Imagine asking a presidential candidate to sit down for a sensitivity session on gay and lesbian issues. That's exactly what we did last week in Austin， Texas. George W. Bush invited us， a dozen gay Republicans， after he'd refused to meet with a gay Republican group that had criticized him. Our meeting set an important precedent： never again will a major-party candidate be able to run for president without addressing gay and lesbian issues.

　　Bush didn't like everything we had to say. I was struck by his lack of familiarity with the issues， as well as by his desire to learn. I described how my partner， Rob Morris， and I have been in a 17-year relationship. We both come from healthy， strong， religious families. Rob grew up in a conservative Republican family in Georgia; I come from a longtime Republican family in Wisconsin. I'm now the vice president of my Lutheran church. I wanted Governor Bush to understand that long-term， loving relationships， stable families， strong faith-based traditions and Republican voting histories are all part of the gay and lesbian community.

　　Our stories had an impact. Bush admitted that， growing up in Texas， he had not been as open to elements of America's diverse culture. He had a narrow set of friends and a firm set of traditions. But he was surprised and dismayed to hear that people saw him as intolerant. “What have I said that sent that signal?” he asked repeatedly. We confronted him about his reported statement that if you were openly gay or lesbian you would not be considered for a job in his administration. “I never said that，” he insisted， assuring us he would hire gays and lesbians who both were qualified and shared his political views.

　　Our perspective was clearly eye-opening to him. When one of us talked about his lesbian sister and her partner adopting children， the governor acknowledged his often-stated belief that gays should not adopt. “Now you're telling me of a very loving， caring relationship，” he said. “I really appreciate hearing that.” We stressed that a Bush administration could not roll back any of the progress made in recent years. We talked about AIDS funding and research. Though Bush was attentive——and does show a willingness to hear all sides——I don't think we changed his positions. He still opposes gay marriage and classifying crimes against gays as hate crimes. To be honest， Bush still has a long way to go. But I think he's a lot farther along today than he was last week.

　　1. What is implied in the first paragraph?

　　[A]A gay Republican group criticized Bush for his political views.

　　[B]It is impossible to invite a president for discussing the gay issues.

　　[C]No president candidate can ignore gay and lesbian issues at the present time.

　　[D]Gay and lesbian issues are hot issues for the president.

　　2. The author uses himself as an example to show _________.

　　[A]what it is like in the gay and lesbian community

　　[B]what it is like to be a gay.

　　[C]what kind of a family the gays come from.

　　[D]what it is like to maintain a gay relationship

　　3. The author‘s attitude toward Bush’s performance at the meeting is _________.

　　[A]scornful

　　[B]satisfactory

　　[C]supporting

　　[D]objective

　　4. In spite of his careful listening， Bush still opposes the following behaviors except _________.

　　[A]adopting the child

　　[B]getting married

　　[C]redefining hate crimes

　　[D]employing the gays and lesbians

　　5. The text intends to express the idea that _________.

　　[A]the gays and lesbians long for the normal life

　　[B]Bush has partly changed his views about the gay issues

　　[C]there is still a long way to go to deal with the gay issues properly

　　[D]the gays has had a successful talk with Bush

　　答案与解析

　　1. C 推论题。本题的问题是“第一段中暗示了什么?”文章第一段首先提到了与布什的会面，接着指出，我们的会面开创了一个重要的先例，再也不会有一个主要政党的候选人可以在竞选总统时不面对同性恋问题了。由此可知，总统候选人不能再忽视同性恋问题了。[C]“没有总统候选人可以忽视目前的同性恋问题”是对文中“never again will a major party candidate be able to run for president without addressing gay and lesbian issues”这句话的改写，为正确答案。文中提到“共和党同性恋问题团体”时是说“一个批评他的共和党同性恋问题团体”，所以[A]“一个共和党同性恋问题团体因为布什的政治观点而批评他”属于偷换概念;文中是说“要求一位总统候选人就同性恋问题进行敏感的对话”，所以[B]“不可能邀请一位总统讨论同性恋问题”属于偷换概念;文中只提到总统候选人，没有提到总统，所以[D]“对于总统来说，同性恋问题是热门话题”属于偷换概念。

　　2. A 结构题。本题的问题是“作者用他自己作为例子，是为了说明 ”。第二段首先提到，我感到惊奇的是布什缺乏对同性恋问题的了解以及他希望了解这些问题的愿望，随后作者举了自己的例子，最后一句话说，我希望布什州长明白，长期钟爱的关系、稳定的家庭、坚定的宗教信仰传统以及共和党的选举史是男、女同性恋群体的所有组成部分。这说明，作者举自己的例子是为了让布什了解同性恋群体。[A]“同性恋群体像什么”是对该段最后一句话的概括，为正确答案。[B]“成为一名同性恋者像什么”、[C]“同性恋者来自于什么样的家庭”和[D]“维持同性恋关系像什么”都是作者举例时提到的具体内容，不是作者举例的目的。

　　3. B 态度题。本题的问题是“对于布什在会见时的表现，作者的态度是 ”。文章第二段提到，我同样感到惊奇的是他希望了解同性恋问题的愿望;第三段提到，他强调他从来没有说过这种话，并向我们保证，他会聘用那些能干并且与他的政治观点相同的同性恋者;最后一段提到，他确实表现出愿意倾听各方面的意见;我认为，他比上个星期进步了许多。这说明，作者对布什还是满意的。[B]“满意的”与作者的态度符合，为正确答案。 [A]“轻蔑的”与作者的态度相反;文中提到，我们没有改变他的立场，他仍然反对同性恋者结婚，反对把针对同性恋者的犯罪归为仇视犯罪，说明[C]“支持的”不对;文中多次提到“我认为”，说明作者表达的是主观看法，所以[D]“客观的”不对。

　　4. D 细节题。本题的问题是“尽管他认真倾听，但布什仍然反对下列行为，除了 ”。题干中的“Bush still opposes”出自文章最后一段第七句话中，表明本题与最后一段有关。最后一段第二句话提到，州长承认了他经常陈述的观点——同性恋者不应该收养孩子，说明[A]“收养孩子”是仍然反对的;该段第七句话提到，他仍然反对同性恋者结婚，反对把针对同性恋者的犯罪归为仇视犯罪，说明[B]“结婚”和[C]“定义为仇视犯罪”是仍然反对的。只有[D]“聘用同性恋者”与文章第三段最后一句话的意思不符，为正确答案。

　　5. C 主旨题。本题的问题是“本文希望表达的观点是 ”。文章第一段提到了与布什的会面，指出，再也不会有一个主要政党的候选人可以在竞选总统时不面对同性恋问题了;随后几段具体介绍了会面的情况：我感到惊奇的是他缺乏对这些问题的了解;我们的观点令他感到十分惊奇;我们没有改变他的立场;最后指出，老实说，布什任重而道远。这说明，本文认为，要想解决同性恋问题，布什面临很大的困难。[C]“要想完全解决同性恋问题，仍然任重道远”是对本文的概括，为正确答案。同性恋者结婚和领养孩子的问题是文章在介绍会面时列举的例子，并不是本文想要表达的观点，所以[A].“同性恋者渴望正常的生活”不是本文希望表达的观点;[B]“布什部分改变了他有关同性恋问题的观点”和[D]“同性恋者同布什进行了成功的交谈”明显与文中“我们没有改变他的立场”这句话的意思不符。

　　全文译文

　　想像一下要求一位总统候选人坐下来就同性恋问题进行“敏感的对话”。这就是上个星期我们在得克萨斯州奥斯汀市所做的事情。在拒绝会见一个批评他的共和党同性恋问题团体之后，乔饴。W.布什邀请了我们——十几个同性恋共和党人。我们的会面开创了一个重要的先例：再也不会有一个主要政党的候选人可以在竞选总统时不面对同性恋问题了。

　　布什不喜欢我们要说的任何话。我感到惊奇的是他缺乏对这些问题的了解，我同样感到惊奇的是他希望了解这些问题的愿望。我讲述了我如何同我的伴侣罗布。莫理斯维持了17年的同性恋关系。我们都出生于健全、有势力、信奉宗教的家庭。罗布在乔治亚州一个保守的共和党家庭长大;我来自于威斯康星州一个资深的共和党人家庭。我现在担任着我所在的路德教会教堂的副会长。1)我希望布什州长明白，长期钟爱的关系、稳定的家庭、坚定的宗教信仰传统以及共和党的选举史，这些均是同性恋群体的组成部分。

　　我们的故事起了作用。布什承认，由于他在得克萨斯州长大，因此他不太了解美国的多元文化。他的朋友圈子狭小，而且他坚守传统。但是，听说人们认为他偏执后，他感到吃惊和沮丧。“我说的什么话表达了这样的信息?”他反复问道。2)我们和他对质他被报道过的话——如果你是公开的男同性恋者或女同性恋者，那么你就不会被考虑在他的政府部门任职。“我从来没有说过这种话，”他强调，并向我们保证，他会聘用那些能干并且与他的政治观点相同的同性恋者。

　　很明显，我们的观点令他感到十分惊奇。当我们中的一个人谈到他的同性恋姐姐和她的伴侣收养孩子时，州长承认了他经常陈述的观点——同性恋者不应该收养孩子……你们给我讲述了一种非常钟情、关爱的关系，“他说。”听到这些，我真的很感激。，‘我们强调，布什政府不可能逆转近几年所取得的任何成就。我们谈论了艾滋病的经费与研究问题。3)虽然布什很专注——并且确实表现出愿意倾听各方面的意见——但我认为，我们没有改变他的立场。他仍然反对同性恋者结婚，反对把针对同性恋者的犯罪归为仇视犯罪。老实说，布什任重而道远。但是，我认为，他比上个星期进步了许多。