Passage 5
King Juan Carlos of Spain once insisted kings don’t abdicate, they die in their sleep. But embarrassing scandals and the popularity of the republican left in the recent Euro-elections have forced him to eat his words and stand down. So, dies the Spanish crisis suggest that monarchy is seeing its last days? Does that mean the uniting is on the wall for all European royals, with their magnificent uniforms and majestic lifestyles?
The Spanish case previous arguments both for and against monarchy when public opinion is particularly. Polarized, as it was following the end of the France regime, monarchs can rise above “mere” politics and “embody” a spirit of national unity.
It is this apparent transcendence of politics that explains monarchs continuing popularity as heads of states. And so, the Middle East expected, Europe is the most monarch-infested region is the world, with 10 kingdoms not counting Vatican city and Andorra. But unlike their absolutist counterparts in the Gulf and Asia, most royal families have survived because they allow voters to avoid the difficult search for a non-controversial but respect public figure.
Even so, kings and queens undoubtedly have a downside, symbolic of national unity as they claim to be, their very history-and sometimes the way they behave today-embodies outdated and indefensible privileges and inequalities. At a time when Thomes Piketty and other ecumenists are warning of rising inequality and the increasing power of inherited wealth, it is bizarre that wealthy aristocratic families should still be the symbolic heart of modern democratic families should still be the symbolic heart of modern democratic states. The most successful monarchies strive to abandon or hide their old aristocratic ways. Prince and princess have day-jobs and ride bicycles, not horses (or helicopters). Even so, these are wealthy families who party with the international 1%, and media intrusiveness makes it increasingly difficult to maintain the right image.
While Europe's monarchies will no doubt be smart enough to strive for some time to come, it is the British royals who have most to fear from the Spanish example.
It is only the Queen who has preserved the monarchy reputation with her rather ordinary (if well-healed) granny style. The danger will come with Charles, who has both an expensive taste of lifestyle and a pretty hierarchical view of the world. He has failed to understand that monarchies have largely survived because they provide a service-as non-controversial and non-political heads of state. Charles ought to know that as English history shows, it is kings of republicans, who are the monarchy’s worst enemies.
21. According to the first two paragraphs, King Juan Carl of Spain ( ).
A. used to enjoy high public support
B. was unpopular among European royals
C. eased his relationship with his rivals
D. ended his reign in embarrassment
【答案】D。根据关键词 King Juan Carlos of Spain 定位到第一段第一和第二句：But embarrassing scandals…have forced him to eat his words and stand down.这句话中 stand down译为：放弃席位，可以推出他食言且退位。其余三个选项：过去受到民众的高度支持、在欧洲皇室中不受欢迎、缓和了与对手的关系，都是无中生有项，文中均未提到。根据“但是令人窘迫的丑闻以及在最近欧洲选举中所呈现的共和制的盛行都迫使他食言且退位”可知。故本题正确答案选 D。
22. Monarchs are kept as head of state in Europe mostly ( ).
A. owing to their undoubted and respectable status
B. to achieve a balance between tradition and reality
C. to give voters more public figures to look up to
D. due to their everlasting political embodiment
【答案】A。根据关键词定位到第三段第一句 it is this apparent …that explains …as heads of state.可知原因在于优越性，而这种优越性指的是上一段所提到的 monarchs can rise above “mere” politics and “embody” a spirit of national unity.“君主能超越单纯的政治而成为国家统一的精神代表”，选项 D 表述错误，表达过于绝对。第三句 most royal families have survived because they allow voters to avoid the difficult search for a non-controversial but respect public figure.说明“欧洲大多数皇室能生存下来是因为他们让选民不用经历磨难就找到一个不受争议而备受尊重的公众人物”，这也表明了大多数皇室是不受争议且备受尊重的，进一步解释了他们能持续当首脑的原因，故本题正确答案选 A。
23. Which of the following is shown to be odd, according to Paragraph 4? ( )
A. Aristocrats’ excessive reliance on inherited wealth.
B. The role of the nobility in modern democracies.
C. The simple lifestyle of the aristocratic families.
D. The nobility’s adherence to their privileges.
【答案】B。根据关键词定位到第四段最后一句话…it is bizarre that wealthy aristocratic families should still be the symbolic heart of modern democratic states：奇怪的是，富裕贵族家庭仍然处于现代民主国家的核心地位。因此选项 B：the role of the nobility in modern democracies 是对原文内容的同义替换。故本题正确答案选 B。
24. The British royals “have most to fear” because Charles ( ).
A. takes a tough line on political issues.
B. fails to adapt himself to his future role.
C. takes republicans as his potential allies.
D. fails to change his lifestyle as advised.
【答案】B。根据关键词 have most of fear 定位到第六段，Charles 定位到最后一段的第二句，根据 Charles 后面 who 引导定语从句 who has both an expensive taste of lifestyle and … world 可知文中指查尔斯王子生活奢侈且坚持怀有非常贵族的世界观，并没有认识到君主之所以存在是因为他们提供了服务：作为不受争议且不具政治性的国家首脑，这暗示了查尔斯王子并没有做到这一点。故本题正确答案选 B。
25. Which of the following is the best title of the text? ( )
A. Carlos, Glory and Disgrace Combined
B. Carlos, a Lesson for All European Monarchs
C. Charles, Slow to React to the Coming Threats
D. Charles, Anxious to Succeed to the Throne
【答案】B。着眼全文可知通篇都在围绕 monarchs 展开，文章第一段由 Carlos 引出当今君主制面临的危机，因此可知 Carlos 为主体词，且全文都是在讲述欧洲贵族相关的内容，所以 a Lesson for All European Monarchs 是对全文内容的精确概括。故本题正确答案选 B。
