四六级

　　距离英语六级考试还有两个月的时间，不知道考生们已经准备的怎么样了?英语六级阅读是考试的重点与难点，也是考生的得分点，需要我们花费很多的时间复习。以下是小编为大家整理的英语六级阅读精炼，考生可以每日一篇，逐步提升英语阅读水平。

　　3. The“V”Sign

　　The palm-forward“V”sign, formed by raising and spreading the first two fingers1 ,has three different meanings in American culture.The most popular meaning of the“V”sign was invented in 1941 by a Belgian, Victor De Lavalaye. Wanting a symbol for resistance to the Nazi2 occupation, he came up with the single letter“V”, which stood not only for his own first name3, but also for English victory, Flemish virijheid, and French victoire. The symbolism of the sign spread very quickly, and Winston Churchill4 used it constantly in public appearance. Thus throughout the 1940 s and 1950 s, the gesture meant simply“victory”.The second meaning came in the 1960 s. Because of its military implication, Americanantiwar protestors used the sign sarcastically against the arms, so that it became known as the“ peace sign”. In the 1970s, the“V”sign , which had lost its military implication, was a common greeting among freedom lovers, acid heads5, political radicals, and ultimately, young people in general. So by about the middle of the 1970s, it ceased to give clue to the user’s philosophy. The third meaning is the oldest and least common. American children jokingly put “V”, which resembles“ horns”, behind friends’heads in group snapshots. The are unknowingly reproducing something that southern Europeans would find highly offensive. This mischief, called“horns of the Devil”, is a variant of the European“ horns”gesture, which is obscene. Here the“V”sign means“Your wife has been cheating on you ”or, when placed behind another’s head,“His wife has been cheating on him”. In the United States, the gesture is typically given with the palm facing the viewer. The British use both this version and an older, palm-backward version; the latter is obscene in American culture, and corresponds to the American“ finger”6 . Churchill got some surprised stares in 1941 when, evidently unaware of the vulgar usage, he gave the palm-backward“V”to British troops. In England today you could have to be a social hermit not to understand the distinction. Astonishingly, however, Margaret Thatcher7 repeated Churchill’s error after her victory in the 1979 election.

　　阅读自测

　　Ⅰ. Fill in the blanks with proper words :

　　American children______________________ ( 开玩笑地) put“V”, which______________________ ( 类似)“ horns”,

　　behind friends’heads in group ______________________( 快照) . They are______________________ ( 无意中地) reproducing

　　something that southern Europeans would find highly______________________ ( 无礼的) .

　　This mischief, called“ horns of the Devil”, is a ______________________( 变体) of the European

　　“ horns”gesture, which is______________________ ( 淫秽的) .

　　Ⅱ. Exp lain the fo llowing phras es in bold typ e in yo ur own words :

　　1. If you kee p yo ur fin ge rs crossed , you ______________________.

　　2. If you are all fin ge rs a nd thumbs , you ______________________ .

　　3. If you ha ve a finger in every pie , you______________________ .

　　4. If you thumb a lift, you______________________.

　　PS：考生们先自己作答，答案小编会在下一篇文章公布，便于考生查看。

　　以上就是小编今天为大家介绍的相关内容，想了解更多四六级备考课程、备考资讯，请点击文都网校四六级资讯站查询!

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