was really a major obstacle hard to overcome on their own.

解析：选A。A 细节理解题。由题干中的serious bone disease 和 meanto himself and his trainer定位到第三段最后一句。定位句提到,对于金杰和红朗姆而言,这仅仅是通往辉煌的一个必须克服的障碍,故答案为 A。

3.3. What does the author say Red Rum did with his power, speed and jumping ability?

A He won his first Grand National title at 12.

B He took two firsts successively in 1935-1936.

C He surprised sporting fans worldwide in 1973.

D He took three Grand National wins in the 1970s.

解析：选D。D 细节理解题。由题干中的power,speed and jumpingability 定位到第四、五段。文章第四段第二、三句指出他的力量、速度以及弹跳力使他在1973年首次获得全国大赛冠军。次年,红朗姆再度夺冠。第五段第四句指出,当他以显著的25个马位领先最近的一匹马,获得第三次全国冠军的时候,震惊了全世界的体育迷。由此可知,他在20世纪70年代赢得了三次全国冠军,故答案为 D。

4.4. What did people generally think of Red Rum when he returned to the racecourse in 1977?

A He had already passed the peak of his racing life.

B He would have no rival in Grand National steeplechases.

C He had lost his charm with the leagues of Grand National fans.

D He could be expected to repeat his glory in the prime of his career.

解析：选A。A 细节理解题。由题干中的in 1977定位到第五段第二三句。定位句提到，当他在1977年再次重返赛场时，人们普遍认为他已过巅峰时期，他已经12岁,预计不会有很高的成绩。由此可见，答案为 A。

5.5. What became of Red Rum after his career ended?

A He suffered from severe pain in a heel.

B He spent almost all his time traveling.

C He lived on various charity benefits.

D He remained famous and popular.

解析：选D。D细节理解题。由题干中的 after his career ended 定位到最后一段第二至四句。定位句指出，他很快就退役了,但是他的公众生活及名声并没有随着他职业生涯的结束而减少。红朗姆在全国各地参加各种活动。他经常在安特里赛马场带领的赛前游行队伍,也是慈善活动和公共活动的热门嘉宾。可见他仍然很出名,且受大家欢迎,故答案为 D。