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中心思想
本文描写了“瓦萨”号出航前的雄姿及刹那间船体倾斜，货物、装备及船上400人顷刻葬身海底的海难悲剧。Vasa （瓦萨）是瑞典17世纪，更确切地说，是1628年一艘皇家大帆船的名字。这艘耗时三年建成的帆船工艺精细、装饰华丽，是一艘规模空前的战舰，它象征着17世纪上半叶以瑞典为代表的北欧新教势力与中欧波兰天主教势力之间的多年战乱结束时，瑞典的军事力量已达到鼎盛时期。
译文
从瑞典17世纪帝国开始，一艘在它的处女航中沉船的帆船故事是大海最奇特的传说。这艘帆船近三个半世纪一直沉在斯德哥尔摩海港海底，直到1956年才被发现。这艘帆船就是“瓦萨”战舰，伟大帝国舰队的皇家旗舰。
古斯塔夫斯帝王控制着军队，号称“北方飓风”，在长达30多年的战争中盘踞上风。“瓦萨”战舰船板上有多达64个古铜炮台，这艘战舰在瑞典的军事力量中扮演了领导角色。
1628年8月10日，〃瓦萨〃号战舰准备进行它的处女航。斯德哥尔摩港一片欢腾。从Skeppsbron港口环绕整个岛屿，人们凝视着这艘豪华巨轮而不停的挥手欢呼。他们花费了三年的时间才制造出这艘战舰。这艘战舰比以前任何战舰有更多的雕刻和装饰。高高的船尾城堡上雕刻着神、恶魔、骑士、国王、武士、美人鱼、天使和燃烧着红、金、蓝色火焰的动物造型，这些造型是勇气、力量、残酷的象征，常被描述为可以激发迷信船员的想像力。
炮台被点燃后打响了一声礼炮，“瓦萨”号战舰从炮烟中驶出，战旗飘荡，锦旗在微风中摆动，眼前呈现出斯德哥尔摩港人从未见过的壮观景象，所有的枪口和炮口同时打开准备打响。
突然一阵狂风，船身莫名其妙地颤动了一下，以致发生倾斜。指挥官命令将所有炮台移至甲板另一端以阻止倾斜，但倾斜的角度越来越大，颤动的巨响震动了岸边上的人们，货物、沙囊、弹药，还有400人都滑了下来，撞在船舰倾斜的下端船板上，较低的枪台已经浸入水中，这要了船舰的命。在那辉煌的一刻，巨大的〃瓦萨〃号战舰在它诞生的港口中、在舰旗飘荡中下沉了。
三
The Revolutionary War； which began officially on April 19； 1775； dragged on for more than six bitter years。 It was a conflict fought by the colonials for the righteous cause of securing freedom from intolerable British intervention in American affairs。
1 When legal restrictions were implemented by both the British and the colonists in 1775； nearly all American overseas merce abruptly ceased。 By mid1775； the colonies faced acute shortages in such military essentials as powder； flints； muskets； and knives。 Even salt； shoes； woolens； and linens were in short supply。 Late in 1775； Congress authorized limited trade with the West Indies； mainly to procure arms and ammunitions； and trade with other nonBritish areas was on an unrestricted basis by the spring of 1776。
2 Yet the colonies engaged in international trade despite the blockade。 Formal treaties of merce with France in 1778 and with Holland and Spain shortly thereafter stimulated the flows of overseas trade。 Between 1778 and early 1782； American wartime merce was at its zenith。 During those years； France； Holland； Spain； and their possessions all actively traded with the colonies。 Even so； the flow of goods in and out of the colonies remained well below prewar levels。 Smuggling； privateering； and legal trade with overseas partners only partially offset the drastic trade reductions with Britain。 Even the coastal trades were curtailed by a lack of vessels； by blockades； and by wartime freight rates。 Britishoccupied ports； such as New York； generated some import activity but little or nothing in the way of exports。
3 In Philadelphia； for instance； nearly 4；000 women were employed to spin materials in their homes for the newly established textile plants。 A sharp increase also occurred in the number of artisan workshops with a similar stimulus in the production of beer； whiskey； and other domestic alcoholic beverages。 4O Only the leastmercialized rural areas remained little affected by the serpentine path of war and the sporadic flows of wartime merce。
Overall； the war imposed a distinct economic hardship on the new nation。 Most goods rose in cost and were more difficult to obtain。 High prices and severe mercial difficulties encouraged some； investors to turn from merce to manufacturing。 Then； once the trade lanes reopened with the ing of peace； even those who profited from the war were stung by the tide of imports that swept it to American ports and sharply lowered prices。 5
［A］The rechanneling of American resources into importpeting industries was especially strong along the coast and in the major port cities。
［B］As exports and imports fell； import substitution abounded； and the colonial economy became considerably more selfsufficient。
［C］ Although many Americans escaped the direct ordeals of war； few Americans were untouched by it — at least indirectly。
［D］ Nevertheless； the British maintained a fairly effective naval blockade of American ports； especially during the first two years of the war。
［E］ Internally； the most pressing problems were financial。
［F］More important was the fact that Congress had no independent ine and had to rely for funds on catchascatchcan contributions from the states； made roughly in proportion to their individual populations。
［G］Maritime merce was always an important factor in the war effort； and trade linkages were vital to the supply of arms and ammunitions。
答案及解析
1。G。海上商业活动历来是战事中的重要环节，而保持贸易联系对于武器弹药的供应至关重要。第一段介绍了美国独立战争及意义。第二段说明独立战争的深刻根源。后面提到海外贸易的中止；火药、手雷、枪支及刀具等基本军需品的严重短缺。可知第一句应是对这两项的总体概述。所以应选G。
2。D。然而，英国对美国港口实施了相当有效的海上封锁，尤其在独立战争的最初两年，由下文：尽管封锁严密，各殖民地仍然开展着对外贸易，可知选D。
3。B。由于贸易活动的减少，进口替代品的生产兴旺起来，殖民地的经济因而更加自给自足。下文：例如在费城，新建的纺织厂雇用了近4000名妇女在家里纺织布料。工匠作坊也大量涌现，刺激了啤酒、威士忌及其它国产酒类的酿造。此段所举的例子都是为说明殖民地的经济因而更加自给自足。
4。A。美国的生产资源流动与进口货的对抗，这一趋势在沿海地区及港口大城市尤为强劲。免受战争炮火硝烟与战时贸易封锁影响的只有那些远离商业活动的乡村地区，前面的“沿海地区及港口大城市”与后文“乡村地区”形成对比。
5。C�