A
If you have a chance to go to Finland, you will probably be surprised to find how “foolish” the Finnish people are.
Take the taxi drivers for example. Taxis in Finland are mostly high-class Benz with a fare of two US dollars a kilometer. You can go anywhere in one, tell the driver to drop you at any place, say that you have some business to attend to, and then walk off without paying your fare. The driver would not show the least sign of anxiety.
The dining rooms in all big hotels not only serve their guests, but also serve outside diners. Hotel guests have their meals free, so they naturally go to the free dining rooms to have their meals. The most they would do to show their good faith is to wave their registration card to the waiter. With such a loose check, you can easily use any old registration card to take a couple of friends to dine free of charge.
The Finnish workers are paid by the hour. They are very much on their own as soon as they have agreed with the boss on the rate. From then on they just say how many hours they have worked and they will be paid accordingly.
With so many loopholes in everyday life, surely Finland must be a heaven to those who love to take “petty advantages”. But the strange thing is, all the taxi passengers would always come back to pay their fare after they have attended to their business; not a single outsider has ever been found in the free hotel dining rooms. And workers always give an honest account of the exact hours they put in. As the Finns always act on good faith in everything they do, living in such a society has turned everyone into a real “gentleman”.
21. The underlined words in this passage means to ____.
A. be ready to help others
B. gain something at other's expense
C. be a little ahead of others
D. make good use of one's friends
22. Which of the following is not true according to the passage?
A. While taking a taxi in Finland, you can get off without first paying your fare
B. In a big hotel in Finland, you can enjoy free meals if you' re living in the hotel
C. The workers are always honest with their working hours
D. The bosses in Finland pay the employees according to registration of their working hours
23. Which of the following is the best title of the passage?
A. A society with “Foolish” People B. Life in Finland
C. What a life D. Honest accounts of the Finns
【答案】21. B 22. D 23. A
【解析】
这是一篇描写社会现象的文章。文章描述了芬兰社会中一些在我们看来的奇怪的现象，从反面解释了芬兰社会很高的道德标准。
【21题详解】
词义猜测题。从下文转折词But后句子中通过描述乘客回来付车费，没有外来者到免费餐厅就餐，工人也诚实的给自己工作时间的账单，可知，上文的 “petty advantages”指的是喜欢沾便宜的人，也就是不诚实的人。故选B。
【22题详解】
推理判断题。根据第二段You can go anywhere in one, tell the driver to drop you at any place, say that you have some business to attend to, and then walk off without paying your fare. 你有重要业务要参加的时候可先不付钱在办理了紧急业务后再回来付车费。可知A正确。根据文章第三段的Hotel guests have their meals free可知各大酒店餐厅为客人提供免费饮食。可知B正确。根据第五段中And workers always give an honest account of the exact hours they put in..工人总是给一个诚实的确切时间账单，可知C正确；根据第四段最后一句From then on they just say how many hours they have worked and they will be paid accordingly.从那时起，他们只要说他们工作了多少小时他们就会被相应地支付报酬，可知老板们并不细查具体工作多长时间，因此D错误，可知选D正确。
【23题详解】
主旨大意题。从文章描写出租车乘客、酒店外来者，工人等的行为，还有最后一段尤其是最后一句As the Finns always act on good faith in everything they do, living in such a society has turned everyone into a real “gentleman”.可知芬兰人做事都内心带着诚信，生活在人人讲诚信的社会里使得每个人成为了真正的“绅士”。可知，芬兰人并不是真的 “Foolish”，“Foolish”只是作者用反话来赞赏芬兰人的诚信品质，故A答案正确。
