If ambition is to be well regarded, the rewards of ambition — wealth, distinction, control over one's destiny — must be deemed worthy of the sacrifices made on ambition's behalf. If the tradition of ambition is to have vitality, it must be widely shared; and it especially must be highly regarded by people who are themselves admired, the educated not least among them. In an odd way, however, it is the educated who have claimed to have given up on ambition as an ideal. What is odd is that they have perhaps most benefited from ambition — if not always their own then that of their parents and grandparents. There is a heavy note of hypocrisy in this, a case of closing the barn door after the horses have escaped — with the educated themselves riding on them.
Certainly people do not seem less interested in success and its signs now than formerly. Summer homes, European travel, BMWs — the locations, place names and name brands may change, but such items do not seem less in demand today than a decade or two years ago. What has happened is that people cannot confess fully to their dreams, as easily and openly as once they could, lest they be thought pushing, acquisitive and vulgar. Instead, we are treated to fine hypocritical spectacles, which now more than ever seem in ample supply: the critic of American materialism with a Southampton summer home; the publisher of radical books who takes his meals in three-star restaurants; the journalist advocating participatory democracy in all phases of life, whose own children are enrolled in private schools. For such people and many more perhaps not so exceptional, the proper formulation is, "Succeed at all costs but avoid appearing ambitious."
The attacks on ambition are many and come from various angles; its public defenders are few and unimpressive, while they are not extremely unattractive. As a result, the support for ambition as a healthy impulse, a quality to be admired and fixed in the mind of the young, is probably lower than it has ever been in the United States. This does not mean that ambition is at an end, that people no longer feel its stirrings and promptings, but only that, no longer openly honored, it is less openly underground, or made sly. Such, then, is the way things stand: on the left angry critics, on the right stupid supporters, and in the middle, as usual, the majority of earnest people trying to get on in life.
1.It is generally believed that ambition may be well regarded if_______.
A.its returns well compensate for the sacrifices
B.it is rewarded with money, fame and power
C.its goals are spiritual rather than material
D.it is shared by the rich and the famous
2.The last sentence of the first paragraph most probably implies that it is_______.
A.customary of the educated to discard ambition in words
B.too late to check ambition once it has been let out
C.dishonest to deny ambition after the fulfillment of the goal
D.impractical for the educated to enjoy benefits from ambition
3.Some people do not openly admit they have ambition because_______.
A.they think of it as immoral
B.their pursuits are not fame or wealth
C.ambition is not closely related to material benefits
D.they do not want to appear greedy and contemptible
4.From the last paragraph the conclusion can be drawn that ambition should be maintained_______.
A.secretly and vigorously B.openly and enthusiastically
C.easily and momentarily D.verbally and spiritually
5.Which is the attitude of the author to the ambition?
A.Indifferent. B.Critical. C.Positive. D.Neutral.
长难例句分析
［长难例句］What has happened is that people cannot confess fully to their dreams, as easily and openly as once they could, lest they be thought pushing, acquisitive and vulgar.
［结构分析］主语从句What has happened在句中充当主语成分。that引导了一个表语从句。lest引导的状语从句常用“should+动词原形”或动词原形。
［参考译文］有所改变的就是，人们不能够像过去那样轻松地、公开地表露自己的理想，以免别人说自己爱出风头、贪得无厌以及没有品味。
全文参考译文
壮志雄心若要受到重视，那它所带来的回报——财富、荣誉以及对命运的掌握——必须让人们认为为之作出牺牲是值得的。壮志雄心的传统若要散发活力，那就应当得到人们的广泛认可；尤其应得到那些受人羡慕之士的高度重视，特别是受过良好教育的人。可正是那些受过良好教育的人却奇怪地声称，他们已经不再把豪情壮志当做理想。但奇怪的是，他们已从豪情壮志中获得很大好处，如果不是自己的壮志雄心，就是他们父母的和祖父母的。这话中显然透着虚伪，如同马跑后再让大家关上马房的门一样，但那些受过良好教育的人却正骑在那些逃跑的骏马上。
情况是肯定的，现在人们对成功及其标志的兴趣好像并未比从前减少。避暑别墅、欧洲旅行及德国宝马汽车——它们的位置、地点和商标可能变化，但对这些东西的需求好像没比十年前或两年前减少。有所改变的就是，人们不再像过去那样轻松地、公开地坦承自己的理想，害怕别人认为自己爱出风头、贪得无厌、俗不可耐。与之相反，我们如今看到了比过去任何时候都多的虚假情况：美国物欲主义批评家在南安普敦拥有避暑别墅；激进图书的出版商到三星级宾馆吃饭；鼓吹分享民主制的新闻记者却把自己的孩子送入私立学校。对于这些的人，还有很多与之相似的其他人来说，恰当的解释是“要不惜一切代价获得成功，但避免显示出野心勃勃”。
对壮志雄心的攻击是很多的，并来自不同的角度；它的公开捍卫者虽然并非特别没有吸引力，但由于人数很少，所以并未给人们留下多深的印象。因此，人们不再像美国以前那样称赞豪情壮志是一种健康动力 ——一种应该受人羡慕并在年轻人心中扎下根来的品质。但这并不代表着豪情壮志已经走投无路，人们不再感觉到它对人们的振荡和激励作用，只是，人们不再公开地引以为豪，更不愿坦然地承认了。当然，这就导致了不良后果，其中一些就是要么豪情壮志被赶到了地下，要么埋在心底。因此，情况就成了这样：左边是气愤的批评家，右边是愚蠢的支持者，而中间通常是大多数认真而努力地在生活中追求成功的人。
题目答案与解析
1.大众普遍认为，抱负可能受到高度重视，如若________。
A.它带来的回报充分地补偿了它所作出的牺牲
B.它以金钱、名誉和权势作为回报
C.它的目标是精神上的，不是物质上的
D.它被富人和有名望者共同分享
【答案】A
【解析】本题可参照文章的第一段。从中可知，如果雄心壮志要受到重视的话，那么它所带来的回报——财富、荣誉以及对自己命运的主宰——必须让人们认为为它作出牺牲是值得的；雄心壮志的传统若要激发活力，那么它就应该得到人们的广泛认可；尤其应该得到那些受人羡慕之士的高度重视，特别是应该得到那些受过教育的人们的高度重视。据此可知，要想雄心壮志受到高度重视，除非它所带来的回报值得为它作出牺牲。A项与文中的意思相符，因此为正确答案。
2.第一段的最后一句话最可能暗示的是________。
A.口头上摒弃抱负是受过教育者的习惯 B.一旦抱负被表露，要想抑制为时已晚
C.达到目的后否认抱负是不诚实的 D.受过教育者享受抱负带来的好处不实际
【答案】C
【解析】本题可参照文章的第一段。从中可知，令人奇怪的是，正是那些受过教育的人声称，他们不再把抱负当做理想了；而他们中的大部人可能已经从抱负中获得了利益——如果不是从他们自己的抱负中获得了利益，那么就是从他们的父辈和祖父辈的抱负中获得了利益；这话中显然透着虚伪，如同马跑后才让大家去关马厩门，而受过教育者自己正骑在马上。据此可知，实现了理想后就否认自己有过抱负，显然是虚伪之举。C项与文章的意思相符，因此为正确答案。
3.一些人不公开承认他们有抱负的原因是________。
A.他们认为抱负不道德 B.他们追求的不是名誉或财富
C.抱负与物质利益没有紧密的联系 D.他们不希望显得贪婪可鄙
【答案】D
【解析】本题可参照文章的第二段。从中可知，与过去相比，现在的人们对成功以及成功标志的兴趣似乎并没有减少；别墅的位置、旅游的景点以及轿车的品牌可能会改变，但是，对这类东西的需求似乎并没有减少；有所改变的就是，人们不再像过去那样轻松、公开地坦承自己的梦想，他们这样做是怕别人说自己爱出风头、贪得无厌、俗不可耐；于是，我们现在看到的虚伪现象似乎比以前任何时候都多；对于这样的人以及更多类似的其他的人来说，恰当的解释是“不惜一切代价获得成功，但避免显示出野心勃勃”。据此可知，人们虽然有抱负，但却不敢表露出来，因为他们担心受到别人的指责。D项与文章的意思相符，因此为正确答案。
4.我们从最后一段可以总结出：应该_______拥有抱负。
A.秘密、精力充沛地 B.公开、热情地 C.轻松、暂时地 D.口头、精神上地
【答案】B
【解析】本题可参照文章的最后一段，从中可知，对抱负的攻击很多，这些攻击来自于不同的角度；结果，在美国，人们不再像以前那样把抱负看成是一种健康的动力，看成是一种应该受到羡慕、应该深深地扎根于年轻人心目中的品质，因而对它的支持可能比以前少了；但这并不意味着人们没有了抱负，并不意味着人们感受不到它对人的鼓舞和启发了，只不过是人们不再公开以它为荣了，更不愿意公开表白它了；当然，由此产生了一些后果，抱负或被迫转入地下，或是被暗藏心中；于是，情况就成了这样——左边是愤怒的批评家，右边是愚笨的支持者，而中间，通常是大多数认真而努力地在生活中追求着成功的人们。据此可知，作者认为人们应该大胆、公开地追求自己的理想。B项的与文章的意思相符，因此为正确答案。
5.作者对“雄心勃勃”的态度是什么？
A.冷静的。 B.批判的。 C.肯定的。 D.中立的。
【答案】C
【解析】作者客观描述了人们对野心的追求和态度，肯定了野心的积极作用，解释了人们反对它的根由。由此可见作者对“野心”的态度。
