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 a 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 changes to occur without leaders with magnetic personalities, but the pace of change would be slow, the vision uncertain, and the committee meetings endless.
21. Although heroes may come from different cultures, they ________.
A) generally possess certain inspiring characteristics该选项共0人选择
B) probable share some weaknesses of ordinary people该选项共0人选择 C) are often influenced by divvious generations该选项共0人选择 D) all unknowingly attract a large number of fans该选项共0人选择
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该题共0人答题，答对0人，答错0人，正确率为0%，错误率为0% 正确答案（2.00分）： A
22. According to the passage, heroes are compared to high-voltage transformers in that ________.
A) they have a vision from the mountaintop该选项共0人选择
B) they have warm feelings and emotions该选项共0人选择
C) they can serve as concrete examples of noble principles该选项共0人选择 D) they can make people feel stronger and more confident该选项共0人选择
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该题共0人答题，答对0人，答错0人，正确率为0%，错误率为0% 正确答案（2.00分）： C
23. Madonna and Michael Jackson are not considered heroes because ________.
A) they are popular only among certain groups of people该选项共0人选择
B) their performances do not improve their fans morally该选项共0人选择 C) their primary concern is their own financial interests该选项共0人选择 D) they are not clear about the principles they should follow该选项共0人选择
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正确答案（2.00分）： B
24. Gandhi and Martin Luther King are typical examples of outstanding leaders who ________.
A) are good at demonstrating their charming characters该选项共0人选择
B) can move the masses with their forceful speeches该选项共0人选择 C) are capable of meeting all challenges and hardships该选项共0人选择 D) can provide an answer to the problems of their people该选项共0人选择
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该题共0人答题，答对0人，答错0人，正确率为0%，错误率为0% 正确答案（2.00分）： D
25. The author concludes that historical changes would ________.
A) be delayed without leaders with inspiring personal qualities该选项共0人选择
B) not happen without heroes making the necessary sacrifices该选项共0人选择 C) take place if there were heroes to lead the people该选项共0人选择 D) produce leaders with attractive personalities该选项共0人选择
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该题共0人答题，答对0人，答错0人，正确率为0%，错误率为0% 正确答案（2.00分）： A
Passage Two
Questions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage.
Fourteen-year-old Richie Hawley had spent five years studying violin at the Community School of Performing Arts in Los Angeles when he took part in a violin contest. Ninety-two young people were invited to the contest and Hawley came out first.
The contest could have been the perfect setup for fear, worrying about mistakes, and trying to impress the judges. But Hawley says he \mistakes I'd make — it would distract me from playing,\he says. \impress people while I played. It's almost as if they weren't there. I just wanted to make music.\Hawley is a winner. But he didn't become a winner by concentrating on winning. He did it by concentrating on playing well.
\important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part,\said the founder of the modern Olympics, Pierre de Coubertin. \The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well.\
New research shows that Coubertin's philosophy is exactly the path achievers take to win at life's challenging games.
\their competitors or future glory or money\business, science, sports, the arts, and professions. \interested in self development, testing their limits.\
One of the most surprising things about top performers is how many losses they've had — and how much they've learned from each. \kept calling their losses 'setbacks.'\
A healthy attitude toward setbacks is essential to winning, experts agree.
\You should analyze carefully what went wrong, identify specific things you did right and give yourself