英语六级阅读要靠理解与词汇掌握，我们在做题时，一定要端正心态，不要急躁，先弄清后面的题目内容，了解文章类型，再根据阅读问题有选择性的阅读文章，可以有效提升我们的做题时间与正确率，本文小编为大家整理了一篇阅读，实际操练吧!

　　The“V”Sign

　　The palm-forward“V”sign, formed by raising and spreading the first two fingers1 ,has three different meanings in American culture.The most popular meaning of the“V”sign was invented in 1941 by a Belgian, Victor De Lavalaye. Wanting a symbol for resistance to the Nazi2 occupation, he came up with the single letter“V”, which stood not only for his own first name3, but also for English victory, Flemish virijheid, and French victoire. The symbolism of the sign spread very quickly, and Winston Churchill4 used it constantly in public appearance. Thus throughout the 1940 s and 1950 s, the gesture meant simply“victory”.The second meaning came in the 1960 s. Because of its military implication, Americanantiwar protestors used the sign sarcastically against the arms, so that it became known as the“ peace sign”. In the 1970s, the“V”sign , which had lost its military implication, was a common greeting among freedom lovers, acid heads5, political radicals, and ultimately, young people in general. So by about the middle of the 1970s, it ceased to give clue to the user’s philosophy. The third meaning is the oldest and least common. American children jokingly put “V”, which resembles“ horns”, behind friends’heads in group snapshots. The are unknowingly reproducing something that southern Europeans would find highly offensive. This mischief, called“horns of the Devil”, is a variant of the European“ horns”gesture, which is obscene. Here the“V”sign means“Your wife has been cheating on you ”or, when placed behind another’s head,“His wife has been cheating on him”. In the United States, the gesture is typically given with the palm facing the viewer. The British use both this version and an older, palm-backward version; the latter is obscene in American culture, and corresponds to the American“ finger”6 . Churchill got some surprised stares in 1941 when, evidently unaware of the vulgar usage, he gave the palm-backward“V”to British troops. In England today you could have to be a social hermit not to understand the distinction. Astonishingly, however, Margaret Thatcher7 repeated Churchill’s error after her victory in the 1979 election.

　　Ⅰ. Fill in the blanks with proper words :

　　American children______________________ ( 开玩笑地) put“V”, which______________________ ( 类似)“ horns”,

　　behind friends’heads in group ______________________( 快照) . They are______________________ ( 无意中地) reproducing

　　something that southern Europeans would find highly______________________ ( 无礼的) .

　　This mischief, called“ horns of the Devil”, is a ______________________( 变体) of the European

　　“ horns”gesture, which is______________________ ( 淫秽的) .

　　Ⅱ. Exp lain the fo llowing phras es in bold typ e in yo ur own words :

　　1. If you kee p yo ur fin ge rs crossed , you ______________________.

　　2. If you are all fin ge rs a nd thumbs , you ______________________ .

　　3. If you ha ve a finger in every pie , you______________________ .

　　4. If you thumb a lift, you______________________.

　　参考答案：

　　1. jokingly / resembles / snapshots / unknowingly / offensive / variant / obscene

　　2. 1. hope that something will happen the way you want2. are clumsy or awkward with your hands

　　3. are involved in everything that is happening

　　4. try to get a free ride in a motor vehicle ; hitchhike

希望以上这些英语六级阅读练习对大家有帮助，更多精彩内容尽在文都网校四六级频道!