According to some individuals, if your house is built in the right position, this may affect your success in life, which seems strange to many people. However, to believers in Feng-Shui, or the art of geomancy, not only the position but also the choice of decorations and even the color of your home can mean the difference between good fortune and disaster. This art has been practiced for centuries in China and is still used all over South East Asia. Even the huge Hong Kong banks call in a geomant if they are planning to build new offices. They have such faith in his knowledge that if he advises them to move, they will alter their plans for even their biggest buildings.

Like many Oriental beliefs the geomant’s skill depends on the idea of harmony in nature. If there is no imbalance between the opposing forces of Yin and Yang, the building will bring luck to its inhabitants. This means that the house must be built on the right spot as well as facing the right direction, and also be painted an auspicious color. For instance, if there are mountains to the north, this will protect them from evil influences. If the house is painted red, this will bring happiness to the occupants while green symbolizes youth and will bring long life. Other factors, such as the owner’s time and date of birth, are taken into account, too. The geomant believes that unless all these are considered when choosing a site for construction, the fortune of the people using it will be at risk.

Indeed, to ignore the geomant’s advice can have fatal results. The death of the internationally famous Kung-Fu star, Brucee Lee, has been used as an example. It is said that when Lee found out that the house he was living in was an unlucky one, he followed a geomant’s advice and installed an eight-sided mirror outside his front door to bring him luck. Unfortunately, a storm damaged the mirror and the house was left unprotected from harmful influences. Soon afterwards Lee died in mysterious circumstances.

Not only is Feng-Shui still used in South East Asia, but it has also spread right across the world. Even in modern New York a successful commercial artist called Milton Glaser has found it useful. He was so desperate after his office was broken into six times that he consulted a geomant. He was told to install a fish tank with six black fish and fix a red clock to the ceiling. Since then he has not been burglarized once. It may seem an incredible story, but no other suitable explanation has been offered.

57. From the passage we can infer that Feng-Shui is NOT used in ______.

A) Hong Kong

B) the United States

C) Japan

D) Thailand

58. Geomants believe that ______.

A) houses must only be painted red

B) houses must face mountains

C) nature and life should be in harmony

D) green is an unlucky color

59. Geomants think that the reason for Bruce Lee’s death is that ______.

A) he didn’t follow the geomants’ advice

B) he installed an eight-sided mirror

C) he misunderstood the geomant’s advice

D) a storm damaged the protection for his house

60. The story of Milton Glaser shows that ______.

A) colors are not important in geomancy

B) geomancy is used by artists

C) geomancy is used in the West

D) the fight against crime is being won

61. Which of the following best describes geomancy?

A) It is a style of Oriental decoration.

B) It is a type of painting.

C) it is an ancient Chinese belief called Feng-Shui.

D) It is an architectural design.

参考答案：

对某些人来讲，房子所建的位置会影响人生的成功;而在其他许多人看来，这似乎很奇怪。但是，【61】对信奉风水或占卜的人来讲，不仅仅是位置，还有装修，甚至房子颜色都暗示好运和灾难。【61】在中国，数世纪之前，就有此做法，【57】而今在东南亚依然存在。香港的大银行打算设置新办公室，都会叫个风水师来看看。他们非常信任风水师。如果风水师建议搬走，他们会修改计划，不管建筑多宏伟。

【58】和很多东方的信仰相似，风水师的能力取决于他对自然和谐的看法。如果阴阳和谐，建筑就会给居民带来好运。这意味着，房子要建筑合适的位置，面朝正确的方向，刷上吉祥的颜色。比如，北面有山，将会阻挡厄运的影响。房子漆上红色，会给住户带来幸福;绿色代表年经，暗含长寿。屋主的出生时辰此类的因素也要考虑在内。风水师相信，人们建房子时如果不考虑这些，那他们将命运堪忧。

事实上，忽视风水师的建议，可能会带来致命的后果。国际功夫巨星李小龙之死，是个很好的例子。【59】据说，李小龙发现自己居住的房子不吉利时，他听从风水师的建议，在前门外安装了一个八面的镜子，期望带来好运。不幸的是，暴风雨毁坏了保护房子的镜子。随后不久，李小龙神秘死亡。

【57】【60】风水不仅在东南亚盛行，现在传播到了全世界。即使在最现代的纽约，非常成功的商业艺术家Milton Glaser也发现它很有用。歹徒破门进入他办公室六次，他很绝望，咨询了风水师。风水师告诉他，安装一个鱼缸，放6条黑色的鱼，房顶装一个红色的钟。自此之后，盗贼再也没有光临过。故事似乎难以置信，却没有其他合理的解释。

57.答案C

解析：本题是个建立在细节上的判断题。文中讲到，风水在东南亚很流行，现在还传播到了西方国家。选项A和D属于东南亚的，选项B在文章最后一段出现，用排除法可以判断C为正确选项。

58.答案C

解析：本题是个细节题。考生可锁定文章第二段，开头就说到风水师很看重和自然的和谐一致。选项D和文中意思刚好相反，而选项A和B只是文中用来说明和谐的例子而已。

59.答案D

解析：本题是个细节题。根据题干中的Bruce Lee，考生可将答案定位在文章的第三段。李小龙听风水师的建议安装了镜子，但暴风雨打碎了镜子，所以保护房子的屏障没有了。

60.答案C

解析：本题是个建立在细节上的总结判断题。根据题干中的人名Milton Glaser，考生可锁定文章的最后一段。第一句话是主题句，风水在西方流行开来，而Milton Glaser之事仅仅是证明这个观点的例子。

61.答案C

解析：本题是个总结判断题。通观全文，可用排除法来选择正确答案。选项A、B、D只是风水师看风水时考虑的因素。而文章的一段，把风水解释为占卜(Feng-Shui, or the art of geomancy)，接着说，在中国数世纪之前就很盛行。由此可以推断C为正确答案。