Italy is one country where beauty is prized more than any other virtue. That is, except in the small town of Piobbico, the self-declared World Capital of Ugly People. The road sign at the edge of the town even warns visitors that they are entering the ugly zone. People who consider themselves ugly have been gathering in Piobbico since the 1960s. That’s when Ugly Club president Telesforo Lacobelli established a dating agency for women who believed they were too ugly to attract husbands. Lacobelli believes that he is ugly himself because he has a short nose in a country where long or large noses have always been considered beautiful.
People from around the world travel to Piobbico to tell their sad stories of ugliness. During the annual Festival of the Ugly, which occurs on the first Sunday of every September, hundreds of people gather in Piobbico’s town square to elect the president of the Ugly Club. Lacobelli wins the election every year. The Ugly Club has over 20, 000 members. They carry ID cards that grade their ugliness from bearable to extreme. A prize is awarded to Ugly Club members who qualify as extremely ugly.
The Ugly Club president insists that ugliness is a virtue. Since beautiful people get a lot of attention for their beauty alone, they have to work hard to prove their other virtues. Ugly people, on the other hand, are genuine and do not have to prove anything to anybody, according to Lacobelli.
Lacobelli is a spokesperson for ugly people everywhere. He believes that the uglier one is, the better life can be. Though the club enjoys making fun of beauty, especially beauty contests, Lacobelli has a serious side as well. He believes that too many people suffer from financial and emotional pressures because they don’t meet society’s standards of beauty. The fact that beautiful people are more successful in the workforce is a problem that Lacobelli has attempted to bring forward to the Italian public and government.
【小题1】Piobbico is rather special in that . A．it is a very small townB．it is home to ugly peopleC．it receives no visitorsD．it is the capital of Italy【小题2】Why is Lacobelli elected the president of the Ugly Club every year?A．Because he is the ugliest person in the whole world. B．Because his ugliness is always graded as bearable. C．Because he is a spokesperson for ugly people everywhere. D．Because he has won the members’ trust and admiration.【小题3】Which of the following is true according to the passage?A．Ugly people are most respected in Italy. B．The Festival of the Ugly is held every two years. C．Ugly people are unfairly treated in society. D．The uglier one is, the better life he or she lives.【小题4】Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?A．The Ugly Capital of the WorldB．The Ugliest Person of the WorldC．Festival of the UglyD．Beauty Contests Should be BannedB
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(答案→)B
解析：在意大利，人们最看重的品质是“美”。然而，有一个小镇，却聚集着很多长得“丑”的人。那里的人们以丑为美，每年还举办选丑大赛，选出的最丑的人将得到一份奖品。
【小题1】根据第一段“Piobbico, the self-declared World Capital of Ugly People ...they are entering the ugly zone ...People who consider themselves ugly have been gathering in Piobbico”可知，Piobbico是一个丑人聚集的小镇，故选B。
【小题2】根据第二段“A prize is awarded to Ugly Club members who qualify as extremely ugly.”可知，丑人俱乐部里最丑的人可以获得一个奖品，而Lacobelli当选的是俱乐部主席，排除A；根据第一段“Lacobelli believes that he is ugly himself because he has a short nose”可知，B项错误；Lacobelli创建了丑人俱乐部，并为成员谋福利，成员们都信任他并敬佩他，故选D。
【小题3】根据第一段“Italy is one country where beauty is prized more than any other virtue.”可知，意大利人最看重的是美丽，排除A；根据第二段“During the annual Festival of the Ugly”可知，每年都会举办这个节日，排除B；根据第四段“He believes that the uglier one is, the better life can be.”可知，越丑的人可以过上更好的生活，根据can可知，是理论上的可能性，还没有得到实现，排除D；故选C。
【小题4】根据“Piobbico, the self-declared World Capital of Ugly People ...During the annual Festival of the Ugly ...The Ugly Club president insists that ugliness is a virtue.”可知，文章讲的是意大利一个以丑为美的小镇的事情，故选A。