例 5. (OG Authentic GRE Practice Test Section 3, Q17)
The most striking thing about the politician is how often his politics have been (i)______ rather than ideological, as he adapts his political positions at any particular moment to the political realities that constrain him. He does not, however, piously (ii)______ political principles only to betray them in practice. Rather, he attempts in subtle ways to balance his political self-interest with a (iii) ______, viewing himself as an instrument of some unchanging higher purpose.
BLANK (i) BLANK (ii) BLANK (iii)
(A) quixotic (D) brandish (G) profound cynicism
(B) self righteous (E) flout (H) deeply felt moral code
(C) strategic (F) follow (I) thoroughgoing pragmatism
KEY:CDH
(一) 选取第一空所在部分：
The most striking thing about the politician is how often his politics have been (i)______ rather than ideological, as he adapts his political positions at any particular moment to the political realities that constrain him.
1. Blank1 中应该填入一个形容词，用来描述政治家的政治策略的属性。
2. Rather than 对前面的属性取反，写出 ideology ，则 blank1 中的属性是 ideology的反义词。
3. As 引导的后半句是对于前半句的重复说明，因而政治家的政策是根据不断变化的现实而改变的，因而政治家的特点应该体现出“变化”感。
4. 选择与自主判读已知的词汇填空：
[1]. quixotic：(幻想的)foolishly impractical especially in the pursuit of ideals; especially : marked by rash lofty romantic ideas or extravagantly chivalrous action
[2]. self-righteous：(自以为是的) convinced of one's own righteousness especially in contrast with the actions and beliefs of others : narrow - mindedly moralistic
[3]. strategic：(有策略的)of, relating to, or marked by strategy
(二) 选取第三空所在部分：
Rather, he attempts in subtle ways to balance his political self-interest with a (iii)______, viewing himself as an instrument of some unchanging higher purpose.
1. 句子前面的 rather 表示本句话与前述相反，而在这句话内部，没有任何反义关联元素，也没有否定词，故对应部分是同义关系。
2. Blank3 中应该填入一个名词或名词性结构，表明政治家在改变自己态度时所拥有的一种东西。
3. 后面说政治家实际上把自己视为一种更高的目标的执行者，因而其最终是为了追求自己的人生目标，实现自己的政治价值而存在的，这种更高的目标使得其能够仅仅通过微调来实现自己的政治价值，而不是突然放弃或支持什么，因而这个是一种正向的约束。
4. 选择与自主判读已知的词汇填空：
[1]. profound cynicism：极度犬儒主义(负方向)
[2]. deeply felt moral code：深刻的道德准则(正方向)
[3]. thoroughgoing pragmatism：彻底的实用主义(方向不定)
(三) 选取第二空所在部分：
He does not, however, piously (ii) ______ political principles only to betray them in practice. Rather, he attempts in subtle ways to balance his political self-interest with a (iii) ______, viewing himself as an instrument of some unchanging higher purpose.
1. Rather 表示前后两句话相反，最后一句话中说其实政治家从长远上来看是不动摇的，因而前面的话说的是政治家是动摇的。
2. 而政治家的态度决定了他们的行为方式，他们的动摇是因为其对于政治理想的把握不够坚决所致，因而其背叛来自于其对于政治理念的不坚定态度，故选取“动摇”一意。而之间的 however 与 not 是对上半句话的否定，说明政治家其实不是厚颜无耻的之徒，一心只是为了自己的利益来做事儿。
3. 选择与自主判读已知的词汇填空：
[1]. brandish：(挥舞)to shake or wave (as a weapon) menacingly
[2]. flout：(藐视)to treat with contemptuous disregard : SCORN
[3]. follow：(跟从)
(四) 理解句意，看是否逻辑与语义契合：
关于政治家最令人震撼的一点是他的政治立场是有策略地变化的，而不是一成不变的理想主义的，因为他在无时不刻地就当是他所处的政治环境来调整自己的政治立场的。然而，政治家并不是表面上使用政治原则为自己摇旗呐喊并实际上背叛政治原则的人。相反的是，政治家通过不断尝试细微的政治立场的调整来使自己的政治利益与自己内心深处的道德准则产生一个平衡关系，这样看来，实际上政治家应该追求的是一种更高级的、而且是不变的目标的执行者。
例 6. (PowerPrep II Section 4 Q4)
That the President manages the economy is an assumption (i) ______ the prevailing wisdom that dominates electoral politics in the United States. As a result, presidential elections have become referenda on the business cycle, whose fortuitous turnings are(ii) ______ the President. Presidents are properly accountable for their executive and legislative performance, and certainly their actions may have profound effects on the economy. But these effects are (iii) ______. Unfortunately, modern political campaigns are fought on the untenable premise that Presidents can deliberately produce precise economic results.
BLANK (i) BLANK (ii) BLANK (iii)
(A) peripheral to
(D) justifiably personified in (G) usually long lasting
(B) central to (E) erroneously attributed to
(H) regrettably unnoticeable
(C) at odds with
(F) occasionally associated with
(I) largely unpredictable
KEY:BEI
(一) 选取第二空所在部分：
… presidential elections have become referenda on the business cycle, whose fortuitous turnings are (ii) ______ the President.
1. 因为总统大选已经成为了对于经济运行的 referenda 即“晴雨表”，那么总统选举就是人们对于总统是否有效控制经济运行的一次表决，因而如果经济状况不好，人们就会归咎于总统无能，故而不投票选总统。
2. 选择与自主判读已知的词汇填空：
[1]. erroneously attributed to：错误地归因于
[2]. occasionally associated with：偶尔一致的
[3]. usually long-lasting：通常来说持久的
(二) 选取第一个空格所在部分：
That the President manages the economy is an assumption (i) ______ the prevailing wisdom that dominates electoral politics in the United States. As a result, presidential elections have become referenda on the business cycle,
1. As a result 表示对上一句话的同义，前后两句话意思一致，故可以依据后面一句话推出前面一句话的意思。
2. 因为人们已经将总统大选变成了经济周期的晴雨表，那么他们应该认为总统对于经济运行有责任，故而在竞选政治中这种思想是一种主流思想。
3. 选择与自主判读已知的词汇填空：
[1]. peripheral to：在……周边
[2]. central to：居于……的中心
[3]. at odds with：与……争吵、不和
(三) 选取第三个空格所在部分：
… their actions may have profound effects on the economy. But these effects are(iii)______. Unfortunately, modern political campaigns are fought on the untenable premise that Presidents can deliberately produce precise economic results.
1. Blank3 中应该填入一个形容词，用来描述 effects 的实际属性
2. 由于 but 对于上文取反，而 unfortunately 对于整个文章的基调进行取反。
3. 看前一句，说 effect 是 may be profound 的，后面则取反应该选取 profound的反义词。
4. 看后一句，该句对于整个文章取反以后，原先认为总统能够影响经济运行的观点应该是不正确的，而这句话中的 premise 被称为是 untenable，是一个负态度，故而实际上，其前面一句中的效果应该是负态度的，即总统不能控制经济运行。
5. 选择与自主判读已知的词汇填空：
[1]. usually long-lasting：通常来说持久的
[2]. regrettably unnoticeable：遗憾地没有被发现的(面大，且不符合行文思路，文章在说总统不能控制经济发展，而不是说总统对经济发展的影响大小，要与文章stylistically coherent，故错误)
[3]. largely unpredictable：很大程度上不可以预测的
(四) 其他需要注意的词语：
1. referenda：(referendum 的复数形式，公投)the principle or practice of submitting to popular vote a measure passed on or proposed by a legislative body or by popular initiative
2. fortuitous：(偶然的)occurring by chance
(五) 理解句意，看是否逻辑与语义契合：
现阶段掌控美国大选政治的主流思想核心在于总统会控制经济这一假设之上。因而，总统选举被人们用来当作是否对经济运行周期满意的一种公投，正式基于上面所提到的假设，国家经济运行过程中偶尔发生的震荡被人们错误地归咎于总统身上。
其实如果说总统掌握国家总体运行状态以及国家的司法运作的话还是比较适宜的，尽管总统对这些方面对国家的经济运行产生重大影响是必然的，但这些影响实际上是相当随机地发生的。不巧的是，现代政治竞选活动却建立在一个不切实际的假设之上，人们往往认为总统能够通过其自己的影响刻意创造出某种经济结果。
1. Although skeptics say financial problems will probably ______ our establishing a base on the Moon; supporters of the project remain______, saying that human curiosity should overcome such pragmatic constraints.
Blank (i) Blank (ii)
A disabuse D pessimistic
B hasten E enthusiastic
C prevent F unconvinced
2. Changes of fashion and public taste are often ___ and resistant to analysis, and yet they are among the most ______ gauges of the state of the public’s collective consciousness.
Blank (i) Blank (ii)
A transparent D underutilized
B ephemeral E problematic
C permanent F sensitive
3. Speakers and listeners are often at odds: language that is easy for the receiver to understand is often difficult to______, and that which is easily formulated can be hard to______.
Blank (i) Blank (ii)
A produce D confirm
B transmit E defend
C estimate F comprehend
4. Famous among job seekers for its ______, the company, quite apart from generous salaries, bestowed on its executives annual bonuses and such ______ as low-interest home mortgages and company cars.
Blank (i) Blank (ii)
A charitable D disquieted
B vague E colored
C coherent F sharpened
5. When people are happy, they tend to give______ interpretations of events they witness: the eye of the beholder is ______ by the emotions of the beholder.
Blank (i) Blank (ii)
A provocative D original
B predictable E projected
C intriguing F prevailing
6. The results of the experiments performed by Elizabeth Hazen and Rachel Brown were ______ not only because these results challenged old assumptions but also because they called the ______ methodology into question.
Blank (i) Blank (ii)
A magnanimity D reparations
B largesse E appropriation
C altruism F perquisites
7. Our times seem especially ______to bad ideas, probably because in throwing off the shackles of tradition, we have ended up being quite ______ untested theories and untried remedies.
Blank (i) Blank (ii)
A crossfire D dislike
B interplay E substitute
C tussle F tout
8. In recent decades the idea that Cezanne influenced Cubism has been caught in the ______ between art historians who credit Braque with its invention and those who ______ Picasso.
Blank (i) Blank (ii)
A difference D stereotypes
B resemblance E perceptions
C complaint F salaries
9. In our corporation there is a ______ between male and female ______ because 73 percent of the men and 34 percent of the women polled believe that our company provides equal compensation to men and women.
Blank (i) Blank (ii)
A impervious D vulnerable to
B hospitable E wary of
C indifferent F devoid of
10. Scientists’ pristine reputation as devotees of the disinterested pursuit of truth has been_____by recent evidence that some scientists have deliberately ______experimental results to further their own careers.
Blank (i) Blank (ii)
A reinforced D replicated
B compromised E fabricated
C resuscitated F challenged
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