21. According to the first two paragraphs, King Juan Carl of Spain
- A. eased his relationship with his rivals.
- B. used to enjoy high public support.
- C. was unpopular among European royals.
- D. ended his reign in embarrassment.
答案：D
答案句：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.
参考译文：西班牙国王胡安·卡洛斯曾坚称“国王不会退位，他们会在睡梦中死去。”但令人难堪的丑闻和最近欧洲选举中共和派左翼的受欢迎程度迫使他收回前言并下台。
定位线索：题干“According to the first two paragraphs”定位到前两段；文中“embarrassing scandals...forced him to...stand down”对应选项D“ended his reign in embarrassment”（在尴尬中结束统治）。
解析：题干问胡安·卡洛斯的情况，答案句直接说明他因丑闻被迫下台，即“ended his reign in embarrassment”。选项A“缓和与对手关系”无中生有；选项B“曾享有高公众支持”文中未提；选项C“在欧洲王室中不受欢迎”范围扩大，文中仅指西班牙情况。
22. Monarchs are kept as heads of state in Europe mostly
- A. to give voters more public figures to look up to.
- B. to achieve a balance between tradition and reality.
- C. owing to their undoubted and respectable status.
- D. due to their everlasting political embodiment.
答案：C
答案句：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 respected public figure.
参考译文：但与海湾和亚洲的专制君主不同，大多数王室得以幸存是因为它们让选民免于艰难寻找一个无争议但受尊敬的公众人物。
定位线索：题干“Monarchs are kept as heads of state in Europe mostly”对应答案句“most royal families have survived because...”；文中“non-controversial but respected public figure”对应选项C“owing to their undoubted and respectable status”（因其无可争议且受尊敬的地位）。
解析：答案句明确说明君主制存续的原因是提供无争议且受尊敬的公众人物，即选项C的同义转述。选项A“给选民更多公众人物”偷换概念，文中是“避免寻找”而非“提供更多”；选项B“平衡传统与现实”无中生有；选项D“永恒的政治体现”与文中“超越政治”矛盾。
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
答案句：At a time when Thomas Piketty and other economists 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 states.
参考译文：在托马斯·皮凯蒂和其他经济学家警告不平等加剧和世袭财富权力增强之时，富有的贵族家庭仍应是现代民主国家的象征核心，这很奇怪。
定位线索：题干“Which of the following is shown to be odd, according to Paragraph 4”对应答案句“it is bizarre that...”；文中“wealthy aristocratic families...symbolic heart of modern democratic states”对应选项B“The role of the nobility in modern democracies”（贵族在现代民主中的角色）。
解析：答案句中的“bizarre”直接对应题干“odd”，指出贵族家庭作为现代民主国家象征核心是奇怪的，即选项B。选项A“过度依赖世袭财富”是经济学家警告的内容，非“odd”所指；选项C“贵族家庭的简朴生活方式”与文中“wealthy”矛盾；选项D“坚持特权”是背景，非“odd”核心。
24. The British royals “have most to fear” because Charles
- A. fails to adapt himself to his future role.
- B. fails to change his lifestyle as advised.
- C. takes republicans as his potential allies.
- D. takes a tough line on political issues.
答案：A
答案句：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.
参考译文：危险将来自查尔斯，他既追求昂贵的生活方式，又有相当等级化的世界观。他未能理解君主制之所以能大体幸存，是因为它们作为无争议、非政治的国家元首提供服务。
定位线索：题干“The British royals ‘have most to fear’ because Charles”对应答案句“The danger will come with Charles...He has failed to understand...”；文中“failed to understand”对应选项A“fails to adapt himself to his future role”（未能适应未来角色）。
解析：答案句指出查尔斯的危险在于他未能理解君主制存续的关键是提供无争议服务，即他未能适应未来角色，对应选项A。选项B“未能改变生活方式”是表面现象，非根本原因；选项C“将共和派视为潜在盟友”无中生有；选项D“对政治问题采取强硬立场”文中未提。
25. Which of the following is the best title of the text?
- A. Carlos, Glory and Disgrace Combined
- B. Charles, Anxious to Succeed to the Throne
- C. Carlos, a Lesson for All European Monarchs
- D. Charles, Slow to React to the Coming Threats
答案：C
答案句：So, does the Spanish crisis suggest that monarchy is seeing its last days? Does that mean the writing is on the wall for all European royals, with their magnificent uniforms and majestic lifestyles? … While Europe’s monarchies will no doubt be smart enough to survive for some time to come, it is the British royals who have most to fear from the Spanish example.
参考译文：那么，西班牙危机是否表明君主制已日薄西山？这是否意味着对所有身着华丽制服、过着威严生活的欧洲王室来说，厄运将至？……虽然欧洲的君主制无疑足够聪明，能在未来一段时间内幸存，但英国王室最应从西班牙的例子中感到恐惧。
定位线索：题干“best title of the text”对应首段提问和末段总结；文中“Spanish crisis...all European royals...British royals have most to fear”对应选项C“Carlos, a Lesson for All European Monarchs”（卡洛斯，所有欧洲君主的前车之鉴）。
解析：文章以西班牙国王退位为例，讨论其对欧洲君主制的启示，末段强调英国王室最应引以为戒，选项C准确概括。选项A“卡洛斯，荣耀与耻辱并存”仅涉及个人，范围过窄；选项B“查尔斯，急于继位”和选项D“查尔斯，对威胁反应迟缓”均以查尔斯为主，偏离全文主旨。