One of the most spectacular terrorist episodes in U.S. history was the bombing of the World Trade Center in New York City in 1993 by Islamic radicals. This incident aroused anxiety about the threat posed by foreign residents from nations hostile to the United States. Six people died in the blast, which caused an estimated $600 million in property and other economic damage. Trials that followed convicted six people of carrying out the attack.
In addition to foreign-sponsored terrorism, the United States has an ample history of domestic terrorism. Early in the 20th century, labor leaders such as William Dudley openly espoused a philosophy of revolutionary violence.
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, during the latter stages of the U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, some terrorist groups bombed buildings on university campuses throughout the country and at corporation headquarters and government buildings in New York City.
Between 1978 and 1995, an anarchist and terrorist known as the Unabomber planted or mailed homemade bombs that killed 3 people and wounded 23 others in 16 separate incidents throughout the United States. The Unabomber, who claimed an allegiance with radical environmentalists and others opposed to the effects of industrialization and technology, targeted university professors, corporate executives, and computer merchants.
In April 1996 federal agents arrested Theodore Kaczynski, a suspect they thought to be the Unabomber. Kaczynski, a Harvard-educated former math professor who became a recluse, pled guilty to 13 federal charges in 1998 in exchange for agreement that prosecutors would not seek the death penalty during sentencing. The court sentenced Kaczynski to four life terms plus 30 years and ordered him to pay $15 million in restitution.
In April 1995 a truck bomb exploded in front of the Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, killing 168 people and injuring more than 500, making it one of the deadliest terrorist attacks in United States history. Federal agents arrested two men McVeigh and Nichols, who belonged to an extremist group advocating resistance to national laws and political institutions.
In June 1997 McVeigh was found guilty of murder in connection with the bombing and sentenced to death. Later in the year Nichols was convicted of the less severe charges of manslaughter and conspiracy, and he was sentenced to life in prison in June 1998. McVeigh was executed in 2001.
Questions 1 to 5 are based on the passage above.
1.From the passage we know that the bombing of the World Trade Center in 1993 was_____.
A.the first terrorist attack in US history
B.paid attention to because of its great influence
C.the deadliest terrorist attacks in US history
D.sponsored by foreign terrorism
2.Early in the 20th century,labor leaders such as William Dudley were_____.
A.the foreign-sponsored terrorists B.the domestic terrorists
C.the most violent revolutionaries D.the most famous philosophers
3.It can be inferred from the passage that the radical environmentalists think that_____.
A.the Unabomber is their ally
B.it is legal to plant or mail homemade bombs
C.industrialization has bad effects on the world
D.university professors and computer merchants are their supporter
4.According to the fifth paragraph, Theodore Kaczynski wasn't sentenced to death because_____.
A.he was a Harvard-educated former math professor
B.he was not a radical environmentalist
C.he pled guilty to the federal charges
D.he paid $15 million in restitution
5.The best title for this passage may be_____.
A.A War Against Peace B.Terrorists Radical Environmentalists
C.The Fate of Terrorists D.Spectacular Terrorist Episodes
文章精要
议论文。作者论述了最近几十年在美国本土发生的多起恐怖主义袭击事件。
斟词酌句
1.ample n. 足够的;宽敞的，面积大的
*We have ample money for the journey. 我们有足够的钱去旅游。
2.prosecute vt. 检举，告发，对……提起公诉;继续从事
vi. 起诉，告发
*He was prosecuted for stealing. 他因偷窃而被起诉。
3.slaughter n./vt. 屠杀，杀戮;屠宰
*The playwright was slaughtered by the press. 这位剧作家收到新闻界的无情批判。
试题精析
1.选D。本题为主要细节正误题。从第二段第一句“In addition to foreign-sponsored terrorism, the United States has an ample history of domestic terrorism”中可推断，第一段所讲的那次恐怖事件正是“foreign-sponsored”所以正确答案是D。
2.选B。本题为主要细节正误题。第二段先说“美国本土也有恐怖主义活动”，然后提到劳工领袖，由此可见，这些劳工领袖是国内的恐怖分子，选项B的意思是吻合的。
3.选C。本题为主要细节正误题。从第四段“ The Unabomber, who claimed an allegiance with radical environmentalists and others opposed to the effects of industrialization and technology”中可知，“Unabomber”声称与环保激进派和其他人一道坚决反对工业化以及科技所带来的结果，即环保激进派也是坚决反对工业化以及科技所带来的结果。
4.选C。本题为主要细节正误题。从第五段“Kaczynski, a Harvard-educated former math professor who became a recluse, pled guilty to 13 federal charges in 1998 in exchange for agreement that prosecutors would not seek the death penalty during sentencing”中可知，他承认了13项联邦政府对他的指控，是为了换的起诉人对他免于死刑的判决。
5.选A。本题为主旨归纳题。题于要求选出最合适的标题，A选项准确生动的概述出了本文论述的主要内容，恐怖主义袭击是“一场与和平为敌的战争”。
全文翻译
美国历史上给人留下最为深刻印象的恐怖事件之一是1993年纽约市世界贸易中心遭受伊斯兰激进分子的炸弹袭击。该事件使得人们开始担忧对美国抱有敌意的国家居民所带来的威胁。在那次爆炸中6人死亡，财产和其他经济损失估计为6亿美元。六人在随后的审判中被判有罪。
除了国外发起的恐怖主义行为外，美国内部恐怖主义活动也是屡见不鲜。早在20世纪初期，诸如威廉·达德利等劳工领袖便公开鼓吹暴力革命哲学。
20世纪60年代末和70年代初，在美国卷入越南战争的后期，一些恐怖团体在全国范围内用炸弹袭击大学校园、公司总部以及纽约市的政府办公楼。
1978年至1995年期间，一名被称为“尤那邦摩”的无政府主义者兼恐怖主义分子放置或邮寄自制炸弹，在全美各地造成了16起爆炸事件，使3人丧命，23人受伤。尤那邦摩声称与环保激进派和其他人一道坚决反对工业化以及科技所带来的结果。他们将袭击目标锁定在大学教授、公司行政官以及电脑商等群体。
1996年4月，联邦特工逮捕了西奥多 凯辛斯基因为他被怀疑是尤那邦摩恐怖分子。这位曾受到哈佛教育后成为一名遁世者的前数学教授。于1998年承认13项联邦政府对他的指控，从而换得起诉人对他免于死刑的判决。法庭最后宣判凯辛斯基四个终身监禁外加30年有期徒刑，并令其交付1500万美元的赔偿金。
1995年4月，在俄克拉荷马洲的俄克拉荷马城，一颗汽车炸弹在联邦办公大楼前爆炸，炸死168人，炸伤500多人。这次爆炸事件成为美国历史上造成死伤最为惨重的恐怖主义袭击事件之一。联邦特工逮捕了两名涉案犯麦克维和尼柯尔斯。他们都属于一个鼓吹抵抗国家法律和政治机构的极端主义者组织。1997年麦克维被指控犯有与爆炸有关的谋杀罪并被宣判死刑。同年晚些时候，尼柯尔斯被判犯有稍轻的过失杀人罪以及同谋罪，于1998年被判终身监禁。麦克维于2001年被处决。
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