题文
London’s newest skyscraper (摩天大楼)is called the Shard and it cost about 430 million pounds to build. At a height of almost 310 metres, it is the tallest building in Europe. The Shard has completely changed the appearance of London. However, not everyone thinks that it is a change for the better.The Shard was designed by the famous Italian architect Renzo Piano. When he began designing the Shard for London, Piano wanted a very tall building that looked like a spire (尖顶)• He wanted the glass surfaces to reflect the sky and the city. The sides of the building aren’t regular. So the building has an unusual shape. It looks like a very thin，sharp piece of broken glass. And that is how the building got the name: the Shard. Piano says that the spire shape of the Shard is part of a great London tradition. The shape reminds him of the spires of the churches of London or the tall masts (桅杆）of the ships that were once on the river Thames.
The Shard has 87 floors. At the top, there is an observatory. At the moment the building is empty, but eventually there will be a five-star hotel. There will also be top quality restaurants, apartments and offices.
Before building work began, a lot of people didn’t want the Shard though the plans were approved. Now they are still unhappy about the Shard. Some critics say that such a tall skyscraper might be good in a city like New York, but not in London. They say that the best thing about the Shard is its spire shape. But that is the only thing. There is no decoration, only flat surfaces. The Egyptians did that 4,500 years ago. They also think the Shard is too big for London. It destroys the beauty of the city.
Other critics don’t like what the Shard seems to represent. They say that the Shard shows how London is becoming more unequal. only very rich people can afford to buy the expensive private apartments and stay in the hotel. But the people who live near the Shard are among the poorest in London. So the Shard seems a symbol of the division in society between the very rich and the poor.
The Shard now dominates the London skyline. It is not certain, however, that ordinary London citizens will ever accept it as a valuable addition to the city.
小题1:London’s newest skyscraper is called the Shard because of ._____
A. its cost
B its size
C .its shape
D .its height
小题2:When he designed the Shard, Piano wanted it to ._____A．change London’s skylineB．inherit London’s traditionC．imitate the Egyptian styleD．attract potential visitors小题3:The critics who refer to social division think the Shard_______ .A．is only preferred by the richB．is intended for wealthy peopleC．is far away from the poor areaD．is popular only with Londoners小题4:Which would be the best title for the passage?A．The Shard: Cheers and ClapsB．The Shard: Work of a Great ArchitectC．The Shard: New Symbol of London?D．The Shard: A Change for the Better? 题型：未知 难度：其他题型
答案
小题1:C
小题2:B
小题3:B
小题4:D
解析
【文章大意】这是一篇夹叙夹议的议论文。文章讲述了伦敦新建了欧洲最高的被称之为“the Shard”的摩天大楼，成为了伦敦的新标志，然而对此却有不同的观点，尤其是对新的摩天大楼代表的阶层更是有络绎不绝的批评之声。
小题1:C考查细节理解。根据文章第二段“He wanted the glass surfaces to reflect the sky and the city. The sides of the building aren’t regular. So the building has an unusual shape”可知正是因为它的外形新的摩天大楼才被称作为“the Shard”.故C正确。
小题2:B考查细节理解。根据文章第二段“Piano says that the spire shape of the Shard is part of a great London tradition ”可知Piano希望摩天大楼更多承载的是伦敦的传统，故B正确。
小题3:B考查细节理解。根据文章第五段“only very rich people can afford to buy the expensive private apartments and stay in the hotel. …So the Shard seems a symbol of the division in society between the very rich and the poor.”可知批评者认为它只是代表了有钱的富人，也成为了穷人与富人的区分和界限，故B正确。
小题4:D考查文章标题。根据文章第一段“However, not everyone thinks that it is a change for the better ”可知文章是在探究与阐述对新的摩天大楼所带来的变化究竟是怎样的，故利用这样的话题作为标题很鲜明直接，故D正确。
考点
据考高分专家说，试题“London’s newest skys.....”主要考查你对 [政治经济类阅读 ]考点的理解。政治经济类阅读
政治经济类文章的概念：
要做好这类阅读，平时就要注意了解国内外发生的政治经济大事，掌握一定背景知识，对这类文章的叙述特点及内容安排有一定了解，还要扩展这方面的词汇。阅读这类文章，要抓住文章的核心，即文章整体和各段主要在说什么，也要注意段落之间的逻辑关系。
如何备考政治经济类阅读理解题：
【题型说明】政治经济类阅读文章是高考常选材料之一。该类文章时代气息浓郁，语言鲜活，但熟字新义词、超纲词及专业词语多，长句、难句多。政治类文章大多数是同学们感性趣的内容，读起来倒有似曾相识的感觉，经济类文章读起来就像是雾里看花，文章看完，一头雾水。再加之这类文章的命题侧重于词义猜测、推理判断和文章主旨，同学们对这类题材是望而生畏。
【备考策略】建立心理优势。针对不同体裁的文章，我们要采取相应的阅读方法和技巧。政治类文章多采用记叙文形式，我们可采取“顺读法”，以便抓关键语句，领会文章主旨；而经济类文章则多采用说明文形式，我们则可以采取“逆读法”，先读试题，再从文章中查找有用信息。若遇到的确难读的材料。千万不用着急，因为你觉得难，其他人也一定是同感。在高考前，我们就要有这种心理准备，高考试卷肯定有一、两篇难以阅读的材料。不过，我们平时可以有意识地从报刊杂志上找一些较难的阅读材料来阅读，以培养自己迎难而上的心理素质。
【答题方法】
1、寻找主干：
根据英语中五种基本句型结构，把句子中的主语、谓语、宾语、表语等主要成分找出来，其他成分如定语、状语、补语等则易于理解。找到了句子主干，句子的意思至少明白了一半。
2、剔除从句：
在一个长句中可能会出现若干个从句，在理解时，如果把各个从句剔除出来单独理解，然后把大意拼凑起来，整个长句的意思就会明白六、七分。
3、辨别分句：
一个长句如果是由几个并列、转折、递进、对比关系的分句组成，句中往往有表示这些分句关系的连接词，只要能弄清楚分句和分句之间的逻辑关系，再把各层分句的意思加以连贯，整个长句的句意基本上能跃然脑中。
4、寻找关键词：
如果一个句子看完，一点句意的感觉也没有，下下策就是抓住句中的关键词，通过关键词大体弄懂这个长句的意思。
