2. 外语
  3. Argentina (land of silver) was given its name by 16th-century explorers who believed the country was rich in silver mines. The h

Argentina (land of silver) was given its name by 16th-century explorers who believed the country was rich in silver mines. The h

admin2013-04-06  68
问题     Argentina (land of silver) was given its name by 16th-century explorers who believed the country was rich in silver mines. The hopes of the explorers soon vanished when they discovered that the beautiful silver ornaments (装饰品) worn by the Indians came from distant Peru. Though rich in many resources, the so-called land of silver proved relatively poor in minerals of any kind, but its descriptive name has endured.
    When people think of Argentina, the image that comes at once to mind is that of the Gaucho on his horse, riding across the treeless Pampa. The ability of the Gaucho to survive in a hostile land and his skill in mastering the horse and using the animal for his own purposes were extraordinary. Notable, too, were the Gaucho’s special features of character—indifference to material possessions combined with a natural warmth and friendliness. The skull of a cow often served him as a chair, but his strong instinct for hospitality led him to offer a stranger his hut with all the expansiveness of a great gentleman opening his manor (庄园) house. Mounted on his horse, the Gaucho felt himself lord of the world, free to go in any direction he pleased without being subjected to the will of any other person.
    The Gaucho became characteristic of the Argentine people. If at first his name conveyed the idea of a tramp (流浪汉) or wild rustic (乡巴佬), it soon came to indicate his positive qualities—his cleverness, fine horsemanship, bravery, loyalty, and generosity. The phrase "to be a gaucho" or "to be very gaucho" soon became phrases of good sense. Today the expression "to make a gauchada" means that one does a favor through friendship, with no thought of personal gain.
    The influence of the Gaucho and the impact of his way of life on the habits of future generations of Argentines cannot be overlooked. Many Argentine customs and traditions stem from the way of life of the people of the Pampa.
"Pampa" (Line 2, Para. 2) most closely refers to ______.
选项 A、a city
B、a mountain
C、a river
D、a grassland
答案D
解析 词义推断题。根据riding across the treeless Pampa可知，Pampa是一个能骑马驰骋的地方，因此选项D正确，也因此可否定选项B和C，因为这些都不是适合马跑的地方。上下文中并无其他词语涉及城市，因此也可否定选项A。
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