They say Irelands the Best
Ireland is the best place in the world to live in for 2005, according to a life quality ranking that appeared in Britains Economist magazine last week.
The ambitious attempt to compare happiness levels around the world is based on the principle that wealth is not the only measure of human satisfaction and well-being.
The index of 111 countries uses data on incomes, health, unemployment, climate, political stability, job security, gender equality as well as what the magazine calls freedom, family and community life.
Despite the bad weather, troubled health service, traffic congestion , gender inequality, and the high cost of living, Ireland scored an impressive 8.33 points out of 10.
That put it well ahead of second-place Switzerland, which managed 8.07. Zimbabwe, troubled by political insecurity and hunger, is rated the gloomiest , picking up only 3. 89 points.
Although rising incomes and increased individual choices are highly valued, the report said, some of the factors associated with modernization such as the breakdown in traditional institutions and family values in part take away from a positive impact.
Ireland wins because it successfully combines the most desirable elements of the new with the preservation of certain warm elements of the old, such as stable family and community life.
The magazine admitted measuring quality of life is not a straightforward thing to do, and that its findings would have their critics.
No. 2 on the list is Switzerland. The other nations in the top 10 are Norway, Luxembourg, Sweden, Australia, Iceland, Italy, Denmark and Spain.
The UK is positioned at No. 29, a much lower position chiefly because of the social and family breakdown recorded in official statistics. The US, which has the second highest per capita GDP after Luxembourg, took the 13th place in the survey. China was in the lower half the league at 60th.
1.For 2,005 years, Ireland has been the best place for humans to live in.
A. right B. wrong C. not mentioned
2.Job security is the least important measure of life quality.
A. right B. wrong C. not mentioned
3. Cost of living in Ireland is pretty high.
A. right B. wrong C. not mentioned
4. Family life in Zimbabwe is not stable.
A. right B. wrong C. not mentioned
5. Ireland is positioned at No. 1 because it combines the most desirable elements of the new with some good elements of the old.
A. right B. wrong C. not mentioned
6. To measure life quality is easy.
A. right B. wrong C. not mentioned
7. The United States of America is among the top 10 countries.
A. right B. wrong C. not mentioned
解题:
第一步: 分析文章标题, 抓住文章主题词, 判断文章类型, 以及文章可能涉及到的内容
They say Irelands the Best 他们说爱尔兰是最好的
标题是句子, 借助标题的特点判断文章为论述文, 文章的主题词是Ireland, 文章可能会把爱尔兰的某些方面与一些国家进行比较, 然后得出爱尔兰是最好的这个观点。
第二步： 直接看题解题。
解题思路： 特征词/核心词定位法。找出题干中的特征词，核心词/结构作为答案线索， 在文章中找到答案相关句， 对比答案相关句的内容和问题句的内容， 判断答案。
1.For 2,005 years, Ireland has been the best place for humans to live in.
A. right B. wrong C. not mentioned
答案：B。
分析： 问题句说在2005年的时间里，爱尔兰一直是最适合人类居住的地方。 除了时间状语结构(For 2,005 years)以外， 这个句子主句的内容与文章标题内容接近， 而时间状语结构恰恰就是我们所说的一种可作为线索的特征结构(因为数字容易在文章中被查找到)， 我们利用2,005作为答案线索，这样在文章中找到答案相关句：Ireland is the best place in the world to live in for 2005, according to a life quality ranking that appeared in Britains Economist magazine last week.划线结构中提到的是for 2005(对2005年而言)， 不是问题句中说的For 2,005 years(在2005年的时间里)，而且划线结构说爱尔兰是2005年世界上最适合居住的地方 ， 显然这个内容与问题句的内容不一致， 因此判断问题句的说法错误。
典型考点： 考察文章主题句。
常见出题形式：对主题句的句子结构进行调整， 或改动主题句中出现的细节信息内容。
2.Job security is the least important measure of life quality.
A. right B. wrong C. not mentioned
答案：C。
分析：问题句说职业稳定是衡量生活质量的最不重要的标准。利用题干中出现的核心短语(主语)Job security/职业稳定和(表语)life quality/生活质量作为答案线索， 同时关注题干中出现的修饰结构the least important/最不重要的， 这样找到答案相关句：
Ireland is the best place in the world to live in for 2005, according to a life quality ranking that appeared in Britains Economist magazine last week.
The ambitious attempt to compare happiness levels around the world is based on the principle that wealth is not the only measure of human satisfaction and well-being.
The index of 111 countries uses data on incomes, health, unemployment, climate, political stability, job security, gender equality as well as what the magazine calls freedom, family and community life. 题干中的核心短语分散在了两个句子中， 但是在这两个看似与问题句相关的句子中并没有出现比较的结构(没有内容与题干中的修饰结构the least important呼应)， 推测这道题可能在考察考生的推断能力。 第一个划线句说根据上周出现在英国经济学家杂志上的生活质量排名，爱尔兰是2005年世界上最适合居住的地方。这句话的内容与问题句不相关，第2个划线句说111个国家使用的标准除了包括那本杂志上提到的自由， 家庭和社会生活这方面的数据， 还涉及到了有关收入， 健康， 失业， 气候， 政治稳定性，职业稳定， 和性别平等的数据内容。这句话表明工作稳定与收入， 健康等这些内容共同组成衡量标准， 而且前一个划线句提到爱尔兰在生活质量排名中位于第一位，因此可以推断出这111个国家应该是参加生活质量排名的国家， 当然这些国家所使用的标准也就是衡量生活质量标准，但是文章中并没有对职业稳定等这些衡量标准进行比较，没有说哪方面的因素最重要的/最不重要的衡量标准。因此判断这个问题句的说法为没提到。
提示：只要问题句中有某部分信息(例如上题中的比较内容)在文章中没有相呼应的内容， 我们就可以判定该句的内容为没提到。
3. Cost of living in Ireland is pretty high.
A. right B. wrong C. not mentioned
答案：A.
分析：问题句说爱尔兰的生活费用高。 利用题干中的核心短语(主语)Cost of living/生活费用作为答案线索， 同时关注题干中出现的修饰结构pretty high/相当高，这样找到答案相关句：Despite the bad weather, troubled health service, traffic congestion , gender inequality, and the high cost of living, Ireland scored an impressive 8.33 points out of 10. 题干的核心短语和修饰结构都出现在这个句子中， 因此判断这个句子很可能就是直接答案相关句，该句说尽管气候恶劣，健康机构混乱， 交通拥挤， 性别歧视仍然存在， 生活费用高，爱尔兰所获得的分数仍然给人留下了深刻的印象：满分为十分,爱尔兰获得了8.33分。根据这个句子的内容可以知道爱尔兰的生活费用高，因此问题句的说法与原文的说法一致。
out of: 从里头
e.g. Choose out of these. 从这些当中选择罢。
e.g. nine cases out of ten 十有八九
典型考点： 考察某个句子的某部分句子结构的含义。
常见出题形式：对原文句子中的某部分结构升级成一个句子(问题句)。
4. Family life in Zimbabwe is not stable.
A. right B. wrong C. not mentioned
答案：C。
分析：问题句说在津巴布韦家庭生活是不稳定的。利用题干中的核心结构(主语)Family life/家庭生活和特征词Zimbabwe/津巴布韦作为答案线索，同时关注题干中出现的修饰结构not stable(不稳定的)， 发现题干中的核心词Family life根本就没有在文章中出现 (文章中相关的句子：Zimbabwe, troubled by political insecurity and hunger, is rated the gloomiest , picking up only 3. 89 points.)， 因为判断该问题句为没提到。
5. Ireland is positioned at No. 1 because it combines the most desirable elements of the new with some good elements of the old.
A. right B. wrong C. not mentioned
答案：A。
分析：问题句说爱尔兰位居第一， 因为它把新时期里最理想的因素和过去的一些好的东西融合在一起。利用题干中出现的特征词No. 1作为答案线索，同时关注问题句中出现的修饰结构the most desirable (elements)/最理想的 和some good (elements)/一些好的，这样找到答案相关句：
Despite the bad weather, troubled health service, traffic congestion , gender inequality, and the high cost of living, Ireland scored an impressive 8.33 points out of 10.
That put it well ahead of second-place Switzerland, which managed 8.07. Zimbabwe, troubled by political insecurity and hunger, is rated the gloomiest , picking up only 3. 89 points.
Although rising incomes and increased individual choices are highly valued, the report said, some of the factors associated with modernization such as the breakdown in traditional institutions and family values in part take away form a positive impact.
Ireland wins because it successfully combines the most desirable elements of the new with the preservation of certain warm elements of the old, such as stable family and community life. 在这个斜体句中直接出现了问题句中的一个修饰结构the most desirable，推测句子中Ireland wins(爱尔兰获胜了)可能与题干中的特征结构爱尔兰位居第一呼应，certain warm可能与题干中的另一个修饰结构一些好的呼应，这个句子很可能就是直接答案相关句，该句说爱尔兰获胜了， 因为它成功地把新时期最理想的因素和对过去某些温暖的东西(如稳定的家庭和社会生活)的保护结合了起来。 从这个句意上看温暖的东西 就是好的东西，所以现在只需要确认Ireland wins(爱尔兰获胜了)就是指爱尔兰位居第一。 在前文中我们看到爱尔兰获得的分数给人留下了深刻的印象(划线句)，接着看到这使它远远高于第2名瑞士(划线句)， 因此判断原文中说的Ireland wins(爱尔兰获胜了)就是指爱尔兰位居第一， 因此判断问题句的说法正确。
典型考点：考察文章中某个重要细节句或某个总结概括句句意的理解。
常见出题形式：换词法。
6.To measure life quality is easy.
A. right B. wrong C. not mentioned
答案：B。
分析：问题句说衡量生活质量很容易。 利用题干中的核心结构measure life quality作为答案线索， 同时关注题干中出现的修饰词easy，这样找到答案相关句：The magazine admitted measuring quality of life is not a straightforward thing to do, and that its findings would have their critics批评家. 该句说该杂志承认衡量生活质量不是一件直截了当的事情， 承认杂志上的数据将可能会受到批评。显然， 该句内容表明衡量生活质量不是一件容易的事情， 因此问题句的说法错误。
常见考点：对文章中出现的否定句进行考察。
7. The United States of America is among the top 10 countries.
A. right B. wrong C. not mentioned
答案：B。
分析：问题句说美国位于前十个国家的行列。 利用题干中的特征结构The United States of America和top 10 countries(前十个国家)作为答案线索， 这样找到答案相关句：The US, which has the second highest per capita GDP after Luxembourg, took the 13th place in the survey. 题干中的两个特征结构都在这个句子中出现了，因此判断这个句子应该是直接答案相关句， 该句说美国的人均国内生产总值排名第2， 仅位于卢森堡之后， 因此美国在这项调查中位于第13位。， 显然问题句的说法与该句的说法不一致，因此判断问题句错误。
文章中难点句子分析：
1.The ambitious attempt to compare happiness幸福levels around the world is based on the principle that wealth is not the only measure衡量标准 of human satisfaction舒服and well-being幸福.
ambitious: 野心勃勃的，有雄心的
attempt to do sth../..的尝试
be based on ../根据../建立在...的基础上
比较全世界人们的幸福程度这一雄心勃勃的尝试所根据的原则是财富不是衡量人们是否生活舒服, 生活幸福的唯一标准.
2.That put it well ahead of second-place Switzerland, which managed 8.07. 得到了
ahead of...领先于
manage办理, 管理 --- try设法
3. Zimbabwe津巴布韦, troubled by political insecurity and hunger, is rated the gloomiest , picking up only 3. 89 points.伴随
troubles by political insecurity and hunger = which is troubled by political insecurity and hunger
insecurity in + security安全;安稳
rate：评价〔常用被动语态〕
picking up only 3。89 points = and picks up only 3。89 points
pick up：得到， 在半路上搭，自然学会，拾起
4. Although rising incomes and increased individual choices are highly valued, 得到了很高的重视/人们很关注the report said, some of the factors associated
with modernization such as the breakdown in traditional institutions制度and family values in part take away from a positive impact.
associated with/与相关
in part partly 部分地
positive good积极的
impact influence effect 影响
take away from减少
5.The UK is positioned at No. 29, a much lower position chiefly because of the social and family breakdown崩溃recorded in official statistics.