Everyone knows that the French are romantic, the Italians are fashionable and the Germans are serious. Or do they? Are these just stereotypes or is there really such a thing as national character? And if there is, can it affect how a nation succeed or fail?
At least one group of people is certain that it can. A recent survey of the top 500 entrepreneurs (实业家) in the UK found that 70 percent felt that their efforts were not appreciated by the British public.
Britain is hostile to success, they said. It has a culture of jealousy (嫉妒) . As a result, the survey said, entrepreneurs were “unloved, unwanted and misunderstood”. Jealousy is sometimes known as the “green-eyed monster” and the UK is its home. Scientists at Warwich University in the UK recently tested this idea. They gathered a group of people together and gave each an imaginary amount of money. Some were given a little, others a great deal. Those given a little money were given the chance to destroy the large amounts of money given to others—but at the cost of losing their own. Two thirds of the people tested agreed to do this.
This seems to prove the entrepreneurs were right to plain. But there is also conflicting evidence. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) recently reported that the UK was now the world’s fourth largest economy. That is not bad for people who are supposed to hate success. People in the UK also work longer hours than anyone else in Europe. So the British people are not lazy, either.
“It’s not really success that the British dislike,” says Carey Cooper, a Professor of management at the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology. “It’s people using their success in a way that seems arrogant (傲慢) or unfair or which separates them from their roots.”
Perhaps it is the entrepreneurs who are the problem. They set out to do things in their way. They work long hours. By their own efforts they bee millionaires. But instead of being happy they plain that nobody loves them. It hardly seems worth following their example. If they were friendlier, people would like them more. And more people want to be like them.
【小题1】What does the underlined “it” in the second paragraph refer to ?A．One group of peopleB．A great surveyC．A nation D．National character【小题2】Most entrepreneurs surveyed believe that .A．the British public are hardworkingB．they are not popular simply because they are successfulC．love of success is Britain’s national characterD．they are considered as “green-eyed monsters”【小题3】What does the result of the Warwich University test show ?A．Most people would rather fail than see others succeed B．Two thirds of the people tested didn’t love moneyC．An imaginary amount of money does not attract peopleD．Most people are willing to enjoy success with others【小题4】The writer of the passage seems to suggest that .A．jealousy is Britain’s national characterB．British entrepreneurs are not fairly treatedC．the British dislike the entrepreneurs because they do not behave properlyD．the scientists at Warwich University did a successful test【小题5】Which of the following statements is true according to the passage? A．Everyone knows that the French are romantic, the Germans are fashionable and the Italians are serious.B．About 350 entrepreneurs in the UK felt that their efforts were not appreciated by the British public.C．The British people are not lazy and they work longer hours than anyone else in the world.D．Carey Cooper said that the British really dislike success.D
网友回答
(答案→)D
解析：真的存在民族性格吗？它会影响到一个国家的兴衰成败吗？一项对英国企业家的调查显示，超过一半的企业家认为他们不受大众的欢迎。他们认为这是由英国固有的嫉妒文化导致。
【小题1】根据第一段“Are these just stereotypes or is there really such a thing as national character? And if there is, can it affect how a nation succeed or fail?”和第二段“70 percent felt that their efforts were not appreciated by the British public”可知，是否存在一种叫作“民族性格”的东西呢？它能否影响一个国家的成败呢？至少有一些人相信民族性格能够影响国家成败。It指的是第一段提到的national character，故选D。
【小题2】根据第三段“It has a culture of jealousy (嫉妒) . As a result, the survey said, entrepreneurs were “unloved, unwanted and misunderstood””可知，大多数企业家并不受欢迎是因为，人们认为他们是继承了家族的事业，英国充斥着嫉妒文化，故选B。
【小题3】根据第三段“Those given a little money were given the chance to destroy the large amounts of money given to others—but at the cost of losing their own. Two thirds of the people tested agreed to do this.”可知，测试中得到一点钱的人，有三分之二愿意毁掉他人得到的一大笔钱，即使以自己得到的一点钱为代价。由此可见，大多数人都对他人的成功抱有嫉妒心理，故选A。
【小题4】根据第五段““It’s not really success that the British dislike,” ...“It’s people using their success in a way that seems arrogant (傲慢) or unfair or which separates them from their roots.””可知，英国人并非不喜欢他人的成功，而是不喜欢人们以成功自居的傲慢态度和不公正的行为，故选C。
【小题5】根据第二段“A recent survey of the top 500 entrepreneurs (实业家) in the UK found that 70 percent felt that their efforts were not appreciated by the British public.”可知，500位企业家中的70%是350人，故选B。