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很多女性被《简氏高级陆军武器装备手册》所吸引，这无可厚非；还有很多女性将整个周末都花在了玩战争类电子游戏上，这也无不妥之处。军队招募女性入伍是因为应征的男性供不应求。倘若军队以女性替代男性的话，那么可以肯定的是，我们大家会更容易被邪恶轴心的阴影笼罩。
总之，女性无需在导火线战场上像男性一样去厮杀；这与是否平等无关。
二
From the seventeenthcentury empire of Sweden； the story of a galleon that sank at the start of her maiden voyage in 1628 must be one of the strangest tales of the sea。 For nearly three and a half centuries she lay at the bottom of Stockholm harbour until her discovery in 1956。 1
2 Triple gundecks mounted sixtyfour bronze cannon。 She was intended to play a leading role in the growing might of Sweden。
As she was prepared for her maiden voyage on August 10；1628； Stockholm was in a ferment。 From the Skeppsbron and surrounding islands the people watched this thing of beauty begin to spread her sails and catch the wind。 They had laboured for three years to produce this floating work of art； she was more richly carved and ornamented than any previous ship。 The high stern castle was a riot of carved gods； demons； knights； kings； warriors； mermaids； cherubs； and zoomorphic animal shapes ablaze with red and gold and blue； symbols of courage； power； and cruelty； were portrayed to stir the imaginations of the superstitious sailors of the day。
3 4
As the wind freshened there came a sudden squall and the ship made a strange movement； listing to port。 The Ordnance Officer ordered all the port cannon to be heaved to starboard to counteract the list； but the steepening angle of the decks increased。 Then the sound of rumbling thunder reached the watchers on the shore； as cargo；ballast； ammunition and 400 people went sliding and crashing down to the port side of the steeply listing ship。 5 In that first glorious hour； the mighty Vasa； which was intended to rule the Baltic； sank with all flags flying—in the harbour of her birth。
［A］All gunports were open and the muzzles peeped wickedly from them。
［B］ Vasa sailed majestically out of the bay。
［C］This was the Vasa； royal flagship of the great imperial fleet。
［D］King Gustavus Adolphus； ‘The Northern Hurricane’； then at the height of his military success in the Thirty Years’ War； had dictated her measurements and armament。
［E］The lower gunports were now below water and the inrush sealed the ship’s fate。
［F］ As soon as her discovery； the world became shocked。
［G］Then the cannons of the anchored warships thundered a salute to which the Vasa fired in reply。 As she emerged from her drifting cloud of gun smoke with the water churned to foam beneath her bow； her flags flying； pennants waving； sails filling in the breeze； and the red and gold of her superstructure ablaze with colour； she presented a more majestic spectacle than Stockholmers had ever seen before。
答案及解析
1。C。文章开篇介绍一艘瑞典皇家大船1628年在处女航中沉船，直到1956年才被人们发现。选C才能把事件交待清楚。干扰项是F。因为下段也没有再提船的名字，所以第一段要交待出主要“人物”。
2。D。第二段交待事情的缘由，1498~1632年之间，瑞典新教势力与波兰天主教势力之间的战争及王室之间联姻带来的积怨使战争时断时续。古斯塔夫斯（Gustavus） 二世接替王位后（1594~1632），瑞典雄踞上风，准备再一次出海远征，Vasa （瓦萨）战舰就是为出征建造的。
3。G。前两段介绍背景，第三段由背景转入1628年8月10日战船启航前的雄姿。第四、五两段很紧凑地叙述了启航那一刻的热闹场面及它突然倾斜下沉的悲剧。
4。A。muzzles peeped wickedly 中，用 wickedly 这个词预示着这次航行的厄运。与上一句中 in a majestic spectacle 及 the red and gold of her superstructure 形成一种强烈的反差，干扰项为选项B。
5。E。最后一段写了沉船时的情形，描写船身向左倾斜，无论用什么方法也没能止住这种倾斜，船最终下沉没顶，从此躺在波罗的海海底300余年之久。
中心思想
本文描写了“瓦萨”号出航前的雄姿及刹那间船体倾斜，货物、装备及船上400人顷刻葬身海底的海难悲剧。Vasa （瓦萨）是瑞典17世纪，更确切地说，是1628年一艘皇家大帆船的名字。这艘耗时三年建成的帆船工艺精细、装饰华丽，是一艘规模空前的战舰，它象征着17世纪上半叶以瑞典为代表的北欧新教势力与中欧波兰天主教势力之间的多年战乱结束时，瑞典的军事力量已达到鼎盛时期。
译文
从瑞典17世纪帝国开始，一艘在它的处女航中沉船的帆船故事是大海最奇特的传说。这艘帆船近三个半世纪一直沉在斯德哥尔摩海港海底，直到1956年才被发现。这艘帆船就是“瓦萨”战舰，伟大帝国舰队的皇家旗舰。
古斯塔夫斯帝王控制着军队，号称“北方飓风”，在长达30多年的战争中盘踞上风。“瓦萨”战舰船板上有多达64个古铜炮台，这艘战舰在瑞典的军事力量中扮演了领导角色。
1628年8月10日，〃瓦萨〃号战舰准备进行它的处女航。斯德哥尔摩港一片欢腾。从Skeppsbron港口环绕整个岛屿，人们凝视着这艘豪华巨轮而不停的挥手欢呼。他们花费了三年的时间才制造出这艘战舰。这艘战舰比以前任何战舰有更多的雕刻和装饰。高高的船尾城堡上雕刻着神、恶魔、骑士、国王、武士、美人鱼、天使和燃烧着红、金、蓝色火焰的动物造型，这些造型是勇气、力量、残酷的象征，常被描述为可以激发迷信船员的想像力。
炮台被点燃后打响了一声礼炮，“瓦萨”号战舰从炮烟中驶出，战旗飘荡，锦旗在微风中摆动，眼前呈现出斯德哥尔摩港人从未见过的壮观景象，所有的枪口和炮口同时打开准备打响。
突然一阵狂风，船身莫名其妙地颤动了一下，以致发生倾斜。指挥官命令将所有炮台移至甲板另一端以阻止倾斜，但倾斜的角度越来越大，颤动的巨响震动了岸边上的人们，货物、沙囊、弹药，还有400人都滑了下来，撞在船舰倾斜的下端船板上，较低的枪台已经浸入水中，这要了船舰的命。在那辉煌的一刻，巨大的〃瓦萨〃号战舰在它诞生的港口中、在舰旗飘荡中下沉了。
三
The Revolutionary War； which began officially on April 19； 1775； dragged on for more than six bitter years。 It was a conflict fought by the colonials for the righteous cause of securing freedom from intolerable British intervention in American affairs。
1 When legal restrictions were implemented by both the British and the colonists in 1775； nearly all American overseas merce abruptly ceased。 By mid1775； the colonies faced acute shortages in such military essentials as powder； flints； muskets； and knives。 Even salt； shoes； woolens； and linens were in short supply。 Late in 1775； Congress authorized limited trade with the West Indies； mainly to procure arms and ammunitions； and trade with other nonBritish areas was on an unrestricted basis by the spring of 1776。
2 Yet the colonies engaged in international trade despite the blockade。 Formal treaties of merce with France in 1778 and with Holland and Spain shortly thereafter stimulated the flows of overseas trade。 Between 1778 and early 1782； American wartime merce was at its zenith。 During those years； France； Holland； Spain； and their possessions all actively traded with the colonies。 Even so； the flow of goods in and out of the colonies remained well below prewar levels。 Smuggling； privateering； and legal trade with overseas partners only partially offset the drastic trade reductions with Britain。 Even the coastal trades were curtailed by a lack of vessels； by blockades； and by wartime freight rates。 Briti