Question

Down-to-earth means being honest, open, and easy to deal with. It is a pleasure to find someone who is down-to-earth. A person who is down-to-earth is easy to talk to. He or she accepts others as equals. A down-to-earth person may be an important member of society, of course, but they do not let their importance go to their heads, and they do not consider themselves to be better than others who are less important. Someone who is filled with self-importance and pride, often without cause, is said to have his nose in the air. There is no way a person with his nose in the air who can be down-to-earth.

Americans use another expression that is similar in some way to down-to-earth. The expression is both feet on the ground. Someone with both feet on the ground is a person with a good understanding of reality. He has what is called common sense. He may have dreams but he does not allow them to block his knowledge of what is real. The opposite kind of person is one who has his head in the clouds. A man with his head in the clouds is a dreamer whose mind is not in the world. Sometimes such a dreamer can be brought back to reality; sharp words from the teacher, for example, can usually get a daydreaming student to put both feet back on the ground.

The person who is down-to-earth usually has both feet on the ground. But the opposite is not always true. Someone with both feet on the ground may not be as open and easy to deal with as someone who is down-to-earth. When we have both our feet firmly on the ground, we are realistic and we act honestly and openly toward others, and our lives are like the ground below us, solid and strong.

1.If a person has both feet on the ground, he ____.

A. is in touch with reality, and doesn’t have any dreams

B. has some dreams but he is realistic

C. is honest, open and easy to deal with

D. is honest, open but hard to deal with

2.From the second paragraph, we know that sharp words from a teacher can usually ________.

A. help a student get down to the earth

B. wake a student up

C. help a daydreaming student come down

D. help a daydreaming student to become more realistic

3.The underlined sentence “But the opposite is not always true.” most probably means that ______.

A. the person who has his nose in the air is not true

B. a man with his head in the clouds is often not intelligent

C. the opposite direction is always wrong

D. a person who has both feet on the ground may not be down-to-earth

Answer

1.B

2.D

3.D

【解析】

试题分析：本文主要介绍了Down-to-earth和both feet on the ground这两种不同性格的人的特点。

1.B细节理解题。根据He may have dreams but he does not allow them to block his knowledge of what is real，可知B项是正确的，故选 B

2.D细节理解题。根据第二段Sometimes such a dreamer can be brought back to reality; sharp words from the teacher, for example, can usually get a daydreaming student to put both feet back on the ground，可知老师的话会让一些不够实际的学生清醒一点，故选D。

3.The person who is down-to-earth usually has both feet on the ground. But the opposite is not always true，可知down-to-earth同城都是has both feet on the ground；但是反过来却未必是这样，故选D。

考点：考查人生感悟类短文阅读。

【名师点睛】

本文主要介绍了Down-to-earth和both feet on the ground这两种不同性格的人的特点。推断题测试考生在阅读基础上的逻辑推理能力，要求考生根据文章所述事件的逻辑关系，对未说明的趋势或结局做出合理的推断（如：小题3，根据最后一段The person who is down-to-earth usually has both feet on the ground. But the opposite is not always true，可知down-to-earth同城都是has both feet on the ground；但是反过来却未必是这样，故选D。）；或根据作者所阐述的观点理论，对文章为设计的现象。事例给以解释。考生首先要仔细阅读短文，完整了解信息，准确把握作者观点（如：本文通过上下文的分析可知，主要介绍了Down-to-earth和both feet on the ground这两种不同性格的人的特点）。