“Down-to-earth” means someone or something that is honest, practical and easy to deal with. It is 36 to find someone who is down-to-earth. A person who is down-to-earth is easy to talk to and 37 other people as equals. A down-to-earth person is just the 38 of someone who acts important and proud.
Down-to-earth persons 39 be important members of society, of course. 40 they do not let their importance “go to their heads”. They do not 41 themselves to be better persons than others of less importance. Someone who is filled with his own importance and pride, often without cause, is 42 to have “his nose in the air”. There is 43 way a person with his nose in the air can be down-to-earth.
Americans 44 another expression that means almost the same as “down-to-earth”. The expression is “both-feet-on-the-ground”. Someone with both-feet-on-the-ground is a person with a good 45 of reality. He 46 what is called “mon sense”. He may have 47 , but he does not allow them to 48 his knowledge of what is real.
The opposite kind of 49 is one who has his “head-in-the-clouds”. A man with his-head-in-the-clouds is a dreamer whose 50 is not in the real world.
51 , such a dreamer can be brought back to earth. 52 words from a teacher can usually bring a day-dreaming student down-to-earth.
Usually, the person who is down-to-earth is very 53 to have both feet on-the –ground. 54 we have both our feet on-the –ground, when we are down-to-earth, we act 55 and openly towards others. Our lives are like the ground below us, solid and strong.
【小题1】A．pleasantB．sadC．monD．surprising【小题2】A．meetsB．welesC．receivesD．accepts【小题3】A．caseB．kindC．oppositeD．example【小题4】A．mustB．mayC．shouldD．will【小题5】A．But B．SoC．ForD．And【小题6】A．wishB．expectC．desireD．consider【小题7】A．saidB．toldC．askedD．made【小题8】A．someB．aC．noD．every【小题9】A．discoverB．findC．makeD．use【小题10】A．understandingB．wishC．reasonD．expectation【小题11】A．demandsB．lacksC．hasD．likes【小题12】A．fortunesB．dreamsC．achievementsD．disadvantages【小题13】A．blockB．protectC．ownD．gain【小题14】A．ideaB．peopleC．attitudeD．person【小题15】A．mindB．lifeC．bodyD．head【小题16】A．AlwaysB．ThereforeC．HoweverD．Sometimes【小题17】A．SharpB．AllC．NoD．Bad【小题18】A．possibleB．probableC．likelyD．able【小题19】A．ThoughB．SinceC．WhenD．Unless【小题20】A．kindlyB．directlyC．friendlyD．honestlyA
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(答案→)A
解析：
解读：这是一篇议论文。文章首先阐明“down-to-earth”是什么意思，然后描述“a down-to-earth person”是什么样的人，有什么样的品格特征，与“head-in-the-clouds”这类人有什么不同。文章最后提倡我们要脚踏实地地生活。
【小题1】A 由下文“A person who is down-to-earth is easy to talk to…”以及上文的“honest, practical and easy to deal with”可以推断：遇到脚踏实地的人是一件令人惬意的事情。
【小题2】 D 脚踏实地的人很容易与人相处，他们将其他人都视为平等的。accept…as“认为……是，把……当作”。
【小题3】C 由修饰“someone”的定语从句的内容可知，这类人与“a down-to-earth person”的性格相反。
【小题4】B “down-to-earth persons”可能是社会上的重要人物。“down-to-earth”是指人的内在品质，并不是重要人物所特有的。May在这里表推测（可能）；must表推测时，可能性很大，表示“一定是”；should“应该”；will不表示推测。
【小题5】A 前一句与后一句构成意义上的转折。他们有可能是重要人物，但不以此自居。
【小题6】D consider… to be“认为……是”。其他选项与句意不符。
【小题7】 A 句意为：据说那种自以为是的人常常会毫无理由地趾高气扬。Be said to do“据说，人们说……”。其他选项与句意不符。
【小题8】 C 一个趾高气扬的人是没办法脚踏实地的。
【小题9】D 美国人使用另一种表达方式来表示“down-to-earth”的意思。
【小题10】 A 常识判断题。脚踏实地的人当然是对现实有很好的理解和认识。
【小题11】 C 这类人具备一种被称为“常识”的东西。Has与上文的“with a good understanding of reality”和下文的“He may have dreams”相对应。
【小题12】B 这里的“dreams”与上文中的“reality”相对应，说明实际的人有梦想但不脱离实际。
【小题13】 A block是“阻碍”的意思。脚踏实地的人善于把握现实，他们可能有梦想但不会让这些梦想阻碍他们对现实的认知。
【小题14】 D 上文说到的是实际的人，这里当然是指与之相反的另一类人。后面谓语是单数，故不能选B。
【小题15】 A 在这里“mind”是“想法，思维（方法）”的意思。
【小题16】 D “such a dreamer can be brought back to earth”这句话中的“can(可能会)”表推测的语气，所以与此相对应的应该是D。
【小题17】 A 老师一些尖锐的话常常能将那些爱做白日梦的学生拉回到现实中来。all和no不合常理；bad words“坏话，粗言秽语”不合题意。
【小题18】 C be likely to do sth.“很可能做某事”。上文提到的“down-to-earth”和“both-feet-on-the-ground”意义相同。
【小题19】 C 此空的选项与后一句“we are down-to-earth”相对应，故选C。
【小题20】A 本题考查介词用法，towards表“向，对”。